By David Alpert (Executive Director) • January 7, 2020
Responding to outrage that followed Greater Greater Washington’s report on that hearing, the DC’s Historic Preservation Review Board revised its guidelines to say that front-facing solar panels could be okay if “necessary” to achieve climate goals such as DC’s 2019 clean energy law. The board approved the guidelines, including the proposed changes, at that meeting as the start of what will surely be a long conversation within the preservation community about how to integrate planetary preservation.
By Wyatt Gordon (Virginia Correspondent) • January 7, 2020
The Virginia legislature convenes Wednesday and once the pomp and circumstance of the opening rituals subside, legislators will quickly set about making policies on issues from transportation and housing to guns and labor. Beginning this week I will be covering the 2020 Virginia General Assembly and the top issues that impact the region.
By Alex Baca (Housing Program Organizer) • January 7, 2020
The DC Office of Planning is making proposed amendments to the District’s 2006 Comprehensive Plan, a robust document which is basically a long term road map for how we interact with the city, from housing to transportation, and land use. You, as residents of the District, now have until Friday, Jan.10, to provide public comment.
Jack Evans announced that he would resign from the DC Council this month after nearly 30 years in office. His statement came the day the Council was set to vote on a measure to expel him over ethics violations. (Fenit Nirappil and Paul Schwartzman / Post)
The county will kick off a pilot program for scooters, bikes, and other shared devices. But pickups and drop offs of the devices will be limited to within a three-mile radius of Silver Line stations. Loudoun will also set a cap of 1,000 vehicles available to rent. (Neal Augenstein / WTOP)
The Office of the Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services will conduct two cleanups by January 16 and ban sidewalk encampments at the K Street NE underpass in order to clear a walking path. There are currently an estimated 40 homeless DC residents staying beneath the underpass. (Chelsea Cirruzzo / City Paper)
Both Republican Governor Larry Hogan and the Maryland Democratic Party have announced bills in the new legislative session to strengthen ethics requirements and raise penalties for public corruption. (William Ford / Washington Informer)
Childcare can cost up to $24,000 a year for an infant in DC, and while each of the region’s jurisdictions offers certain subsidies, some parents in two-income households are forced to leave their jobs in order to avoid that cost burden. (Eliza Berkon / WAMU)
A federal appeals court ruled that Dominion Energy’s plan to put a natural gas pumping station in Union Hill, a historically black community, was environmentally unjust, and revoked the permit for the pipeline. (Gregory Schneider / Post)
The DC Council will consider a measure to change default male pronouns and job titles in its code to gender neutral ones, except where gender is relevant to the application of the law. Under the new bill, the DC Code would refer to “chairpersons” and “police officers” not “chairmen” and “policemen.” (Natalie Delgadillo / DCist)
