Teardown Post

Business Gazette - Gaithersburg,MD,USA

Likewise, some moratorium supporters had moved into the quiet village within the past five years and were alarmed by home teardowns and rebuilds in Chevy Chase, MD.

Opponents of the ban who spoke were largely new to the municipality that defines itself as a calm, elegant oasis in an urban environment. Supporters of a temporary moratorium tended to be longtime residents who worried about over development in the suburban hamlet…. [read on]

Popularity: 10% [?]

Much of this summary is based on the Town of Chevy Chase’s Land Use Committee’s report. The clarity of the report greatly assisted my efforts.

This post explains the concept of FAR and how it is measured in the Town of Chevy Chase’s proposed ordinance. Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 14% [?]

The Town of Chevy Chase will consider a new emergency building moratorium on Wednesday evening during its 7-9pm meeting. The purpose of the proposed moratorium is to stop new construction (except of additions of under 500 sq. ft.) until the Town can adopt the ordinance proposed by the Town’s Land Use Committee designed to promote construction compatible with existing homes in the Town.

The crux of the proposed new ordinance is a new limit on floor-to-area ratio (F.A.R.) which allows larger homes on larger lots. The ordinance would also include new height and lot coverage restrictions beyond those already imposed by Montgomery County. The proposed ordinance also contains incentives in the form of permitting a higher F.A.R. for additions to existing homes (rather than teardowns) and for construction that meets certain environmental standards. I favor both the moratorium and the concept behind the new ordinance. The new ordinance is complex and the Council will need time to consider it carefully and to hold public hearings on it before adoption. At the same time, I hope the Council moves expeditiously to move the process forward and enact the ordinance. Even if the Council acts quickly on the ordinance, the moratorium is needed because the Town may continue to lose existing homes due to this delay and because the new ordinance has taken longer to enact than expected. If no new construction occurs, then no one is injured by the moratorium but Town residents will feel reassured. Supporters of the new moratorium plan to present a petition in support of it at tomorrow night’s Council meeting. The Town Council can feel safe enacting the moratorium on an emergency basis because of the long-established record in hearings and elections of support for measures like moratorium and the ordinance. This new ordinance represents the culmination of a process begun with the first moratorium.

by David Lublin 

Popularity: 11% [?]