By Anne Bodine

The LPCA plans to sign two letters in response to a Special GLUP proposal in Lyon Village. In addition, we will be weighing in on a proposal within our neighborhood at Highland and 10th.  

Letter opposing Special GLUP proposal: The LPCA President intends to sign a letter to the County Board opposing the proposal by Clarendon Presbyterian Church and a non-profit housing developer to change land use and zoning for a parcel in Lyon Village that currently holds the church and a small park.  Lyon Park is one of five civic associations allowed to weigh in on this project in recognition that higher density zoning and land use in Clarendon would have spillover effects. This position aligns with Lyon Park’s Neighborhood Conservation Plan and was discussed at the January LPCA meeting. 

Special General Land Use Plan: The Lyon Village project sparked interest by all five participating civic associations (including LPCA) in a separate letter to the County Board, addressing flaws in the Special GLUP process writ-large.  This letter addresses strategic process problems without specifically addressing the church project.  (NOTE:  Special GLUPs are one-off revisions to land use and zoning being applied/approved outside the framework of approved area and sector plans.  Those area and sector plans are done to stimulate more growth, and they allow developers to pursue site plan development in these areas, whereas other locations may be developed only by-right.).  In the view of our five civic associations, who have seen a moderate share of the Special GLUP activity recently, the standards for approval have become less clear.  This letter therefore asks the County Board to:

1. Clarify standards for advancing a Special GLUP application;

2. Consider higher and broader levels of community benefits relative to existing zoning regulations;

3. Not use a Special GLUP Study to substantiate follow-on Special GLUPs nor create a precedent for county-wide policy changes; 

4. Establish follow-up procedures to track Special GLUP projects that are approved. 

N. Highland and 10th St: At the March LPCA meeting, we will discuss the request for rooftop use by the owner of the apartments at N. Highland and 10th St. (where Kaldi’s Coffee house is).  Neighbors adjacent to the property have mixed opinions, and we are still clarifying what the access and usage will entail (i.e. open to non-residents or not).  We will take a vote on this at our March meeting, and the County Board will be making its decision in April.

If you are interested in this issue, please join us at the next meeting on March 13, when members can weigh in on the issue.