On Monday evening, the DC Zoning Commission voted to restrict pop-ups. What’s a pop up? It’s when a developer adds a couple of stories to a house when redeveloping it. The photo above is a perfect example.
What’s interesting (and horrifying) is the Zoning Commission decided to back date this decision to July 14, 2014. This decision is already causing a ruckus and an uproar in the real estate community. The new rules restrict the approved height to 35 feet. So what do you do if you’re a developer, you’re project was approved after July 14, 2014 and you’re already building a condo building over 35 feet high?
What do you think? Was the commission justified in making this decision? Did they think about the impact it would have on current developers and the real estate industry in general? I can’t wait to see how this shakes out.