Travis Price Architect’s Shipping Container Residential Units
ANC Committee Says No to Shipping Container Housing in Rosedale
by Larry Janezich
Last night, ANC6A’s Zoning and Economic Development Committee said “no, thanks” to the Neighborhood Development Company and Architect Travis Price’s bid to construct 22 shipping container housing units in Rosedale. The DC Housing Development Agency is making the site at 1600 Kramer Street available to developers who will construct mixed income residential units, 35% of which must be “affordable.”
Last night, three developers presented their ideas for the site to the Committee.
Price’s concept featured “high performance, low energy housing” – which was the subject of an article in the WaPo yesterday, see here: http://wapo.st/1F8oYUi His proposal, in association with The Neighborhood Development Company, would provide 12 affordable units, 8 at 50% Area Median Income (AMI) and 4 at 80% AMI. (AMI in DC is $107,500 for a family of four) on the site in the Rosedale neighborhood adjacent to Miner Elementary School, just south of Hechinger Mall. The plan anticipates 8 parking spaces.
The Committee gave nods of approval to two other developers, Manna, Inc. and Mi Casa, both of whom put forth more traditional town house concepts.
Manna, Inc. proposes ten units – five 2 bedroom and five 3 bedroom. One 2 bedroom and one 3 bedroom would be marketed at 60% AMI, and one 2 bedroom and one three bedroom would be marketed at 50% AMI. Six units would be sold at market rate. The proposal includes six parking spaces.
Mi Casa proposes 12 townhouses – eleven 3 bedroom units and one fully accessible 2 bedroom unit. Five would be marketed at below 80%, five below 50 percent and two at market rate. They propose 12 parking spaces.
Both of the latter proposals would be financed by a combination of private equity and city subsidy. Both would be subsidized by DCHD providing the land at no cost. Manna would be further subsidized by a city write down – essentially a city held second mortgage which is passed on to subsequent owners and ultimately returned to the city.
At the end, Committee Chair Dan Golden summed up the consensus of the Committee and the community: Manna is the best architectural fit, Mi Casa the best commitment to affordability, and Neighborhood Development Company was “really cool but in terms of aesthetics and density” not the best fit for the neighborhood.
The committee voted 6 – 0 to send a letter in support of Manna, Inc. and Mi Casa to the full ANC which meets next Thursday at Miner Elementary School. The full ANC is expected to endorse the committee recommendation and forward that to DCHD.
CAPITOL HILL CORNER 
Sigh. Travis Price’s concept was affordable and stylish all in one. How narrow minded of ANC6A.
What were the reasons the ANC committee gave for voting NO to the Price concept?
I really like the price concept. Looking forward to elections in a few years. I think we need better representation on the ANC. I’m fed up with their close minded decision-making.
I’m a resident on Kramer St and support this decision. Not only do I not want to live near what looks like a shipping port, I don’t want to battle over parking. This plan called for 22 lots with 8 parking spots. The street is already crowded without adding additional cars. Three cheers to the ANC for respecting the wishes of the immediate neighbors!
The Kramer community submitted a list of concerns to the ANC that the developers should address in their plan: density, parking, water run off, the architectural integrity of the neighborhood, etc. Neighborhood Developers refused to go half way with the community and their plan, unlike the others, did not address the concerns of the neighborhood. The ANC recognized that. In my mind, that is GOOD decision making and leadership.