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The appeals that have blocked or delayed over a dozen projects in D.C. are beginning to spread to the suburbs.
Comstock Partners and the town of Herndon in late July withdrew their joint plan for a 281-unit development in Downtown Herndon following three appeals from nearby property owners, RestonNow reports.
The appeals challenged the Heritage Preservation Review Board's June approval of the plan, arguing that the board did not fully apply the standards of the historic preservation district in allowing multiple buildings to be demolished for the project. It also raised issues surrounding traffic, parking and the project's overall density.
Herndon selected Comstock in late 2016 to build a town center development on a 4.7-acre town-owned site at the intesection of Elden and Center streets. The plan called for 281 apartments, 18K SF of retail, an 18K SF arts center and a 761-space parking garage. The development team planned to break ground in 2019 and deliver in 2021.
Comstock told RestonNow it continues to work with the town and "trusts that things will stay on track." The town council plans to discuss the appeals during its next meeting.
Similar appeals have stalled several developments in the District in recent years. A major redevelopment of the Barry Farm public housing complex in Southeast D.C. had its approval vacated by the court in April and the developers are now looking to scale back the density and add more green space. The 25-acre McMillan project was appealed for a second time in April after the first appeal halted the project in late 2016.
Over a dozen other projects have been blocked or set back for months, delaying thousands of units of new housing as activists continue to challenge developments in court.
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