In an effort to preserve single-family, row house neighborhoods in the District, the DC Zoning Commission has made its recently passed regulations limiting conversions and pop-ups effective immediately. Portions of Capitol Hill, Shaw, Logan Circle, Lanier Heights, Mount Pleasant, Bloomingdale, Columbia Heights and Petworth, which have seen soaring numbers of row houses converted to condos or small apartment buildings, will now require special exceptions for developers seeking to increase density. The by-right building height has been lowered from 40 to 35 feet, the number of residential stories lowered from four to three, and every fourth residential unit must be affordable, the Washington Business Journal reports. While some residents of these neighborhoods complain the conversions are lowering their quality of life, one Capitol Hill resident said their concerns are "trivial and meritless." [WBJ]