WAMU 88.5 : Morning Edition

Filed Under:

D.C. Building Heights Rule Could Be Relaxed

By: Patrick Madden // April 13, 2012
Play associated audio
comments
D.C.'s building heights rule, enacted decades ago to preserve city vistas of landmarks such as the U.S. Capitol, shown here, could be relaxed in the coming years.
Dave Reid: (http://www.flickr.com/photos/davereid/4735522368/)
D.C.'s building heights rule, enacted decades ago to preserve city vistas of landmarks such as the U.S. Capitol, shown here, could be relaxed in the coming years.

For more than a century, height restrictions in D.C. have limited buildings to about 12 stories. But now, a leading House Republican and some District leaders are looking to change that.

Advocates say easing the restrictions only slightly could open up new opportunities for commercial real estate developers and accommodate the city's swelling population. But the restrictions have long been guarded by preservationists because they ensure unobstructed views of landmarks including the U.S. Capitol and the Washington Monument.

Mayor Vincent Gray and Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, who represents the district in Congress, have spoken recently to Rep. Darrell Issa, (R-Calif.), about easing the height restrictions, as was first reported by the Washington Post.

Issa, who chairs the committee that oversees the District, has indicated he plans to introduce a bill before the end of the year. 

Arts & Culture

NPR

Fictional 'Mothers' Reveal Facts Of A Painful Adoption Process

After years trying to conceive, novelist Jennifer Gilmore and her husband decided to adopt. What they thought would be a relatively simple process was instead a long and painful one. In her latest novel, Gilmore channels these autobiographical experiences into fiction.

Food

NPR

In Raw Milk Case, Activists See Food Freedom On Trial

Activists say the case against Wisconsin dairy farmer Vernon Hershberger is about raw milk — and much more. His supporters have turned the case into a rallying cry for personal food freedom and the rights of farmers and consumers to enter into private contracts without government intervention.

Politics

NPR

Lois Lerner's Brief And Awful Day On Capitol Hill

The IRS bureaucrat showed up long enough at a House hearing into the scandal engulfing her agency to declare her innocence and her constitutional right to say no more.

Technology

NPR

How That 'Nigerian Email Scam' Got Started

You've probably seen it in your inbox before: Someone who claims to have come into a fortune needs your help. You can share in the profits — if you send along a deposit or your bank account number. Boston Globe correspondent Finn Brunton talks about the history of the "Nigerian prince" or "419" scam, which actually got its start long before email.

Leave a Comment

Help keep the conversation civil. Please refer to our Terms of Use and Code of Conduct before posting your comments.