Residents in the 1400 block of Buchanan Street NW absolutely hate this home. In 2014, the developer razed a structure on 1424 Buchanan Street NW without the proper permissions, causing damage to the adjacent homes. These homeowners were then tasked with having to pay for new firewalls and re-enforcement despite the blame being on the developer.
In a flyer distributed throughout the neighborhood in August 2014, advertising a public meeting, it described the plans as the "Nightmare on Buchanan Street" and an ambush on the community. One neighbor further described the construction as "about as shoddy as it gets," in an email chain in May 2015 by members of the 16th Street Neighborhood Association Yahoo group.
In order to protest the construction, residents reported the developer to the D.C. Inspector General and the Fire Marshall due to the third story of the new development towering over the existing chimney at 1422 Buchanan Street NW, thereby violating the International Fire Code. Residents then asked for the third story of the project to be lowered by at least two feet below the neighboring chimneys.
The entire development at 1424 Buchanan Street NW features three units with a total of seven bedrooms. For one of the two-bedroom units, the asking price totals $549,900, roughly $50,000 more higher than the median listing price for the 20011 ZIP code.
Right across the street, there is a four-bedroom townhome that is asking $675,000. The townhome needs some updating and a new coat of paint on the walls, but it's arguably a better deal.
What do you think, though? Is this pop up not so bad? Or are residents correct in wishing this project didn't get constructed?
• "Nightmare on Buchanan Street" [PoPville]