Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Cheryl Cort @cherylcort.bsky.social · 20h

Our Ward 3 for everyone happy hour was a lovely meet-up with likeminded folks. We’ve got a lot to champion- Wisconsin & Conn Aves rezoning, a new Comp Plan in the works. Grateful for partners working together.

3 6

Cheryl Cort @cherylcort.bsky.social · 2d

Join me! Lots to talk about. Get ready to testify for most homes in Ward 3’

Ward 3 Smart Growth & Affordable Housing Happy Hour
Tuesday, October 7, 2025
5:30 PM - 7:30 PM

Surfside (at the outside bar) Tenleytown

RSVP

secure.everyaction.com/aNzDsMF0-0es...

Ward 3 Smart Growth & Affordable Housing Happy Hour

secure.everyaction.com

Cheryl Cort @cherylcort.bsky.social · 7d

Excited about plans for a vibrant, walkable place at Bowie State MARC station. Thx to BSU Pres Breaux, MDOT, District 23 Delegation (Sen Watson, Del Holmes, Taylor & Boafo), & D22 Del Williams. Also great showing by PGC’s Braveboy admin & CM Watson. We hosted a site tour w/ this great partnership.

Dr Breaux, BSU president speaks to group. With RISE Prince George’s, Coalition for Smarter Growth, MDOT, MD DHCD.

2

Cheryl Cort @cherylcort.bsky.social · 10d

Just another day in DC.

4

Cheryl Cort @cherylcort.bsky.social · 14d

Exciting start to my day as rode in early to go by Capitol reflecting pool to see a Red Phalarope! Alerted by colleague Carrie Kisicki (on right).

1 5

Cheryl Cort @cherylcort.bsky.social · 17d

We are doing more tours! www.smartergrowth.net/events/

Or tours of Reservoir District? Yes EYA said they would be sponsoring history tours.

Events Archive - Coalition For Smarter Growth

www.smartergrowth.net

1 2

Cheryl Cort @cherylcort.bsky.social · 17d

Reservoir District is a fascinating integration of old & new, public & private. Thx to Matt Bell (Perkins Eastman), Gilles Stucker (DMPED) & Jack Lester (EYA) for guiding our tour.

1 5

Cheryl Cort @cherylcort.bsky.social · 18d

What great images! Thanks for joining us!

Julie Patton Lawson @srfrjulie.bsky.social · 18d

Thanks to @cherylcort.bsky.social for organizing a great tour of the McMillan filtration site development this morning!

Peering into an old sand filtration chamber, with concrete pillars and ceiling. There is a hole in the ceiling (daylight coming through) where they would pour clean sand in.

Detail of the base of the historic fountain

3

Cheryl Cort @cherylcort.bsky.social · 27d

PGC rescinds missing middle housing next to West Hyattsville Metro. County was poised to break out of old zoning locking up lots of housing potential at 2 Metro stations. Pushing it back to a study with no timeline. It’s a loss for families want more affordable housing options near transit.

Red marks single family zones that were proposed to be 3 unit zones. Proposal was rescinded by new Planning Board under CEX Braveboy.

1 5

Cheryl Cort @cherylcort.bsky.social · Sep 7

Right on, Crush!

7

Cheryl Cort @cherylcort.bsky.social · Sep 2

Come to CSG’s walk! Explore the Reservoir District - a walking tour (formerly McMillan Sand Filtration Site) Saturday, Sept. 20, 10 AM -12 PM. Sign up secure.everyaction.com/i5Zavt9gikac...

Replace With Your Default Title

Replace With Your Default Description

secure.everyaction.com

1 1 3

Cheryl Cort @cherylcort.bsky.social · Aug 28

Great pavement repurposing! At H St NW and Penn. Everyone was sitting at the tables for lunch. Strikingly the park behind them was pretty much empty.

5

Cheryl Cort @cherylcort.bsky.social · Aug 28

Who loves an alley dwelling? We do! DC Zoning Commission is showing them more love too- but not quite enough! Let’s remove burdensome car parking requirements & a few other changes. Check back w/ us for our list of improvements. Hearing is 11/13. Smartergrowth.net

app.dcoz.dc.gov/Home/ViewCas...

4

Cheryl Cort @cherylcort.bsky.social · Aug 28

Good news: PGC launching a Missing Middle Housing study! It's time to open up better housing options around PGC's 15 Metro stations, Purple Line & MARC stations, inside the beltway and designated centers. Check out Planning's brown bag briefing 9/9.

lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/d6yjjmc

Image by MNCPPC, West Hyattsville Sector Plan, https://www.pgplanning.org/projects/west-hyattsville-queens-chapel-sector-plan-and-sma/

3

Cheryl Cort @cherylcort.bsky.social · Aug 22

Here’s a bit of good news: DDOT squared the SE corner of 14th & Euclid St NW. Slows turning vehicles. Makes everyone safer!

1 1 11

Cheryl Cort @cherylcort.bsky.social · Aug 21

PGC Planning Board Darryl Barnes & Director Hull graciously met with RISE Prince George's activists & LISC friends. We talked about keeping Blue Line Sector Plan TOD rezonings moving forward, expediting Central Av Connector Trail/bridge and a transformed, walk/bike friendly Central Ave.

L-R: Kyle Reeder, Dan Behrend, Director Lakisha Hull, Marcus Robinson (LISC), Chair Darryl Barnes, Steve Brigham, Bernard Holloway, Cheryl Cort.

1 3

Cheryl Cort @cherylcort.bsky.social · Aug 20

Oversized roads and intersections generate unsafe speeds & deadly consequences. MDOT and Prince George's are moving towards reconsidering and starting to redesign overbuilt, high speed roads -- but needs to happen more quickly. It's too late for this tragedy.

Driver hit curb, ‘became airborne' before Largo crash that killed 2, hurt 5

Investigators believe speeding was a factor in a seven-car crash in Largo, Maryland, on Tuesday that killed two women and sent five people to the hospital.

www.nbcwashington.com

Cheryl Cort @cherylcort.bsky.social · Aug 19

DC's accessory apartments zoning reforms & pilot program positive steps but so much more can be done. dc2050.dc.gov, DC's Comp Plan rewrite should ensure DC offers more homes of all shapes & sizes. Especially in high opportunity & transit accessible places. Join the DC2050 discussion this fall.

What happened to DC’s Residential Accessory Apartment Program?

DC’s pilot program for accessory dwelling units (ADUs) could have meant additional housing units in the District. But as of July 2025, only four of 15 units have been completed.

ggwash.org

1 5

Cheryl Cort @cherylcort.bsky.social · Aug 14

and Backcountry

2

Reposted by Cheryl Cort

Coalition for Smarter Growth @betterdcregion.bsky.social · Aug 13

Can we build a future where everyone can afford to live here?

Join us for a screening of Fault Lines, a documentary asking tough questions about housing, followed by a discussion with regional leaders.

Sept 7 @ 3:15 pm
Angelika Film, FFX
Get your free ticket:
www.smartergrowth.net/virginia/fau...

Flyer for a screening of Fault Lines, a documentary about housing and policy, followed by a discussion with regional leaders.

Sept 7 @ 3:15 pm
Angelika Film, FFX

3 3

Cheryl Cort @cherylcort.bsky.social · Aug 1

I’m sorry but Maglev is not our only option for high speed rail. We have more opportunity to create high speed rail w/ aggressive, well-funded Maglev campaign out of the way.

“Dream of a high-speed maglev train between D.C. and New York is dead for now” www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/202...

Dream of a high-speed maglev train between D.C. and New York is dead for now

Gov. Wes Moore (D) expressed enthusiasm for the maglev train from D.C. to Baltimore, as did his Republican predecessor. The Trump administration is opposed.

www.washingtonpost.com

1 6

Cheryl Cort @cherylcort.bsky.social · Jul 25

Thx to Yonah & UI for more helpful research on the pro-housing land use agenda!

Yonah Freemark @yonahfreemark.com · Jul 25

What are the characteristics of successful state pro-housing land use legislation?

In new research @urbaninstitute.bsky.social, we investigate!

We develop a database of recent bills & compare those that passed & didn’t. We interviewed 31 legislators to understand their perspectives on what worked.

Advancing Pro-Housing Land-Use Policy at the State Level

In this report, we document the results of a process study and quantitative analysis of state housing and land-use preemption legislation nationwide.

www.urban.org

1 3

Cheryl Cort @cherylcort.bsky.social · Jul 17

Great turnout at Largo development meeting last night. County moving forward with public investments like a signature Central Library at Largo Metro. Unfortunately no progress on stalled mixed use Carillon development also right at Largo Metro station. Thx to CM Wala Blegay for convening.

Cheryl Cort @cherylcort.bsky.social · Jul 17

Good news - at 7/14 hearing, Zoning Commission was very receptive to this mixed income building near Friendship Hts Metro. ANC 3E provided very supportive testimony. Thx to everyone who submitted letters of support! It helps smooth the way.

4

Reposted by Cheryl Cort

Stewart Schwartz @stewartcsg.bsky.social · Jul 16

Metro ⁦‪@wmata‬⁩ Station Manager at McPherson Square helping visitors to our Nation’s Capital. Not just with fares but with info about best ways to get to the sites. An ambassador for our city. ⁦‪@wmataGM‬⁩ ⁦‪@ATULocal689‬⁩ ⁦‪@betterDCregion‬⁩

1 5