“As much as everyone has talked pro- or anti- popups, did I somehow miss the discussion where DCRA has basically banned them?”

Stock photo of set back pop up

“Dear PoPville,

I’m wondering if you have heard reports from other readers about new action from DCRA (motto: doing our best to frustrate DC homeowners) that would essentially mean the end of popups across the city. I live in a rowhouse in a historic district in the city and have spent over a year working on a partial third story addition to my home. Typical with historic district requirements, the third floor addition was to be a partial third floor- set back from the front so that it was not visible from the street. This was a modest addition- not some developer monstrosity and we had the support of our neighbors, historic and our ANC.

After 12 months, countless hoops jumped through and a lot of money paid to architects and contractors to work through this process, we have hit a wall with DCRA. We started the permitting process with them in June and now after three rounds of comments (where they never respond in the timeline that they set out), we’re being told that our project can’t go forward because of concerns about snowloading on our neighbors roofs. Snowloading– their theory that our house being taller than our immediate neighbors will cause more snow to pile up on their roofs. Notwithstanding that rowhouses everywhere in the city have varying heights and have been this way for well over 100 years– somehow without the roofs all collapsing during our occasional snow storms.

As much as everyone has talked pro- or anti- popups, did I somehow miss the discussion where DCRA has basically banned them? We are at our wits end. I have lived in this city for 15 years and I have never felt so disappointed in the DC government (and I had a prior stint living here during the Marion Barry years).

I’m curious if others have encountered similar problems.”