|
As we continue to adjust to the new realities of COVID-19 as well as the old realities of summer in the District, the Office of Planning (OP) has been busy making progress on our priority projects, including the Mayor’s Comprehensive Plan (Comp Plan) proposal. In April 2020, Mayor Bowser transmitted an updated Comp Plan to the Council for consideration and approval. As shared at the time, it is critical that the Council approve the plan in 2020 to ensure the District can achieve critical goals around economic recovery, housing, equity, and resilience, among others. As I recently wrote to the Council, delays in approval will cause irreparable harm to goals we all seek to achieve at this critical time.
This month, Chairman Mendelson announced that the Committee of the Whole has opened the record for feedback on the Comp Plan, including two hearings on November 12 and 13. We urge all interested individuals and stakeholders to participate in the Council’s process. In addition to comments about the Comp Plan, it offers an opportunity to share with Council the importance of prioritizing passage of the Comp Plan in 2020 to ensure critical work can continue in line with our long-term vision and values.
We have included several important updates about the Comp Plan below. You can also learn more about the Comp Plan proposal at the PlanDC website, offering updated information and resources about the major Comp Plan Update themes and how to connect with our team.
We are gearing up for a busy fall and winter, so stay tuned as future newsletters promise to be full of milestones and planning news. Please feel free to share with others, who can sign up here. In addition, you can follow our work on Twitter under @OPinDC.
Sincerely,
Andrew Trueblood
Director, DC Office of Planning
|
|
As shared above, Mayor Bowser submitted the proposed Comp Plan Update to Council in April and encouraged its passage in 2020 to ensure our efforts around economic recovery, housing equity, racial justice, community planning, as well as the commencement of important development projects throughout the District can continue. The current Comp Plan is out of date and cannot provide the needed long-term guidance we need at this time.
Due to COVID-19, the Committee of the Whole is strongly encouraging written feedback on the plan be submitted to cow@dccouncil.us or telephone feedback (that will be transcribed for the record) by calling (202) 430-6948 through December 3, 2020. Details can be found here, including how to sign up for one of two virtual public hearings on November 12 and 13, 2020.
New Resources Available
To support your efforts at understanding the Comp Plan, including changes made since the public review, please visit the updated the PlanDC website with resources about the Comp Plan, including updated FAQs, ANC resolutions and responses, and new pages that provide information about the major Comp Plan Update themes: COVID-19 & Recovery, Equity & Racial Justice, Housing, Resilience and Public Resources.
COVID-19 and the Comp Plan
We have been working hard to evaluate the Comp Plan given COVID-19 and to ensure it can successfully help guide the District’s response and recovery. Prior to submitting the proposed update, OP reviewed the Comp Plan and found that, because it is long-term in nature, it was already well situated to address the pandemic, as well as other potential shocks and stressors. OP did make some minor changes to language around disasters to make sure it includes public health emergencies and added a few actions to monitor and respond to the emergency. We have created a COVID-19 crosswalk with more details. We have also shared more information in a letter to responding to questions from ANC 2E on this topic.
In April 2020, in response to the COVID-19 public health and economic emergencies, Mayor Bowser charged the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED) with leading the District Economic Recovery Team (DERT), a cross-agency effort to stabilize the economy and provide relief to workers, residents and businesses and developed a long-term framework for achieving an equitable economic recovery. OP, which is a member of the DERT, presented about the Comp Plan and its importance to supporting the DERT’s recovery efforts during last week’s DERT Town Hall. The town hall included an overview of the Comp Plan, and information about how the Comp Plan supports the neighborhood commercial activity and business growth, particularly in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. You can view video of the town hall here.
Click here to visit the Plan DC Comprehensive Plan website to learn more.
|
|
On August 28, Director Trueblood issued a statement about the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Washington Union Station Expansion Project (Project), in order to support community stakeholders and partners who seek to submit comments to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) by the deadline of September 28, 2020. The statement summarizes OP’s analysis of the DEIS and summarizes more detailed DEIS comments that OP will submit by the deadline.
The statement analyzes how the Project as proposed in the DEIS falls short of what District residents, workers, visitors and stakeholders deserve. It is essential that the Project focus on the Station’s relationship to the surrounding neighborhoods, its historic context, its impact on the District’s transportation network, and its anchoring position in the District and the Eastern Seaboard. OP agrees with the strong and broadly-supported feedback provided by the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) which made clear that the Project as outlined by the DEIS would not be approved and major changes are required in order to achieve an approvable and successful project.
The full statement, as well as other OP documents related to this process, can be found at planning.dc.gov/washington-union-station.
Click here to view the full Statement from Director Andrew Trueblood on the District of Columbia Office of Planning’s Key Comments and Concerns on the Washington Union Station Expansion Project DEIS.
|
|
The recent signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) by OP, the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC), and the Armed Forces Retirement Home (AFRH), is a critical step in the redevelopment of the AFRH campus moving forward. The document outlines the shared review and development process for an underutilized 80-acre parcel of land (Zone A) on the AFRH campus by a private developer. The MOU recognizes the respective interests of NCPC and the District in the planning of this important site and ensures a single, clear set of land-use regulations and building code standards.
The AFRH Master Plan, after significant public input and comment, was approved in 2008 and amended in 2018. Consistent with the Master Plan, AFRH’s proposal includes approximately 4.3 million square feet of new development, more than 3,000 new housing units, 20 acres of publicly-accessible green space, and adaptive reuse of historic buildings.
In a press release, issued by OP, NCPC and AFRH last week, Director Trueblood said “this MOU establishes a shared understanding of the review and development process for a key site in the District in alignment with the Mayor's Comprehensive Plan proposals.” He also highlighted that “zoning for this site, paired with ongoing planning for a coordinated vision for the broader North Capitol Crossroads area, will help us achieve citywide policy priorities for mixed-income housing production, expanding economic development opportunities, and true multi-modal mobility.”
Click here to view the full Press Release.
|
|
The Florida/New York Intersection Public Life Study was completed to inform a more people-centered redesign of the complicated intersection of Florida Avenue NE, New York Avenue NE, First Street NE, and Eckington Street NE, as part of DDOT's Florida Avenue Project. Analysis and fieldwork for the public life study were completed over the winter of 2020, supported by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments' Transportation Land Use Connections technical assistance program.
Fieldwork during March 2020 documented the behavior of nearly 5,000 people moving through and staying in the intersection. The study also accounts for the experiences and preferences of over 650 people surveyed on site and online. The five findings and 11 recommendations presented in the Florida/New York Intersection Public Life Study can be used by:
- community stewards for programming public spaces at the intersection;
- property owners considering adjacent redevelopments; and
- government agencies implementing future neighborhood investments or reviewing development applications.
Public life studies analyze observed human behavior in shared spaces to inform policy, regulations, and public space design. View this storymap to learn how OP is working toward a vibrant public life across DC to promote health, safety, civic engagement, economic opportunity, and connected communities.
Click here to view to the full Florida/New York Intersection Public Life Study.
|
|
It is not too late to complete the 2020 Census! It has never been easier to respond on your own, whether online, over the phone or by mail—all without having to meet someone in person. Even if you have misplaced the invitation with the unique ID, you can still self-respond by providing your address online or over the phone.
Completing the 2020 Census is more critical than ever. Being counted means political power and representation for DC residents. Accurate population data helps secure federal funding that DC will receive for healthcare, emergency services, education, housing, workforce development, transportation and community planning.
Follow @dccensus on twitter or visit 2020census.gov for more information.
|
|
As we continue to seek innovative ways to engage and meet residents where they are, we teamed up with the Congress Heights Community Association, and EL Studio for the ALLEY LOOP event in Congress Heights. The socially distant, family-friendly pop up event, held on August 22-23, allowed Congress Heights residents to give their input and design ideas to improve alleys for new and innovative uses like alley housing/accessory apartments, community activities and safe public spaces.
|
|
|
|
|