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As we head into a much-needed spring, the Office of Planning (OP) continues to make progress on our 2021 priorities including supporting DC Council approval of the Comprehensive Plan Update, assisting with COVID-19 response and recovery, and executing neighborhood planning efforts in every ward (see our new section, Engage in Planning Efforts, below for links). I am happy to share that we also reached an important milestone in our continued efforts to find new ways to meet the Mayor’s housing goal of 36,000 new homes with 12,000 affordable across the District by 2025. Earlier this month, the Zoning Commission voted unanimously to approve Expanded Inclusionary Zoning (IZ+), a concept proposed by the Office of Planning to increase affordable housing produced through zoning map amendments (upzonings). You can read more about IZ+ below.
At March Madness, the District’s annual economic development showcase and pre-solicitation event, I had the opportunity to provide an update on our progress on the Mayor’s housing and housing equity goals and how the proposed Comprehensive Plan update will be critical to continued progress. I also announced that OP is partnering with ULI Washington in an effort to explore the future of Friendship Heights, a critical housing opportunity area for the District.
The DC Council continues its performance and budget oversight period. OP’s Fiscal Year 2022 Budget Oversight hearing is scheduled for April 26, 2021. If you are interested in learning more or signing up to testify, you can visit dccouncil.us/2020-2021-performance-oversight-fy-2022-budget-schedules/ or chairmanmendelson.com/testify/.
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
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On March 11, 2021, the Zoning Commission took final action to approve Expanded Inclusionary Zoning (IZ+) which is a concept proposed by the DC Office of Planning (OP) to increase affordable housing produced through zoning map amendments (upzonings) across the District. This change will be particularly critical in areas proposed for more housing on the Future Land Use Map in Mayor Bowser’s proposed Comprehensive Plan update that is before Council.
“OP continues to find new ways to meet Mayor Bowser’s challenge to produce more affordable housing in a more equitable way across the District,” said Andrew Trueblood, Director of OP. “IZ+ is an important tool to complement the changes in the proposed Comp Plan update and help get more affordable units, especially in high-cost areas.”
Over the past year, OP worked with residents and stakeholders to develop and refine the proposed concept, which expands existing IZ requirements of the Zoning Regulations to create higher affordable housing set-aside requirements for certain zoning map amendments. In November, the Zoning Commission voted unanimously to take proposed action to approve IZ+. After holding a public comment period, the Zoning Commission took final action on March 11, 2021.
Since the first IZ home became available in 2011, the program has created over 1,200 affordable units. The IZ units are at 50%, 60% and 80% median family income (MFI), are in all 8 wards, and are in mixed-income buildings. The program has a critical tool for production of affordable housing in high-cost and high-opportunity areas of the District.
The IZ team at the Department of Housing and Community Development has worked closely with the Office of Planning, the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs, and the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development to continually improve the program, resulting in shorter time periods before individuals selected in the random lottery are able to move in. DHCD continues to work to improve the process for developers and residents, to make the process as quick and efficient as possible, while still ensuring that the people living in the IZ units meet the requirements.
In further support of Mayor Bowser’s housing equity goals and vision for creating 36,000 new housing units by 2025, with 12,000 affordable, OP has proposed additional adjustment to the IZ program that will be reviewed by the Zoning Commission later this year. The proposed IZ-XL Phase 1 amendments will expand the regular IZ program to apply to certain exempt zones and increase the height threshold from 50 ft to 85 ft as it relates to type of construction and the corresponding regular IZ set-side requirement. Proposed IZ-XL Phase 2 amendments will apply the regular IZ program to the conversion of non-residential buildings to residential buildings.
For more information on IZ+, please visit planning.dc.gov/inclusionaryzoning. For more information about DC Office of Planning, visit our home page at planning.dc.gov.
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DC’s Historic Preservation Office (HPO), located within the DC Office of Planning, recently completed a three-year project funded by a $50,000 National Park Service Underrepresented Communities Grant. The study focused on the District’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) communities.
When the project launched, a spokesperson for the Office of Planning noted, “this project will increase public awareness of Washington’s LGBTQ communities, provide the framework for identifying the various communities and resources within Washington, and contribute to and begin to expand the local and national inventory of sites associated with this underrepresented sector of Washington, DC.”
Products produced by the project include a comprehensive, richly illustrated 151-page Context Study. Consisting of three chapters, the largest is broken down into seven themes of historical background, politics, activism, community development, arts and expression, religion and spirituality, and health advocacy. Another chapter provides a guide to determine, evaluate, and nominate significant District LBGTQ historic properties identified through the project while the final chapter outlines recommendations for future research and activities related to the study.
Also, as part of this project, HPO produced two new LBGTQ landmark nominations in partnership with the DC Preservation League.
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Slowe Burrill House – Listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 5, 2020 and approved as a local historic landmark by the Historic Preservation Review Board on April 30, 2020. 1256 Kearney Street NE
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Annie’s Paramount Steakhouse – Submitted to the National Park Service for listing on the National Register of Historic Places on January 12, 2021. Individually listed as a local historic landmark on December 17, 2020. The two parcels are located within the existing boundaries of the Dupont Circle Historic District. 1519, 1609-11 17th Street NW
HPO also produced revised descriptions for two existing National Register nominations.
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All Souls Church – Listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 7, 2020 and Individually listed as a local historic landmark on October 22, 2020. 1500 Harvard Street NW
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Saint Elizabeths Hospital – HPO prepared a 10-page amendment addressing additional documentation on the institution and its association with LGBTQ history for the Saint Elizabeths Hospital Historic District. As the facility is on federal property, HPO forwarded the amendment to the General Services Administration Federal Preservation Officer for review as outlined in National Register regulations. 2700 AND 2701 Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue SE
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The DC Office of Planning is kicking off the Pennsylvania Avenue East Small Area Plan with a community townhall on Wednesday, April 14 at 6:00pm.
At the Kick-off Townhall, you will learn:
- What is a Small Area Plan and what role it plays in the future of the Pennsylvania Avenue East Corridor;
- What topics and goals are focal to the Pennsylvania Avenue East Small Area Plan;
- How you can continue to participate in the planning process and stay involved moving forward; and
- Have an opportunity to discuss the project with the OP project team.
This meeting is just one of many opportunities to learn more and stay engaged in the Pennsylvania Avenue East Small Area Plan. Throughout the planning process, community members and stakeholders will have the opportunity to provide critical feedback through community meetings, surveys, and discussions with the project team during office hours.
Register for the Kick-off Townhall and subscribe to project updates and newsletters by visiting: publicinput.com/PennAveSEPlan. The virtual meeting will be broadcasted live on the project site. If you are unable to join online, you can dial-in at: 855-925-2801 (pin:9252).
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Learn more and get involved in our community planning projects:
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