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Last month, we all had the opportunity to watch as the District of Columbia Council unanimously approved the District’s Comprehensive Plan Update. This significant step is the product of a District-wide effort to engage District residents, community groups, ANCs, and Councilmembers that started five years ago. I am thankful to all of you who have been a part of this journey. A product of our collaborative effort, the approved Comp Plan will work to elevate the District’s quality of life for all residents, businesses and visitors.
In addition, I was happy to join Mayor Bowser and other housing partners as the Mayor committed another $400 million into the Housing Trust Fund. With this commitment, the Mayor has invested a total of $1 billion into the building and preservation of affordable housing in the District and set the District as the first in the nation to set affordable housing goals by neighborhood. Through the powerful combination of the District’s historic investment and the newly approved Comp Plan update, the District is making nationally recognized positive steps towards addressing housing affordability and equity that is sure to elevate the quality of life for all District residents.
Lastly, I was honored to join Mayor Bowser, her Administration, and the entire District of Columbia Council to introduce the Fiscal Year 2022 Fair Shot Budget. With this budget, the Mayor is proposing big investments that will set our community up to have a strong recovery.
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. You can read more below.
Sincerely,
Andrew Trueblood
Director, DC Office of Planning
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Last week, Mayor Muriel Bowser presented her Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22) Budget and Financial Plan to the Council of the District of Columbia as part of the District’s annual budget process. The Fair Shot Budget makes significant investments to provide relief, recovery, and growth for residents and businesses across all eight wards, focusing on the pillars of an equitable recovery: access to safe and affordable housing, high-quality job training, healthy neighborhoods, academic acceleration and increased access to quality child care, programs to reduce gun violence, safe and accessible transportation options, and supports for businesses and residents hit hardest by the economic crisis of the past year and a half.
“The sacrifices of our community over the past year and a half have saved lives and gotten us to where we are today – on the cusp of crushing this virus. The Fiscal Year 2022 Fair Shot Budget honors those sacrifices by making big investments in residents and businesses that were hit the hardest and setting our community up for a strong recovery,” said Mayor Bowser. “With this budget, we are doubling down on our commitment to build a more equitable Washington, DC and giving more Washingtonians a fair shot.”
Budget Investment Highlights
Below are highlights of new investments and initiatives in Mayor Bowser’s FY22 budget proposal.
Visit budget.dc.gov to view the Mayor’s FY22 Proposed Budget Highlights.
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On May 18th, the Council of the District of Columbia voted unanimously to approve the District’s Comprehensive Plan (Comp Plan) update. The Comp Plan is a high-level guiding document that sets a positive, long-term vision for the District of Columbia through the lens of its physical growth, equity, and change. Submitted to Council by Mayor Muriel Bowser last year, this update to the Comp Plan will allow the District to meet challenges and opportunities in critical areas such as housing and economic recovery with a focus on equity and resilience.
“This is a Comprehensive Plan that, through extensive community engagement, has been updated to reflect our shared DC values, including our collective belief that no matter where you live in DC, you should have access to safe and affordable housing, good schools and parks, high-quality transportation options, and opportunities to live a healthy, happy life,” said Mayor Bowser. “When we set a goal to build a more equitable and affordable DC by adding 36,000 new homes by 2025, we knew how critical this update would be to bringing that vision to life. Now, we move forward, ready to create new housing – and new opportunity – across all eight wards of DC.”
The Comp Plan’s approach affirms the District’s COVID-19 recovery values: DC HOPE – health, opportunity, prosperity, and equity. The updated Comp Plan is a critical component of the Mayor’s goal to build 36,000 new homes by 2025, including 12,000 affordable homes, across all eight wards of the District. The Council-adopted Comp Plan update directly addresses the District’s housing needs through updated policies and maps that allow for additional housing opportunities across the District, promote the development of affordable housing in high-cost areas, and support a more equitable distribution of affordable housing across the District. The updated Comp Plan will advance racial and economic equity, especially through DC’s COVID-19 recovery. It provides critical guidance to the DC Office of Planning (OP) for current and future community planning activities that further vibrant, equitable, and resilient neighborhoods with access to housing, amenities, and public resources for all residents.
“Mayor Bowser asked Director Trueblood and the Office of Planning to reimagine how we engage residents and stakeholders to plan for our collective future,” said Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development John Falcicchio. “This update to the Comprehensive Plan allows the District of Columbia to continue to grow and directly attack one of our toughest challenges: housing affordability. Together, we will use the progress outlined in this update to ensure the District’s best days are yet to come.”
This update to the Comp Plan is the product of unprecedented public engagement, including over 10,000 public responses received by OP since 2016 when an Open Call for public amendments initiated the amendment process. The update also reflects public input and policy guidance from over 40 planning activities conducted by District government agencies over the last five years.
“Council approval of this updated Comp Plan marks the completion of an unprecedented act of democratic action with the input of thousands of residents and community organizations,” said Andrew Trueblood, Director of OP. “Given the unique process with allowed every level of elected official to weigh in, from ANCs to Council to the Mayor, this critically-needed update will now guide policies and actions around the District's most pressing needs including housing, equity and resilience.”
Moving forward, the Comp Plan will be reviewed for approval by the National Capital Planning Commission, transmitted to Mayor Bowser for her approval, and then referred to the U.S. Congress for its review, which altogether will take approximately six months.
For more information on the Comprehensive Plan update and the amendment process, please visit plandc.dc.gov.
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As part of the Mayor’s Employee Appreciation Ceremony held on May 21st, OPer’s Rita Abou Samra and Chris Shaheen were part of the team recognized for their work developing and implementing the District’s Streatery Program that has been in effect since June 2020.
Following the public health emergency triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic and in an effort to support local business survival and public life recovery, OP staff worked with the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) and Department of Health (DOH) to issue guidelines allowing businesses, mainly restaurants, to temporarily expand into public space, typically defined as the publicly owned or controlled area between private property lines, in this case the sidewalk and the roadway. The program was supported by an expedited Transportation Online Permitting System (TOPS) review system for Sidewalk Café Expansions, parklets and Streateries.
This work was recognized along with other efforts that made significant contributions to the District over the past year.
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At its April 2021 meeting, the Commemorative Works Committee recommended the “Abraham Lincoln Spirit of Freedom” statue be given a favorable disposition by the Mayor and District Council. The bronze statue depicts President Lincoln signing the Emancipation Proclamation. At the request of Mayor Bowser, legislation to approve the commemorative work was introduced by Chairman Mendelson and has been referred to the Committee of the Whole. In the coming weeks, Council will hold a hearing to vote on this legislation. This commemorative work is the first to be considered since the Marion Barry statue was approved by the Mayor and District Council in November 2017.
Recent legislation signed by the Mayor made changes to the Committee and charged the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) to undertake a study that will recommend potential commemorative work subjects. Several District agencies were removed as members of the Committee and public members have been added. The Director of the Office of Planning is still Chair of the Committee. Other members include a representative from the Department of Parks and Recreation, Commission of Arts and Humanities, Historic Preservation Review Board; two public members appointed by the Mayor; and, three public members appointed by the Chair of Council. UDC is also required to submit a report to the Mayor and Council recommending up to 12 proposed commemorative works to honor native Washingtonians or individuals who made Washington their home and left positive and indelible marks on America or District culture or history. Individuals recommended for commemoration are to reflect diversity of culture, race, gender or gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability status.
During the past year OP staff clearly defined the application and review process for commemorative work applications and are currently working with several applicants proposing commemorative works in public space. The Committee meets the third Friday of every month to consider new applications and conduct its regular business.
More information about the District’s commemorative works program, the review process, and application requirements is posted on OP’s website here.
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Mayor Bowser’s proposed budget includes $870 million to advance economic recovery for DC residents and businesses as well as leverage a once-in-a-generation federal stimulus to close equity gaps and accelerate inclusive growth.
Recently Deputy Mayor Falcicchio, OP Director Andrew Trueblood, and cluster leaders discussed the proposed budget, DMPED’s economic recovery priorities, affordable housing, food access, and more.
Watch The DMPED Weekly Check-In
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Learn more and get involved in our community planning projects:
Are you looking to join a team that is dedicated to planning the long-term growth of the District of Columbia and ensuring it reflects District values of an inclusive and vibrant city. As the District begins recovery, below are roles will play a vital role in reimagining and restoring our public space.
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