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As we continue to advance on several of our priorities at the Office of Planning (OP), in this newsletter, I’m happy to share new community planning initiatives and to highlight our important work around historic preservation and food policy. 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,
Anita Cozart
Interim Director, DC Office of Planning
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After completing a District-wide preservation survey and evaluating public comments last year, OP has finished work on its updated Historic Preservation Plan, which helps to implement the historic preservation policies of the DC Comprehensive Plan. The new 2025 DC Historic Preservation Plan, entitled Celebrating Our Diversity, is also the required planning guide that each state historic preservation office maintains under federal preservation law. The plan is currently being reviewed by the National Park Service. Public release is anticipated in the upcoming month.
The excerpt below gives a preview of what residents had to say about current challenges facing preservation in the District.
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On February 2, the DC Food Policy Council (FPC) voted to approve their 2022 DC Food Policy Priorities. The FPC also welcomed Mario Harley, a Piscataway Tribal Citizen, who provided an overview of the history of Metropolitan Washington’s native residents: the Piscataway people. He shared information on the continuing efforts of the Piscataway Conoy tribe to work with policymakers to ensure that traditional hunting and fishing rights are recognized and honored. You can review the recording, notes, and slides from the full meeting.
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On February 28th, OP and the Pennsylvania Avenue East Main Street unveiled the Imagination Bench. This moveable, transportable street furniture will be initially located adjacent to Dupont Park, at 28th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue SE on the north side of the street. This bench multi-functions as seating, lighting, and information sharing at Metro Bus Stop #1000469. During the community engagement process for the Pennsylvania Avenue East Small Area Plan in June of 2021, the need for better transportation access, connectivity and seating for patrons while waiting for bus service along the corridor was expressed. The Imagination Bench takes a creative step towards filling this need.
Designed and fabricated by local artist team, CreativeJunkfood, Imagination Bench is made of sustainable materials and is adorned by art depicting the various neighborhoods situated along Pennsylvania Avenue SE. The bench also features a built in QR code that navigates users to more information about the piece and the Pennsylvania Avenue East Small Area Plan.
Many partners came together to make this useable community art installation possible, including community members that participated in the planning process and shared their ideas and recommendations. This project was funded by AARP and facilitated by Pennsylvania Avenue East Main Street in cooperation with the Marshall Heights Community Development Corporation. OP was the grant applicant and manager of the project.
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OP will be launching two new planning efforts in Rock Creek West this spring. Visit the project webpages to learn more and sign up to stay up to date on future meetings and planning activities:
- The Wisconsin Avenue Development Framework will recommend new zoning that can deliver additional housing capacity in this high-opportunity, mixed-use corridor, examining key sites and public space improvements around the Friendship Heights and Tenleytown Metro Station areas.
- The Connecticut Avenue Development Guidelines will explore how to support the need for additional housing, particularly affordable housing, in the high-capacity transit nodes of Cleveland Park and Woodley Park, while allowing for development that is compatible in character with the established historic districts. The effort will be undertaken in collaboration with the Historic Preservation Review Board to determine how building and streetscape design can both support the historic districts and meet the new land use designations provided in the updated Comprehensive Plan.
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Learn more and get involved in our ongoing community planning projects:
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