(WASHINGTON, DC) – The Bowser Administration, led by the DC Office of Planning (OP), announced five new community planning initiatives across the District. As the DC Council moves to approve the proposed Comprehensive Plan update, these plans will use the update to further vibrant, equitable and resilient neighborhoods with access to housing, amenities and public resources for all residents.
“Over the past four years we have engaged residents through the Comprehensive Plan update to advance a vision of an equitable city where all residents can thrive, regardless of income, race, age, or background,” said Andrew Trueblood, Director of OP. “We are excited to launch a series of new initiatives and to partner with residents in neighborhoods across the District to develop community-focused plans that can support neighborhood-level needs and goals.”
OP’s Fiscal Year 2021 priorities include the following community planning initiatives:
Congress Heights Small Area Plan
The Congress Heights Small Area Plan, kicking off this month, is an equitable development plan for Congress Heights and adjacent neighborhoods in Southeast, DC. By working with the residents and community stakeholders, the effort will use the racial and socio-economic equity goals established in the Comprehensive Plan update to establish a vision for the future of Congress Heights, serve as a toolkit for Congress Heights stakeholders to lead conversations around equitable community development, and guide District implementing agencies and developers on community needs and priorities.
Residents and stakeholders interested in getting involved can sign up for email updates at publicinput.com/congressheightsplan and register for the first virtual Town Hall Meeting on Thursday, December 3rd at 6:30 PM.
Pennsylvania Ave SE Small Area Plan
The Pennsylvania Avenue SE Small Area Plan will develop a vision for a gateway corridor that is economically vibrant and meets neighborhood needs. Building on the 2008 Pennsylvania Avenue SE Corridor Land Development Plan, this plan will focus on implementation efforts on the length of the corridor East of the River. OP will work with community stakeholders and interagency partners to develop recommendations that support economic development, an inviting public realm, and neighborhood livability, and reflect OP’s commitment to racial equity as outlined in the Comprehensive Plan Update.
Interested residents and stakeholders can sign up to receive email updates on the project at publicinput.com/pennaveseplan.
Southwest Resilience Strategy
OP, in collaboration with several District agencies, will engage community stakeholders in Southwest and Buzzard Point in the creation of a Flood Resilience Strategy (the Strategy). The goal of the strategy is to re-design public parks and roadways to better serve the community’s needs while also protecting residents from the hazards of climate-related flood events. This strategy builds on the Resilient DC Plan, the Southwest Small Area Plan, the Buzzard Point Vision Framework + Design Review Guide, Climate Ready DC Plan, flood hazard analyses underway by DOEE and DDOT, and planning for Resilience Focus Areas introduced in Comprehensive Plan update.
Chevy Chase/Upper NW Small Area Plan
The Chevy Chase Small Area Plan, kicking off in early 2021, will establish a guiding vision for Chevy Chase, focusing on creating a vibrant, mixed-use gateway corridor. In addition to support for walkable retail and businesses, it will examine opportunities for civic infrastructure and housing. Working with the neighborhood, OP will explore opportunities to help to realize land use changes proposed in the Comprehensive Plan update and to advance the goals in Mayor Bowser’s Housing Equity Report.
Interested residents and stakeholders can sign up to receive email updates on the project at publicinput.com/chevychase.
North Capitol Crossroads
The Comprehensive Plan update envisions transforming the North Capitol Crossroads area around North Capitol Street, Irving Streets, and Michigan Avenue into a connected, well-designed, and multi-modal neighborhood to include large properties like the Armed Forces Retirement Home, Washington Hospital Complex, and the former McMillan Sand Filtration site. In FY21, OP, along with the District Department of Transportation is leading an urbanization study of the cloverleaf-shaped road infrastructure located on the North Capitol Street Corridor.
To learn more about OP’s work in neighborhood planning, please visit planning.dc.gov/neighborhoodplanning.
For more information about OP, visit planning.dc.gov or stay up to date with our work by signing up to join OP’s mailing list and following OP on Twitter at @OPinDC.