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D.C. Municipal Regulations (Last Updated: September 13, 2017) |
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Title 10. PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT |
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SubTilte 10-A. COMPREHENSIVE PLAN |
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Chapter 10-A16. CENTRAL WASHINGTON AREA ELEMENT PENN QUARTER MONUMENTAL CORE |
Section 10-A1607. PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT PRIORITIES
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1607.1Priorities for Central Washington were discussed at Comprehensive Plan community workshops throughout 2005 and 2006. Several meetings with the Advisory Neighborhood Commissions that include Central Washington were conducted. Briefings to business and trade organizations with a stake in Downtown’s future also took place. The revision process also included a Small Group Discussion on Downtown in October 2005. About 25 participants representing an array of Central Washington neighborhoods and interests were present. 1607.1
1607.2The following priorities for Central Washington were expressed through this process: 1607.2
a.The vision of a mixed use “living downtown” remains even more applicable today than it was 30 years ago when it was conceived. A priority should continue to be placed on diversifying the mix of Downtown land uses to strengthen its role as the heart of the city. The area is already the center of one of the largest urban office markets in the world. Strengthening Central Washington as a creative, vibrant urban center will require more housing, retail, and arts and entertainment venues. It will also require facilitating the expansion of the traditional Downtown to the east and southeast. Capital projects, financial and development incentives, and continued strong leadership will be needed to create the desired mix of uses.
b.The Central Area should be a diverse place and its diversity should be reflected on many levels. Not only should it feature a mix of uses, but it should serve a variety of users, including Downtown and city residents, workers and visitors from across the region, as well as those from the rest of the country and the world. Downtown retailers should serve customers with a variety of income levels, and retailers themselves should include small, locally grown businesses as well as national chains. Non-profits and those who cannot afford Class A office rents also provide desirable diversity. Participants in Comp Plan discussions stated that further efforts should be made to nurture Downtown’s developing mix of fine restaurants, theaters, galleries, clubs, and retail shops-and to complement these uses with attractive public spaces to achieve the eclectic, organic, highenergy character that defines cities like London and New York.
c.In addition to being diverse, Downtown should be authentic. This should be expressed through its appreciation and celebration of its history, culture and heritage. Thus, a priority should be placed on the preservation of buildings, places and uses which express these qualities. Recent efforts to restore the former Carnegie Library Building, create farmers markets, and improve the Central Library to provide space for cultural celebrations are examples of actions which contribute to the feeling of authenticity. Chinatown presents an interesting case. While on the one hand, preserving Chinatown’s authenticity has to be about more than just preserving facades or using Chinese characters on street signs, on the other hand, there has been a marked reduction in the number of Chinese businesses. It remains to be seen if Chinatown can maintain an authentic role as the center of a dispersed Asian community. Historic preservation should be strongly promoted Downtown where the historic fabric is still largely intact, but contemporary architecture also should flourish in places where new construction is appropriate.
d.One issue raised during the Comprehensive Plan revision was the question of who Downtown Washington “belongs” to. The Mall may be a national gathering place, but many District residents do not perceive it as “theirs.” Downtown should function as the city’s “Commons”, a place where residents can come, feel welcome, celebrate good times and, when necessary, even protest about District issues. The former Convention Center site should provide a great physical site for the expression of the Commons. There is a need for other public gathering places, events, and activities that reinforce Central Washington’s role as the great melting pot that serves all of the city’s neighborhoods.
e.Central Washington’s design is unique among American cities. Its distinguishing qualities, including its diagonal avenues, monumental buildings, low building heights, and open spaces, are viewed as some of the District of Columbia’s greatest assets. It is essential that new buildings reflect this character and add to the sense of place. In particular, attention must be paid to how buildings meet the street. Curb cuts, blank walls, and inactive ground floor uses should be minimized. Loading and parking entrances should be off of alleys as much as possible. As noted in the Urban Design Element of the Comprehensive Plan, the identity of Central Washington’s multiple centers needs to be more clearly defined, and the connections between them need to be improved.
f.While recognizing Central Washington’s national and international role, the area should also play a special role for our own citizens. It should serve the multiple needs of all its citizens, without regard to age, class or ethnic background. Many activities serving very low-income persons and those with special needs-including social services, low cost housing, and emergency shelter-have faced displacement as land values and rents have increased. Given the area’s location, urban character, and accessibility, a significant number of special needs housing units and human service facilities should be retained in the future. This should be achieved by preserving the affordable housing units left, preserving (or replacing) emergency shelter space, and creating new forms of affordable housing that work best in a Downtown setting such as Single Room Occupancy hotels. Other social service facilities, such as day care centers and job training facilities, are needed to sustain Downtown as a community hub.
g.Central Washington is the hub of the metropolitan transportation system with 15 Metrorail stations, commuter and interstate rail terminals, and major bridges, freeway, and surface street infrastructure. However, to retain its central role, it must overcome transportation challenges including:
•Some Metrorail stations that are nearing capacity
•Recent security-related street closures that have constricted traffic
•Conflicts between street activities, such as truck deliveries, bus stops, taxi stands, and parking
•Conflicts between building perimeter security and pedestrian circulation
•An inadequate supply of parking to meet shopper and visitor needs
•Confusing signage and a lack of information about routes and transportation services.
The DC Circulator has been an important step to connect Central Washington destinations to one another, but additional improvements are needed. Improving east-west and north-south circulation, and improving parking management continue to be high priorities. Supporting Metro’s efforts to increase capacity- especially at Metro Center-also should be a priority.
h.The “federal” city and “domestic” city should be connected as one, as they are in other great national capital cities. The Mall’s museums and attractions are ringed by imposing federal office buildings that offer few amenities or opportunities for visitors, or even their own employees, and little indication of what lies a few blocks beyond. The expansion of development and redevelopment around the Mall should begin to diminish these distinctions and provide more amenities closer to the Mall. There will need to be special efforts to draw tourists into Downtown, such as signage and streetscape improvements, new transportation modes, such as the DC Circulator, and the development of new attractions, such as the Newseum and Spy Museum in the heart of Downtown. In addition to the urban design benefits of unifying the Mall and Downtown, there are other benefits as more visitors choose to dine, shop, and stay in the District. Waterfront park improvements provide another way to tie the city together; developing a continuous 11-mile band of waterfront open space from Georgetown to the Arboretum was an important theme of the NCPC Legacy Plan and will continue to be a priority in the future.
i.Downtown’s growth and success should continue to benefit residents of the District of Columbia. Downtown already plays a pre-eminent role in the economic health of the city, producing a net benefit of $600 million per year in tax revenues. In addition, the growth of retail trade, hotels, restaurants, and other services will create many entry-level jobs. The continued development of office space will create new clerical, professional, mid-level, and management jobs in emerging and growing professions. Job placement, apprenticeships, and training programs are needed to ensure that District residents can take advantage of these opportunities.
j.While Downtown has been among the top office markets in the world since the beginning of the decade, the health of that market should not be taken for granted. Changes in security policies on the part of the Defense Department will result in the abandonment of over four million square feet of office space in Arlington alone, most of it proximate to Metro stations, and already less costly per square foot than Downtown office space. This situation will require achieving a delicate balance between using the strength of the Downtown office economy to leverage public benefits without hindering its ability to compete with other jurisdictions for office tenants.
k.Central Washington should continue to lead the way in the city’s overall efforts toward environmental sustainability. While Downtown’s density of uses, and its extensive reliance on public transportation help it to score high on any index of sustainability, more can be done, both to influence transportation choices and the development of “green buildings.”
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