Section 10-A1807. PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT PRIORITIES

 

1807.1Three Comprehensive Plan workshops took place in the Far Southeast/ Southwest during 2005 and 2006. Many residents, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners, and civic association leaders provided input at these meetings, discussing local planning issues and priorities. There have also been many meetings in the community not directly connected to the Comprehensive Plan, but focusing on other long-range planning issues. Topics such as the rebuilding of the 11th Street and South Capitol Street Bridges, development of Poplar Point, the redevelopment of Camp Simms and St. Elizabeths, and streetscape improvements for Martin Luther King Jr Avenue SE have all been addressed at public meetings in the last two years. 1807.1

 

1807.2Several important messages came across in these meetings, including: 1807.2

 

a.An improved educational system, job and vocational training system, and social service safety net is essential to the area’s future. A 40 percent high school dropout rate is unacceptable-and the double-digit unemployment that results in part from poor education also is unacceptable. Improved job training and adult education are essential to alleviate unemployment, under-employment, and poverty-and additional facilities to house these services are needed. As noted elsewhere in the Comprehensive Plan, establishing a community college or branch campus of the University of the District of Columbia east of the Anacostia River could go a long way toward preparing youth and adults for good, quality jobs in the District’s economy. Good access to transit is essential to connect residents with jobs in the District and elsewhere in the region.

 

b.The culture of drugs and violence still destroys the lives of too many youth and families in the community. While the root causes of this problem are complex, greater investment in schools, libraries, child care centers, recreation centers, parks, and health clinics provides an important start toward improved public safety. Many residents have advocated for improved public facilities and services; the development that is planned for this area over the next 20 years should be leveraged to make this a reality. The Anacostia and Washington Highlands Libraries must be reconstructed. Anacostia High, Ketcham, Birney, Savoy, Ballou, and other schools must be modernized. Public facility improvements should be the cornerstone of any revitalization or neighborhood economic development program in this area.

 

c.The Far Southeast/Southwest needs more housing suitable for families and young homeowners. The concentration of poverty in the community has resulted in part from the concentration of poorly maintained rental apartments and public housing, and few opportunities for home ownership. The established single family, row house, and duplex neighborhoods should be protected and enhanced. Additional low to moderate density housing should be encouraged as sites like St. Elizabeths (east campus) and Sheridan Terrace are redeveloped. In some areas, rezoning may be needed to promote the desired housing types-currently, much of the area is zoned “R-5-A” which perpetuates the garden apartment pattern.

 

d.The community recognizes that there are opportunities for increased density within the Planning Area-especially around the Metro stations at Anacostia and Congress Heights, at St. Elizabeths, and in neighborhood centers along Martin Luther King Junior Avenue and South Capitol Street. Transit-oriented development in these areas can provide opportunities for seniors, households without cars, young renters, and others. Residents would like an array of housing choices, but believe that higher-density housing should be limited to the areas listed above. Beyond these areas, many residents have expressed the opinion that deteriorating apartment complexes should be replaced with less dense housing over time. In fact, this is what has happened at Frederick Douglass, Stanton Dwellings, and Valley Green, with public housing replaced by mixed income townhomes and detached units. Many residents asked that the remaining vacant sites in the community be planned and zoned for single family homes rather than more garden apartments.

 

e.Housing maintenance is a big issue in the Planning Area, and affects the lives of residents in many ways. Residents are concerned about rising costs-especially rising rents and property taxes. The demolition of much of the area’s public housing has displaced some long-time residents and created concerns about future redevelopment. There is an interest in preserving the affordability of some of the area’s rental housing through rehabilitation and renovation. On the other hand, there are also concerns about lax code enforcement, unpermitted construction, and a continued need to clean up vacant and abandoned properties.

 

f.More retail services are needed in the community, especially supermarkets and sit-down restaurants. The community also needs basic services like full-service gas stations and hardware stores, so residents do not have to travel to Prince George’s County to shop. The Camp Simms Shopping Center is an important step in the right direction; additional investment should be made in the existing retail centers along Martin Luther King Jr Avenue, Good Hope Road, Alabama Road, and South Capitol Streets. Façade improvements, streetscape improvements, and upgraded public transit along these streets can help existing businesses, and promote new businesses- with the added benefit of creating new jobs for area residents.

 

g.Traffic congestion is a problem-with much of the traffic generated by non-residents passing through the area or using local streets as short-cuts when I-295 is congested. Traffic “calming” measures are needed to reduce cut-through traffic, and to slow down speeding traffic and reduce unsafe driving. Public transit improvements also are needed. Approximately half of the area’s households do not own a car and rely on the Metrobus or Metrorail to get around. Residents are concerned that projects like the Anacostia streetcar will reduce bus service, especially across the Anacostia River.

 

h.Despite its proximity to the waterfront, much of the Far Southeast/ Southwest is cut off from the Anacostia and Potomac Rivers. Access to the Potomac River is limited due to the uses along the shoreline (Bolling AFB and the Blue Plains treatment plant). Anacostia River access is difficult due to the I-295 freeway, railroad tracks, and other barriers. Crossing the river on the South Capitol Street or 11th/12th Street bridges is difficult, if not impossible, for pedestrians and bicyclists. Better access to Poplar Point and Anacostia Park on the north, and to Oxon Cove on the south, should be achieved in the future. Historic Anacostia was born as a waterfront community and its identity as a waterfront community should be restored in the future.

 

i.The Far Southeast/Southwest contains hilly topography. A prominent ridgeline crosses the area, affording great views of Washington and abundant natural scenery. In some cases development has been insensitive to topography, not only missing an opportunity for better design but also causing soil erosion and unnecessary grading and tree removal. The disregard for the natural environment also manifests itself in illegal dumping-a problem along Oxon Run, in other streambeds, and on vacant land throughout the area. A cleaner environment, and preservation of the area’s natural beauty, are both high priorities.

 

notation

The provisions of Title 10, Part A of the DCMR accessible through this web interface are codification of the District Elements of the Comprehensive Plan for the National Capital. As such, they do not represent the organic provisions adopted by the Council of the District of Columbia. The official version of the District Elements only appears as a hard copy volume of Title 10, Part A published pursuant to section 9a of the District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Act of 1994, effective April 10, 1984 (D.C. Law 5-76; D.C. Official Code § 1 -301.66)) . In the event of any inconsistency between the provisions accessible through this site and the provisions contained in the published version of Title 10, Part A, the provisions contained in the published version govern. A copy of the published District Elements is available www.planning.dc.gov.