Section 10-A1817. FSS-2.7 DC VILLAGE

 

1817.1The 167-acre District of Columbia Village tract lies between Martin Luther King Jr Avenue and I-295, east of the Blue Plains Wastewater Plant, just south of Bellevue. The site houses an eclectic mix of city operations, including training facilities for the Police and Fire Departments, and impound lots for towed cars, an evidence warehouse, and a District operated homeless shelter. Other public uses, including the greenhouses of the Architect of the Capitol and the Potomac Job Corps Center are located on the site. The National Park Service controls the forested land on the perimeter of the site, including Oxon Cove to the south. 1817.1

 

1817.2DC Village provides a vital resource for local government operations, but the site is poorly laid out. It is physically isolated from the rest of the city, and its internal street pattern is confusing and hard to navigate. Abandoned structures, weed-covered lots, winding streets, and semi-industrial uses create the impression of a forgotten backwater. The District and surrounding Ward 8 community have wrestled with the site’s future for years. It was designated a “Development Zone” in 1986 and a “Special Treatment Area” by the previous Comprehensive Plan. Various uses have been considered over the years, including a 700-unit housing development, an industrial park, and even a prison (on the land to the south near Oxon Cove). 1817.2

 

1817.3While there may be room for other uses on the site in the long term, the immediate priority is to reorganize existing uses and use the land more efficiently for District operations. DC Village is facing pressure to accommodate uses being displaced from the Anacostia Waterfront and other redeveloping areas. The site should be master planned and reorganized, with circulation improvements, higher design standards, and refurbishment or replacement of vacant buildings. 1817.3

 

1817.4Policy FSS-2.7.1: Retention of DC Village for Municipal Uses

 

Retain DC Village as a municipal facility that accommodates activities and functions that are vital to the operation of District government. The organization of uses on the site should be improved so that it is used more efficiently and can function more effectively. 1817.4

 

1817.5Policy FSS-2.7.2: Non-Government Activities at DC Village

 

As existing activities at DC Village are reorganized, consider the potential for other employment uses on the site, such as small business incubators and light industry. Such uses should not be accommodated at the expense of District government operations, and only should be allowed if the land is not essential for municipal purposes. Any future private uses on the site should be compatible with the existing quasi-industrial municipal uses. Every effort should be made to link future jobs on the DC Village site to residents in East of the River neighborhoods, in order to assist residents in gaining income and work experience. 1817.5

 

1817.6Policy FSS-2.7.3: Open Space around DC Village

 

Retain the National Park Service land on the perimeter of DC Village as open space. The forested land south of the site around Oxon Cove should not be developed. 1817.6

 

1817.7Policy FSS-2.7.4: Retention of Job Training Activities

 

Retain job training programs and facilities on the DC Village site, including the Potomac Job Corps Center, and promote participation in these programs by Far Southeast/Southwest residents. 1817.7

 

1817.8Action FSS-2.7.A: DC Village Master Plan

 

Prepare a master plan for the DC Village site, addressing the organization of uses on the site, access and circulation standards, environmental improvements, and urban design. The Plan should be linked to the Public Facilities Master Plan called for elsewhere in the Comprehensive Plan, and should ensure that sufficient land is retained for municipal activities. 1817.8

 

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.