Section 10-A2008. MC-1.1 GUIDING GROWTH AND NEIGHBORHOOD CONSERVATION

 

2008.1The following general policies and actions should guide growth and neighborhood conservation decisions in the Mid-City Planning Area. These policies and actions should be considered in tandem with those in the citywide elements of the Comprehensive Plan. Policies from existing Small Area Plans and Revitalization Studies (Georgia Avenue, Columbia Heights, Uptown, etc.) are referenced in Section MC-2 2008.1

 

2008.2Policy MC-1.1.1: Neighborhood Conservation

 

Retain and reinforce the historic character of Mid-City neighborhoods, particularly its row houses, older apartment houses, historic districts, and walkable neighborhood shopping districts. The area’s rich architectural heritage and cultural history should be protected and enhanced. 2008.2

 

2008.3Policy MC-1.1.2: Directing Growth

 

Stimulate high-quality transit-oriented development around the Columbia Heights, Shaw/Howard University, and U St./African American Civil War Memorial/Cardozo Metrorail station areas, as well as along the Georgia Avenue corridor and the North Capitol Street/Florida Avenue business district. Opportunities for new mixed income housing, neighborhood retail, local-serving offices, and community services should be supported in these areas, as shown on the Comprehensive Plan Policy Map and Future Land Use Map. 2008.3

 

2008.4Policy MC-1.1.3: Infill and Rehabilitation

 

Encourage redevelopment of vacant lots and the rehabilitation of abandoned structures within the community, particularly along Georgia Avenue, Florida Avenue, 11th Street, and North Capitol Street, and in the Shaw, Bloomingdale, and Eckington communities. Infill development should be compatible in scale and character with adjacent uses. 2008.4

 

2008.5Policy MC-1.1.4: Local Services and Small Businesses

 

Protect the small businesses and essential local services that serve Mid-City. Encourage the establishment of new businesses that provide these services in areas where they are lacking, especially on the east side of the Planning Area. 2008.5

 

2008.6Policy MC-1.1.5: Conservation of Row House Neighborhoods

 

Recognize the value and importance of Mid-City’s row house neighborhoods as an essential part of the fabric of the local community. Ensure that the Comprehensive Plan and zoning designations for these neighborhoods reflect the desire to retain the row house pattern. Land use controls should discourage the subdivision of single family row houses into multi-unit apartment buildings but should encourage the use of English basements as separate dwelling units, in order to retain and increase the rental housing supply. 2008.6

 

2008.7Policy MC-1.1.6: Mixed Use Districts

 

Encourage preservation of the housing located within Mid-City’s commercially zoned areas. Within mixed use (commercial/residential) areas, such as Mount Pleasant Street and Columbia Road, encourage commercial uses that do not adversely impact the established residential uses. 2008.7

 

2008.8Policy MC-1.1.7: Protection of Affordable Housing

 

Strive to retain the character of Mid-City as a mixed income community by protecting the area’s existing stock of affordable housing units and promoting the construction of new affordable units. 2008.8

 

2008.9Policy MC-1.1.8: Traffic and Parking Management

 

Improve traffic circulation along major Mid-City arterial streets, with a priority on 14th Street, Georgia Avenue, U Street, 18th Street, Columbia Road, and Connecticut Avenue. Implement programs in these areas to improve bus circulation, improve pedestrian and bicyclist safety and ease of travel, and mitigate the effects of increased traffic on residential streets. Consistent with the Transportation Element of the Comprehensive Plan, provide alternatives to automobile use-including improved transit and innovative personal transportation options-for existing and new residents to reduce the necessity of auto ownership, particularly where parking and traffic problems exist. 2008.9

 

See the Transportation Element for additional policies on reducing auto dependence.

 

2008.10Policy MC-1.1.9: Transit Improvements

 

Improve public transit throughout the Mid-City Planning Area, with an emphasis on shorter headways on the north-south bus routes, additional east-west and cross-park bus routes, and more frequent and extended Metrorail service. Continue assistance programs for the area’s transit dependent groups, including the elderly, students, and disabled. 2008.10

 

2008.11Action MC-1.1.A: Rezoning Of Row House Blocks

 

Selectively rezone well-established residential areas where the current zoning allows densities that are well beyond the existing development pattern. The emphasis should be on row house neighborhoods that are presently zoned R-5-B or higher, which include the areas between 14th and 16th Streets NW, parts of Adams Morgan, areas between S and U Streets NW, and sections of Florida Avenue, Calvert Street, and 16th Street. 2008.11

 

2008.12Action MC-1.1.B: Overconcentration of Liquor-Licensed Establishments

 

Identify the potential for regulatory controls to address the problem of excessive concentrations of liquor-licensed establishments within the neighborhood commercial districts, particularly on 18th Street and Columbia Road. 2008.12

 

2008.13Action MC-1.1.C: Transit Improvements

 

Support the development of a fully integrated bus, streetcar, subway, bicycle, and pedestrian system within the Planning Area by moving forward with plans for expanded service on the Metro Green Line, extension of the Metrorail Yellow Line, and bus rapid transit on Georgia Avenue. 2008.13

 

2008.14Action MC-1.1.D: Off-Street Parking

 

Support the development of off-street parking facilities in the Columbia Heights, Adams Morgan, and U Street commercial districts, and the implementation of parking management programs that maximize the use of existing parking resources (such as the Reeves Center garage), minimize traffic associated with “circling” for spaces, and reduce conflicts between users. 2008.14

 

See the Transportation and Land Use Elements for additional policies on off-street parking standards. 

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.