Section 10-A2200. OVERVIEW

 

2200.1The Rock Creek East Planning Area encompasses the 7.4 square miles located east of Rock Creek Park, north of Spring Road NW, and west of North Capitol Street and Riggs Road. It also includes the Armed Forces Retirement Home and the Irving Street Hospital Center Complex. Its boundaries are shown in the Map at left. Most of this area has historically been Ward 4 although in past and present times, parts have been included in Ward 5. 2200.1

 

2200.2Rock Creek East is an attractive residential community containing many stable low and moderate density neighborhoods. Single family communities like North Portal Estates, Colonial Village, Crestwood, Crestwood North, Carter Barron East, Shepherd Park, 16th Street Heights, and Takoma are known for their park-like ambiance, sense of community, open spaces, and family atmosphere. Row house and semi-detached neighborhoods such as Lamond Riggs, Brightwood, Brightwood Park, Petworth, and Manor Park have similar positive qualities. The major planning objective throughout the community is to conserve these traits as the housing stock matures and infill development occurs. 2200.2

 

2200.3Georgia Avenue is the commercial heart of this Planning Area, with local shops that serve the adjacent neighborhoods. There are also small shopping districts in Takoma, near 14th Street and Colorado Avenue, along Kennedy Street, along Upshur near 3rd Street, and along 14th Street between Allison and Decatur Streets. Other major employment centers in the area include the Irving Street Hospital Complex, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, and the Armed Forces Retirement Home. The possible reuse of the latter two sites during the next 20 years presents planning challenges that must be addressed proactively so that the area’s well-established neighborhoods are protected and enhanced. 2200.3

 

2200.4Rock Creek East is served by two major transit hubs-the Takoma and Georgia Avenue/Petworth Metrorail stations. Residents also use transit stations in adjacent Planning Areas, including Columbia Heights, Van Ness/UDC, and Cleveland Park. Historically, the major circulation routes through the planning area have been the north-south arterials leading out of Downtown, such as 16th Street, 14th Street, Georgia Avenue (7th Street), New Hampshire Avenue, and North Capitol Street. East/west circulation is more limited. Missouri Avenue/Military Road is the major east west street and one of the few that connects the neighborhoods east of Rock Creek Park with those to the west. 2200.4

 

2200.5The community includes many important open spaces and natural resources, the most significant of which is Rock Creek Park itself. The park provides a massive buffer of green space, as well as opportunities for both passive and active recreation. It includes amenities such as a golf course, Carter Barron Amphitheater, and tennis facilities that host professional tennis players from across the United States. There are also a number of neighborhood parks, some serving the dual function of being school recreation areas. Recreation centers have recently been built in Brightwood, Lamond, and Takoma. The Fort Circle Parks also cross the area, providing a continuous linear green space from Rock Creek to Fort Totten and beyond. Rock Creek Cemetery, the oldest cemetery in the District of Columbia, is also located here. 2200.5

 

2200.6Rock Creek East has always had a strong sense of community spirit, due in part to a well-organized network of community associations, churches, and interest groups. Organizations include neighborhood groups like the civic and citizens associations in Shepherd Park, Brightwood, South Manor Park, Crestwood, Lamond Riggs, Carter Barron East, and Takoma. “Georgia Avenue Day” has always been a special event for residents and visitors alike. Farmers markets are hosted in Petworth, Takoma, and 14th Street Heights. 2200.6

 

2200.7While the area has enjoyed a relatively stable existence, the future holds a number of land use and community development challenges. Georgia Avenue continues to have high commercial vacancy rates, aesthetic issues, parking problems, and land use conflicts where commercial businesses abut low density housing. While attracting new businesses to the avenue is a high priority, helping existing businesses thrive is also important. In Takoma, there are issues related to the impacts of infill development around the Metro station. The CSX rail corridor in Manor Park and Lamond Riggs continues to support industrial land uses, sometimes without sufficient buffering for adjacent residential areas. As noted above, the future of Walter Reed Hospital continues to be debated, and portions of the Armed Forces Retirement Home may be developed in the coming years. These changes will impact traffic, parking, and the visual character of Rock Creek East neighborhoods. 2200.7

 

2200.8Rock Creek East also faces the challenge of retaining its economic and social diversity in the face of rising housing costs. Home prices in the Petworth/Brightwood/16th Street Heights zip code (20011) rose a staggering 35 percent between 2004 and 2005 alone, one of the sharpest increases in the city. Many apartments in areas like Brightwood and Brightwood Park have been converted to condominiums. The increase in housing costs has made the area much less affordable for Rock Creek East’s working families and for its large population of low and moderate income seniors. On the other hand, demographic changes are making the area more ethnically diverse than it used to be. The area’s Hispanic population more than doubled between 1990 and 2000. 2200.8

 

2200.9Looking to the future, neighborhoods from Crestwood to Takoma share the goal of keeping Rock Creek East a stable, healthy, and attractive community. Residents seek to retain the residential character, appearance, and historical continuity of their neighborhoods. Sustaining these qualities will require that development is carefully and strategically directed, and that additional steps are taken to conserve neighborhoods, enhance environmental quality, provide an effective transportation network, improve health care and educational services, reduce crime, upgrade public facilities and infrastructure, and improve housing choices. 2200.9

 

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.