Section 10-A711. ED-2.5 THE PRODUCTION, DISTRIBUTION, AND REPAIR ECONOMY

 

711.1Production, Distribution and Repair (PDR) jobs include the construction trades, utilities, transportation, publishing, manufacturing, wholesalers, and service providers such as commercial laundries. When these various industries are considered collectively, they account for approximately 10 percent of the District’s employment. PDR employment in the District has been stable over the past several years. Declines in some sectors, such as manufacturing, have been offset by growth in other sectors, such as construction and warehousing. PDR jobs are particularly desirable in the District, as they offer competitive wages to persons with limited education and academic credentials. 711.1

 

The District’s institutions, including colleges, universities, and hospitals, make a significant contribution to the local economy. As of 2004, Colleges, Universities and Professional Schools accounted for 30,500 jobs in the District.

 

711.2As discussed in the Land Use Element, the areas that currently accommodate many of the city’s PDR jobs have come under scrutiny as developers have run short of more favorably located sites. This is particularly true around the New York Avenue Metro station, but is also the case on the New York Avenue industrial corridor and in other industrial areas such as Blair Road and Buzzard Point. Although Washington has never been an “industrial” city, it still must grapple with how much industrial land it can afford to lose before basic support services and municipal government functions are impaired (see “Industrial Land Use Study” text box). 711.2

 

711.3Industrial Land Use Study

 

In 2005, the DC Office of Planning commissioned a detailed study of the city’s industrial lands from a land use, economic, and market perspective. This work included:

 

•A survey of existing industrial tenants, and field surveys and mapping of land use patterns and physical characteristics of each industrial area

 

•An opportunities and constraints analysis of each sub-area based on the field surveys and mapping

 

•An economic analysis of the role that PDR businesses play in the DC economy

 

•Development of evaluation criteria for rezoning requests.

 

Based upon a detailed demand analysis, the study found that DC currently requires 70 acres of additional land in which to house its municipal-industrial functions alone. The study also found that there is a limited supply of this type of land, and that much of the District’s industrial land is either undevelopable, has been rezoned, or is under significant development pressures.

 

The study provided future land use recommendations regarding where industrial land should be preserved and where it may be rezoned. Two tracks of recommendations are provided. The first emphasizes zoning strategies to provide appropriate standards and protections for PDR businesses where continued PDR use is appropriate. The second consists of policy responses such as Industrial Business Improvement Districts, contracting assistance, and industrial parks, all of which are intended to promote business development and growth in the PDR sectors.

 

711.4The production, distribution, and repair sector plays an important role in supporting other sectors of the economy. The federal government, the hospitality industry, the construction trades, and many of the District’s large private employers require services that are delivered from warehouses, trucking and distribution centers, and wholesale or manufacturing facilities. Media companies whose operations involve an industrial component, such as studios, also may locate in the District’s industrial zones. 711.4

 

711.5Policy ED-2.5.1: Industrial Land Retention

 

Retain an adequate supply of industrially zoned land in order to accommodate the production, warehousing, distribution, light industrial, and research and development activities which sustain the local economy, support municipal services, and provide good employment opportunities for District residents. 711.5

 

711.6Policy ED-2.5.2: Retaining Heavy Industry

 

Ensure that basic manufacturing (M-zoned) land is retained within the District to support the heavy industries that are essential to the local economy, such as concrete and asphalt batching plants and waste transfer facilities. 711.6

 

711.7Action ED-2.5.A: Industrial Business Improvement Districts

 

Consider the formation of an Industrial Business Improvement District (BID) along the New York Avenue corridor to coordinate development activity, promote industrial tenant attraction and retention, and improve the functionality of the corridor as a viable industrial area. 711.7

 

See also Land Use Element Section LU-3.1 for additional policies and actions related to Industrial land retention.

 

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.