Tell the DC Council to Adopt the Comp Plan in '06

We need a vision and guide for Wisconsin Avenue redevelopment

The DC Council is holding a public hearing on the new draft version of the Comprehensive Plan (Comp Plan for short), the city's long-range guide to how and where the city will grow -- including our neighborhood and the Upper Wisconsin Avenue corridor.

Our elected officials need to hear from us. Tell the Council we need more than just mattress stores! Be sure to say:

1. Adopt the Comp Plan this year without delay
2. Change the upper Wisconsin Avenue corridor designation to “mixed use moderate density” to foster high quality redevelopment, revitalize retail and provide new housing opportunities

What is the Comp Plan? What does it say?
Why adopt the Comp Plan in 2006?
How to read the Comp Plan and Links

Contact us with questions or comments

What is the Comp Plan?

The Comprehensive Plan is a long-range guide to how and where our city and neighborhoods will grow and redevelop. It addresses everything from land use, economic development, and housing, to the environment, transportation, and historic preservation.

Our city needs a new Comp Plan! The version currently on the books, from 1984, is based on 1980 census data. DC is a very different place now, and deserves better. We need a new plan and vision for ensuring that we maximize the benefits of the new growth.

The Comp Plan will:

• Guide our city's growth through transit-oriented development – directing new growth to Metro stations and major transit corridors encourages new residents to drive less, ride transit, walk and bicycle more and support local stores and services;
• Expand housing opportunities through Inclusionary Zoning and other important polices;
• Protect residential neighborhoods so that only compatible infill development occurs, enhancing the character of the existing community;
• Provide innovative traffic-reducing strategies that encourage less driving, and more walking, bicycling, carsharing and riding transit; and
• Create better access to parks – ensuring all neighborhoods have access to safe, attractive parks.

Adopt the Comp Plan in 2006

Our city is growing for the first time in decades -- and we need an updated Comprehensive Plan and vision to guide that growth. Our current Comp Plan, adopted in 1984 and based on 1980 census data, can no longer address today's needs and challenges. Washington, DC, is a different city now!

For more than two years, thousands of residents have worked with city officials and planners to craft a long-overdue revised Comprehensive Plan to provide a framework to manage our changing city. For the first time, parks and recreation; arts and culture; educational facilities; and infrastructure will be incorporated into the overall plan for the city.

Some have called for delay in adoption of the revised plan, to give more time for review and negotiation over changes. Delay past 2006, however, is likely to be an indefinite delay that could take years. A delay would cause a breach of trust for the thousands of citizens who participated in the process. Any problems with the Comp Plan can be addressed through the next round of amendments, scheduled in 2008, and can be amended at any time by the Mayor.

The city needs to finalize the revised Comp Plan by the end of 2006 so that our newly elected city officials can work on other pressing needs in our city.

Be sure to tell the DC Council to "Adopt the Comp Plan in 2006!"

How to Read the Comp Plan

While the revised July draft Comp Plan provides the right overall direction for our city and neighborhoods, there’s still time to review and revise the final document. Go to www.inclusivecity.org and look at the Mayor’s July draft to see the plan and maps.

1. Citywide Elements: It’s a big document but it’s not that hard to read. It also contains two maps of the city – a “Generalized Policy Map” and a “Future Land Use Map.” The best way to review how the policies and maps will affect things you care about is to review relevant chapters and zoom in on the maps to the parts of the city you want to understand what’s proposed. The “Framework” citywide element is a good place to begin. Like most chapters, it’s only 24 pages and offers many maps, graphs and charts. Other key citywide elements are “Land Use,” “Housing” and “Transportation.”

2. Area Elements: Also look up your area element – the area where you live or work. To identify which area you live in, look at Map 1.1 in the Introduction on page 1-9. Then go to the back of the plan to review your area element.

3. Maps: the maps are best read in the context of understanding the text in the document, but the maps stand on their own, and the legends provide useful information. Go to each map and zoom in on an area you know well to see what kinds of land use designations are proposed. Compare this to the matching area element and to the policy ideas in the Framework element and other citywide elements to see if that makes sense to you.

4. Write it up, submit it and testify: If you find things that look particularly good, make a note of it and submit it in writing or come testify at the hearings, beginning on Sept. 26. If you find something that you think needs to be changed, propose new language and submit it to the Council in writing or come testify to recommend the change.

5. Next steps: While the process has lasted nearly two years, the draft Comp Plan will be further considered and revised based on public input during its review with the D.C. Council in the fall and winter. The D.C. Council plans to act on a final version of a new revised Comp Plan by the end of 2006.

DC Office of Planning's Comprehensive Plan website

Summary of the New Comp Plan by the Coalition for Smarter Growth

Attend the Public Hearing

Tuesday, September 26
12:00 Noon and 6:00 PM
Wilson Building -- Room 500
1350 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Metro stop: Metro Center

To speak at the hearing:
Sign up by Friday, September 22 --
Contact Aretha Latta at alatta@dccouncil.us or 202-724-8196

Can't attend? Submit comments via email.

Send Comments via Email

Submit comments to the DC Council and Office of Planning by Thursday, September 26.

Encourage your friends to do the same -- we need to generate as many emails as possible!

Read the Ward 3 Blog

Please read and comment on our blog, and tell your friends about it. Let's make our blog a virtual community gathering place for discussion of growth issues!