NOMA....

Update on NoMa Plan– Discussions are heating-up regarding the redevelopment plans being drafted by the District’s Office of Planning for the North Capitol St. commercial corridor extending north from Union Station to beyond Florida Avenue. Bobbie Krengel, Citizen Member of the ANC’s Zoning Committee continues to draw attention to the enormity of the plan and its potential impact on adjacent low rise and row house residential neighborhoods. Receiving the strongest and most focused attention by the ANC to date, approval was received to support a resolution drafted by Krengel and members of the zoning committee which urges the Office of Zoning to incorporate four key considerations before finalizing their initial Draft Plan which is due to be released in April. If adopted, the plan would include a step down model based on a ratio of the height and density of new construction in proximity to existing buildings and homes; the elimination of all C-M zoning which allows commercial and manufacturing uses to encourage instead new residential construction; delayed approval of all Planned Unit Development (PUD) projects to ensure that these projects are evaluated for consistency with the NoMa plan; and issuing a moratorium on all demolition within NoMa boundaries to ensure that developers do not destroy existing row homes to facilitate larger development prior to the release of the final NoMa Plan. Two recent examples of demolition included the 14 row houses built prior to 1908 on 2nd St., NE to make way for the new Dreyfuss Project, and the several row homes recently demolished to accommodate Ronald Cohen’s mega development planned for 3rd. St., NE. The ANC is suggesting that the Office of Planning consider implementing this resolution as a zoning overlay similar to the existing plan that regulates redevelopment of the H Street NE commercial corridor. The third and final community meeting before the release of OP’s initial NoMa Draft Plan will take place on March 16.

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