MURIELBOWSER
MAYOR
November28,2022
TheHonorablePhilMendelson
Chairman,CounciloftheDistrictofColumbia
JohnA.WilsonBuilding
1350PennsylvaniaAvenue,NW,Suite504
Washington,DC20004
DearChairmanMendelson:
EnclosedforconsiderationandadoptionbytheCounciloftheDistrictofColumbiaisaproposed
resolutionentitledthe“PennsylvaniaAvenueEastSmallAreaPlanApprovalResolutionof
2022,”andtheaccompanyingsmallareaplan.
ThePennsylvaniaAvenueEastSmallAreaPlanservesasaguidetoimplementthe
ComprehensivePlan’spoliciesforgreaterequity,sustainability,resiliency,andhousing
production.Thesmallareaplanpresentsacommunity-informedvisionthatchartsapathfor
increasedinvestments,targetingresourcestowardsneighborhoodamenities,improvedpublic
spaces,andadditionalmarketrateandaffordablehousingforallresidents.
ThePennsylvaniaAvenueEastSmallAreaPlanadvancesoursharedcommitmenttobringing
moreeconomic,retail,andfoodaccessopportunitiestoWard7,andwillbuildonrecent
successes,suchastheopeningofthefirstLidlstoreintheDistrictinthenearbySkylandTown
Center.
TherecommendationsincludedinthisSmallAreaPlansupportastrongerandmoreequitable
PennsylvaniaAvenueSEcorridorandpresentopportunitiestogivecurrentandfutureresidents
andlocalbusinessesafairshot.
IfyouhaveanyquestionsaboutthePennsylvaniaAvenueEastSmallAreaPlan,pleasereachout
toAnitaCozart,theInterimDirectoroftheOfficeofPlanning.IurgetheCounciltotakeprompt
andfavorableactiononthislegislation.
Sincerely,
{uriPlBowser SRBIARREGSIScmridMuavone
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ChairmanPhilMendelson
attherequestoftheMayor
APROPOSEDRESOLUTION
INTHECOUNCILOFTHEDISTRICTOFCOLUMBIA
ToapprovetheproposedPennsylvaniaAvenueEastSmallAreaPlan.
RESOLVED,BYTHECOUNCILOFTHEDISTRICTOFCOLUMBIA,Thatthis
resolutionmaybecitedasthe“PennsylvaniaAvenueEastSmallAreaPlanApprovalResolution
of2022”.
Sec.2.PursuanttoSection4(c)(4)oftheDistrictofColumbiaComprehensivePlanAct
of1984LandUseElementAmendmentActof1984,effectiveMarch16,1985(D.C.Law5-187;
D.C.OfficialCode§1-306.03(c)(4)),theMayortransmittedtotheCounciltheproposed
PennsylvaniaAvenueEastSmallAreaPlan,datedNovember28,2022.
Sec.3.TheCouncilfindsthat:
(1)TheSmallAreaPlanareaislocatedinWard7.Theplanningareacomprises
thehalf-milewidecorridorcenteredonPennsylvaniaAvenueSEcorridorandextendingfrom
theSousaBridgetoSouthernAvenueSE.
(2)TheSmallAreaPlanwasinitiatedinApril2021.BetweenApril2021andJuly
2022,theOfficeofPlanningledorparticipatedin25communityengagementevents,onlineand
in-person. 33
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(3)TheproposedSmallAreaPlanwaspublishedandmadeavailabletothepublic
onSeptember1,2022,andaMayoralhearingwasconductedonOctober1,2022.
(4)ThepurposeoftheSmallAreaPlanistosetacommunity-informedvisionfor
futuredevelopmentintheneighborhood.Thevisionistofacilitateincreasedinvestmentin
inclusiveresourcesandneighborhoodamenities,diversehousingopportunities,andimproved
publicspaces.
(5)TheSmallAreaPlanisorganizedaroundfourcorethemes:
(A)EconomicDevelopmentandRetailOpportunity;
(B)TransportationAccessandConnectivity;
(C)HousingOpportunitiesandAffordability;and
(D)VibrantPublicRealmandUrbanDesign.
(7)Onceapproved,theSmallAreaPlanwillprovidesupplementalguidanceto
theZoningCommissionandotherDistrictagenciesincarryingoutthepoliciesofthe
ComprehensivePlanfortheNationalCapital:DistrictElements.
Sec.4.TheSmallAreaPlan,assubmitted,isapprovedbytheCouncilasasmallarea
actionplan.
Sec.5.TheCounciladoptsthefiscalimpactstatementinthecommitteereportasthe
fiscalimpactstatementrequiredbySection602(c)(3)oftheDistrictofColumbiaHomeRule
Act,approvedDecember24,1973(87Stat.813;D.C.Code§1-233(c)(3)).
Sec.6.Thisresolutionshalltakeeffectimmediately. GOVERNMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
ATTORNEY GENERAL
KARL A. RACINE
Legal Counsel Division
MEMORANDUM
TO: Bryan Hum
Interim Director
Office of Policy and Legislative Affairs
FROM: Brian K. Flowers
Deputy Attorney General
Legal Counsel Division
DATE: October 6 , 2022
SUBJECT: Legal Sufficiency Review of the “Pennsylvania Avenue Small Area Plan
Approval Resolution of 2022”
(AD-22-382)
________________________________________________________________________
This is to Certify that this Office has reviewed the above-
referenced resolution and that we have found it to be legally sufficient. If you have any
questions in this regard, please do not hesitate to call me at 724-5524. ________________________________
Brian K. Flowers
Government of the District of Columbia
Office of the Chief Financial Officer
Glen Lee
Chief Financial Officer
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 203, Washington, DC 20004 (202)727-2476
www.cfo.dc.gov
MEMORANDUM
TO: The Honorable Phil Mendelson
Chairman, Council of the District of Columbia
FROM: Glen Lee
Chief Financial Officer
DATE: October 12, 2022
SUBJECT: Fiscal Impact Statement – Pennsylvania Avenue East Small Area Plan
Approval Resolution of 2022
REFERENCE: Draft resolution as provided to the Office of Revenue Analysis on
October 6, 2022
Conclusion
Funds are sufficient in the fiscal year 2023 through fiscal year 2026 budget and financial plan to
implement the bill.
Background
Enactment of the proposed resolution will approve the Pennsylvania Avenue East Small Area Plan
(“Plan”)
1. The Plan provides vision, guidelines, and recommendations for implementation of the
District’s Comprehensive Plan
2 in the Pennsylvania Avenue East planning area. The planning area
comprises a half-mile wide corridor centered on Pennsylvania Avenue, S.E. and extending from the
Sousa Bridge to Southern Avenue, S.E. Parts of several neighborhoods are included in the plan area,
including L’Enfant Square, Randall Highlands, Penn Branch, DuPont Park, Fairlawn Hillcrest, and
Fairfax Village/Fort Davis neighborhoods.
Financial Plan Impact
Funds are sufficient in the fiscal year 2023 through fiscal year 2026 budget and financial plan to
implement the bill. The Plan provides a land use and design framework for implementing
recommendations and does not commit District resources to implement such recommendations.
1
Small Area Plans are available at https://planning.dc.gov/page/small-area-plans-studies-and-reports.
2
The District’s Comprehensive Plan is available at https://planning.dc.gov/comprehensive-plan. iDistrict of Columbia O-ce of Planning SMALL AREA
PLAN
�N �O�V�D�M�A�D�R���, 2022
PENNSYLVANIA
AVENUE EAST iiPennsylvania Avenue East Small Area Plan
PENNSYLVANIA
AVENUE EAST 1District of Columbia O-ce of Planning
PENNSYLVANIA
AVENUE EAST
CONTENTS
3 Executive Summary
5 Introduction
15 About Pennsylvania Avenue East
22 Recommendations
24 Economic Development and Retail Opportunities
30 Transportation Access and Connectivity
36 Housing Opportunities and Affordability
40 Vibrant Public Realm and Urban Design
62 Implementation
66 Glossary
68 Acknowledgments 2Pennsylvania Avenue East Small Area Plan 3District of Columbia O-ce of Planning
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Pennsylvania Avenue East Small Area Plan
(PAESAP) is a guide for the community, District
government, housing providers, property owners,
and advocacy organizations to implement the
Comprehensive Plan’s policies for greater equity
and resilience. Developed during the COVID-19
public health emergency, the PAESAP sets a
community-informed vision in advance of future
development within the neighborhood and in
relation to broader local and metropolitan growth
patterns.
At first glance, Pennsylvania Avenue SE seems to
be a congested commuter route moving vehicular
traffic in and out of the District’s city center.
However, a closer assessment reveals a community
of close-knit, multi-generational neighborhoods on
either side of the corridor. Community concerns
include the need for additional affordable housing,
including both rental and ownership options, to
support families and first-time homebuyers.
To address these concerns, the Office of Planning
(OP) undertook a people-centered planning effort
that aligns with citywide priorities including housing
production, economic recovery, and racial equity.
Most significantly, the PAESAP outlines a community
vision for the future of Pennsylvania Avenue East
that creates a vibrant and inviting destination for
all. The recommendations provided here guide infill
development along the corridor, create more vibrant
public spaces including Twining Square, improve
access to community amenities; reduce conflicts
between vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists; and
increase housing opportunities to meet the needs of
the community.
The PAESAP when realized will create an
environment where families could leisurely stroll the
corridor lined with mature trees and green spaces.
Traffic calming would allow for bike lanes, less
noise, and enhanced views of the Capitol Dome.
The community envisions restaurants, coffee shops,
and boutique shops, owned by local residents
and people of color, that would entice residents,
visitors, and stakeholders to linger on an enjoyable
commercial street to pass the time. The PAESAP
includes public realm and urban design guidelines
for Pennsylvania Avenue stakeholders to lead
conversations around community development.
The PAESAP is framed around the following themes:
• Economic Development and Retail Opportunity
• Transportation Access and Connectivity
• Housing Opportunities and Affordability
• Vibrant Public Realm and Urban Design
Collectively, the recommendations around each
theme establish a framework that will support
a thriving commercial main street where all
residents can live, work, eat, and play. Through
the implementation of this plan, residents will
see increased investments in inclusive resources
and neighborhood amenities. Future private
redevelopment and zoning changes will also be
guided by recommendations in this Small Area Plan,
which emphasizes increased housing opportunities
and neighborhood amenities.
Pennsylvania Avenue East Main Street Initiative 4Pennsylvania Avenue East Small Area Plan
Pennsylvania Avenue East SAP Study Area
Virginia
Maryland
Washington, DC
PAESAP Study Area
Pennsylvania Avenue East refers to the study
area boundaries and includes the section of the
Pennsylvania Avenue SE corridor from the Sousa
Bridge to Southern Avenue SE. Also included are
the adjacent blocks within ¼ mile of the corridor.
In the PAESAP, the term Pennsylvania Avenue East
refers to both the corridor itself along with the
surrounding community. Recommendations for
Pennsylvania Avenue SE or the “corridor” include
the roadway and adjacent public rights of way only. 5District of Columbia O-ce of Planning
INTRODUCTION
Pennsylvania Avenue SE is one of the best-known streets in the country.
It is one of the busiest arterials in the District of Columbia, carrying
nearly 40,000 vehicles per day. Corridor traffic also includes Metro and
commuter buses, and commercial vehicles during morning and evening
rush hours. For Ward 7 residents who call Pennsylvania Avenue East
home, this corridor is loved for its majestic tree-lined landscaping,
history, and iconic views of the Capitol.
Thai Orchid Kitchen exterior mural located at the 2300 block of Pennsylvania Ave SE
In Fiscal Year 2021, the Council allocated funds for
OP to engage the community in drafting a small area
plan for the Pennsylvania Avenue East corridor. The
PAESAP boundary extends approximately 1.5 miles
along Pennsylvania Avenue SE from the eastern
landing of the Sousa Bridge to Southern Avenue SE
and extends a quarter mile to the north and south of
the corridor. The corridor is roughly 0.7 square miles in
total – representing 1 % of the District’s total land area.
The neighborhoods in this plan area include L’Enfant
Square, Randall Highlands, Penn Branch, DuPont Park,
Fairlawn, Hillcrest, and Fairfax Village/Fort Davis. The
plan boundary constitutes the areas where the plan’s
recommendations will be focused.
WHY PLAN NOW?
The Comprehensive Plan and other Planning Efforts
The PAESAP is informed by the 2021 Comprehensive
Plan update and guided by the plan’s major themes
including equity and racial justice, COVID-19 and
recovery, and housing access and affordability.
During the 2021 Comprehensive Plan Update, the
Pennsylvania Avenue East Community Coalition, 6Pennsylvania Avenue East Small Area Plan 6
residents, and other stakeholders advocated for
a plan that could lead to implementation efforts
along the corridor; drive responsible and inclusive
development; help establish the corridor as a retail
destination; encourage a vibrant public realm and
gateway; and position the corridor as a multimodal,
pedestrian and bike friendly community. The
PAESAP builds on the 2008 Pennsylvania Avenue
SE Corridor Land Development Plan, incorporates
policy approaches established in the DC Vibrant
Retail Streets Toolkit and DC Cultural Plan, and was
informed by the 2021 Pennsylvania Avenue East Main
Street Market Analysis, as well as subsequent District
Department of Transportation (DDOT) studies and
plans including the Pennsylvania Avenue/Minnesota
Avenue Intersection Improvement Project and Far
Southeast Livability Study.
The PAESAP seeks to direct public, private, and
philanthropic investment along the corridor and
2019 Housing Equity Report: Creating Goals for Areas of Our City
The Housing Equity Report and the
District’s Comprehensive Plan set a
goal for a minimum of 15% of each
planning area’s housing units to
be affordable by 2050. To chart a
path toward a more equitable and
inclusive future, the Housing Equity
Report set affordable housing goals
by planning area. The Housing
Equity Report determined that of
the District’s ten planning areas, Far
Northeast and Southeast was one
of three planning areas on track to
meet this goal.
acts as a guide for District government, community
stakeholders and leaders, and developers to follow.
By focusing on the issues most relevant to the
community, this plan helps establish a guide towards
equitable development and provides supplemental
guidance to the Comprehensive Plan.
Driving Forces: Housing
In 2019, Mayor Bowser set a bold goal to deliver an
additional 36,000 new units of housing and 12,000
units of dedicated affordable housing by 2025. The
District’s Housing Equity Report, released later that
year, created planning area-specific goals for total
housing units and dedicated affordable units. The
report established a need for an additional 490 new
affordable units in the Far Northeast and Southeast
planning area, which encompassed the Pennsylvania
Avenue East SAP study area. 7District of Columbia O-ce of Planning
EQUITY IN PLACE
The 2021 Comprehensive Plan update states that
“equity exists where all people share equal rights,
access, choice, opportunities, and outcomes,
regardless of characteristics such as race, class, or
gender.”
The Comprehensive Plan Framework Element
provides guidance for racial equity in particular, stating
that “the District achieves racial equity when race no
longer determines one’s socioeconomic outcomes;
when everyone has what they need to thrive, no
matter where they live or their socioeconomic status;
and when racial divides no longer exist between
people of color and their white counterparts.” The
PAESAP is an essential step towards addressing the
historical disinvestment and segregationist land use
and development practices that have contributed
to the present state of the Pennsylvania Avenue
Southeast corridor.
The Comprehensive Plan’s commitment to equity
and racial justice guided the recommendations of
this SAP by prompting key questions: How has the
neighborhood changed? How will it continue to
change? And, for whom? This framing has guided
the planning process and recommendations in the
following ways:
• Understanding and acknowledging the role urban
planning has played in furthering discrimination
and inequitable outcomes in communities of color.
The PAESAP outlines
a community vision
for the future of
Pennsylvania Avenue
East that creates a
vibrant and inviting
destination for all.
A Vision of Pennsylvania Avenue, SE at Twining Square looking towards the Sousa Bridge
• Disaggregation of demographic and community
participation data by race, gender, and other
socio-economic factors, where possible.
• A transparent and open engagement process that
centers Black voices and the lived experiences of
residents.
• Developing a community vision for equitable
and inclusive growth rooted in participatory
engagement.
Through the implementation of the PAESAP,
Pennsylvania Avenue East will experience improved
access to transit and multimodal opportunities;
improved pedestrian safety; and an enhanced
public realm. The community will also experience
infill development that provides additional retail and
economic development opportunities especially for
local small Black-owned businesses. Additionally, the
community will benefit from an affordable housing
development pipeline that will include family-sized
rental units as well as homeownership options
providing opportunities for generational wealth
building. 8Pennsylvania Avenue East Small Area Plan
Equity Challenges along
Pennsylvania Avenue East Corridor
The average life expectancy within
the study area is 74 years, 4.5 years
shorter than the District’s average.
19% of residents living in the PAESAP
study area live with a disability.
Health and Social Resiliency
There are numerous factors that influence people’s
health and wellbeing – and when taken together, these
factors can impact a community’s overall resiliency.
Clinical care is just one factor. Social, environmental, and
economic factors also determine a community’s health
outcomes. These social and structural determinants of
health include education, employment, income, housing,
transportation, food environment, medical care, outdoor
environment, and community safety.
Residents in the Pennsylvania Avenue East study area
experience chronic health conditions such as diabetes,
high blood pressure, and heart disease at a higher rate
on average than other District residents. Households
with lower incomes are more susceptible to high blood
pressure due to factors such as stress, lack of healthy
food access, and poor living conditions. The average life
expectancy within the PAESAP study area is 74 years, 4.5
years shorter than the District’s average. Approximately
19% of residents living in the PAESAP study area live with
a disability.
Residents have adequate access to physical health
resources as compared to mental health facilities in the
study area. There are two physical healthcare facilities
within the PAESAP study area as well as additional
services within two miles of the area. However mental
health services are largely located west of the river,
making access more challenging.
Source: 2019 American Community Survey 9District of Columbia O-ce of Planning
In 2008, the Office of Planning prepared, and the DC
Council approved by resolution, a Small Area Plan
for Pennsylvania Avenue SE from Independence
Avenue, SE/2nd Street SE eastward to Southern
Avenue. The 2008 Pennsylvania Avenue SE Corridor
Land Development Plan identified development
concepts for selected focus areas within the three-
mile study area. The 2021 Comprehensive Plan
update integrated the 2008 plan’s guidance. The
PAESAP builds on the 2008 plan by revisiting
existing plan recommendations, highlighting new
community aspirations, and providing supplemental
guidance to the policies and land use changes
approved in the 2021 Comprehensive Plan update.
The PAESAP is intended to serve as a companion to
the 2008 plan.
2008 Pennsylvania Avenue SE Corridor Small Area Plan
ABOUT SMALL AREA PLANS
A Small Area Plan (SAP) supplements the
Comprehensive Plan and outlines recommendations for
growth and development at the neighborhood scale.
SAPs are developed through a collaborative public
process that provides opportunities for community
input on priorities in the planning area. SAPs are
approved by resolution of the DC Council, and their
key recommendations may be incorporated into the
Comprehensive Plan in the future.
Small Area Plans:
• Supplement the Comprehensive Plan by
providing land use and urban design guidance
for the development of city blocks, corridors, and
neighborhoods.
• Engage residents to develop strategic priorities
that will shape future development in their
neighborhoods.
• Guide capital budget decisions and agency
investment priorities.
This SAP will guide future growth in the Pennsylvania
Avenue East corridor through multi-year implementation
by both the public and private sectors. Community
members, advocates, and stakeholders are critical
to the implementation process. A SAP can be used
by:
• District Agencies: to plan capital improvements,
public investments, and programming.
• Zoning Commission: to evaluate development
proposals that require discretionary approval.
• Property Owners & Developers: to understand
community development priorities to create
more compatible projects that meet existing
and future needs.
• Community Stakeholders: to implement
community-led recommendations, evaluate
development proposals, and to advocate for
implementation actions by District agencies
and by DC Council.
• Residents: to inform their neighbors about
the recommendations and continue to build
community consensus and advocate for the
identified changes. 10Pennsylvania Avenue East Small Area Plan
PLANNING PROCESS AND
ENGAGEMENT
The PAESAP planning process was centered on robust
community engagement with residents, Advisory
Neighborhood Commissions (ANCs), neighborhood
and civic organizations, businesses and business
groups, faith-based organizations, and the Pennsylvania
Avenue East Main Street (PAEMS) organization. OP
formed a voluntary Community Advisory Committee
(CAC) comprised of residents, ANC Commissioners,
service providers, and representatives of the active civic
associations. Community outreach took place between
April 2021 and July 2022.
Engagement Principles
The PAESAP engagement strategy was informed by the
following principles:
• Delivering a transparent and open engagement
process that listened, acknowledged, and
responded to the voices from the community.
• Expanding opportunities for broad and inclusive
participation to fulfill OP’s commitment to equity,
articulated in the Comprehensive Plan.
• Co-developing a process and content that was
informative to a broad a range of audiences.
• Striving for greater accessibility when sharing and
presenting information throughout the planning
process by developing a range of digital, in-person,
and analog formats that are free of technical jargon
and coded language.
• Providing a transparent account of expressed
desires, aspirations, and concerns reflected
throughout the development of the Small Area
Plan.
The planning process began during the COVID-19
public health emergency, which severely impacted
the possibility of in-person engagement. Community
meetings, which would have typically been held in-
person, were transitioned to a virtual platform. Working
closely with the CAC, the engagement plan was revised
to include participatory methods that met public health
emergency guidelines. All town hall and community
meetings were conducted virtually with multiple
Community event at The Dream Center
Soufside Market Pop-up at Pennsylvania and
Minnesota Avenues 11District of Columbia O-ce of Planning
call-in and participatory methods. The PAESAP’s
dedicated project website was used to broadcast all
public meetings, save meeting recordings, and allow
community members to provide meeting feedback by
calling in or leaving a comment. The project website
was also used to share plan background, updates,
and community surveys. Community members could
also sign up for plan notifications including monthly
newsletters.
Additionally, the PAESAP was developed in
collaboration with several District government
Plan Development
Apr. 2021 - Apr. 2022
• Community Learning
• Community Visioning
• Recommendations
Development
• Lower Node Urban
Design Guidelines
Project Roll-Out
Dec. 2020 - Mar. 2021
• Existing Conditions
and Market Research
• Convene Interagency
Advisory Committee
• Convene Advisory
Committee
Plan Review
May 2022 - Jul. 2022
• Convene Interagency
Committee
• Convene Advisory
Committee
• Update PublicInput
website
Legislative Process
Aug. 2021 - Dec. 2022
• Public Comment Period
• Mayoral Hearing
• Council Review
• Council Approval
Project Timeline
Implementation
Early 2023+
• Convene
Neighborhood
Implementation
Committee
agencies through the interagency working group
(IAWG) to inform plan development and ensure plan
recommendations are supported by respective
implementing agencies.
As public health guidance shifted in response to
increasing COVID-19 vaccination rates, the project
team launched in-person community engagement
through community canvassing, community clean ups,
public space activations, and partnerships with local
community groups.
In-person community engagement took the form of
community canvassing and public space activations.
Partnerships with local and national organizations helped
OP collect community feedback and expand capacity
among Ward 7 leaders. OP’s partnership with the
Pennsylvania Avenue East Main Street allowed them to
work with local artists to develop a signage and wayfinding
campaign and improve the transit experience along the
corridor through temporary seating. Partnering with
Soufside Market allowed for a Juneteenth retail activation
that featured local Black entrepreneurs, activated the
public realm, and built momentum for the Pennsylvania
Avenue East Main Street and Soufside Market to continue
hosting pop-up retail markets.
In-person Community Engagement
Pennsylvania Avenue East Main Street Initiative 12Pennsylvania Avenue East Small Area Plan
Engagement Summary
Online:
660+ Participants
3,650+ Responses
300+ subscribers
4 - Visioning
Conversations
3 - Community
Town Halls
2 - Recommendation
Workshops
1 - Urban Design
Workshop
1 - 3 hour Office Hour
session
9 - Meetings of the Community Advisory Committee
5 - Meetings of the Interagency Workgroup
Community Residents participating in a visioning mural at the annual Juneteenth Celebration during Soufside Market Pop-up at
Pennsylvania and Minnesota Avenues 13District of Columbia O-ce of Planning 14Pennsylvania Avenue East Small Area Plan
Earl Howard Photgraphy Studios located on the 2500 block of Pennsylvania Avenue SE 15District of Columbia O-ce of Planning
92%
6%
2%
ABOUT PENNSYLVANIA
AVENUE EAST
Today, almost 22,000 people call Pennsylvania
Avenue East and surrounding communities home,
comprising 3% of the District’s total population. The
community has grown in recent years. Since 2010,
the total population along the corridor has risen by
21%. Approximately 92% of Pennsylvania Avenue East
residents are Black or African American compared to
Youth
(0-17 years)
22%
Adults
(18-65 years)
48%
Seniors
(65+ years)
30%
Age BreakdownRace
Black
White
Other
Pennsylvania Avenue SE corridor looking east
48% of District residents. Pennsylvania Avenue East
also has a higher share of residents over the age of
45 compared to the District as a whole. District-wide,
residents are two times more likely to receive either a
Bachelor’s or Graduate degree than residents living in
the Pennsylvania Avenue East study area.
Source: 2019 American Community Survey
DEMOGRAPHICS SNAPSHOT
WHO LIVES IN THE PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE EAST STUDY AREA? 16Pennsylvania Avenue East Small Area Plan
BEFORE 1800 1900-1999
1800-1899
The earliest residents were the Nacotchtank Indians
who fished, hunted, and traded along the banks of
the Eastern Branch of the Potomac River. In the 1600s,
European settlers colonized the land and immediately
set about cultivating tobacco, a cash crop for nearly
two centuries. They also introduced new diseases to
which the Nacotchtank had no immunity and displaced
the remaining local population from their traditional
hunting and fishing camps.
The Anacostia River was the earliest route to
Bladensburg, founded in 1742 as a tobacco port. A
road from Bladensburg, known as Eastern Branch
Road, was carved through the area to Piscataway,
Maryland, a port on the Potomac River. Its route
was roughly today’s Minnesota Avenue. Maryland
formally transferred its ownership to land within the
new federal district on December 19, 1791 in what
is now Ward 7 of the District. In the period between
the establishment of the District of Columbia and
the Civil War, much of the area was characterized by
large landholdings and small-scale agriculture. Names
of the farmers are familiar as they survive today as
street names – Sheriff, Lowrie, and Naylor. Some of
the farmers held Black people as slaves. For example,
in 1855, Thomas Talbert, whose farm was near what
is today Alabama and Pennsylvania Avenues SE,
enslaved nine people.
HISTORY AND CULTURAL CONTEXT
1790: DC
RESIDENCE ACT
DC is established as
the seat of the Federal
Government.
1890: PENNSYLVANIA
AVENUE BRIDGE OPENS
The bridge connected
Pennsylvania Avenue SE to the
former Washington County.
1791: DISTRICT GROWTH
Maryland formally transferred
its ownership to land within
the District, including the land
encompassing the PAESAP
study area.
1861-65: AMERICAN
CIVIL WAR
Civil War defenses were
spread throughout the
District. These include Forts
Baker, Chaplin, Dupont,
Davis, Mahan, and Meigs,
all located in Ward 7.
In 1805, the first Pennsylvania Avenue bridge
across the Anacostia River opened. However,
the bridge burned during the War of 1812.
Fueled by residential growth, a new narrow iron
bridge was erected in 1890. This connection to
Hill East accelerated economic and residential
development. Starting in the early 1930s, the
Randle Highlands Citizens Association led efforts
to modernize the structure. Their campaign and
those followed by the Southeast Businessmen’s
Association helped propel both state and federal
government to fund the new bridge, which was
completed by 1941.
Historical Spotlight: John Philip Sousa Bridge
District Department of Transportation, “John Philip Sousa Bridge,”
DDOT Historic Collections
PRE-1800s: NATIVE
AMERICAN TRIBES
Nacotchtank Indians
inhabited the Eastern
Branch of the Potomac
River. 17District of Columbia O-ce of Planning
1900-1999
2000–PRESENT
The area remained agricultural until 1888, when
Twining City was laid out at the landing of the
Pennsylvania Avenue Bridge then under construction.
That subdivision established streets named for
landholders in the original city and created the public
space still known as L’Enfant Square. It also began the
extension of Pennsylvania Avenue which was later
continued to the District border by the Highway Plan of
1893.
Following the creation of the 1901 McMillan Plan for
Washington, DC and the “City Beautiful” movement,
development along Pennsylvania Avenue reflected
classical architecture, streets lined with trees, and
landscaped public parks. In 1907, Arthur E. Randle, a
prolific developer east of the river, began to market his
newest community in Randle Highlands. New residents
called for paved and lighted streets, underground
wiring, regular garbage collection, and adequate water
and sewer systems. The District’s Commissioners
installed public parks at Twining Square, L’Enfant
Square, and Dupont Park. The original Randle
Highlands School built in 1912 has just reopened as
part of the enlarged neighborhood school.
1911: STREETCAR LINE
OPENS IN WARD 7
Residents are linked to
downtown.
1907: GROWTH EAST OF
THE RIVER
East of the river prolific
developer Arthur E. Randle
began to market his newest
community in Randle
Highlands.
1958: DC ZONING
CHANGES
The majority of residential
land in the study area
is zoned for multifamily
housing, resulting in a
decline of owner-occupied
housing.
EARLY 1970S: WHITE
FLIGHT BEGINS
Brown v. Board of Education
declared segregation in public
schools illegal, prompting
white flight from the District
into the area suburbs.
1910: THE “LITTLE WHITE HOUSE”
The “Little White House” at 2909
Pennsylvania Ave SE was built in 1910 by
the architect William Plager. This “white
house of the east” was written about in
the newspapers of the time and became
a popular site along the corridor. It has
become a long-standing landmark and an
example of classical style architecture.
2020: PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE
EAST MAIN STREET ORGANIZATION
FORMED
A Main Street America affiliate and DC
Main Street member, the Pennsylvania
Avenue East Main Street works to
revitalize the community by retaining
and recruiting businesses, improving
commercial properties and streetscapes,
and attracting consumers.
1920: ORIGINAL LAND USE
AND ZONING ADOPTION
Washington, DC adopts land
use zoning. The ordinance
restricted apartment buildings
to a certain height and use
zones, principally along major
avenues.
2021: COMPREHENSIVE
PLAN UPDATE
The Comprehensive Plan updates
land use designations to allow for
more development opportunities
along Pennsylvania Ave SE. 18Pennsylvania Avenue East Small Area Plan
CULTURAL CONTEXT
Cultural and historic resources in and around
Pennsylvania Avenue East have not been fully
explored or documented, but some sites, such as the
“Little White House,” are widely recognized in the
community. There are only a few officially designated
historic resources, but more have been identified as
eligible for designation.
Also within the study area, there is a sizable cluster of
homes and commercial buildings designed by Lewis
Giles in the west end of the Pennsylvania Avenue
East study area. Giles was a prolific African American
architect based in DC.
CIVIC INVESTMENTS AND PUBLIC
FACILITIES
The District has made significant investments in
improving facilities in and around the community.
Pennsylvania Avenue East has a number of existing
and planned public resources. Over the last decade
public investment has targeted elementary schools,
recreation centers, libraries, and public safety facilities.
Two recreation centers, the Fort Davis Recreation
Center and Joy Evans Therapeutic Recreation Center
are planned for new construction or renovation. These
centers will include new amenities to better serve the
Pennsylvania Avenue East community.
3
DC PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Community Facilities Serving Pennsylvania Avenue East
1
PRIVATE SCHOOL
1
DPR FACILITY
1
FIRE STATION
2
POLICE DEPARTMENT
FACILITIES
1
DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN
SERVICES
1
NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARY
Front Facade of The Dream Center located on the 2800
block of Pennsylvania Avenue SE
Engine Company No. 19 - Randle Highland Firehouse located on
the 2800 block of Pennsylvania Avenue SE 19District of Columbia O-ce of Planning
Future Land Use Map
Descriptions
LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL: single-family
detached and semi-detached housing units with
front, back, and side yards. The R-1 and R-2 Zone
Districts are consistent with the Low-Density
Residential category, and other zones may also
apply.
MODERATE DENSITY RESIDENTIAL: row
houses as well as low-rise garden apartment
complexes. The designation also applies to areas
characterized by a mix of single-family homes,
two- to four-unit buildings, row houses, and low-
rise apartment buildings. In some neighborhoods
with this designation, there may also be existing
multi-story apartments, many built decades ago
when the areas were zoned for more dense uses
(or were not zoned at all). Greater density may
be possible when complying with Inclusionary
Zoning or when approved through a Planned
Unit Development. The R- 3, RF, and RA-2 Zone
Districts are consistent with the Moderate
Density Residential category, and other zones
may also apply.
MODERATE DENSITY COMMERCIAL: Retail,
office, and service businesses are the
predominant uses. Areas with this designation
range from small business districts that draw
primarily from the surrounding neighborhoods
to larger business districts uses that draw from
a broader market area. Buildings are larger and/
or taller than those in Low Density Commercial
areas. Density typically ranges between an a
Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of 2.5 and 4.0. Floor Area
Ratio is the ratio of the total gross floor area
of a building to the area of its lot measured in
accordance with Zoning Regulations.
LAND USE AND ZONING
LAND USE
Land use and development density differs from one end
of the corridor study area to the other. The 2021 updated
Comprehensive Plan Future Land Use Map (FLUM) largely
identifies areas west of 30th Street SE as appropriate for
moderate density residential development, with low-rise
multifamily buildings and pockets of single-family houses
mixed throughout. Areas east of 30th Street SE are
mostly identified as appropriate for low density residential
development and single-family housing.
There are three areas identified for mixed commercial and
residential use within the study area along the Pennsylvania
Avenue corridor – at Minnesota Avenue, Branch Avenue, and
Alabama Avenue SE. The 2021 update to the Comprehensive
Plan identified the area at the west end of the corridor, at
Minnesota Avenue, as appropriate for moderate density
mixed use development; the other two nodes are identified
as appropriate for low-density mixed-use development.
ZONING
The western portion of the planning area includes a variety
of low to moderate density residential zones. The R-2 zone
is mainly intended for detached and semi-detached houses.
The R-3 zone is mainly intended for detached, semi-detached
and attached single-family houses. The RF-1 zone permits
rowhouses with one or two principal dwelling units (a “flat”).
Existing multifamily buildings that pre-date the current
zoning may also exist. The RA-1 and RA-2 zones permit
predominantly low to moderate density multifamily buildings.
The middle portion of the planning area is primarily zoned
R-1-B, which permits single-family detached residential
development on moderate-sized lots. The eastern portion of
the planning area is mainly zoned RA-1 and R-2.
There are three pockets of mixed-use zoning in the planning
area along the Pennsylvania Avenue corridor. MU-4 zoned
land is located at Pennsylvania Avenue SE and Minnesota
Avenue SE and at Pennsylvania Avenue SE and Alabama
Avenue SE. MU-4 permits a mix of low to moderate density
multifamily residential and commercial uses. MU-3A and
MU-3B zoned land is located at Pennsylvania Ave and Branch
Ave. These two zones allow a mix of low-density multifamily
residential and neighborhood commercial uses.
Source: 2021 Comprehensive Plan Update 20Pennsylvania Avenue East Small Area Plan
Future Land Use Map 21District of Columbia O-ce of Planning
Zoning Map 22Pennsylvania Avenue East Small Area Plan
The following recommendations were developed in collaboration with community stakeholders, advocates, and
public agencies. The Community Advisory Committee provided critical perspective on proposed policies and
the Interagency Working Group worked closely with community participants and the project team to outline
recommendations that addressed the needs heard throughout the planning process. Finally, recommendations
were analyzed using the Mayor’s Office of Racial Equity assessment tools to meet District goals for racial equity
outlined in the 2021 Comprehensive Plan.
The PAESAP frames recommendations around the following four themes:
1. Economic Development and Retail Opportunities
2. Transportation Access and Connectivity
3. Housing Opportunities and Affordability
4. Vibrant Public Realm and Urban Design
The desired outcomes for each theme and contributing recommendations are detailed in the following pages.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Fairfax Village Shopping Center located on the 3800 block of Pennsylvania Avenue SE 23District of Columbia O-ce of Planning
Acronym Agency/Organization Name
ANC
Advisory Neighborhood
Commission
Community
Partners
Civic Associations, Ward 7
Business Partnership, Faith-based
Institutions, or other Community-
based organizations
DCCAH
DC Commission of Arts and
Humanities
DCFPC DC Food Policy Council
DCOZ DC Office of Zoning
DCRA
Department of Consumer and
Regulatory Affairs
DDOT
District Department of
Transportation
DHCD
Department of Housing and
Community Development
Acronym Agency/Organization Name
DMPED
Deputy Mayor for Planning and
Economic Development
DPR
DC Department of Parks and
Recreation
DSLBD
Department of Small and Local
Business
NPS National Park Service
OCTO
Office of the Chief Technology
Officer
OP DC Office of Planning
PAEMS
Pennsylvania Avenue East Main
Street
WMATA
Washington Metropolitan Area
Transit Authority
RECOMMENDATIONS
The agencies and organizations listed in the table below are referenced in the PAESAP recommendations. 24Pennsylvania Avenue East Small Area Plan
THEME 1: ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
AND RETAIL OPPORTUNITIES
VISION
An inviting destination with
a variety of neighborhood
serving retail options in a
walkable neighborhood,
where existing and new
businesses are supported by
a strong local customer base
can thrive.
Pennsylvania Avenue East has experienced multiple
challenges to increasing employment opportunities
for residents and attracting private sector investments.
Starting with exodus of white middle-class residents
in the middle of the 20th century, followed by
the construction of the Anacostia Freeway, which
encouraged commuters to by-pass the community,
Pennsylvania Avenue East has felt the impacts of
disinvestment. The median household income in the
Pennsylvania Avenue East study area is $60,467,
approximately $16,000 less than the median
household income District-wide. While the median
household income has risen by 27% since 2010, nearly
half of Pennsylvania Avenue East residents live at
or below the poverty line and the income growth is
predominantly attributed to an increase in the number
of households earning more than $100,000.
As of December 2020, Ward 7 had an unemployment
rate of 13.4%. Exacerbated by the COVID-19 public
health emergency and subsequent economic shock,
Ward 7 is experiencing higher unemployment than all
other wards except Ward 8. The arts and hospitality
industry have been severely impacted with citywide
unemployment down nearly 30% year over year. Within
the study area, 11% of all residents are employed
in these industries, further exacerbating economic
hardships felt within the PAESAP study area.
Penn Branch Shopping Center located on the 3200 block of Pennsylvania Avenue SE 25District of Columbia O-ce of Planning
District-wide, residents are two times more likely to
receive either a Bachelor’s or Graduate degree than
residents living in the Pennsylvania Avenue East study
area.
FOOD ACCESS
With the nearest supermarket one or more miles away,
Fairfax Village and Fort Davis Park are considered low
food access or food challenged areas. Other parts
of the corridor, except for Randle Highlands and the
western most part of Penn Branch, are considered low
food access areas with the nearest supermarket being
at least 0.5 miles away.
Mayor Bowser has made it a priority of her
administration to ensure that all District residents
have access to healthy food, including supporting the
development of three new grocery stores in Wards 7
and 8, the Wards with the fewest grocery stores per
capita. Currently, there are three bodegas in the study
area participating in the District’s Healthy Corners
initiative, which delivers fresh produce and healthy
snacks to corner stores. The three bodegas are the
Dollar Plus Food Store at 2529 Pennsylvania Avenue
SE, Surprise Grocery at 2233 Minnesota Avenue SE,
and the G & G Groceries at 2924 Minnesota Avenue SE.
RETAIL OPPORTUNITY
Pennsylvania Avenue East has long served as a
significant retail and commercial corridor in Ward 7, and
it continues to serve nearby residents with convenience
stores and automobile-focused commercial centers.
Pennsylvania Avenue East has seen recent investments
including the phased redevelopment of the Shops at
Penn Branch, newly established Pennsylvania Avenue
East Main Street, and the upcoming Pennsylvania
Avenue Minnesota Avenue Intersection Improvement
Project.
While the commercial node closest to the Anacostia
Freeway is poised for increased investment, economic
impacts from the pandemic have further slowed new
development opportunities.
Household Income
54% - $50,000+
46% - Less than $50,000
Occupational Composition
20% - Educational services, health care, and
social assistance
18% - Public administration
14% - Professional, scientific, management,
and administrative
Educational Attainment
17% - Graduate professional degree
40% - Some college or bachelor’s degree
30% - High school graduate (includes
equivalency)
Source: 2019 American Community Survey
Pennsylvania Avenue East by
the numbers
RETAIL USES IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD
Neighborhood Goods and Services
(Pharmacies, Convenience Stores, etc.)
Food & Beverage
General Merchandise
(Apparel, Beauty Supply Stores, etc.)
75%
18%
7%
Source: 2019 American Community Survey 26Pennsylvania Avenue East Small Area Plan
Economic Development and Retail Opportunities Implementing Body
1.1
Support development which takes advantage of 2021
Comprehensive Plan direction for moderate density development,
to provide additional retail and business ownership opportunities,
and new residents to support local businesses and enhances the
quality of place for the neighborhood.
OP, Property Owners
1.2
Bolster the role of Pennsylvania Avenue East Main Street to
support retail development and growth through business
promotion and retention efforts and establish a retail-oriented
neighborhood branding campaign that makes use of logos,
signage, and other means to promote the corridor. Develop
marketing and branding partnerships with Black-owned retail pop-
up managers to attract buyers and sellers at a local and regional
level.
PAEMS, DSLBD
1.3
Provide technical, design, and financial assistance for business
improvements. Support local businesses and partners in
accessing opportunities through DHCD’s Storefront Façade
Improvements, DMPED’s Great Streets Retail Small Business Grant
or Neighborhood Prosperity Fund, or DSLBD grants.
PAEMS, DSLBD, DHCD,
DMPED
The following recommendations will complement and leverage these recent investments to amplify the
corridor’s visibility, harness existing opportunities, retain and attract investment, and position the corridor to
better serve local residents and improve economic outcomes.
EXISTING CUSTOMER BASE
of customers come from
adjacent neighborhoods to the
corridor including Dupont Park,
Randle Highlands, Hillcrest,
Fairlawn, Penn Branch, Fort
Davis Park, and Fairfax Village.
of customers come from other
neighborhoods in Wards 7 and
8, Prince George’s County, and
nearby commuters.
of customers come from
neighborhoods west of
Anacostia River, Montgomery
County, and Northern Virginia.
35% 45% 20%
Source: 2019 American Community Survey 27District of Columbia O-ce of Planning
Economic Development and Retail Opportunities Implementing Body
1.4
Support temporary retail activations in vacant or disused
storefronts to showcase potential opportunities or emerging
markets along the corridor. Make effective use of grants, pilot
programming, or public-private partnerships to help finance these
efforts.
DSLBD, PAEMS
1.5
Attract fresh food grocery options to the corridor:
• Leverage the Food Access Fund and Nourish DC to encourage
healthy food options along the corridor.
• Launch a Farmers Market along the corridor at an opportunity
site identified in partnership with the community and adjacent
property owners.
• Prioritize the use of the Supermarket Tax Incentive Program
and DMPED’s East of the River Leasing Strategy to encourage
new grocery tenants.
• Incentivize bodegas and corner stores across the corridor to
participate in the Healthy Corner Stores program.
DCPFC
DCFPC
DMPED
DMPED
Fairfax Village Shopping Center located on the 3800 block of Pennsylvania Avenue SE 28Pennsylvania Avenue East Small Area Plan
District Crunchy Restaurant located on the 2400 block of
Minnesota Avenue
Economic Development and Retail Opportunities Implementing Body
1.6
Support Black entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs of color to
establish brick and mortar stores along the corridor, through
support of Black-owned retail pop-up events and activations along
the corridor.
PAEMS, DSLBD
1.7
Increase opportunities for sit-down and outdoor dining
opportunities along the corridor by informing business owners of
existing unenclosed and enclosed sidewalk dining and streatery
options and providing financial assistance for implementation.
DSLBD, PAEMS
1.8
Expand and build a stronger connection to frequent or local
customers while diversifying the types of businesses, in terms of
their size, offerings and operators.
DSLBD, PAEMS
1.9
Promote façade improvements and use partnerships with local
artists, creative signage or storefront displays, and activation along
the corridor through grants or other funding opportunities.
DSLBD, DCCAH, PAEMS
1.10
Incorporate requirements for streetscape activating and
neighborhood serving retail as part of any new development
proposal or zoning requirement.
OP, Property Owners
Commercial Lease sign on Highland Theater located on the
2500 block of Pennsylvania Avenue 29District of Columbia O-ce of Planning 30Pennsylvania Avenue East Small Area Plan
THEME 2: TRANSPORTATION
ACCESS AND CONNECTIVITY
VISION
Anchored by a multi-modal
transit hub on the west end,
the Pennsylvania Avenue
East corridor is connected
by a safe and reliable
transit network including
motor vehicles, bikes,
and pedestrians without
conflict, especially at major
intersections.
Pennsylvania Avenue East attracts nearly 40,000
vehicles per day in addition to high vehicle volumes on
cross streets such as Minnesota Avenue and Branch
Avenue. Approximately 56% of Pennsylvania Avenue
East residents drive to work, as compared to 34% of
District residents. The study area does not have direct
access to Metrorail. The Potomac Avenue Metrorail
Station is located approximately 1.5 miles west of the
center of the study area and the Naylor Road Metrorail
Station is approximately 1.5 miles away from the
southeast boundary of the study area.
Metrobus Stop along Pennsylvania Avenue SE
RESIDENTS WHO DRIVE TO WORK
PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE EAST
WASHINGTON, DC
56%
34%
Source: 2019 American Community Survey 31District of Columbia O-ce of Planning
Lack of direct metro access limits the commuting
options available to Pennsylvania Avenue East
residents. In turn, residents have slightly longer
commuting times than the rest of the District. On
average, Pennsylvania Avenue East residents spent 34
minutes a day commuting as compared to the District’s
average of 31 commuting minutes daily.
A large share of Pennsylvania Avenue East residents
commute to jobs in Wards 7 and 8, with smaller shares
of residents commuting to Downtown DC, Capitol Hill,
and New Carrollton. A small share of residents work
along the corridor. Most jobs along the corridor are
filled by residents living outside of the study area.
Vision Zero is a part of Mayor Bowser’s response to the
US Department of Transportation’s Mayor’s Challenge
for Safer People and Safer Streets, which aims to
improve pedestrian and bicycle transportation safety
by showcasing effective local actions, empowering
local leaders to take action, and promoting partnerships
to advance pedestrian and bicycle safety. Minnesota
Avenue and Alabama Avenue SE are both considered
Vision Zero high-crash corridors. In the first quarter of
2021, Ward 7 had experienced the most crashes and
most fatalities of any other Ward. After two fatal crashes
along the corridor, DDOT had identified the following
next steps:
• For the Pennsylvania and Minnesota Avenue,
SE intersection: install signage noting curving
roadway, include advisory speed signage,
install pedestrian signs at Minnesota Avenue
and L’Enfant Square crosswalk, refurbish
road markings on Minnesota Avenue, and
continue evaluation of the block through the
Pennsylvania Avenue-Minnesota Avenue
Intersection Improvement Project.
• For the 3800 block of Pennsylvania Avenue,
SE: improve pavement markings and conduct
a traffic calming/speed evaluation.
Vision Zero
Percent Commuting to Work
Drove Alone
DC - 34%
PAESAP - 56%
Carpool
DC - 6%
PAESAP - 5%
Public Transit
DC - 31%
PAESAP - 35%
Walked
DC - 1%
PAESAP - 13%
Other Means
DC - 3%
PAESAP - 7%
Worked from Home
DC - 3%
PAESAP - 7%
Source: 2019 American Community Survey 32Pennsylvania Avenue East Small Area Plan
BUS SERVICE
The corridor is primarily served by the M6, which
provides residents with access to the Potomac
Avenue Metrorail Station. The corridor is also served
by the 30N, 30S, 32, 36, V2, V4, V7, and W4 routes.
The 30S connects residents to jobs downtown. The
30S and V2 and V4 lines help connect residents to
other neighborhoods in Wards 7 and 8. Pennsylvania
Avenue SE, up until the Branch Avenue SE has been
identified as a “transit priority corridor” by DDOT.
This identification represents a need for improved
infrastructure to help buses move more efficiently to
improve travel times and reliability for passengers.
Residents of the study area that frequently patronize
the bus service along the corridor expressed the need
for additional bus shelters. They felt with the amount
of vehicular traffic on the corridor during morning and
evening rush hours, bus shelters created a visual and
physical buffer from traffic and the elements while
waiting for arriving buses.
BIKE FACILITIES
The corridor is served by three Capital Bikeshare
Stations – located at Pennsylvania and Minnesota
Avenue SE; Pennsylvania and Branch Avenue SE;
and a Fairfax Village location at Pennsylvania Avenue
and Alabama Avenue SE. Additional dockless bikes
augment the Capital Bikeshare bikes available at fixed
facilities. The Pennsylvania Avenue and Minnesota
Avenue SE location is the most popular for both
starting and ending a Capital Bikeshare trip. The
majority of trips ending at Pennsylvania and Minnesota
Avenue SE originate from the Bikeshare Station at
Anacostia Metrorail station.
Metrobus Stop
TRANSIT OPTIONS ALONG THE CORRIDOR
Bikeshare at 25th Avenue and Minnesota Avenue
The Office of Planning received a grant from
the American Association for Retired Persons
(AARP) to design a creative way to provide much
needed bus stop seating along the corridor. The
Pennsylvania Avenue Main Street partnered
with Creative JunkFood, a talented local artist
organization to design appropriate street furniture
that was functional, moveable, and inspirational.
The final product was the “Imagination Bench.”
Imagination Bench 33District of Columbia O-ce of Planning
Transportation Access and Connectivity Implementing Body
2.1
Improve the pedestrian access and connection between
Pennsylvania Avenue East to Anacostia Park and Anacostia River
through improvements to the pedestrian experience leading to and
along the Sousa Bridge.
• Identify locations where pedestrian sidewalks can be widened
leading to the Sousa Bridge and provide direct and ADA-
accessible pedestrian connection to the river.
• Study improvements to the I-295 on/off ramps to increase
safety for pedestrians and cyclists while slowing vehicle traffic.
Study should address physical improvements to roadways,
including opportunities for enhanced ADA ramps and
pedestrian crossings, and introduction of traffic signals, signs,
lighting, pavement markers, and guardrails.
• Identify locations for and design gateway features that highlight
both the sense of arrival to Pennsylvania Avenue East and to
visually connect the community.
DDOT
The following recommendations will improve connectivity, pedestrian, and bike safety.
Transit Stops and Capital Bikeshare Docking Stations 34Pennsylvania Avenue East Small Area Plan
Transportation Access and Connectivity Implementing Body
2.2
To improve pedestrian safety and reduce vehicular conflict, explore
developing a “transit hub” at the reconfigured intersection of
Pennsylvania Avenue SE and Minnesota Avenue SE, within the
restored Twining Square to include an expanded bus shelter with
digital displays, improved lighting, and direct access to micro-
mobility such as Bikeshare.
DDOT, WMATA
2.3
Extend the Pennsylvania Bus priority corridor west of the Anacostia
River.
DDOT, WMATA
2.4
Improve pedestrian and bicycle access throughout the study area:
• Build the Shepherd Branch trail on the unused portion of the
CSX property along Fairlawn Avenue SE in coordination with
DDOT’s feasibility study for a pedestrian/cyclist trail from E
Street SE to Firth Sterling. Highlight this section of the trail as
part of the Pennsylvania Avenue community through creative
signage and public art or lighting.
• Study phasing out actuated pedestrian signals along the
corridor and prioritize Pennsylvania Avenue and Branch
Avenue.
• Study design improvements that would expand the bicycle
network in and surrounding the study area. Expanded facilities
should consider north-south bicycle lanes, additional trails,
and bicycle connections west of the study area (i.e., across the
Sousa bridge and to the Potomac Avenue Metro station), and
connections from areas along Fairlawn Avenue SE to Anacostia
Drive.
DDOT
A safe corridor for
pedestrians and cyclists
with better transit and bus
lanes. A place where I can
age in place and access
services safely.
-Resident Vision 35District of Columbia O-ce of Planning
Transportation Access and Connectivity Implementing Body
2.5
Provide an enhanced system of bus shelters and bus stops along
the Pennsylvania Avenue East corridor.
• Install new bus shelters with seats at key locations along the
corridor.
• Identify bus shelters that would be appropriate candidates for
solar power, illumination, and passenger information display
screens.
• Work with DDOT, NPS, and WMATA to identify the appropriate
owner/maintainer of the bus shelter at Penn/38th Street SE to
improve the bus rider experience.
• Coordinate with WMATA to conduct a comprehensive review
of transit service including the possibility of Metrorail service
in the future that would improve travel times to critical services
and employment areas.
WMATA, DDOT
Missing sidewalk connections near the intersection of Minnesota Avenue SE and L’Enfant Square SE 36Pennsylvania Avenue East Small Area Plan
The PAESAP study area is largely residential, with
85% of the area’s parcels used for housing. While
the area has predominantly single-family housing,
multifamily housing is largely found between
Minnesota Avenue and 29th Street SE. While multi-
family housing is limited, demand for this housing
type is high in the PAESAP study area, leading to
multi-family vacancy rates that are lower than the
citywide average. Additionally, there is a strong
desire for more affordable family- size units within
the PAESAP study area for both purchase and rental.
Residents expressed the desire to build generational
wealth through homeownership while being able to
remain in the neighborhood.
THEME 3: HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES
AND AFFORDABILITY
Apartment buildings and townhomes along 1300 block of L’Enfant Square SE
VISION
A mix of housing types, both
market rate and affordable,
are available to families
and individuals for rent as
well as purchase, enabling
generational wealth
building. 37District of Columbia O-ce of Planning
HOME VALUES
Since 2013, home values in the study area have
increased from an average of $248,000 to $453,000 by
the end of 2020, twice the average increase citywide.
As the city recovered from the 2008 financial crisis, and
housing costs were comparatively higher in other parts
of the District, the relative affordability of housing units in
the study area became more attractive and accessible.
It wasn’t until 2017 that home values in the study area
returned to their pre-financial crisis peak.
Detached homes in the study area have also seen
higher valuations and were by and large new
construction or recently remodeled, have 3 to 4
bedrooms, and averaged 2,100 square feet. The higher
sale prices, quality, and prevalence of remodeling
suggest that there is increasing pressure on this housing
segment. The bulk of this housing segment is located
between 30th Street SE and Alabama Avenue SE.
The study area has 71 apartment buildings, providing
1,100 units averaging $1,160 per month. Over 20% of
these rental units were built before 1949.
$253,000
HOME VALUE CHANGES : 2013-2020
PENNSYLVANIA AVE
WASHINGTON, DC
2013
2020
2013
2020
$453,000
Source: 2019 American Community Survey
Pennsylvania Avenue East Study
Area – Average Monthly Rent
Citywide – Average Monthly Rent
Studio $950 $1,497
1 Bedroom $1,157 $1,755
2 Bedrooms $1,221 $2,273
3+ Bedrooms $1,147 $2,489
$475,000
$613,000
Source: 2019 American Community Survey 38Pennsylvania Avenue East Small Area Plan
Housing Opportunities and Affordability Implementing Body
3.1
Support Zoning Map Amendments, consistent with the
Comprehensive Plan, to increase housing supply and encourage a
mixed-income community that includes market-rate and dedicated
affordable housing.
OP, Property Owners,
Developers
3.2
Maximize the provision of family-sized housing, multi-generational
housing and senior housing, especially through the PUD process.
OP, Property Owners,
Developers
3.3
Maintain and improve existing rental housing opportunities along
the corridor through collaborative partnerships, while preserving
naturally occurring affordable housing. Target owners of small
apartment buildings along the corridor who might be eligible for
the District’s Small Building Program which provides resources to
improve sub-standard housing conditions.
Property Owners,
Developers, OP
3.4
Develop partnerships between DHCD’s training programs –
Community Based Organizations, faith-based institutions and other
Black and people of color led organizations (such as the Marshall
Heights Community Development Organization) to engage
in regular training sessions in the community about housing
opportunities in the District.
DHCD, Property Owners,
PAEMS
As of March 2021, the multifamily vacancy rate in the
study area was 5%, well below the citywide multifamily
housing vacancy rate. This low vacancy rate indicates
a strong demand for multifamily along the corridor.
HOUSING AFFORDABILITY
The PAESAP study area has 288 dedicated affordable
housing units located in nine buildings primarily
concentrated between Minnesota Avenue and
Benning Road SE. None of these units are at risk
of loss due to expiring subsidy nor have they been
identified as redevelopment sites.
Out of the 1,570 attached and detached housing
units in the PAESAP study area, 40% are considered
affordable to a household of four earning over
$63,000 annually or 50% of the median family income.
The study area also has an estimated 775 condos, that
based on average citywide data, could be affordable
to first time home buyers earning 50% of the median
family income.
Pennsylvania Avenue East has not
experienced a significant amount
of redevelopment or market rate
construction. New infill market rate
construction would require rents upwards
of $2.35 per square foot and large, steel,
and concrete buildings would require
rents upwards of $2.60 per square foot.
The highest proven rent in the planning
area is $2.15 per square foot with most
rents below $1.50 per square foot. This
gap indicates new construction of market
rate multifamily housing is unlikely in the
short-term without subsidy. However,
there are significant opportunities for
infill housing.
The following recommendations will increase housing opportunities and expand affordability. 39District of Columbia O-ce of Planning
Housing Opportunities and Affordability Implementing Body
3.5
Use the District Opportunity to Purchase Act for small apartment
buildings to preserve affordability on the corridor, increase
the number of units available along the corridor, and mitigate
displacement of existing residents.
DHCD, DMPED
3.6
Explore opportunities for the formation of a Community Land Trust
to maintain affordability along the corridor through acquisition of
vacant properties.
DMPED
3.7
Activate online, policy, and other resources available through
CBOs, faith-based organizations, and other organizations
representing Black people and/or people of color, to educate
residents on tenant rights issues.
Options include:
• Leverage Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA), District
Opportunity to Purchase Act (DOPA), for the conversion of
apartments to limited equity cooperatives.
• Promote https://www.frontdoor.dc.gov/ and other digital
resources to residents on housing programs and opportunities,
rent and utility assistance within the study area.
DHCD, Community
Partners
3.8
Provide area residents more opportunities to age in place in the
neighborhood:
• Encourage accessory apartments, particularly in the Penn
Branch and Hillcrest neighborhoods, to support aging in place,
wealth building opportunities for homeowners, and to create
more housing opportunities for long-time residents.
• Explore opportunities to work with an affordable housing
builder to assist in building accessory apartments along the
corridor.
DHCD, OP, DCOZ
A vibrant multicultural
community with a range of
progressive and relavant
commercial and mixed-use
opportunities; including
mixed-use housing
opportunities.
-Resident Vision
Housing along L’Enfant Square SE 40Pennsylvania Avenue East Small Area Plan
THEME 4: VIBRANT PUBLIC REALM
AND URBAN DESIGN
VISION
The impact of an auto-
centric corridor is mitigated
by putting people and
safety first, by maintaining
open viewsheds, enhancing
streetscapes and open
spaces that create options
for public gatherings,
connections, and preserving
the historic character of the
corridor.
The Pennsylvania Avenue corridor was first
established as an extension of the L’Enfant Plan and
radiates from the U.S. Capitol Building. People enjoy
scenic views and vistas when traveling west along
Pennsylvania Avenue SE. It was designated as a
National Scenic Byway by the U.S. Department of
Transportation and serves as a gateway corridor into
the District. Even with these designations, the portion
of Pennsylvania Avenue SE on the east side of the
Anacostia River is less ceremonial than the portions on
west side of the river.
The corridor includes hilly, steep terrain, that while
offering terrific views of Capitol Hill, detracts from the
corridor’s overall walkability. The hilly nature of the
corridor also makes accessing businesses, schools,
and houses of worship difficult as a pedestrian or
cyclist. Additionally, retaining walls cut off visibility,
hamper access to destinations off the corridor, and
detract from a comforting pedestrian environment.
However, this hilly and green environment provides for
large setbacks and a green boulevard.
Pennsylvania Avenue SE looking West towards the Sousa Bridge 41District of Columbia O-ce of Planning
WHAT IS THE PUBLIC
REALM?
The Public Realm includes the public
right of way and publicly accessible
areas such as street frontages, plazas,
and unprogrammed green space. These
spaces are impacted by adjacent building
uses, public space design, and the
infrastructure quality. Public Realm Design
and programming of the public space
can help define the unique character of
the neighborhood and create a sense of
community
Along parts of the corridor, the terrain also tends to
obscure a driver’s view of activities and businesses
on either side of the sloping terrain. While the corridor
has a 30-mile per hour speed limit, vehicles tend to
exceed those limits creating a less safe pedestrian
environment. The streetscape infrastructure along
the corridor is inconsistent particularly from Fairlawn
Avenue to 31st Street SE where tree boxes are
incomplete or in poor condition.
The corridor’s auto-centric feel is further reinforced
by the types of street lighting used along the corridor.
Between Fairlawn and Minnesota Avenue SE, the
available street lighting is designed for the roadway,
not for pedestrians on the sidewalk.
The corridor is widest closest to the Anacostia
Freeway, tapering down at 28th Street SE. The
road widths and freeway interchange make L’Enfant
Square a congested and dangerous intersection.
The corridor’s use as a major river crossing severely
impacts and divides the community. Street widths
make crossing the street very challenging, unsafe, and
at points, impossible. Additionally, pedestrians must
cross on-off ramps to remain on Pennsylvania Avenue.
These crossings are inhospitable to pedestrians as
vehicles are picking up speed entering the freeway
or exiting the freeway at a high rate of speed and the
pedestrian islands do not provide sufficient safety
features.
The corridor is also bifurcated by densely forested
parkland. The 376-acre Fort Dupont Park is one of
the largest parks in DC and provides hiker-biker
trails; picnic areas; a concert stage; indoor ice rink;
community gardens; and serves as a host to city-wide
sporting and cultural events. In addition to major NPS
land, there are numerous small parks (sometimes
referred to as “pocket parks”) flanking the corridor.
Even though there are large swaths of parkland
and green space bordering the corridor and around
the study area, the corridor is still lacking “green
amenities” such as community gardens, farmers
markets and more.
National Cherry Blossom Festival Art in Bloom
Cherry Blossom Chair Installation 42Pennsylvania Avenue East Small Area Plan
The following recommendations and Urban Design Guidelines will improve access to amenities and vibrancy
along the corridor.
Vibrant Public Realm and Urban Design Implementing Body
4.1
Implement the PAESAP Urban Design Guidelines related to
building form and use and specific to the “Anacostia Gateway”
character area through OP initiated changes to the zoning, or
through PUDs.
OP, Property Owners,
Developers
4.2
Along other sections of the corridor, use the Urban Design
guidelines related to building form and use in discussions with
landowners wishing to redevelop, and in the review of any
discretionary zoning action before the Zoning Commission or
Board of Zoning Adjustments.
OP, Property Owners,
Developers
4.3
Implement the Urban Design guidelines related to public space in
the review of temporary and permanent public space permitting
applications.
DDOT, OP, Property
Owners, Developers
4.4
Showcase the neighborhood’s local civic and cultural identity
and enliven its public sidewalks through creative placemaking
opportunities for public art along exposed retaining walls or on
facilities such as bus stops. Dedicate a mural on the Anacostia
Freeway underpass that honors “Angie,” an unhoused resident of
Ward 7, and other inspirational community members.
DCCAH, PAEMS, DDOT,
Community Partners
4.5
Provide enhanced, high visibility crosswalks along Pennsylvania
Avenue SE to calm traffic speeds and make the corridor safer and
more comfortable for pedestrians.
DDOT
4.6
Develop, sponsor, and maintain a digital community platform that
highlights local organizations and events. This platform should:
• Share information related to business development and retail
offerings.
• Provide updates on government projects and plans related to
the corridor.
• Connect the public realm through digital posts/markers.
PAEMS, OCTO 43District of Columbia O-ce of Planning
Vibrant Public Realm and Urban Design Implementing Body
4.7
Coordinate with NPS to develop a strategy for park cleaning and maintenance
along the corridor:
• Seek to formalize a partnership between stakeholder entities.
• Explore the possibility of a transfer of parkland to local jurisdictions to allow
for community-oriented improvements to NPS parcels.
• Seek to transfer ownership of the Francis A. Gregory lot and adjacent
parkland from the National Park Service to the District.
DPR, NPS
EXAMPLE OF A REIMAGINED PUBLIC REALM:
2500 BLOCK OF PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE SE
STREET FRONTAGE ACTIVATED BY
OUTDOOR DINING.
STREET FURNITURE FOR
PEDESTRIAN COMFORT.
IMPROVED PEDESTRIAN LIGHTINGINCREASED VEGETATIONRESTORED HISTORIC BUILDINGGS 44Pennsylvania Avenue East Small Area Plan
URBAN DESIGN
The Vision: A community anchored destination located at the intersection of Pennsylvania Avenue SE and Minnesota Avenue SE
To realize the complete vision for Pennsylvania
Avenue East urban design principles and guidelines
establish an overall strategy for future development
that is focused on the creation of a high-quality and
community-oriented experience in the public spaces
along the corridor. The 2021 Comprehensive Plan
amended citywide policies and the Future Land
Use Map (FLUM) designations on several locations
on the western end of the corridor to encourage
more housing production and support for retail and
commercial corridors. The Comprehensive Plan and
FLUM determine the height and density for each site.
Urban Design Principles: The design principles set
high-level values for the three distinct character areas.
They are used as a basis for the design guidelines to
promote thoughtful development along Pennsylvania
Avenue as it is envisioned in the Comprehensive Plan
and based on input from community stakeholders.
Urban Design Guidelines: The design guidelines
offer more tailored direction for development and
public space projects. They illustrate potential design
strategies for how the elements of buildings, streets,
sidewalks, and open spaces should be designed
and arranged in relation to one another to form a
comfortable and interesting experience for the people
who use them. Their primary intent is to positively
impact the community and to provide stakeholders
with the tools to advocate for better urban design in
their neighborhood.
The Pennsylvania Avenue Southeast Urban Design
Guidelines supplement the broader recommendations
found in this document and should be seen as a way
of enhancing the vision for the corridor.
APPLICABILITY
The Urban Design Guidelines are intended for use
by various entities including private property owners,
developers, design professionals, District agencies,
and community groups when developing or reviewing
proposals for development projects or public space
improvements. Applicants considering PUDs should
incorporate the PAESAP Urban Design Guidelines to
the extent feasible. Property owners pursuing matter-
of-right development are encouraged to apply PAESAP
Urban Design Guidelines to support compatibility with
the surrounding buildings and public realm. 45District of Columbia O-ce of Planning
WHAT IS URBAN DESIGN?
Urban design is the physical
shaping of the built environment
– the architecture, streetscapes,
sidewalks, and open spaces of
a city or neighborhood – with
the focus on how their visual
character and arrangement
impact the human experience to
promote a positive, comfortable,
and interesting public realm for
the people who use them. It is
about understanding how people
interact with and pass-through
public spaces to ensure they are
designed in a way that enables
people to use them how they
should expect to.
Urban design guidelines inform
how the specific elements of a
building, sidewalk, park, or plaza
are designed, built, and arranged
in relation to one another and is
rooted in how people experience
the public realm.
The Urban Design Guidelines can assist the following
approval authorities and groups as they review projects
along the corridor:
• The Zoning Commission in review of PUDs or custom
zoning for the area.
• The Public Space Committee in its review of temporary
and permanent uses of public space.
• The ANCs and other community groups in reviewing
development applications.
• Projects subject to Historic Preservation Review Board
are encouraged to take into consideration the PAESAP
Urban Design Guidelines.
• The Pennsylvania Avenue East Main Street in
considering grants or other programs aimed to
improve building façades and commercial sidewalks.
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
The following guiding principles are an over-arching vision
for the urban design of the public realm along Pennsylvania
Avenue SE and were developed with input from community
members and stakeholders as they contemplated the future
of their neighborhood.
• Create a destination - a place for community to come
together and gather.
• Put pedestrians first - improve walkability and
pedestrian safety.
• Shape an inviting streetscape - with active ground
floor retail, restaurants, and art.
• Preserve historic interest - in buildings and notable
open spaces to retain the special qualities of a unique
and memorable sense of place
• Maintain diversity, variety, and choice – to retain
culture memory. 46Pennsylvania Avenue East Small Area Plan
CHARACTER AREAS
THE SQUARE
ANACOSTIA GATEWAY
THE THEATER DISTRICT
N
Though the blocks that make up Pennsylvania Avenue
SE work together to create a broader neighborhood,
each has its own specific look and feel. As part of
the design vision for the corridor, the Urban Design
Guidelines focus on the three key “character areas”
on the east end of the corridor considered the most
in need by the communtiy. However, the urban design
guidelines are applicable to any mixed-use area
along the corridor, We want to build upon the existing
strengths and identity of these spaces to better
enhance their roles within the community.
Key improvements in roadway design can calm vehicle
speeds and encourage pedestrian access and activity
for all ages and ability levels and allow the community
to gather and connect with one another at events in
the neighborhood square.
The Pennsylvania Avenue SE corridor can be divided
into three distinct character areas that can make for a
beloved neighborhood destination when combined:
A. Anacostia Gateway
B. The Square
C. Theater District
Pennsylvania Avenue is identified in the District 2021
Comprehensive Plan as both a Gateway Corridor to
the District and as an important access point to the
Anacostia River waterfront. As such, this stretch of
Pennsylvania Avenue, from the Anacostia Freeway
in the direction of Minnesota Avenue, can serve
to celebrate both through a special focus on good
urban design, high quality architecture, improved
streetscapes, and public art.
Design Principles:
• Visually tie the Pennsylvania Avenue
neighborhood to the river and reinforce its identity
as a waterfront community through physical and
spatial design.
• Improve pedestrian safety and calm traffic speeds
by shifting the design of the Pennsylvania Avenue
roadway to a more pedestrian focused layout with
robust street tree canopy, pedestrian furniture
zones, signage, curbside parking lanes, and
enhanced crosswalks.
• Prioritize high-quality architecture at sites closest
to the river to signal the importance of the
gateway district and promote a sense of arrival to
the neighborhood.
A. ANACOSTIA GATEWAY 47District of Columbia O-ce of Planning
1 TRAIL CONNECTIONS
• Multimodal, pedestrian, accessible path to Anacostia Park
• Placemaking, lighting and pathway provided to encourage movement to park under or near
freeway
Implementation - Anacostia Gateway
2 NEW MIXED USE + MULTIFAMILY
• Architectural design features gateway or iconic elements that invite visitors to the neighborhood
including distinguished architecture, greater height, and details at the corner.
• Encourage affordable homeownership, and a blend of market and affordable rental opportunities to a
variety of family types.
3 TRAFFIC CALMING
• Greater pedestrian access to Anacostia waterfont and traffic calming into the neighborhood from the freeway
• Better signaling, lane striping, and placemaking to improve pedestrian experience
4 STREET-SCAPE ENHANCEMENTS
• Improvement of ADA and accessibility access
• Encouraging outdoor seating and activated retail
• New trees, storm-water infrastructure, and planters where possible to enhance canopy and climate resiliency
N
4
1
1
1
1
1
2
2
4
4
4
2
PENNSYLVANIA AVE. SE
FAIRLAWN AVENUE
NICHOLSON STREET 4
4
EXISTING BUILDINGS
RAPID BUS
TRANSIT ROUTE
THE
SQUARE 48Pennsylvania Avenue East Small Area Plan
The reorientation of the Pennsylvania and Minnesota
intersection currently proposed by DDOT will bring
with it the opportunity to witness an expanded Twining
Square in the heart of the retail district. With this
reorientation there is the opportunity to completely
redesign the Square at a neighborhood landmark and
gathering space, accessible to people of all ages for
use as a market, event space, or recreation.
Design Principles:
• Restore the central neighborhood Square through
a community-led design process (including the
selection of a new name) to reflect the cultural
values and heritage of the residents who frequent
the space.
• Cultivate a sense of safety and comfort within the
Square through enhanced lighting and paving
designs, with ample trees and vegetation to
provide for beautification and shade, outdoor
seating, and gathering/performance space
for community events, as prioritized by the
community.
• Promote the use of the streets on the western
edge of the Square as a pedestrian retail space
on weekends and orient adjacent retail entrances,
windows, and seating towards the Square.
• Restore and revitalize the unique architectural
details and historic signage such as the Morton’s
sign at sites adjacent to the Square to contribute
to the prominence of the space along the
streetwall.
B. THE SQUARE
STREET LEVEL VIEW AT SQUARE LOOKING TOWARDS MORTONS TO THE NORTH 49District of Columbia O-ce of Planning
1 MORTON’S CORNER MIXED USE
• Repainting, repositioning, and retaining the Morton’s signage with enhanced lighting.
• Retail facade enhancements
• Activation of pedestrian-oriented street along square with seating, vegetation, and art.
2 RESIDENTIAL ENHANCEMENTS
• Architectural support to existing residential along square to provide facade improvements
• Retain access and parking with pedestrianized street.
3 NEW MIXED-USE BUILDINGS
• New mixed-use or multifamily with active ground floor uses along square.
• Encourage affordable homeownership, and a blend of market and affordable rental opportunities to a
variety of family types.
4 TRAFFIC CALMING
• “Right-sizing” Minnesota Avenue to actual traffic volumes that balance vehicular travel needs, pedestrian
and bicycle infrastructure.
• Activation of pedestrian-oriented street along square with seating, vegetation, and art
5 EXISTING BUILDING ENHANCEMENTS
• Retail facade enhancements including promotion of upper floor uses, new glazing, repaintings, signage,
• Better canopies and easing of fees for parklets and streeteries that support retail
STREET LEVEL VIEW AT SQUARE LOOKING TOWARDS MORTONS TO THE NORTH
Implementation - The Square
N
1
3
2
4
4
4
N
4 4
5
3
PENNSYLVANIA AVE. SE
MINNESOTA AVE SE
L’ENFANT PLACE2
2
3
5
EXISTING BUILDINGS
RAPID BUS
TRANSIT ROUTE
THE
SQUARE 50Pennsylvania Avenue East Small Area Plan
C. THEATER DISTRICT
The existing Highland Theater is an important historic
and cultural asset within the neighborhood and
should continue to serve as a vital entertainment and
performance hub of the corridor. With context-sensitive
infill and redevelopment at sites within this character
area, this space can be the pedestrian-oriented and
livable main street that links the Pennsylvania Avenue
retail district with the adjoining neighborhoods.
Design Principles:
• Adaptive re-use, high quality revitalization or
expansion of the Highland Theater to promote it
visually as the iconic landmark it is. Celebrate its
street presence through restoration of signage,
and provide opportunities for enhanced lighting,
street furniture, and to allow indoor artistic
performances and events to spill out into the
sidewalk.
• Work with the Theater and other local artists and
performers to produce a programming strategy
for the pocket park along Pennsylvania Avenue.
• Focus on an architectural character for new
buildings and renovations to showcase the area
as a Theater district through massing, materials,
and details that are contextually sensitive to the
design of the Theater.
• Encourage ground floor uses that complement
the adjacent Theater through live-work spaces
for artists or performers, with high transparency
windows or large openings to support retail and
streetscape activation.
STREET LEVEL VIEW: STANDING NORTH OF THEATER - LOOKING NORTHWEST 51District of Columbia O-ce of Planning
Implementation - Theater District
1 ACTIVATE STREETSCAPE
• Encourage conversion of parking and underutilized front lawns to streateries, art, and outdoor focused
retail to enliven the street.
• Support mixed-use redevelopment as a method of increasing homeownership and affordable rental
opportunities.
2 ADAPTIVE REUSE OF THEATER
• Encourage adaptive reuse of Highmark Theater into active retail or community use.
• Allow for careful additions to existing structure if historical features are maintained.
• Encourage activation of streetscape in front of plaza and temporary uses in space.
3 MIXED-USE OR MULTIFAMILY BUILDINGS
• Encourage distinctive architecture that reflects the character of the existing structures.
• Encourage affordable homeownership, and a blend of market and affordable rental opportunities to a
variety of family types.
4 ENHANCED EXISTING URBAN ASSETS
• Encourage architectural lighting of St. Xavier School.
• Promote visibility and access to programming for pocket park.
5 CITY OWNED BUILDINGS AND LOTS
• Prioritize redeveloped mixed-use with police station and community driven uses such as affordable and
workforce housing, or community space.
STREET LEVEL VIEW: STANDING NORTH OF THEATER - LOOKING NORTHWEST
N
N
1
1
2
3
3
4
4
6
PENNSYLVANIA AVE. SE
MINNESOTA AVE SE
27TH STREET
O STREET
1
EXISTING BUILDINGS
RAPID BUS
TRANSIT ROUTE 52Pennsylvania Avenue East Small Area Plan
CHARACTER DEFINING BUILDINGS & FACADES
Encourage Upgrades and Careful Treatment Of
Building Facades On Square
Community Green Space
New Infill Mixed Use & Housing
Existing Buildings
The distinctive rooflines and porches of
the rowhouses facing square provide a
distinctive sense of place and should be
retained while allowing for paint, masonry
repairs, or porch repairs.
Significant Existing Facades to Be Retained,
Renovated or Preserved 53District of Columbia O-ce of Planning
URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES
To promote pedestrian comfort along Pennsylvania
Avenue and to reinforce the corridor’s identity as a
neighborhood main street and retail destination, the
design guidelines are organized into two categories:
Building Form | Public Realm
The first, Building Form, is intended to shape a more
human-scale environment along mixed-use portions of
the corridor and enable new developments, in these
areas consistent with the direction already established
in the updated 2021 Comprehensive Plan and FLUM.
New development should be designed to be more
compatible with the adjacent lower-scale residential
neighborhoods and to signal to drivers that they have
entered a pedestrian-oriented community. This can be
achieved by striving for balance between the massing
and scale of infill development, specifying how
buildings transition down towards adjoining residential
blocks, and highlighting the need for high-quality
materials and architectural designs.
The second, Public Realm, is intended to open up the
street and sidewalk zones to promote visual interest,
and pedestrian comfort and safety on the corridor. This
can be achieved through specifications for minimum
sidewalk dimensions and materials, promoting
shade trees and opportunities for landscaping and
beautification, and identifying spaces to support
outdoor amenities such as café seating, public art, and
markets.
A Vision of Pennsylvania Avenue, SE at Twining Square 54Pennsylvania Avenue East Small Area Plan
Illustrative Plan - Buildings fronting Connecticut Avenue with active ground floor uses help to frame the sidewalk and maintain a
pedestrian-scale environment.
Active Building Frontage and
Storefronts
Outdoor Seating at Square,
Outdoor Retail at Extra Wide
Sidewalks
Community Green Space
BUILDING
FRONTAGE
Creating a consistent
building edge along the
commercial corridor helps
to define public spaces and
delineate the pedestrian
sidewalk environment. 55District of Columbia O-ce of Planning
BUILDING FORM
1.1 Building Frontage
Guidelines:
a. Ground floor retail uses fronting onto Pennsylvania
Avenue SE should take full advantage of
allowances for show window projections or similar
high transparency glazing to create strong visual
connections between the sidewalk and interior
spaces.
b. Building façades should be oriented parallel to
Pennsylvania Avenue SE to maintain a continuous
and engaging streetwall that gives scale and
definition to adjacent streets and civic space.
Building façades that are directly adjacent to
the restored square should also prioritize public
entrances and visibility onto the square as well as
onto Pennsylvania Avenue SE.
c. The front façade of the building should be
generally at the property line, and the ground floor
of the building should be at the same elevation as
the sidewalk.
d. Mixed-use buildings that provide ground floor
residential units should locate unit entrance
directly to the sidewalk (rather than through a
central lobby space) and should front on side
streets to incorporate social features such as
stoops and porches to transition to adjacent
residential blocks.
e. All loading and parking garage access points
should be located on existing alleys at the rear of
the lot, or if unavailable on adjacent side streets
to minimize adverse impact on the pedestrian-
prioritized retail zone of Pennsylvania Avenue SE.
The Clayborne, adaptive reuse housing and retail with pedestrian
storefronts in Alexandria, VA.
SOURCE: CUNNINGHAM QUILL ARCHITECTS
Coca Cola bottling plant conversion to mixed-use in Atlanta, GA
EXAMPLES OF ADAPTIVE REUSE AND CONVERSIONS TO MIXED-USE 56Pennsylvania Avenue East Small Area Plan
Guidelines:
a. The streetwall height should generally be
no less than 25 feet. Change in building
articulation above the streetwall are
encouraged.
b. Larger development sites should space retail
storefronts and entrances frequently along a
block, typically every 25 to 40 feet, to attract
small businesses, promote visual interest for
pedestrians, and better encourage streetlife
and activation.
c. Floor-to-ceiling heights of between 15 and
18 feet should be provided for commercial
ground floors in new mixed-use buildings. The
depth of new retail spaces along the building
frontage should be a minimum of 50 feet.
d. Include elements such as projections, textured
materials, awnings, plantings, signage, and
seating to create a visually engaging and
inviting building edge to frame the sidewalk
and create points to relax, gather, and
socialize.
1.3 BUILDING MASSING
Guidelines:
a. Encourage balconies, bay windows, varying
step-backs at upper floors, or material
changes to break up larger façades.
b. Expansions and additions should incorporate
architectural details that are consistent or
complementary to those of the existing
structures, preserving unique and well-built
design features to the extent feasible.
STREETWALL
“Streetwalls” refer to the
façades of the various
buildings that face a street.
They shape the level of
visual interest on each
block, and create a sense of
enclosure for travelers.
1.2 STREETWALL VARIATION AND ARTICULATION
Local example of infill development: The Strand Residences
adjacent to the historic Strand Theater, Ward 7, Washington,
DC 57District of Columbia O-ce of Planning
Guidelines:
a. New buildings or additions to existing buildings
should provide appropriate transitioning or
buffering from low density housing on blocks
to the north and south of the corridor. Building
height step downs, upper story step-backs, and
other building form articulation and modulation
should be employed, particularly where there is no
intervening alley.
b. Building setbacks in the form of open space,
landscaped buffers, and courtyards should be
employed on the rear of new buildings where they
transition to lower scale residential uses.
1.5 BUILDING MATERIALS
Guidelines:
a. The use of brick or other masonry or similar high-
quality materials as cladding characteristic of the
neighborhood is encouraged for new buildings.
b. Large windows providing visibility and social
connections to the street are appropriate for
ground-floor retail.
c. Sustainable materials that are recycled and less
carbon intensive are encouraged both for exterior
cladding and interior structural components. The
preservation or re-use of existing building materials
in new buildings is also encouraged.
Local example of Historic Preservation: The restoration
of the Howard Theater is a key example of how historic
character can be maintained in a modern context
through careful building material choice.
1.4 TRANSITIONS TO ADJACENT BLOCKS 58Pennsylvania Avenue East Small Area Plan
PUBLIC REALM
2.1 IDENTITY AND PLACEMAKING
Guidelines:
a. Along the restored Square, prioritize access for all
ages and provide a diversity of space types and
uses that are coordinated with the Pennsylvania
Avenue East Main Street and other civic groups.
Enable community-led activation and gathering for
outdoor markets, performances or similar events,
café seating, and/or recreational purposes as a
community landmark and destination.
b. Development opportunity sites within the
Anacostia Gateway character area should
incorporate signature design elements on
prominent corners such as bay or tower
projections, angled or curved façades, and special
lighting and/or materials as well as landscape
designs that visually communicate a sense of
arrival to the Pennsylvania Avenue neighborhood
and link the area to the Anacostia River.
c. Public art such as sculptures, murals, or other
forms of art installations should be explored along
the corridor to both mark this entry point into the
neighborhood and Anacostia River, to showcase
the importance of the Theater District and as a way
to showcase the history and cultural values of the
neighborhood.
d. Murals should be considered on highly visible
side walls of mid-block buildings where windows
are not feasible and under the Anacostia Freeway
overpass.
PUBLIC REALM
Design and programming
of the public space can help
define the unique character
of the neighborhood and
create a sense of community
Mural on the side of the Thai Orchard Restaurant 59District of Columbia O-ce of Planning
2.2 STREETSCAPE
Guidelines:
a. Enhance the pedestrian experience with
streetscape elements such as enlarged street
tree planter boxes and increased tree canopy,
pedestrian scale lighting and signage, wide
sidewalks along Pennsylvania Avenue SE, and
space for tenant activation along storefronts.
b. Enhance existing pedestrian crossings along
Pennsylvania Avenue SE to better connect the two
sides of the retail main street, increase pedestrian
safety, and signal to vehicle drivers that they are
entering a pedestrian-oriented neighborhood.
c. Establish dedicated sidewalk areas that
accommodate outdoor seating, clear pedestrian
paths, landscaping, and other amenities. The
sidewalk along Pennsylvania Avenue SE can
be broken down as follows beginning with the
curbside zone:
i. Amenity Area (four to six feet): Provides a
sizable amenity area that enhances pedestrian
comfort including planting and trees,
streetlights, regulatory signage, bicycle parking,
and other furnishings such as benches and trash
cans.
ii. Circulation Area (eight feet): An unobstructed
linear pedestrian path between the Tenant Area
and the Amenity area.
iii. Tenant Area (remaining space up to building
line): Located immediately adjacent to building
façades, the tenant area provides an area of
transition between circulation and building
entries. The area also activates the storefronts
through a range of uses including tenant
displays, outdoor seating, building projections,
and planting areas.
d. Allow for unique pavement, landscaping, and
streetscape materials as sidewalks approach the
restored Square that is distinctive, reflecting the
civic use of those spaces.
e. Parking and loading entrances should be located
on alleys or secondary streets to minimize curb
cuts along Pennsylvania Avenue SE and promote
an uninterrupted pedestrian path.
OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPLEMENT URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES
BEFORE:
• Unfriendly retail front
• Narrow sidewalks
• No exterior lighting
• No outdoor seating
• Car-oriented space
AFTER:
• Outdoor dining
• Improved sidewalk
infrastructure
• Street lights provided
• Improved retail signage
• Multi-modal transit
accommodated in the street
• Prioritize landscaping in and
around retail storefronts and
use of permeable materials 60Pennsylvania Avenue East Small Area Plan 61District of Columbia O-ce of Planning
DEVELOPMENT GUIDE
Support development which takes advantage of 2021 Comprehensive Plan updated
direction for moderate density development, to provide additional retail and business
ownership opportunities, and new residents to support local businesses and enhances
the quality of place for the neighborhood. (Policy 1.1)
Attract fresh food grocery options to the corridor:
• Leverage the Food Access Fund and Nourish DC to encourage healthy food
options along the corridor.
• Launch a Farmers Market along the corridor at an opportunity site identified in
partnership with the community and adjacent property owners.
• Prioritize the use of the Supermarket Tax Incentive Program and DMPED’s East of
the River Leasing Strategy to encourage new grocery tenants.
• Incentivize bodegas and corner stores across the corridor to participate in the
Healthy Corner Stores program. (Policy 1.5)
Support Black entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs of color to establish brick and mortar
stores along the corridor, through support of Black-owned retail pop-up events and
activations along the corridor. (Policy 1.6)
Increase opportunities for sit-down and outdoor dining opportunities along the corridor
by informing business owners of existing unenclosed and enclosed sidewalk dining
and streatery options and providing financial assistance for implementation. (Policy 1.7)
Incorporate requirements for streetscape activating and neighborhood serving retail as
part of any new development proposal or zoning requirement. (Policy 1.10)
Support Zoning Map Amendments, consistent with the Comprehensive Plan, to
increase housing supply and encourage a mixed-income community that includes
market-rate and dedicated affordable housing. (Policy 3.1)
Maximize the provision of family-sized housing, multi-generational housing and senior
housing, especially through the PUD process. (Policy 3.2)
Implement the PAESAP Urban Design Guidelines related to building form and use and
specific to the “Anacostia Gateway” character area through OP initiated changes to the
zoning, or through PUDs. (Policy 4.1)
This Development Guide is a summary of recommendations that can be implemented through private
development, the Planned Unit Development (PUD) process or by developing Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for
the disposition and redevelopment of public lands in the PAESAP planning area. 62Pennsylvania Avenue East Small Area Plan 62
The PAESAP will be implemented through private redevelopment and public investment,
led by government agencies, private property owners, and community partners.
IMPLEMENTATION
PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT AND PUBLIC INVESTMENT
Following Council adoption of the PAESAP, future
physical changes in the built environment would
mainly occur through private redevelopment and
public investments. Many of the recommendations
in the PAESAP will be implemented through property
redevelopment and improvements to public rights-
of-way. Improvements to the Pennsylvania Avenue
SE streetscape, enhanced urban design, high-quality
architecture, enhanced sustainability measures, and
affordable housing can be addressed as part of the
redevelopment process, through PUDs or zoning
changes.
The timing of the redevelopment of individual
properties is contingent on market conditions and
myriad personal, corporate, and political decisions.
Market conditions are often cyclical, so physical
changes in the built environment can sometimes
appear to occur in waves. While the construction of
new buildings can sometimes seem swift, the site
planning, financing, and permitting for these projects
takes years of preliminary work that often goes
unseen.
Public investments also take time, and begin
with budget allocations for planning and design.
The upcoming redesign and construction of the
Pennsylvania Avenue SE and Minnesota Avenue SE
intersection began in 2005 through the Great Streets
Initiative to improve pedestrian and vehicular safety
at the intersection; create a consolidated, usable park
space; improve multimodal connectivity and access to
and through the intersection; and support land use and
community needs. The final design will reconfigure
the intersection at-grade to improve the existing
split roadway system by reducing multiple traffic
movements into one signalized intersection. The
District Department of Transportation anticipated hiring
a design and construction firm by 2024.
ROLE OF GOVERNMENT AGENCIES
While OP led the development of the PAESAP from
inception through Council approval, other DC agencies
and Federal agency partners implement many of
the PAESAP recommendations through construction
projects, funding streams, regulatory processes, or
operating programs. OP tracks and communicates
the progress of the PAESAP recommendations and
advocates for implementation whenever possible.
Approval authorities play an important role in
the PAESAP’s implementation as venues for
discretionary decisions on development, and public
space improvements. The Zoning Commission,
House of Ruth Kids Space Playground 63District of Columbia O-ce of Planning 63
Historic Preservation Review Board), Public Space
Committee, National Capital Planning Commission,
and Commission of Fine Arts are all potential approval
authorities that would weigh in on a prospective
change in the built environment. These bodies operate
within their respective purview and processes, with
varying levels of public involvement depending on
the type of application they are reviewing. Approval
authorities are not proactive, they are charged with
deliberating on applications submitted for their review.
To implement relevant recommendations for the
Anacostia Gateway area, a new zone should be
created for the mixed-use sites at the intersection of
Pennsylvania Avenue SE and Minnesota Avenue SE
that reflects the height and density established in the
2021 Comprehensive Plan update and incorporates
the Urban Design Guidelines specific to this location.
Consistent with Inclusionary Zoning Plus, the zone
would require up to 20% of the building’s residential
square footage be dedicated affordable units. The
creation of a new zone modeled from a planning effort
like the PAESAP is typically drafted by OP and would
be achieved through a public process and hearing
before the Zoning Commission.
Planned Unit Developments (PUDs) are initiated
OP PAESAP Engagement at Community Day
by property owners for their respective sites, OP
and relevant partner agencies will review these
applications and submit reports to the Zoning
Commission, including analysis of how the proposal
would implement the development and urban
design guidelines outlined in the PAESAP. PUDs are
also assessed through a public process including a
hearing before the Zoning Commission.
ROLE OF COMMUNITY PARTNERS
As advocates and stewards of the neighborhood,
community groups play an important role in
implementing the PAESAP. Advisory Neighborhood
Commissions, Community and Civic Associations,
Main Street Organizations, faith-based groups, historic
preservation advocates, mutual aid groups, and
others were thoughtful contributors to the PAESAP
development and are key to its ultimate success.
Community groups implement recommendations
through community programming and events,
activating and stewarding public spaces, supporting
social and economic initiatives, providing services to
discreet and vulnerable populations, advocating for
future studies, and participating in public processes
for discretionary development applications.
64Pennsylvania Avenue East Small Area Plan
DISTRICT RESOURCES
District agencies have produced many online and printed resources for developers, community groups, and
agency staff to help inspire new projects, track progress, and fund policy priorities. Here are a list of helpful
guides, manuals, maps, dashboards, and local funding sources that will be instrumental helping to implement
the Plan’s recommendations in future years:
Affordable Housing
• Housing Equity Report (2019)
• The Housing Production Trust Fund and DHCD’s Consolidated RFP)
Business Development
• Makers & Creatives Toolkit
• Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development
• Starting A DC Business
Development and Zoning
• DC Interactive Zoning Map
• DC Zoning Handbook
• Front Door DC
• Future Land Use Map
Historic Preservation
• How to Apply for Listing in the DC Inventory
Public Space Activation and Design
• Commemorative Works Program
• Our City, Our Spaces!
• Public Space Activation & Stewardship Guide
• Public Realm Design Manual
Sustainability
• Building Energy Performance Handbook
Ward 7 Speaks Community Visioning 65District of Columbia O-ce of Planning 66Pennsylvania Avenue East Small Area Plan
Glossary of Terms
DEVELOPMENT AND DESIGN
Community Land Trust: Community land trusts
create and preserve affordable homeownership
opportunities by retaining ownership of land
and leasing it under a long-term ground lease to
homebuyers who purchase the improvements on
the land (typically, houses) at prices below market
rates (Freddie Mac).
Inclusionary Zoning Plus (IZ+): Adopted in 2021, IZ+
seeks to achieve higher affordability set-asides from
the District’s regular IZ program when properties
receive a change in zoning that permits greater
density. The affordable set-aside requirements for
IZ+ can increase the affordability requirements from
the existing requirement of 8% - 12.5% to as much as
20%.
Floor Area Ratio (FAR): The ratio of the total
gross floor area of a building to the area of its lot
measured in accordance with Subtitle 303 of the
Zoning Regulations.
Infill Development: Infill Development refers to
the construction of buildings or other facilities
on previously unused or underutilized land
located within an existing developed area. This
type of development is meant to encourage new
development consistent with established policy
direction, and accommodate environmentally
sustainable urban growth by making use of existing
utility and transportation infrastructure.
Pedestrian-Scale/ Human-Scale: The proportional
relationship between the dimensions of a building
or building element, street, outdoor space or
streetscape element and the average dimensions
of the human body, taking into account the
perceptions and traveling speed of a typical
pedestrian.
Placemaking: The intentional use of public space
to create experiences that connect people, inspire
action, support creativity, and celebrate the unique
aspects of neighborhoods.
Planned Unit Development (PUD): PUDs provide
developers additional density and zoning flexibility
when they seek to build projects that exceed
existing matter-of-right zoning regulations. In
exchange for this flexibility, developers are required
to provide community benefits, such as increased
affordable housing.
Public Realm: The area under public and
private ownership that is publicly accessible and
experienced from public space.
Streetwall: Refers to the line of building façades that
face a street. They shape the level of visual interest
on each block and create a sense of enclosure for
travelers.
Urban Design: Addresses a neighborhood’s design
and visual qualities, ultimately shaping perceptions
of the District and contributing to the way people
interact and experience the environment around
them. 67District of Columbia O-ce of Planning
HOUSING
Affordable Housing: Income- and rent-restricted
housing supported or subsidized by local and
federal programs for households ranging from
extremely low-income, earning less than 30% of
the Median Family Income (MFI), up to households
earning less than 80% of the MFI.
Median Family Income (MFI): The median
household income for the Washington Metropolitan
Area (including suburban Maryland and Virginia),
stratified by household size. The MFI for a
household of four in the Washington Metropolitan
Area, as published by the U.S. Department of
Housing and Urban Development on April 1, 2021,
was $129,000.
Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing (NOAH):
Unsubsidized and not income-restricted but rather
is privately-owned housing with market-based rents
affordable to low- and moderate-income residents.
NOAH rents are relatively low compared to the
regional housing market typically due to age and
condition of the rental buildings.
OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT
Community Advisory Committee: Composed of
residents, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners,
and representatives of civic associations and
houses of worship, the Community Advisory
Committee (CAC) has worked with OP since the
beginning of the planning process to connect to
stakeholders and provide guidance around the
community’s most pressing issues.
Interagency Working Group: Implementation
partners across District Government. In addition to
working cooperatively with OP to engage the public
and develop the plan, IAWG partners also provided
insight into available resources and programming to
the project team and the public.
Community Pop-Ups: In-person community
engagement in the form of community canvassing
and meaningful public space activations. 68Pennsylvania Avenue East Small Area Plan
The development and completion of the PAESAP was not a solo effort.
We wish to thank the following residents, stakeholders, District agency
staff and the consultant team for their expertise, experience, and support.
District of Columbia
Muriel Bowser, Mayor
District of Columbia Council
Vincent C. Gray, Councilmember for Ward 7
Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners
Commissioner Travis Swanson, ANC 7B03
Commissioner Tiffany Brown, ANC 7B02
Commissioner Cydne Smith Nash, ANC 7B04
Commissioner D. L. Humphrey (Chair) , ANC 7B07
Commissioner Kelvin Brown, ANC 7B06
Commissioner Tierra Fletcher, ANC 7E02
Commissioner Holly Muhammad, ANC 8A01
Commissioner Brian Thompson, ANC 8A03
Community Advisory Committee
D.L. Humphrey, Office of Councilmember Vincent C.
Gray
M. Viveca Miller, Pennsylvania Avenue East Community
Coalition (PAECC)
Jacquelyn Cannon, PAECC
Stephen Downing, PAECC
David L. Retland, President, Dupont Park Civic
Association
Dr. Marla Dean, Dupont Park Civic Association
Dr. Moreland, Dupont Park Civic Association
Barbara Morgan, Dupont Park Civic Association
Cortez Johnson, Fairfax Village Community
Association
Stan Benton, Penn Branch Citizens Association
Kyle Murphy, Penn Branch Citizens Association
Travis Swanson, Randle Highlands Citizens Civic
Association
Rev. Dr. Kendrick E. Curry, Senior Pastor, Pennsylvania
Avenue Baptist Church
Latisha Atkins, Marshall Heights Community
Development Corporation
Deborah Jones, Ward 7 Business Partnership
Linda Green, Fort Davis Circle Association/ Ward 7
Leadership
Graylin Presbury, Fairlawn Citizens Association
Villareal Johnson, Hillcrest Community Association
DC Office of Planning
Anita Cozart, Interim Director
Andrew Trueblood, Former Director
Vivian Guerra, Chief of Staff
Jordan Chafetz, Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff
David Lieb, Senior Counsel
Jennifer Steingasser, Deputy Director, Development
Review and Historic Preservation
David Maloney, State Historic Preservation Officer
Melissa Bird, Associate Director, Neighborhood
Planning
Colleen Wilger, Former Associate Director
Neighborhood Planning
Leslye Howerton, Former Associate Director, Urban
Design
Joel Lawson, Associate Director, Development Review
Deborah Crain-Kemp, Project Manager, Neighborhood
Planning
Faith Broderick, Former Project Manager,
Neighborhood Planning
Evelyn Kasongo, Former Equity Planner, Neighborhood
Planning
Valecia Wilson, Neighborhood Planning
Ashley Stephens, Neighborhood Planning
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 69District of Columbia O-ce of Planning
Leonard Watson, Neighborhood Planning
Jonathan Greene, Neighborhood Planning
Ebony Dumas, Neighborhood Planning
Emily Carson, Intern, Neighborhood Planning
Timothy Maher, Urban Design
Alisonya Poole, Urban Design
Karen Thomas, Development Review
Imania Price, Historic Preservation
Ryan Hand, Citywide
Art Rogers, Citywide
Rishawna Gould, Data Analysis and Visualization
Interagency Working Group
Kevin Harrison, DDOT
Gabe Onyeador, DDOT
Wendell Felder, East of the River Services
Cristina Amoruso, DSLBD
Nick Kushner, DPR
Timothy White, DMPED
Gabby Johnson, DHCD
Consultant Support
American University Game Center
Center for Urban and Racial Equity
Creative JunkFood, LLC
Cunningham|Quill Architects, PLLC
Link Strategy Partners
Seaberry Design and Communications
Symmetra Design
Additional Support
American Association for Retired Persons 70Pennsylvania Avenue East Small Area Plan November 28, 2022
Director Anita Cozart
DC Office of Planning
1100 4th Street SW
Suite E650
Washington, DC 20024
RE: Pennsylvania Avenue East Small Area Plan Executive Summary of Changes
Dear District of Columbia Councilmembers:
This letter contains the executive summary of changes from the public review draft to the final
draft of the Pennsylvania Avenue East Small Area Plan (PAESAP) required by DC Code Section 1-
306.03(c)(4).
The draft PAESAP was release for public comment on September 1, 2022. Notification about the
availability of the draft, the date of the Mayor’s Hearing, and dates for the public comment
period was sent to the project mailing list, community listservs, Advisory Neighborhood
Commissioners, Community Advisory Committee members, the Interagency Working Group
and other community-based stakeholders. In addition to online availability of the PAESAP,
printed copies were made available to the public for review at public facilities such as Francis A.
Gregory Library, the Dream Center, Randle Highlands Elementary School, and via civic
organizations.
To provide the opportunity to comment on the draft PAESAP in person, a mayoral public
hearing was held on October 1, 2022 at Francis A. Gregory Library located at 2660 Alabama
Avenue SE. An online form was open through the duration of the public comment period where
written comments could be submitted as well. At the public hearing, two individuals presented
oral testimony while ten individuals submitted written comments using the online form.
Additionally, written comments were received via email from four members of the community
after the close of the public comment period. All submissions have been reviewed. The public
comment period closed on October 2, 2022. Several comments on the draft were received after
the comment period closed and were reviewed and considered with respect to finalizing the 2
document. This includes comments from two ANC 7B Commissioners and the Director of the
Pennsylvania Avenue East Main Street organization. In general, these comments were
supportive of the plan, provided comments that have already been addressed in the document,
or were outside the purview of the Small Area Plan.
The following is a summary of key revisions incorporated into the final PAESAP in response to
comments from community stakeholders. Most revisions throughout the plan were
clarifications or adjustments for accuracy. All page references correspond to the final PAESAP.
Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.
The following revisions were made throughout the document, where appropriate:
• Typos, punctuation, and grammatical errors.
• Graphic design was updated to increase legibility and clarity.
• Maps were updated, and photographs and renderings were eliminated or swapped
for new images.
• Figure/photo captions were corrected.
The following revisions are listed by section and page:
Introduction
Page 5: To provide clarity, additional neighborhoods were added to the description of
the plan area.
Economic Development and Retail Opportunities
Page 25: To provide clarity, the three bodegas that were referenced are now named, and
their addresses have been added.
Page 26: To improve accuracy, additional neighborhoods were added in the description of
the area’s customer base.
Theme 2: Transportation Access and Connectivity
Page 30: To improve accuracy, the infographic was updated with the correct percentages
for Washington, DC and Pennsylvania Avenue East.
Vibrant Public Realm and Urban Design
Page 41: To improve clarity, additional language added to describe Fort DuPont Park
amenities.
3
Page 43: To improve accuracy, recommendation 4.7 was added to the final version after it
was erroneously omitted from the original draft.
Urban Design Guidelines
Page 57: To improve clarity, sentence regarding glass curtain walls in mixed-use buildings
removed from 1.5 – Building Materials- Guideline B.
Page 59: To improve clarity, graphic caption updated to change “Improved sidewalk
paving” to “Improved sidewalk infrastructure.” Additional sentence added to
caption: “Prioritize landscaping in and around retail storefronts and use of
permeable materials.”
Glossary of Terms
Page 67: To provide clarity, additional terms, “Infill Development” and “Community Land
Trust” were added to the glossary with definitions.
OP is proud that the Small Area Plan was informed by the contributions and participation of a
diverse range of Pennsylvania Avenue East residents. This SAP will enable the community,
District government, the Council, and other stakeholders to realize the vision of more accessible
housing, more vibrant public spaces and retail opportunities, a thriving and resilient
community, and racial equity. We are committed to supporting the prompt adoption of the
SAP, and OP stands ready to support the DC Council to this end.
Sincerely,
Anita Cozart (202) 234-4433 Washington DC www.nealrgross.com
Neal R. Gross and Co., Inc.
1
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
OFFICE OF PLANNING
+ + + + +
PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE MAYORAL HEARING
+ + + + +
SATURDAY
OCTOBER 1, 2022
+ + + + +
The Office of Planning met at the
Francis A. Gregory Library, at 11:00 a.m. EDT,
Deborah Crain, Senior Neighborhood Planner,
presiding.
DC OP PRESENT
DEBORAH CRAIN KEMP, Senior Neighborhood Planner,
Wards 7 & 8
ASHLEY STEPHENS, Neighborhood Planning Division
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC PRESENT
JULIE RONES
JOHN CAPOZZI (202) 234-4433 Washington DC www.nealrgross.com
Neal R. Gross and Co., Inc.
2
1 P-R-O-C-E-E-D-I-N-G-S
2 11:01 a.m.
3 MS. CRAIN KEMP: All right. Good
4 morning everyone. Thank you for coming out this
5 morning. We are here today to take public
6 comments for the Draft Pennsylvania Avenue East
7 Small Area Plan.
8 This is not a presentation but it is
9 a public hearing. We will be here from 11:00
10 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. to receive comments, both
11 verbal and written, from the community regarding
12 the draft plan.
13 So we do have some individuals here
14 this morning that are ready and prepared to
15 provide comments. I would like to invite them up
16 as they are ready. When you come up, please
17 state your name and, if you would like, also the
18 neighborhood or your -- not your address but
19 generally where you live in the planning area. I
20 would like to invite you to come on up.
21 MS. RONES: Thank you very much. My
22 name is Julie Rones. Just a moment while I get (202) 234-4433 Washington DC www.nealrgross.com
Neal R. Gross and Co., Inc.
3
1 the mic together. At any rate, I'm Julie Rones.
2 I grew up in this area with my parents and my
3 five siblings.
4 I've been a member of this community
5 for over 50 years and I just relish living here.
6 I relish living in the Circle Parks, surrounded
7 by the Circles Parks, and seeing the greenery and
8 the trees and the canopies. It's just a very
9 lovely place to live. I applaud the Mayor and the
10 Office of Planning for hosting this hearing
11 today.
12 I want to also state that my family
13 still has property here behind Pennsylvania and
14 Branch Avenue on Branch Avenue. I live on
15 Southern Avenue. I also have a sister who still
16 lives here. She lives at 30th and Pennsylvania
17 Avenue so we are very well vested in this
18 community.
19 We welcome economic development. We
20 really know that there's a critical need to
21 resolve the food deserts, to bring restaurants,
22 affordable housing, and multi-family development (202) 234-4433 Washington DC www.nealrgross.com
Neal R. Gross and Co., Inc.
4
1 to this area. We really welcome that.
2 As a resident on Southern Avenue, I
3 want to put in my bid for there has been a need
4 -- that is the line between the District of
5 Columbia and Maryland. I live on the District of
6 Columbia side. The street is controlled by the
7 District of Columbia and I would really put in a
8 bid for it to be repaved. We really seriously
9 need it to be repaved. There's a lot of traffic
10 on the street. It's a major artery. At any
11 rate, but we welcome the overall transformation
12 of this area to make it a very burgeoning part of
13 the District of Columbia.
14 Too often we have been without
15 services out here called east of the river. We
16 really want to be an equitable part of the city.
17 We want to see the city thrive. One of the
18 things that came out in redistricting was that we
19 don't have as much of a population as other
20 areas, that we're not as economically thriving as
21 other areas.
22 We really need this to be remedied. (202) 234-4433 Washington DC www.nealrgross.com
Neal R. Gross and Co., Inc.
5
1 So with your efforts I look forward to this area,
2 Ward 7, Hillcrest, Penn Branch, all of Ward 7
3 actually, being revitalized and thriving.
4 With that, I will commend you for the efforts and
5 the work that you've done and thank you.
6 MS. CRAIN KEMP: Thank you, Ms. Rones,
7 for your comments. We appreciate you coming out
8 today.
9 This is just going to be a live stream
10 so if there's any other folks currently that will
11 make comments, we are just going to stream until
12 we have other people that come. At the end of
13 the day -- we'll be here until 1:00 -- we'll
14 consolidate the video and post it on the website,
15 the public input website as well as the website
16 for the Office of Planning. With that, we're
17 just going to take a break. Thank you.
18 MS. RONES: Can I make one more
19 comment?
20 MS. CRAIN KEMP: Absolutely. Please,
21 take your time. You have until 1:00.
22 MS. RONES: Hi. I really wanted to (202) 234-4433 Washington DC www.nealrgross.com
Neal R. Gross and Co., Inc.
6
1 add this as perspective because a lot of people
2 consider Southeast to be a poor area, an
3 undeveloped area, but we have been a thriving --
4 well, not thriving as the other areas but in
5 Hillcrest, as an example, we have homes that have
6 sold for a million dollars and they are kind of
7 getting to be -- in this economy they are kind of
8 becoming the average.
9 So we really want the city to
10 appreciate that his part of the city has sort of
11 been known in the newspapers as a sleeper
12 community. It has been a sleeper community
13 because people enjoy hearing birds. They enjoy
14 seeing deer. We get a lot of wildlife.
15 On the other side of, I guess, Ward 7
16 and Deanwood it's just thriving. There's such
17 history in terms of African American history.
18 There actually used to be an amusement park and a
19 racetrack years and years ago. That goes way
20 back before my time around the 1930s, I believe.
21 We had streetcars. We really had a
22 lot that was evolving in Ward 7. At one time one (202) 234-4433 Washington DC www.nealrgross.com
Neal R. Gross and Co., Inc.
7
1 of the presidents -- this is ancient history --
2 thought about moving out here when it was first
3 developed. But then the developers got wind that
4 he was coming out and they raised the price and
5 he decided to move to Northwest so that's that.
6 It's a beautiful area. I really
7 encourage development. I do want to say that
8 when we first -- when they first started
9 development here, there's actually slave
10 quarters. The house is still standing near
11 Austin Street.
12 We have had three mayors that have
13 lived in our area; Mayor Barry, Mayor Gray.
14 Actually, there are two but there were three
15 deputy fire chiefs or fire chiefs. And there was
16 a chief of police who had lived here.
17 There's a lot of history here and we
18 need to see this area move forward. When I first
19 moved out here, my parents moved out here over 50
20 years ago, the interesting thing is that they had
21 racial covenants in their property deed.
22 They were not suppose to by contract, (202) 234-4433 Washington DC www.nealrgross.com
Neal R. Gross and Co., Inc.
8
1 but the Supreme Court invalidated the enforcement
2 of those covenants and we were able to grow up in
3 this community, to go to school, the public
4 schools. They were great. We were able to run
5 along the trails in the national parks.
6 I mean, we've been here a long time
7 but we urge change. We need change because we
8 need to be advancing like the rest of the city.
9 That is, again, my appeal. It's a wonderful
10 place. Please invest in us. Please. Thank you
11 again. I'm finished this time.
12 (Whereupon, the above-entitled matter
13 went off the record at 11:12 a.m. and resumed at
14 11:21 a.m.)
15 MR. CAPOZZI: Good morning. My name
16 is John Capozzi and I live at 3612 Austin Street,
17 SE, and was very excited about the hearing today
18 because it's important that residents get a
19 chance to comments on this type of development
20 for the District.
21 I really have three things I want to
22 cover briefly. One is that despite the fact that (202) 234-4433 Washington DC www.nealrgross.com
Neal R. Gross and Co., Inc.
9
1 the people over at DDOT have indicated that the
2 final design has been made for Pennsylvania
3 Avenue and the Minnesota Avenue intersection only
4 going down to the bridge there.
5 It's clear to me that unless there is
6 an investment in that intersection somewhere to
7 Dupont Circle that it will be disappointing that
8 nothing will have actually changed there. It's
9 very difficult to connect a community that has
10 eight lanes of traffic, in essence a highway
11 going through it.
12 That's in essence what DDOT has
13 proposed and has indicated as their design.
14 Think about Dupont Circle for a minute. That is
15 a vibrant community. It's a very valuable
16 community. It's one part of our city that people
17 have done extremely well at.
18 Without that tunnel that was
19 underneath connecting Connecticut Avenue, we're
20 not going to see the same type of development in
21 Southeast that we do see at Dupont Circle.
22 That's the type of investment that I'm looking (202) 234-4433 Washington DC www.nealrgross.com
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1 for.
2 Secondly, another option is a circle
3 there. If you don't slow down traffic, there's
4 no hope of that. I do want to mention also that
5 as someone who rides my bike consistently over
6 that bridge, the Sousa Bridge, I can tell you
7 there is no safe way to do that.
8 I've lived here over 11 years now.
9 There's never been a bike lane put in either one
10 way or the other over the bridge that is safe so
11 people do take their lives in their hands if they
12 are going to be bicycle commuters.
13 Now, the city is encouraging bike
14 commuters. Unless the Sousa Bridge is fixed and
15 that whole corridor indicates a bike lane that
16 you can safely get over that bridge without
17 crossing all the traffic without facing, in
18 essence, the highway level of traffic that's
19 there now, we're not going to see the change that
20 we're looking for.
21 Finally, I think we need to just
22 really value residents over commuters. I mean, (202) 234-4433 Washington DC www.nealrgross.com
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1 it's just clear to me that many times these plans
2 focus on the needs that aren't for people that
3 live here and that does bother me because I feel
4 that should be a guiding focus for this type of
5 development.
6 It's clear that over in Skyland we
7 have some great development going on over there.
8 I was just at the dedication this week. I really
9 want to see the Minnesota Avenue and Pennsylvania
10 Avenue and that corridor become, in essence,
11 something very similar to that because it has
12 that opportunity.
13 Capitol Hill is just a few blocks from
14 our neighborhood here and so the idea that people
15 would come over and shop or be part of that and
16 be part of our community is just really
17 impossible now just the way the intersection is
18 laid out, the way the Sousa Bridge is not really
19 accessible whether it's to walkers, bikers,
20 anything like that.
21 I know they talked about rapid bus. To
22 me that just doesn't really get at the heart of (202) 234-4433 Washington DC www.nealrgross.com
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1 what we're trying to do here in terms of
2 connecting the communities so I'm hoping that we
3 can come up with a better plan that's going to
4 allow that access; bike, walking, whether it's
5 bus or other kind of transportation. I mean,
6 people have scooters now.
7 There's just a whole lot of options
8 for people. It's just that it's not safe to use
9 them in our neighborhood, especially in that
10 Pennsylvania Avenue corridor, and so we need to
11 focus on that. I appreciate the opportunity to
12 come and talk about it today. Thank you.
13 (Whereupon, the above-entitled matter
14 went off the record at 1:01 p.m.)
15
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22 (202) 234-4433 Washington DC www.nealrgross.com
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(202) 234-4433 Washington DC www.nealrgross.com
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COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS
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-----------------------
Court Reporter
16
Pennsylvania Avenue Mayoral Hearing
DC OP
10-01-22
Washington, DC Draft Pennsylvania Avenue East Small Area Plan – Written Comments Received
The following written comments were submitted via email or on the Draft Pennsylvania Avenue East Small Area Plan website using the online
form accessible at www.publicinput.com/PennAveSEPlan between September 1 and October 5, 2022. There were 20 comments submitted by 15
named individuals, with the remaining comments contributed by unnamed sources. The comments are sorted by date of submission.
Full Name Timestamp Comments
A. Jackson 9/1/2022 22:06 Overall I feel the plan is an improvement of the existing Penn Ave Area. However there seems to be
a discrepancy on page 30 and 31, percent of commuters by car. The data appears to be reversed in
the percent communicating to work graphic (drove alone). The plan also seems to focus more on
sections closer to the Sousa Bridge, it’s not clear to me the goal for enhancing Penn Branch section.
Thank You happy to see progress
Marie Fritz 9/7/2022 15:55 I was very glad to see the recommendation for traffic signals at the 295 on/off ramps and more
ways to integrate bike lanes in the community. Pedestrian safety and upgrades, noted in the plan, are crucial though would Ike to see more about traffic calming such as raised crosswalks at
dangerous and busy intersections. I did not see any information about dedicated bus lanes in the
corridor which I think are crucial to get people to metro.
Anonymous 9/7/2022 22:23 00 cars a day is a lot of traffic for this area. In addition to increasing metro access, what else can be
done to divert traffic (a lot of it from Maryland) from Pennsylvania Ave?
Anonymous 9/7/2022 22:23 Hello, here are a few suggestions: General— Aesthetically pleasing Bike lanes Bistros Cafes DC
Circulator including routes to museums and common routes Green spaces Grocery stores with organic options and fresh food Learning centers for youth (math, coding, and robotics centers)
Litter reduction Murals Restaurants Retail Sports: Batting cage, Basketball court, Soccer field, Tennis court Walking trails (walkable community) Senior living housing community Specific— Food
options: A bistro A Caribbean restaurant A diner A steakhouse An Italian restaurant Baskin Robbins, Ben & Jerry’s, or Cold Stone Creamery COSI or Panera Bread Fuddruckers, Johnny Rockets, Red
Robin, or Shake Shack Harris Teeter, Trader Joe’s, or Wegman’s Jersey Mike’s or Firehouse Subs
Noodles & Company P.F. Chang’s Sakura Japanese Steak, Seafood House & Sushi (hibachi) Shakey’s
Pizza Smoothie King Sweetgreen More options: A convenience store A dry cleaner A hardware store
A jazz lounge, similar to Blues Alley A massage parlor (Massage Envy) A pharmacy A tutoring or
learning center for K – 12th grade students (Mathnasium) An urgent care center (Patient First)
FEDEX or UPS Old Navy Native
Washingtonian
9/19/2022 14:01 Please, NO BIKE LINES. We have plenty of trails and low traffic streets in SE already. Its no need to
bring more congestion after doing that to Minnesota Avenue and creating more congestion.
Grocery stores- Not an ALDI or low brand grocery store. Give us something good. NO COFFEE
SHOPS, OR CRAP TO MAKE MORE MONEY, bistros or cafes! We need juice bars or cool business to
introduce the African American population to healthy foods.... We have to remember this area is
predominantly black so we must build to cater to this group. Add spaces for children to play
outside. We have enough people making money in the city. Especially in areas like fairlawn. There
are children playing outside everyday. but they are subjected to playing in an alley when there is
land right there (abandoned train tracks) probably being reserved for a developer. We dont need a
circulator bus as that's a waste of money like them street cars yall spend so much money on but
you never see anyone on them. This is not about aesthetic. We have to preserve dc culture. If we
want to reduce crime, provide a club for teenagers to go to and have fun. Keep police (plain
clothes) presence but make the kids of today feel less like they are prisoners.
Native
Washingtonian
9/19/2022 14:13 Dont make everything "affordable income" some have to be low income as the median to make is
roughly 140,000 and lets be real. the native Washingtonian don't come close to making 50,000 a
year due to lack of resources and early education. yes things should look more visually appealing
but for the RIGHT reasons. Money should not be given to anything "Minority led" we need money
to be given to BLACK OWED. This is the make or break moment to show if the city that the black
population has built for years can finally reap benefits. Create generational wealth in our
communities.
Marc C 9/23/2022 0:05 Would love to see a the road space between 295 and Minnesota Ave narrowed, it's far too many
lanes and the Fairlawn and Prout intersections are dangerous. Wish the businesses didn't have
those parking lots in front, the whole area feels like people should just drive through. I rarely walk
across Pennsylvania Ave unless I'm trying to catch a bus, the street just needs to feel friendlier. I like
the improvements to the facades at Penn Branch, maybe they can be done in other parts of the
area. Some sit-down restaurants would be a great amenity and owners might feel more
comfortable in updated spaces
Anonymous 9/23/2022 8:09 There should be more emphasis on both ends, Sousa Bridge and Southern Ave at the same time
and then working towards the middle. I think there needs to be a clear indication at Southern Ave
that you are entering Washington DC, Pennsylvania Avenue East by a beautiful mural or something on a building. Given that this area and intersection has had a lot of traffic accidents I think safety
upgrades from DDOT along this border would help this as well. I think there could be more professional murals going up along Pennsylvania Ave telling the story of the area and the
Pennsylvania Avenue communities, important community members, all done by SE natives/artists.
Fort Davis/ Fairfax Village area has a lot of foot traffic and a beautiful library and transit area, it
should be prioritized for more upgrades in transit. I think DC should work together with PG County
to get a metro station for Pennsylvania Ave somewhere near Southern Ave so that it alleviates all of
the traffic issues on Pennsylvania Avenue and connects to Potomac Avenue station and goes
Downtown.
Jalan Burton 10/1/2022 22:09 Thank you for this draft plan. While I was happy to see sections such as Theme 4 that will help to
promote a vibrant space for our communities to use, I was disappointed that Theme 2
"transportation" did not give measures beyond aesthetic changes. Nothing was included about bus
cutouts or ways to cut down on crowded pass through traffic. I am also concerned that many of the
concerns and recommendations made in earlier community listening sessions were not included
and that specific suggestions for how to make the area more pedestrian safe were NOT offered. In
particular, we should center the experiences of those most directly impacted by dangerous
intersections including children and families, the elderly and those with special medical or
psychological needs. The area is travelled through by thousands of cars each day, but neither
drivers nor pedestrians can effectively navigate the area. The plan calls for "better signage and lane
striping and I am very alarmed to not see any other suggestions. What about building a legitimate
transportation hub such as Eastern Market? What about using tunnels or bridges like in downtown
and on North Capitol Street? What about making beautiful and "vibrant" public spaces by
separating cars and pedestrians in a more practical way? What about making an area with a
beautiful park or library like in Eastern Market; wouldn't that attract more businesses and patrons?
All of these concerns were raised in public sessions but I do not see them reflected here. Better
signage and lane striping is NOT enough to manage the thousands of cars that travel along Penn
Avenue daily! Please offer more! Signed a concerned physician, public health worker, and parent
Jake Anderson 10/2/2022 10:16 I would like to see some thing like a target or a Walmart east of the river to get people to come
over. There is a stigma on crossing the bridge, and there’s really no reason for people to see
otherwise
Latisha Atkins 10/2/2022 10:27 My name is Latisha Atkins, and I am the Program Director of the Pennsylvania Avenue East Main
Street, a program within the Marshall Heights Community Development Organization Inc. (MHCDO)
and I am submitting these comments in support of the D.C. Office of Planning’s Pennsylvania Avenue East Small Area (PAESAP) draft plan.
The mission of the Pennsylvania Avenue East Main Street (PAEMS) program is to revitalize retail,
retain and attract a diverse customer base, empower surrounding communities, and develop
businesses along the Pennsylvania Avenue East corridor. The PAEMS Program provides critical
support to businesses along the corridor and are often a lifeline to their continued survival. As an
extension of the Department of Small and Local Business Development, PAEMS advocates for these
businesses, providing valuable information and technical assistance. DSLBD funding provides an
opportunity to invest in a D.C. business corridor that has struggled through hardship and attempted
to reinvent itself many times over the years. This funding has been integral to the survival of many
of the corridor’s small businesses.
The corridor is a major commuter thoroughfare and borders several neighborhoods. There is a
limited supply of nearby office space or major institutional uses, which limits the surrounding
daytime population that can patronize area businesses during the day on weekdays. Limited
residential density, paired with a relatively small daytime population, increases the need for retail
businesses along Pennsylvania Avenue SE to capture spending from commuters and other
customers who live outside the immediate area. As referenced in the draft PAESAP approximately
40, 000 vehicles drive along Pennsylvania Ave East daily, as a result, retail businesses can benefit
from substantial visibility and capture spending from commuters on their way to and from work.
However, concerns such as lack of adequate parking, pedestrian safety, and poor transportation
infrastructure pose a threat to the success of the corridor.
Additionally, many of the corridor’s small businesses face barriers of access to resources that stem
from several factors. Long standing issues like lack of proper accounting, tech literacy, and the
absence of back-office support play a major role in access to grant and financial assistance provided
by the federal and city governments.
The Pennsylvania Avenue East Small Area Plan seeks to direct public, private, philanthropic
investment along the corridor and will serve as a guide for District government, community
stakeholders and developers to follow. According to the D.C. Office of Planning, this plan helps to
establish a guide towards equitable development and provide supplemental guidance to the
Comprehensive Plan. The recommendations set forth in the draft plan are a step in a positive
direction and will provide the catalyst to future growth needed along the Pennsylvania Avenue East
corridor.
It is with great enthusiasm that I submit these comments in support of the D.C. Office of Planning’s
Pennsylvania Avenue East Small Area (PAESAP) draft plan. We look forward to being a partner in
the implementation of the plan and will work to leverage our District and philanthropic partnerships to amplify the corridor's visibility and continue to promote opportunities to retain and
attract investments that will assist in improving the economic outcomes of the surrounding
community and corridor.
Natiya T Curtis 10/2/2022 18:53 I like the idea of restoring the plaza, keeping the Morton’s sign. There needs to be more bus stop
seating on both sides of Penn Ave. there should also be a circulator bus that takes residences to metro stations (for residents up Penn Ave, metro access is very limited). I think there needs to be a
pedestrian bridge at the on ramp of 295s-that is not a safe place to cross. It would be nice if we
could also eliminate one of the gas stations on the corner to create a better traffic flow or provide additional retail (as it is that part of Penn Ave feels like a highway). I support traffic calming measures as long as they do not eliminate resident parking or drive traffic onto residential streets. I also think there needs to be a plan to reduce Penn Ave as a cut through for Maryland drivers -there
is too much traffic on Penn Ave during rush hour (not safe for pedestrians and the bottleneck at the bottom of Penn is insane). I like the idea of preserving the highland theater as long as it remains an
entertainment space
Kathleen Holmes 10/2/2022 22:16 I really like the ideas for improving the walkways in front of the various businesses to include
outdoor seating and public-use areas so that the corridor overall feels more like a destination and
less like a pass-through. The ideas for urban design and how to improve the facade of business
specifically are also welcome - and I hope current business owners are encouraged and incentivized
to make such changes. Even "updated" areas like the Penn Branch shopping center are still much
less aesthetically appealing than other nearby business areas like Skyland Town Center. The plan should call on the developer and property manager to put more resources into improving the look of the shopping center. I also second the other comments that more specific recommendations are
needed for how to improve pedestrian/cyclist safety, especially at high risk areas like crossing the 295 ramps on Pennsylvania.
Kyle Murphy 10/2/2022 22:48 Thank you to OP and the many community members who have played a role in shaping this draft
plan. I strongly support the overall goals of the plan. Implementation will determine the success or failure of this effort, and we cannot afford to have another ambitious plan that barely progresses
beyond a written document. Similar to many of the other commenters below, I would like to see
the draft be more specific about how it recommends the city use all of the tools at its disposal to
accomplish the goals of the plan. There are areas along Pennsylvania Ave SE where public space
needs major improvements and then those improvements will need routine maintenance. There are also many places where smart incentives and potential land use changes will need to be
implemented to deliver on the plan's goals. With respect to safe multi-modal transportation, this is
a grave weakness of the current conditions in the area. Pennsylvania Avenue SE and the
immediately adjoining spaces are defined more often than not by their role as a major in and
outbound thoroughfare. Without major investments in public transportation, pedestrian and cyclist
infrastructure, and collaboration with neighboring areas, it will be extremely difficult to address this
problem. Simultaneously, the plan must prioritize support for building dozens of local destination
businesses along the corridor to counterbalance the thoroughfare identity and the need for current
residents to leave the area to get many necessary goods and services. In combination with these
transportation and business improvements, the plan should also emphasize the need for
complementary infill housing at various levels of affordability to ensure our communities are
welcoming, accessible, equitable, and inclusive. Lastly, the plan should explicitly say that it aims to
greatly improve the experience of living along Pennsylvania Avenue SE while avoiding the
displacement of long- time residents and other negative consequences associated with
gentrification.
Tiffany L Brown 10/2/2022 23:08 As a community, I believe the following would be in our best interest: New building over 2 stores to
have first-floor retail options and other active uses; existing sidewalks should be maintained;
differentiated facades on buildings; building heights not to exceed 6 stories high; traffic
improvements to include traffic signals at the on-ramp and off-ramp to interest 295 north and
south; every CROSSWALK to be raised; changes at the intersection of Pennsylvania & Minnesota
Avenues that are clear, sustainable, and that have REAL community buy-in; no BIKE LANES on
Pennsylvania Avenue from the Sousa Bridge to Southern Avenue, S.E; more speed cameras and
driver feedback signs on Pennsylvania Avenue, preferable every 3 blocks so that drivers know their
speed and speed cameras and or red light cameras every 6 blocks (currently speed reduction efforts
are not working); As much as the Community would like to have new retail on the corridor, it would
not be in our best interest to have any additional wine & spirit stores, smoke shops, or any type of
check cashing businesses on Pennsylvania Avenue from the Sousa bridge to Southern Avenue.
Some retail options to consider would be an office supply store, retail copying & mailing store such
as FedEx or UPS Store, and a hardware store. Clothing stores and shoe stores would also be ideal.
The Community would also benefit from more fresh food options that are affordable as well as
more fresh cooked food options. Sit- down restaurants would also be a benefit. A few businesses
that employ multiple people or government agencies would also be a benefit to the corridor. I
would like to see Pennsylvania Avenue be a place where we can Eat, Shop, Work, and LIVE!
Laura M. Richards 10/4/2022 14:41 Gateway area
New construction should be no higher than the Grays apartment building in the 2300 block of
Pennsylvania Avenue, including IZ bonuses and habitable penthouses. That maximum should be
established notwithstanding the greater heights achievable under the recent amendments to the
Comprehensive Plan and proposed in zoning map amendment case 22-24. This will maintain the
views along Pennsylvania Avenue of the Capitol and the general feel of the Avenue as open and
green, which the SAP notes with approval as features to be maintained.
The SAP states that the area should be rezoned, but does not mention pending case 22-24. Further,
the SAP calls for a “community-driven” process for future development of the Gateway area but
does not disclose that map amendment case 22-24 was sought by a group of large developers with
no prior notice to Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner 7B.
Provisions for maintain setbacks and wide sidewalks are welcome, but appear to be
countermanded by other provisions calling for new construction to be built up to the lot line.
Presumably that would not apply to the Theatre District where an active frontage and sidewalk
cafes are envisioned. See the SAP at p.55, providing guidance for building forms:
b. Building facades should be oriented parallel to Pennsylvania Avenue SE to maintain a continuous
and engaging streetwall that gives scale and definition to adjacent streets and civic space. Building
facades that are directly adjacent to the restored square should also prioritize public entrances and
visibility onto the square as well as onto Pennsylvania Avenue SE.
c. The front façade of the building should be generally at the property line, and the ground floor of
the building should be at the same elevation as the sidewalk.
The principal existing building, Morton’s, has a façade built to the lot line, and the narrow sidewalk
accommodates no activity other than waiting for the bus.
The SAP does not discuss the north side of the block immediately to the east of L’Enfant Square
(from the gas station to the Earl Howard photo studio. That space has been purchased as the site of
a future assisted living facility, which propose for the intended first-floor retail or other public use
and will promote the vibrant placemaking called for in the SAP. This is an inappropriate use and should be relocated if possible. The SAP should mandate that future construction in the gateway
area must have publicly accessible first floor uses.
Branch and Pennsylvania avenues
This node has been identified as appropriate for mixed-use and the Penn-Branch shopping center
recently was rezoned for that purpose. The developer upgraded the existing shopping center
building, which is two stories with a deep setback to accommodate parking. CVS opened a new one-
story store on the remainder the 3200 block of Pennsylvania. The block retains its longstanding,
low-rise character, which is unlikely to change in the immediate future.
The block across the street consists of a one- story building used a child development center, one-
story retail buildings with deep setbacks and a gas station. Because at least two other gas stations
further to the west are slated for removal, this one must be retained. Pennsylvania Avenue on
Capitol Hill has several gas stations for the convenience of residents. If all gas stations are removed,
drivers will buy gas in Maryland. Any mixed use or residential development must be kept at a low
scale and density, largely because there simply is no place to park and the area generally is not
particularly walkable. Anything higher must include underground parking.
Pennsylvania and Alabama avenues
The SAP appropriately designates this area for low-density mixed-used development. An existing
shopping center on the northeast corner was renovated within the last decade. The g, shopping
center on the southeast corner needs refurbishing requires evaluating by historic reservation
experts before any demolition is contemplated. It is a smaller version of the historically designated
Sam’s Park and Shop (Parkade) at 3505 Connecticut Avenue, NW.
Retail generally
The SAP should consider the experience of Skyland and Penn-Branch shopping centers in planning
for retail development anywhere on the Avenue. Skyland abandoned its efforts to attract an anchor
retail tenant after several years of concerted effort actively endorsed by DMPED and members of
the DC Council. Skyland then obtained a modification of consequence to build a medical office
building and reportedly is abandoning that effort as well. Skyland did attract a Lidl’s grocery store.
Penn-Branch was unable to attract a supermarket despite an infusion of public funds and public
support and a demonstrated need. And of course, there is the well-known Yes Market failure. We
want retail that works in a world dominated by online shopping.
Affordable housing
The 2019 affordable housing study found that the overall Planning Area containing the
Pennsylvania Avenue corridor should accommodate another 500-600 units of affordable housing.
Since then, more than 1,000 affordable units have been built or slated for construction and more
are on the way. While existing naturally affordable housing in the SAP study area should be
preserved, there is no need for the District to press for more affordable units as a policy matter,
except those created through IZ. Part of equity means allowing all neighborhoods to participate in
economic diversity.
Transit
§ Given the hilly nature of Pennsylvania Avenue, we need a circulator to encourage frequent trips
to the Gateway area. People won’t drive there because they can’t park. The popular Thai Orchid
restaurant provides parking. The circulator also could provide rapid connectivity to the Potomac
Avenue metro stop. The buses run every 20 minutes. Unless they have to, people won’t walk 5-10
minutes (including hills) to a bus stop, then wait 20 minutes for a bus.
§ Pennsylvania Avenue intersection. The SAP says this complex star intersection will be completely
redesigned. DDOT has produced plans to fix this intersection for 25 years. There’s been tinkering
but no real improvement. Gateway development should take into account the traffic impact on
residents to the east. We know the District transportation policy is anti-car, but with the
topography and lack of accessible Metro, corridor residents have no choice.
Kelvin E. Brown 10/4/2022 17:48 I am in full support of the revised/updated Pennsylvania Ave. SE Small Area Plan. I was a
contributing member to the plan and led the Housing discussion. I would like to ensure that this
plan, although comprehensive in nature, is provided to C.O.R.E. I believe it is very important to have
this organization review the plan and provide a racial equity review.
Below are a few key focus areas that should be amplified:
1) Safety: A key focus of the plan should be around designing and implementing a pedestrian
friendly thoroughfare that relies on multi- modal travel. Reliability, efficiency and safety are key
components. This includes working with DDOT to develop a new Circulator route from the Sousa
Bridge to Skyland Town -center, Naylor Rd. Metro and through Fairfax Village and Hillcrest.
2) Economic Investment/Development: The corridor should focus on creating an environment that
invites innovation, out of the box thinking and investments in local small business entities that have shown the ability to grow and thrive in urban settings. Focus should be paid to boutique
establishments that provide access to quality jobs and services for the surrounding communities.
3) Green Space/Environmental: This small area plan should incorporate best practices around social
and environmental components. I would like to see more investments in green spaces. These
spaces should be available for outdoor community gatherings, children play, entertainment, etc.
4) Jobs, Jobs, Jobs: This goes without saying that ward 7 residents should be given preference in
hiring decisions.
5) Housing: I envision the corridor having many types of housing options available to various
income ranges. The key here is NOT to recreate poverty but provide safe, affordable, and
sustainable housing options for anyone that would like to call SE home. Homes should be energy
efficient and low maintenance.
Babatunde Oloyede 10/5/2022 7:56 October 2, 2022
Background
Back in December 2021, the Office of Planning (OP) and the Mayor’s Office announced that five
more neighborhood-level planning guides were in the works for fiscal year 2021. These are Small
Area Plans (SAPs), which are neighborhood-specific companions to the Comp Plan and supplement
plan guidance with additional details, recommendations, and strategies for particular corridors and
sites in the city. While an SAP was already completed for Pennsylvania Avenue SE in 2008, OP states this Round will attempt to focus on how to implement those prescriptions. The plan is also meant
to further the city’s goals around racial and socioeconomic equity. The Pennsylvania Avenue corridor is intended to serve as an activated gateway into the city and economic catalyst for Ward 7.
According to OP, the 2022 plan will develop recommendations with a 10-year implementation time
horizon to meet the following project goals:
•Enhance a safe, accessible, vibrant public realm;
•Encourage economic development and retail opportunities;
•Improve transportation access and connectivity; and
•Explore housing opportunities to improve access for upward mobility.
The focus of this analysis towards providing additional input of the September 2022 Draft PAE Small
Areas Plan looks at exploring housing opportunity and affordability. MHCDO proposes the following
specific recommendations.
I. Housing Opportunities & Affordability
Goal I: Create more Housing with an emphasis on home ownership
The high cost of land in the District requires innovative ways of thinking and approaches to make
homeownership more attainable for people with a wider variety of income levels and backgrounds.
Construction costs rise approximately 6 percent a year, and current estimates place new units
between $400,000 and $500,000 per unit in all-in development cost. The economics do not work in
favor of low-income to moderate-income homeownership without a subsidy.
The following recommendations are made in order to increase housing production:
•Intensify commercial corridor density to create new housing with an appropriate mix of market
rate and inclusionary zoning units (IZ), especially in the 2300 to 2700 blocks of Pennsylvania
Avenue.
•Create permanent shared-equity homeownership opportunities along the Pennsylvania Avenue
Corridor in Ward 7.
•Undertake a proactive land-acquisition strategy with longstanding Ward 7 community
development organizations.
•Promote development of affordable homeownership opportunities along the Pennsylvania
Avenue corridor and adjacent side streets.
•Make better use of publicly owned properties to create more housing opportunities with an
emphasis on homeownership. This aligns with a recommendation from the Mayor’s Black
Homeownership Strike Force Report. It would also make sense to encourage participation from
longstanding Ward 7 developers that have experience in housing production and increasing black
homeownership. This requirement supports the Mayor's initiative to increased participation of
minority-led developers in development projects of District- owned land.
•Up-zone the 2300 to 2700 blocks of Pennsylvania Avenue to emphasize mixed-use development
that incorporates Class A office space, retail, and mix-income housing.
•Allow gentle density increases in all neighborhoods adjacent to the Pennsylvania Avenue corridor
in Ward 7.
•Ensure a “healthy” mix of housing across all income levels to support economic diversity that aligns with District’s goal for equitable housing distribution (based on income levels) across all eight
Wards.
Goal II: Streamline and Improve the Development Process
Significant uncertainty from a time and cost standpoint exists for development projects because of
the regulatory barriers, reaction from current residents, and risk of litigation. Government (both
Federal and District) and the private sector must work collaboratively to address affordable
homeownership opportunities in the District of Columbia and specifically along the Pennsylvania
Avenue corridor in Ward 7.
The following recommendations are made to streamline the development process:
•Create zoning regulation that incorporates key provisions of the typical planned unit development
(PUD).
•Monitor and improve the zoning process on an ongoing basis, to ensure ample opportunities for community input on By-right development projects.
•Address the amount of litigation related to development.
•Modify parking requirements.
•Review historic preservation.
David L. Retland 10/5/2022 10:24 Below are my SACP comments as the ANC for 7B04 and President of Dupont Park Civic Association.
1. Developers should work with Ward 7 minority not for profits community development
corporations such as MHCDO, Mains Streets and BID in all phases of redevelopment
2. Establish a DC government agency in the 2300-2700 block of Penn Ave
3. Establish and promote international tourism, robust retail, and hospitality industry with a brand
hotel and black cultural destination place
4. Remove the reference to Senior housing that does not provide mixed use community access in the lower node through the 2700 block
5. Drive High density market rate housing and retail through a PUD process.
6. Live, work, play in all three nodes
7. Moderate density in mid and upper nodes - robust mixed use with retail
8. Suggest nonprofit such as MHCDO as the Land trust entity
9. Recommend Hotel - Increase tourism in lower node
10. Advocate for Class A office for small federal and or government agency
11. Improve pedestrian access to Anacostia Park and River
12. Remove barriers (medians) to make right and left turns from base of bridge to 2700 block along
Penn Ave
Viveca Miller 10/02/2022
11:51
PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE SMALL AREA PLAN -SEPTEMBER 1, 2022
COMMENTS SUBMITTED BY:
M VIVECA MILLER,
DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS
PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE EAST COMMUNITY COALITION
OCTOBER 2, 2022
CONTACT NUMBER – 202-309-5900
VIVECAMILLER@RCN.COM
Comments recorded in Adobe Link to access comments in document -
https://acrobat.adobe.com/link/review?uri=urn:aaid:scds:US:57dcbc61-20e7-4cd5-962c-
b95e1f9cae9e
Note – The Page Number at the top of each comment was generated by Adobe. The actual page is
referenced in the comment. Hopefully, the link works and you will be able to see the comments directly in the document. Sorry for the late response, but I have been involved with family health issues. Page 7
Page 5 - Missing Neighborhoods - Dupont Park, Hillcrest,
These neighborhoods will be impacted. & Fairlawn
Reference Page 5, Introduction, First Paragraph. Include the above reference neighborhoods
Include these neighborhoods when referencing the area- Dupont Park, Fairlawn, Fairfax Village,
Fort Davis, Hillcrest, Penn Branch, and Randle Highlands
Page 8
Thank you for this recognition in this document the Pennsylvania Avenue East Community Coalition
(PAECC) is responsible for the initiation and implementation of the SAP. Our organization worked
tirelessly to obtain this SAP.
Great shout out to PAECC!!!!
Highlighted text
Page 9
Does this picture depict the bus stop at the park area? If yes, (not sure if I saw this) the document
should reference moving the bus stops.
Reference Page 7, Picture - A Vision of Pennsylvania Ave SE...
Page 10
Health care facility at Penn Branch - Blue Rock. Where is the 2nd facility?
Viveca Miller33 mins ago
reference Page 8, Health and Social Resiliency, 3rd Paragragh.
Page 12
What is the location of this picture? Should be identified. If not along the corridor, perhaps
substitute with a 2021 PAEMS Art All Night event.
Reference Page 10, Planning Process and Engagement - Juneteenth Community Event.
Page 17
This is "picky" but I do not like the picture of the seniors. Should the ages be defined here for youth,
adults and seniors?
Page 15, Demographic Snapshot, Picture. Please replace the Senior pick-why should seniors appear
in an unhealthy depiction?
Page 19
Underground lighting was not realized, but should be included in this plan. Note - check to see if it
is proposed???
If it is not in this document, I recommend adding a statement to have the appropriate agencies and
Pepco study this. Deletion of the power poles will add a tremendous boost to the aesthetics of the area.
Page 27
Just curious, where are they located?
The locations should be identified.
The above comments apply to Page 25, Food Access, last paragraph
Page 28
Reference Page 6, Why Plan Now?, first paragraph. It is important to note that the community has
been waiting twenty + years for change. Since 2001, residents of Ward 7 have sought revitalization
of Pennsylvania Avenue East. A Pennsylvania Avenue Task Force was created in 2001 to address the
needs.
This comment relates to Page 25, Existing Customer Base graph.
Hillcrest is omitted????
Dupont Park, Fairlawn, Fairfax Village, Fort Davis, Hillcrest, Penn Branch, and Randle Highlands
Page 35
Page 33 Transportation Access and Connectivity - Add bullet 2.6 - Study improvements to the
Southeast Freeway I695 exit to Pennsylvania Avenue, which provides access to I-395 north
(westbound only) and 11th Street and Southeast Boulevard (eastbound). This exit takes you to 11th
Street and a stop sign. There is only one lane to continue on the Southeast Boulevard to
Pennsylvania Ave Se. There is a tremendous need for a ramp that will take you to Southeast
Boulevard eliminating a long wait time and keeping the traffic moving. Also, add a 2.7 Bullet to
study and improve the traffic crossing the Sousa Bridge both east and westbound, it is an absolute
nightmare
Page 37
Page 35 Transportation Access and Connectivity Bullet 2.5. Thank you for including this. Metrorail at
Penn Ave East is essential to future growth of the area.
Page 40 Page 38 Housing Opportunities and Affordability. Why isn't DMPED included in the implementing
body in these sections? Please consider including. They are responsible for assisting the Mayor in
the coordination, planning, supervision, and execution of economic development efforts in the
District of Columbia to create and preserve affordable housing, create jobs and increase tax
revenue.
rish of loss vs risk off loss
risk of loss vs risk off
Page 38 - Housing affordability - change off to of
What is infill housing? Many in community development think of infill housing as new houses
constructed on vacant, underused lots interspersed among older, existing properties in established
urban neighborhoods. Infill housing — Infill housing is the insertion of additional housing units into
an already-approved subdivision or neighborhood.
Include definition in the Glossary of Terms
Reference - Page 38 Housing Affordability, Blue Highlighted notation.
Page 41
Community land trusts (CLTs) are private, non-profit organizations that purchase land to lease to
residents with low and middle incomes for housing use. CLTs separate ownership of the home and
the land it occupies, which reduces the size of a mortgage and lowers monthly mortgage
payments1. The land the home is on is leased to homeowners as part of a long-term ground lease,
typically for 99 years2, 3. CLT agreements require homes be owner occupied and stipulate that the
home may not be rented out or “flipped” by renovating it for quick resale4. As part of their shared-
equity agreement, homeowners on CLT-owned land are required to sell the home back to the CLT
or to another resident with low income at an affordable price when they decide to move4, 5, 6
Include definition in the Glossary of Terms
Reference Housing Opportunities and Affordability Bullet 3.6
Page 43 Address issue with the Park Service. To turn over the medians to the District.
Reference Page 41, What is the Public Realm, 1st paragraph, second sentence.
The park area and medians from the base of the Sousa Bridge to 27th Street SE belong to the
National Park Service. As part of the Penn/Minn Intersection Improvement Project, a Transfer of
Jurisdiction is currently in process to transfer the land to the District. Recommend adding a
paragraph to include pursuing a permanent transfer of the land to ensure timely and proper
maintenance.
Page 44
Provide link to the document.
Where are the guideline? Document should provide link.
Reference Page 42, Vibrant Public Realm and Urban Design, Bullet 4.1
Also, where is the enforcing agency in the Implement Body section? What agency is tasked with
making sure this happens?
Page 45
Underground Lighting
Reference Page 43, Improved Pedestrian Lighting. A plan for underground lighting is absolutely
required and past overdue per previous planning documents.
Page 46
Reference Page 44, Urban Design Guidelines. Where are the Pennsylvania Avenue Southeast Urban
Design Guidelines? A link/location to access should be provided.
Where is the chart with responsibilities as provided for the other sections.
Reference, Page 44, Urban Design
Okay, I do see more defined statements about the role of the other agencies, but would like to see
a section (Implementation Body) similar to Page 26.
Page 64
Page 62, Reference Implementation. Where is the chart with responsibilities as provided for the
other sections. Recommend putting a chart for the Implementing body.
Page 63
Reference Page 61, Development Guide- Who are the responsible DC agencies to ensure these
recommendations are considered? The other sections identify the Implementing Body, this section
should also identify who can and should provide assistance.
Page 70
Jacquelyn Cannon
Stephen Downing
M. Viveca Miller
Reference Page 68, Community Advisory Committee. Please correct the spelling of the above
names.
401 9
th Street, NW North Lobby, Suite 500 Washington, DC 20004 Tel 202.482.7200 Fax 202.482.7272 www.ncpc.gov
IN REPLY REFER TO:
NCPC File No. 8418
October 31, 2022
Ms. Anita Cozart
Interim Director
DC Office of Planning
Pennsylvania Avenue SE Small Area Plan Project Team
1100 4th Street SW, Suite 650
Washington, DC 20024
RE: NCPC Comments on the Draft Pennsylvania Avenue East Small Area Plan
Dear Ms. Cozart:
Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the Draft Pennsylvania Avenue East Small Area
Plan (PAESAP). The comments provided below focus on the National Capital Planning
Commission’s (NCPC or “the Commission”) role as the central planning agency for the federal
government in the National Capital Region (NCR). The Commission coordinates all federal
planning activities in the region and has several planning functions: comprehensive planning;
project planning; federal project and master plan reviews; and multi-year federal capital
improvements planning. Among its major responsibilities are preparing long-range plans and
special studies to ensure the effective functioning of the federal government in the NCR; preparing
jointly with the District of Columbia government the Comprehensive Plan for the National Capital
(Comprehensive Plan); approving federal master plans and construction proposals in the District
of Columbia, as well as reviewing master plans and area plans proposed by state, regional and
local agencies for their effect on the federal establishment. We invite you to visit our website,
www.ncpc.gov, for additional information.
We find the recommendations in the Draft PAESAP to be consistent with the planning principles
and policies of the Federal Elements of the Comprehensive Plan. NCPC finds the plan vision of
creating “…an inviting destination with a variety of neighborhood serving retail options in a
walkable neighborhood, where existing and new businesses are supported by a strong local
customer base can thrive,” to be a thoughtful commitment to health and racial equity and can
strengthen economic development and overall community well-being.
NCPC supports the Draft PAESAP policies and strategies identified in the four focus themes.
Goals to increase housing opportunities, housing affordability and commercial activity in the plan
area, align with the strategies outlined in the Federal Workplace Element.
Proposed policies advancing transit connectivity, active transportation, park and open space
connectivity, and green infrastructure also align well with our federal comprehensive plan policies, Ms. Cozart
Page 2
particularly encouraging local jurisdictions to design and implement new, expanded, and
innovative transit services that supplement existing transit and fill unmet transit needs.
This plan area features multiple federally owned parks, one of which (Fort Davis Park) has been
identified as Candidate Site locations for future memorials in the Memorials and Museums Master
Plan. These sites serve as unique opportunities for innovative collaborations of commemorations
that recognize both local and national heritage. We encourage future coordination with NCPC and
the National Park Service (NPS) when activating federal lands in commemorating this heritage.
Lastly, the draft plan provides a comprehensive list of key agencies that DC Office of Planning
will need to coordinate with for the successful implementation of the Small Area Plan. Successful
implementation on many of these projects will require continued coordination with applicable
federal agencies including the NCPC, NPS, U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, and U.S. Department of Transportation. NCPC requests that these agencies are included
in the list. NCPC staff are available to help facilitate coordination as necessary between our federal
partners and the city.
Thank you for the opportunity to review and comment on the Draft Pennsylvania Avenue East
Small Area Plan. We look forward to working with you to continue advancing our shared regional
goals in the future. Should you have any questions or would like to discuss these recommendations
further, please contact Michael Sherman (michael.sherman@ncpc.gov or 202-482-7254) or
Chrishaun Smith (chrishaun.smith@ncpc.gov or 202-482-7235).
Sincerely,
Marcel Acosta
Executive Director
National Capital Planning Commission