The DC Comprehensive Plan is DC’s central planning document that guides all future redevelopment and affects the entire city. Find out more here >>
https://planning.dc.gov/comprehensive-plan
In 2018, and then again in 2020, the DC City Council started taking up changes to the Comprehensive Plan and Planning Maps as submitted by the Mayor to Council members. Ultimately, the latest amendments to the Comp Plan were signed into law at the end of summer 2021.
Find all Comp Plan legislative timeline, documents, and videos here: https://lims.dccouncil.gov/Legislation/B24-0001
But how did a proposal to rezone 1617 U Street to allow a high-density building (12 stories) get moved forward?
The Mayor made no mention of any amendments to the 1617 U Street site in the proposed map changes submitted to the City Council in the first quarter of 2020.
After the Mayor delivered her proposed changes, City Council Chair, Phil Mendelson held two Council hearings about the Mayor’s Comp Plan changes in November 2020. Again, at the hearings, no mention of 1617 U Street changes.
More than 200 people signed up to testify about the Mayor’s Comp Plan changes. More than half of them opposed the Mayor’s amendments to the Comp Plan and Planning maps.
Soon after the City Council hearings were over, Ward One Councilmember Brianne Nadeau held a “Ward One Open House” (later she called it a “town hall”) about the Comp Plan changes. https://youtu.be/fxiyKAzNCCI
At this open house town hall, Nadeau made no mention of her intention to increase the allowable density at 1617 U Street.
Youtube Channel for D.C. Council Public Works & Operations Committee, Video Title: Comprehensive Plan Ward 1 Open House – Nov 16, 2020, Video Link: https://youtu.be/fxiyKAzNCCI. As of December 19, 2023, the video had about 100 views. Councilmember Nadeau kept the meeting to about 45 minutes. There were 17 questions asked through the public chat feature on Zoom. Many of the same people asked multiple questions. This “open house” (that Nadeau later calls a “town hall”) makes absolutely no mention of 1617 U Street.
THEN WHAT HAPPENED?
Things got quiet over the 2020 holidays and into the new year. But then on March 21, 2021, just about six weeks before the first City Council vote on the massive Comp Plan changes, Ward One Councilmember Brianne Nadeau sprung new Comp Plan changes — substantial ones, including at 1617 U Street — without any notice.
Nadeau sent her key staffer, David Meni, to an ANC- 1C committee meeting to unveil a last minute Comp Plan change to the planning maps for the first time ever. You can see the presentation specific to 1617 U Street here >>
https://www.youtube.com/live/9HfRKJi2Po0?feature=shared&t=1660
Of the changes to the planning maps, the one dealing with 1617 U Street was most significant, moving the site from moderate density expectations (4 to 5 stories) to a one with the southern half anticipating high-density redevelopment (8+ stories).
There were about 15 people in attendance by Zoom. The ANC was not asked to take a vote on these proposed changes.
WHAT HAPPENED NEXT?
After Brianne Nadeau’s staffer presented their proposed map change for 1617 U Street for the first and last time to the community at the ANC-1C committee meeting in March 2021, the City Council started taking up the Comp Plan amendments for a vote.
There were two Council meetings and votes on the Comp Plan changes in May 2021.
From the council dais, Councilmember Nadeau pushed for even more, moving not only half of the 1617 U Street site to high-density zoning (as was presented to ANC-1C in March 2021), but now she wanted the entire site to allow high-density buildings, including along 17th and V Streets NW.
Meanwhile the surrounding neighborhood context is two- and three-story low rise rowhomes built in the 1800’s.
Screengrab from OP Setdown Report dated January 18, 2023, at page 9, https://app.dcoz.dc.gov/CaseReport/ViewExhibit.aspx?exhibitId=298458
Councilmember Nadeau’s amendment to the 1617 U Street site on the Future Land Use planning map (from moderate density to high-density) was passed by the Council as proposed from the dais by her. Only Phil Mendelson opposed the amendment.
Then the Mayor signed the changes to the Plan in the summer of 2021 and it became law soon after Congress passively approved the Act.
There are no planning studies associated with any of the map changes including at 1617 U Street NW. It was spot zoned on the map without any real world impacts considered before making it final.
Now the Office of Planning is implementing the 1617 U Street Comp Plan map change in Zoning Case No. 23-02.
Find all Comp Plan legislative timeline, documents, and videos here: https://lims.dccouncil.gov/Legislation/B24-0001
Here’s how those Comp Plan City Council meetings went down (esp with regards to 1617 U Street) ::
City Council hearing May 4, 2021
First Reading and Vote on the DC Comprehensive Plan
Video link: https://dc.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=3&clip_id=6356
Council meeting video highlights:
- (33min into video) Phil Mendelson starts Comp Plan discussion
- (1hr:4min) Brooke Pinto starts on Comp Plan
- (1hr:21min) Brianne Nadeau introduces her amendment to 1617 U Street (among other U Street locations)
- (1hr:26min) Phil Mendelson dissents to upzoning of U Street: “They are out of scale” “Let’s do a planning study for the U Street corridor” “The amendment is scattershot”
- (1hr:31min) Brianne defends amendment
- (1hr:39min) Mendelson goes further about density of U Street as it exists now
- (1hr:43min) Nadeau furthers her defense of the amendment to upzone 1617 U Street NW “with widespread support of all the residents”
- (1hr:49min) Mary Cheh dissents to Nadeau amendment & Nadeau responds “that it is an almost entire city block that is city owned and represents one of the greatest opportunities for more affordable housing in the next 10, 15 years” “The model I have in mind is the West End library” “neighbors are excited about the idea”
- (1hr:52min) BROOKE PINTO SPEAKS ON NADEAU AMENDMENT “one of things that makes this most exciting is the idea of a library” “combining resources (housing, library, etc)”
- (1hr53min30sec) Nadeau on High Density: ALL THE FUNDING IS TIED TO HOW MUCH HOUSING WE CAN PUT THERE.
Nadeau Amendment on 1617 U Street (written):
https://lims.dccouncil.gov/downloads/LIMS/46201/Meeting1/Amendment/B24-0001-Amendment2.pdf?Id=122145
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City Council hearing
May 18, 2021
Second Vote on the DC Comprehensive Plan
Video link: https://dc.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=3&clip_id=6396
(18min:35sec) Mendelson begins the circus
(33min) Nadeau grandstands
— PINTO DOESN’T SPEAK
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