September 30, 2011 October 1, 2010
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OCTOBER 1, 2010 OCTOBER 1, . SEPTEMBER 30,2011 Contents Highlights of the Year 2 A Conversation with the Chairman and Executive Director 4 Priority Areas 7 Sustainability Commemoration Security Outreach 15 Regional Relationships Making Connections Core Programs 19 Comprehensive Plan Federal Capital Improvements Program Urban Design and Plan Review Recognition 25 Fiscal Year 2011 26 Looking Ahead 27 Staff and Commission Members 28 401 9th Street, NW Suite 500, Washington, DC 20004 Phone 202.482.7200 | Fax 202.482.7272 | [email protected] www.ncpc.gov | facebook.com/ncpc.gov | @NCPCgov Printed on 55 % recycled/30% post-consumer recycled stock with vegatable-based inks unsing wind generated energy. The National Capital Planning Commission is the federal government’s planning agency in the District of Columbia and surrounding counties in Maryland and Virginia. The Commission provides overall planning guidance for federal land and buildings in the region. It also reviews the design of federal construction projects, oversees long-range planning for future development, and monitors capital investment by federal agencies. 1 Highlights of the Year National Mall Plan Adopted 22 A Fresh Look at Commemoration Introducing 7 Southwest Ecodistrict Takes Off 11 15 Activating 13 the City NCPC @NCPCgov 28 Apr Excited to be joining the Twitter community today! If you don’t know us already, check us out on the web. http//www.ncpc.gov#cplan#dc 17 2 NCPC Year in Review | FY 2011 Mapping Commemoration “As urban planners... we 10 must approach our jobs with a heightened sense of responsibility.” Chairman Bryant 4 High-Water Mark for Stormwater Study 9 President’s Park South Reimagined 12 Urban Design 19 Commission Element Launched Reviews 184 Major Projects 21 3 A Conversation with the Chairman and Executive Director NCPC Chairman L. Preston Bryant, Jr. and Executive Director Marcel Acosta refl ect on current issues, the work of the agency, and outline their vision for the future. NCPC’s impact on the lives can be just as effective as erecting rows of everyday citizens New must-see places of bollards and barriers. These new approaches are helping to ensure that our L. Preston Bryant, Jr. L. Preston Bryant, Jr. capital city remains inviting and refl ective Every day we work on large-scale projects For me, the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. of our open democracy. in the DC area that impact the quality National Memorial is the most signifi cant L. Preston Bryant, Jr. of life, health, welfare, and pocketbook new must-see place in the District. And of residents, workers, and visitors. All I say this for all the reasons you can As we engage in local and regional facets of life in our region are affected in imagine, and many more beyond that. planning, we remain mindful of safety. One some way by the work of the Commission. thing we know is that threats are always Marcel Acosta evolving, which means our security and Marcel Acosta Another signifi cant addition is the bold design techniques must also evolve. There is no doubt that the federal new headquarters of the U.S. Institute of footprint, our employment activities, and Peace. Its location fronting the National operational decisions affect our host Mall is one of the most prominent in the Transportation communities. While NCPC’s role is to city’s monumental core. It is wonderful Marcel Acosta ensure that federal needs are met, we that both of these additions to our civic The federal government, and NCPC, have also fully address the day to day impacts landscape are devoted to peace. a long history in this region of supporting on nearby residents and business facilities near transit and transit options through our planning and review for its employees. Just look at the federal process. Ultimately, it’s about the federal Coordinating federal development role in construction and rehabilitation government being a good neighbor. proposals in the region of Metro. And in the 1980’s, when L. Preston Bryant, Jr. parking maximums were unheard of, Planning in Washington When it comes to coordinating hundreds we took the lead and began requiring of projects worth billions of dollars among them at federal facilities. But, we can L. Preston Bryant, Jr. dozens of agencies, we are successful for do better. This year we began updating Only one city in America is the nation’s a couple of reasons. First, Commission the Federal Transportation Element capital. Only one city in America has so members are diverse in background and of the Comprehensive Plan that the many public treasures. And only one city in bring considerable expertise to the table, Commission uses to guide its reviews. America has such overlap between federal and they are also broadly representative This update will respond to lessons and local governments. As urban planners, of key agencies and jurisdictions. And learned from BRAC implementation this means that we must approach our jobs second, we have community stakeholders, and support the Administration’s goals with a heightened sense of responsibility. whether federal workers, community for sustainable federal development. It’s an exciting challenge and unique way activists, or everyday concerned citizens, Going forward I expect the agency, and to serve our country. who are not shy about providing feedback our partners, to further emphasize the on the initiatives we undertake. Their input importance of pedestrian and transit- Marcel Acosta and ideas are always very helpful. friendly environments. No other city in America benefi ts from over two centuries of planning. As stewards to this important legacy, our Since 9/11 Sustainability challenge is to build upon the best parts Marcel Acosta L. Preston Bryant, Jr. of those plans while accommodating the changing requirements of a Finding the right balance between openness President Obama and his team set contemporary 21st century city. and security is no easy task. Over the years smart, achievable goals when it comes we have learned that smart integrated to urban sustainability. The President 4 designs, such as the security measures issued an executive order laying out goals around the Washington Monument, for environmental protection, energy effi ciency, and economic development. NCPC Year in Review | FY 2011 Our charge is to work with federal Regional and national issues venues. These tools allow us to not agencies to see that these goals are met just tell our story, but also receive real- L. Preston Bryant, Jr. as cost-effectively as possible. We also time feedback. When combined with are fortunate that many of our regional It’s impossible to separate urban traditional planning tools, it makes our jurisdictions share these goals and are planning from economic development. outreach that much more effective. instituting progressive design standards. Good, innovative planning can promote We’re all on the same page. development and lead to much-needed job creation. We are focusing on this Marcel Acosta In closing, how did you dynamic more and more. get to work today? We can only accomplish so much at the individual building scale. To make Marcel Acosta real progress, we must think more Engaging stakeholders in Metrorail. It’s a short trip for me — just holistically by focusing on sustainability the work of NCPC four stops from my home to the offi ce. at the multi-block or precinct scale. In fact, I don’t even own a car. The Southwest Ecodistrict is a prime Marcel Acosta L. Preston Bryant, Jr. example of looking at an entire federal Planning issues in the nation’s capital precinct, and how it can operate are important not just to those who live Looks like we’re both riding the rails. as an interconnected showcase for and work in the region, but to all citizens I took Amtrak, as I do most of the time sustainability and economic success. across the nation. To connect with our when I travel to the city from my home in stakeholders we have increasingly turned Richmond, Virginia. to social media, including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and collaborative L. Preston Bryant, Jr. Marcel C. Acosta 5 Chairman Executive Director The National Mall Maryland Avenue 10th Street Southwest Waterfront N The Southwest Ecodistrict Initiative is a comprehensive effort to re-imagine an existing 15-block federal precinct into a showcase of sustainable urban development. In addition to accommodating 6 the future space needs of the federal government, the ecodistrict will extend the civic qualities of the National Mall, and promote a more walkable, active, and safe federal precinct. NCPC Year in Review | FY 2011 Priority Areas SUSTAINABILITY | Individually and through coordination with federal agencies and local stakeholders, NCPC works to make the National Capital Region a leader in sustainable development and practices. Th is includes agency eff orts to meet the sustainability goals of Executive Order 13514, leading a signature initiative to establish an ecodistrict in a federal precinct, and coordinating with multiple agencies to address fl ooding in the monumental core. Southwest Ecodistrict The Southwest Ecodistrict Initiative aims to transform the 10th Street and Maryland Avenue, SW corridors located south of the National Mall. Led by NCPC in coordination with the General Services Administration (GSA), the DC Offi ce of Planning, and other local and federal agencies, the initiative is reimagining a 15-block area of the nation’s capital as a showcase of sustainable urban development and infrastructure practices. A multi-agency task force is analyzing the benefi ts and challenges associated with redeveloping the area as a model ecodistrict, where federal buildings and related infrastructure will function as a single environmentally low-impact unit. In FY 2011, NCPC completed an existing conditions assessment of the study area including a high-level energy analysis of existing buildings; developed urban design objectives and sustainability goals and targets; analyzed a range of development scenarios, including rehabilitation, redevelopment, and infi ll alternatives for the parcels; and conducted a cost-benefi t analysis for a range of sustainability and urban development strategies.