Glossary and Index
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Glossary of Terms & Index The Glossary is not a formally adopted part of the Comprehensive Plan and is intended for general guidance only. In the event of a conflict between these definitions and a formal, legal definition established by a City ordinance such as the Zone Regulations, the legal definition shall prevail. Definitions in this section are drawn from many different sources, including Office of Planning staff and its consultants, the Comprehensive Plan itself, other city plans and planning documents, the DC Zone Regulations, the APA Planners Dictionary, Random House Dictionary, and websites such as www.dc.gov, wikipedia.com, dictionary.com, and reference.com. Definitions found in these secondary sources have been modified and adapted based on the use of each term in the Comprehensive Plan. GLOSSARY OF TERMS GLOSSARY OF TERMS LIST OF AGENCY ABBREVIATIONS ABCB Alcoholic Beverage Control Board EOM Executive Office of the Mayor ANC Office of Advisory Neighborhood FEMS Fire and Emergency Services Commissions HPRB Historic Preservation Review Board AOC Architect of the Capitol MPD Metropolitan Police Department AWC Anacostia Waterfront Corporation MWCOG Metropolitan Washington Council of CC Council of the District of Columbia Governments (DC Council) MTA Maryland Transit Authority CFA Commission of Fine Arts NCPC National Capital Planning Commission COAH Commission on Arts and Humanities NCRC National Capital Revitalization Corporation DBID Downtown Business Improvement District NPS National Park Service DCEMA DC Emergency Management Agency OA Office on Aging DCEO DC Energy Office OAG Office of the Attorney General DCEP DC Economic Partnership OAPIA Office of Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs DCHA DC Housing Authority OCA Office of the City Administrator DCPL DC Public Library OCFO Office of the Chief Financial Officer DCPS DC Public Schools OCTO Office of the Chief Technology Officer DCPSC DC Public Service Commission OHR Office of Human Rights DCRA Department of Consumer and Regulatory OLA Office of Latino Affairs Affairs OLBD Office of Local Business Development DCSEC DC Sports and Entertainment Commission OP Office of Planning DCTC DC Taxicab Commission OP-HPO Historic Preservation Office DCWIC DC Workforce Investment Council OPM Office of Property Management DDOT District Department of Transportation OTR Office of Tax and Revenue DHCD Department of Housing and Community OZ Office of Zoning Development SEO State Education Office DHS Department of Human Services UDC University of the District of Columbia DMCFYE Deputy Mayor for Children, Families, Youth USEPA US Environmental Protection Agency & Elders USDOT US Department of Transportation DMH Department of Mental Health USFHWA US Federal Highway Administration DMO Deputy Mayor for Operations USFWS US Fish and Wildlife Service DMPED Deputy Mayor for Planning & Economic VDRPT VA Department of Rail and Public Development Transportation DMV Department of Motor Vehicles WASA DC Water and Sewer Authority DOE Department of the Environment WCTC Washington Convention and Tourism DOES Department of Employment Services Corporation DOH Department of Health WMATA Washington Metropolitan Area DOS Department of State Transit Authority DPR Department of Parks and Recreation ZC Zoning Commission DPW Department of Public Works G-2 THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOR THE NATIONAL CAPITAL: DISTRICT ELEMENTS GLOSSARY OF TERMS GLOSSARY OF TERMS LIST OF ACRONYMS ADA Americans With Disabilities Act ANC Advisory Neighborhood Commission BID Business Improvement District BRAC Base Reuse and Closure BRT Bus Rapid Transit BZA Board of Zoning Adjustments CBRF Community Based Residential Facility CDBG Community Development Block Grant CIP Capital Improvement Program DCMR DC Municipal Regulations DCPCA DC Primary Care Association EIS Environmental Impact Statement EISF Environmental Impact Screening Form EMF Electromagnetic Field FAA Federal Aviation Administration FAR Floor Area Ratio FMBZA Foreign Missions Board of Zoning Adjustment GIS Geographic Information System LEED Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design LOS Level of Service MOU Memorandum of Understanding MSA Metropolitan Statistical Area MS4 Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (permit) NAICS North American Industry Classification System NOMA North of Massachusetts Avenue NPDES National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (permit) PADC Pennsylvania Avenue Development Corporation PILOT Payment In Lieu of Taxes PDR Production, Distribution, and Repair PUD Planned Unit Development SHPO State Historic Preservation Officer SNIP Strategic Neighborhood Investment Program TOD Transit-Oriented Development TMDL Total Maximum Daily Load TDR Transfer of Development Rights TRT Technical Review Team VMT Vehicle Miles Traveled glossary G-3 GLOSSARY OF TERMS GLOSSARY OF TERMS COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TERMS 60/40 rule: Federal guideline adopted in 1968 Addition: An expansion of the floor area of a which set a target of retaining 60 percent of the structure, usually resulting in a larger building Washington Metropolitan Area’s federal jobs within footprint or additional building height and often the District of Columbia. resulting in additional habitable rooms. Adequate: Sufficient for a specific requirement. Adjacent: Having a common endpoint or border. A Adverse effect: Impairment of, or damage to, the Abandoned: A structure that has been vacated and left to environment, human health and safety, or public and deteriorate to the point where it is no longer habitable. private property. Abate (Abatement): To put an end to; to reduce in Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC): An intensity or degree. elected board representing a geographic subarea of Accessory apartment: A self-contained living the District of Columbia charged with advising on unit (with kitchen and bath), either attached to policies and programs affecting traffic, parking, or detached from, and in addition to, the primary recreation, street improvements, liquor licenses, residential unit on a single lot. Sometimes called zoning, economic development, police protection, “in-law” unit, “second unit,” or “granny flat”. sanitation and trash collection, and the District’s Accommodate: To change current conditions or to annual budget. There are 37 ANCs in the District. make room for change, without crowding or creating Affordable housing: Housing that can be rented an inconvenience. or purchased by a household with very low, low, or Act 2-144: The 1978 Council action establishing moderate income for less than 30 percent of that the foundation for the District of Columbia’s current household’s gross monthly income. See Housing preservation program. The Act strengthened legal Element for expanded definition. protections for designated historic properties and Age in place: The ability to grow old in one’s own established the DC Inventory of Historic Sites. residence, rather than moving to an assisted living Action: A specific step to be taken by District government or nursing facility, often accomplished by retrofitting to implement the policies in the Comprehensive Plan, such the residence to respond to decreased mobility. as the adoption of a new ordinance or completion of a Air rights development: Development that occurs capital improvement project. in the space over a piece of property, structure, or Activate (the street): The act of making a street surface feature such as a highway or rail yard. lively by introducing activities that generate foot Alcoholic beverage control: Set of oversight activities traffic (cafes, restaurants, live music, etc.) and involving businesses where alcoholic beverages are providing features that are inviting to pedestrians sold, including investigations, licensing, handling (benches, landscaping, art, etc.). of complaints, keeping of records, and referral of Active recreation: Type of recreation or activity evidence of criminal misconduct. requiring the use of organized play areas such as Alley: A narrow public access way running behind softball, baseball, football and soccer fields, tennis buildings and used to provide services to the rear and basketball courts and various forms of children’s of properties. Alleys in the District are officially play equipment. designated in the records of the Surveyor of the Adaptive re-use: A process through which an older District of Columbia building, particularly one with historic value, is Alley closing: An official action in which a designated rehabilitated or adapted to respond to current market alley is reclassified to enable its conversion to a new demand for commercial or residential space. use, most often redevelopment with a building. G-4 THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOR THE NATIONAL CAPITAL: DISTRICT ELEMENTS GLOSSARY OF TERMS GLOSSARY OF TERMS Alley dwelling: A residence accessible only via an alley, Aquatic: Pertaining to water, either in the natural or rather than from a street. This was a common form of built environment. Aquatic “habitats” include rivers, housing in the District in the 19th Century, often used streams, lakes, ponds, etc. Aquatic “facilities” include as an indicator of slum conditions in the 1950s and 60s. swimming pools, boathouses, piers, etc. Alteration: Any change to the interior or exterior of a Archaeological: Relating to material remains of past human structure, not necessarily resulting in larger floor area. life or activities. May refer to Native American remains or to Alternative energy source: A source of energy other the remains of early American or European settlement. than petroleum products,