November 04, 1999
Mayor Calls For New Model For Effective Community Planning
(Washington, D.C.) Mayor Anthony A. Williams, joined by Chairman Linda Cropp and other members of City Council, today announced a four-point plan to significantly improve the city's planning process. The plan address the concerns raised by community organizations.
"At community meeting across the city, I have listened to citizens concerns and frustrations over a community planning process that is broken," said Mayor Williams. "There is a shared concern among neighborhood advocates, developers and the business community that the current planning and development process does not work and must be fixed to bring certainty, openness and fairness to this process."
The Mayor has directed Andrew Altman, director of Planning for the District of Columbia, to immediately begin implementing a new model of planning excellence for the City. The plan outlines four steps that includes working closely with community leaders, national organizations in urban planning, and the federal government. These steps are:
- A new and inclusive planning process;
- New partnerships for neighborhood problem solving with immediate pilot projects;
- Accountability for city-owned land; and
- A new federal-city partnership for the Anacostia Waterfront.
"The District of Columbia is on the move!" said Chairman Linda Cropp. "We are experiencing significant development and growth. It is clear to me and to many citizens who have testified at our public hearings that planning must be a major part of this city's revitalization. This four point plan moves us in that direction."
While the plan is aimed at implementing an effective planning process moving forward, it calls also for the establishment of immediate pilot projects to facilitate resolution of neighborhood disputes in two neighborhoods: Columbia Heights and the Mt. Vernon Campus of George Washington University.
The Mayor acknowledged Ward 1 Councilmember Jim Graham's leadership in addressing the heated dispute in Columbia Heights regarding the development recently approved by the Redevelopment Land Authority.
"I'm glad to join with Mayor in this endeavor in Columbia Heights," said Councilmember Graham. "I remain hopeful that we can find a new common ground in this controversy."
In releasing the plan, Mayor Williams says he believes that an effective planning process for the District requires strong leadership to establish clear and open public processes and frameworks for action.
