Title:  District of Columbia Historic Preservation Plan, 2000

D.C. Preservation Plan

Number of Pages: 44
Approval Date: April 26, 2001
Planning Cycle: 4 years

Contact Information:
     David Maloney, Deputy SHPO
     Historic Preservation Division
     801 N. Capital Street, NE, Room 300
     Washington, D.C. 20002
     (202) 442-8841; fax (202) 442-4860
     E-mail: David.Maloney@dc.gov

Mission/Vision Statement:
Not provided in the plan.

Table of Contents:
     Historic Preservation in the District of Columbia
     Historic Preservation Policies
     Goals and Objectives
     Ward Plans
     D.C. Preservation Programs
     Preservation Planning Process
     Bibliography

PLAN DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES
Public Participation Strategies:

• D.C. Preservation League and D.C. Historic Preservation Office sponsored joint planning conference with significant participation from seven of the city's eight wards;
• 1998 conference on Strengthening Preservation Enforcement;
• Advisory Neighborhood Commission participation from each ward;
• Copies of draft Plan distributed for public review and discussion at the Historic Preservation Review Board meeting.

• Coordinatred with city's comprehensive plan revision process;
• Incorporated as part of the Distrct Comprehensive Plan.

HISTORIC AND CULTURAL RESOURCES
Prehistoric and historic archaeological sites; U.S. Capital and other Federal buildings; L'Enfant and McMillian plans; houses, apartment buildings, and public buildings; C&O Canal and other industrial structures; bridges; Civil War sites; military establishments; parks; cemeteries; numerous colleges and universities; early black communities; historic districts and landmarks; natural and designed landscapes; places of cultural or commemorative significance.

ISSUES, THREATS, & OPPORTUNITIES

• Housing deterioration;
• Inadequate zoning controls;
• Unrestrained development;
• Uninvestigated archaeological sites;
• Revitalization spurred by the Metro;
• Strong neighborhood identity;
• Increased economic growth;
• Improve neighborhood stability;
• Controversy over preserving historic street-open-spaces plan;
• Concern about "gentrification;
• Redevelopment pressures;
• Several neighborhoods lack thorough surveys;
• Demolition by neglect;
• Flexibility needed in building codes to permit maximum preservation;
• Businesses have suffered from competition of suburban shopping centers;
• Need preservation tax incentives;
• Need to protect Anacostia and Potomac waterfronts.

1. Protection and Enhancement: To preserve the important historic features of the District while permitting new development that is compatible with those features.
2. Public Education and Outreach: To increase awareness of, and access to, historic facilities, places, and activities on behalf of both residents and visitors.
3. Preservation Leadership: To provide sustained regulatory, enforcement, and financial leadership that will ensure the designation, protection, and enhancement of historic resources.

• Survey and Designation: Identify and designate historic properties;
• Public and Private Involvement: Foster both private and public involvement in preservation;
• Integovernmental Coordination: Coordinate Federal and District preservation programs;
• Preservation Enforcement: Strengthen enforcement of preservation law;
• Preservation Awareness: Improve public awareness of benefits and responsibilities of homeownership in historic districts;
• Financial incentives: Develop financial incentives;
• Education and Outreach: Broaden public support for preservation and archaeology;
• Protection of the L'Enfant Plan: Protect the urban spaces created by the L'Enfant and McMillian plans;
• Protection of the Historic Environment: Future construction to fit within the framework of the L'Enfant and McMillian plans;
• Protection of the Historic Urban Scael: Protect the city's skyline;
• Protection of Archaeological Resources: Recognize and protect the District's archaeological resources.

• Planning.
  • Master Plans: Ensure consistency of public improvements with this Plan's policies;
  • Public Facilities Planning: Developments should respect the L'Enfant Plan;
  • Campus Planning: Consult with public and private preservation groups;
  • Redevelopment sites: Consider preservation concerns on redevelopment projects;
  • Archaeological Resources: Recognize archaeological values on development projects.
• Survey.
  • SHPO Leadership: provide guidance in conducting systematic, citywide historic resources survey program:
  • Government Agencies: Encourage agencies to nominate eligible properties they own;
  • Archaeological Resources: Survey, publicize, and preserve archaeological sites within the District;
  • Comprehensive Historic Resource Surveys: Encourage quality surveys by private groups.
• Designation.
  • Historic Landmark and District Legislation: Encourage nomination of proeprties for historic designation;
  • Historic District Boundaries: Periodically reexamine historic district boundaries;
  • National Register Nominations: Coordinate National Register nomination with city designation.
• Protection and Enhancement.
  • Preservation Leadership: Agencies maintain and protect properties they control;
  • Government-wide Expertise: Increase expertise of Federal and District staff;
  • Documentation: Document historic buildings being demolished;
  • Salvage: Encourage salvaging of architectural features for future preservation;
  • Building Codes: Create building codes that encourage preservation;
  • Demolition by Neglect: Establish legal means to stop demolish by neglect, purpose, or design;
  • Enforcement: Strengthen enforcement of preservation law:
  • Accountability: Hold property owners and contractors accountable for violations of preservation laws;
  • Design Review: Set high standards for design quality, flexibility, and balance;
  • Historic Landscapes and Open Space: Protect parks, landscapes, and open space;
  • Archaeological Resource Protection: Increase efforts to incorporate consideration of archaeological resources in development plans;
  • Curation of Artifacts: Ensure long-term preservation and access to archaeological collections and records;
  • Transportation and Utility Impacts: Enforce regulations governing impact of transportation and utility improvements on historic properties.
• Preservation Incentives.
  • Federal Preservation Incentives: Assist those participating in the Federal tax incentives program;
  • Local Incentives: Adopt more broadly available financial incentives;
  • Archaeological Incentives: Seek incentives to encourage developers to conduct archaeological investigations;
  • Technical Assistance: Provide technical assistance to historic property owners.
• Public Information.
  • Inventory of Historic Sites: Make up-to-date inventory of historic sites and districts available to publice;
  • Design Guidelines: Ensure broad distribution of design guidelines;
  • Educational Materials: Improve dissemination of information about historic resources;
  • Archaeological Research: Promote research using archaeological collections and records;
  • Information Network: Expand information distribution network.
• Public Education and Outreach:
  • Public-Private Partnerships: Enhance public-private partnerships;
  • Cultural Resource Awareness: Broad public understanding of historic assets;
  • Archaeological Resources: Encourage support for archaeology through public education and site interpretation;
  • Public School Programs: Promote establishment of public school programs in archaeology, the built environment, and historic preservation;
  • Volunteer Programs: Involve the public in preservation and archaeology programs;
  • Cultural Diversity: Honor the diversity of cultural expression, and solicit views of diverse cultural groups.

FEATURES OF NOTE

Closely tied to citywide land use planning.
• Plan contains sections on each of the city's eight wards, each summarizing ward history, issues and opportunities, historic features, areas surveyed, survey potential and priorities, recommended actions, and immediate action items.