Comments on OP rezoning proposal in Cleveland Park/Woodley Park

The Cleveland Park Historical Society sent the following comments to the ANC3C Members on Saturday, November 1st regarding the proposed zoning changes in Cleveland Park and Woodley Park. We encourage our members and neighbors to engage in this discussion and provide your feedback to ANC3C. Cleveland Park Historical Society (CPHS) is committed to preserving Cleveland Park’s historic assets while recognizing that growth and preservation can—and must—coexist. We also believe that historic districts, like all neighborhoods in the District, should contribute to the city’s inventory of affordable housing to ensure that there are housing options for everyone. We benefit from the most rent stabilized housing of any ward in the city. But we lack housing for the most housing-burdened of our community. The rezoning proposal for Cleveland Park filed by the Office of Planning with the DC Zoning Commission presents an unprecedented increase in density within the historic district's commercial area. As proposed, density including new height allowances with 100% lot occupancy would increase density by 150% over what is currently authorized. Because most of our existing buildings fall well below current height limits, the impact of these changes would be even greater in practice. As the ANC3C considers the OP proposal and a recommendation to the Zoning Commission, we urge you to consider how the extreme change could leave our historic assets as little more than foundational elements for new construction. We believe that growth and compliance with the new FLUM designations can be achieved with less density and we respectfully ask for the ANC's support. We further urge the ANC to ask the Zoning Commission to provide setbacks and stepdowns to allow the historic buildings to better accommodate new buildings. The rich architectural and cultural history embodied in Cleveland Park’s early 20th-century commercial fabric should not be sacrificed in the name of growth. At the same time, we encourage the ANC to advocate for the creation of as much affordable housing as possible, so that our community can become more racially and economically diverse while preserving the character that defines it. Andrea Pedolsky, President