Media release
October 20, 2020
Contact Nick DelleDonne
703-929-6656
DECAA Applauds Mendelson on Comp Plan Delay
The Dupont East Civic Action Association (DECAA) applauds Council Chair Phil Mendelson’s announcement yesterday that the Council vote on the Comp Plan will be next year, when the new Council will take office. This will give time for individuals, civic and neighborhood associations, ANCs and others to dig into and understand the Plan and work with the Council to improve this complex, far-reaching legislation.
Mayor Bowser, acting through her Office of Planning, submitted a 1,500-page proposal to the Council in April and has been saying a delay and will stymie her ability to meet her ambitious affordable housing goals. Today, In answer to a question from Mark Segraves of NBC4. “Will the DC Council pass the Comp Plan this year?” Chair Mendelson replied, “Given the Council schedule, it’s unlikely.”
With both officials seated at the same table for yesterday's press conference, Mendelson noted plans for a public hearing November 12-13 that is expected to be quite lengthy and that the public health emergency had disrupted the legislative schedule.
Pressed for her reaction, Mayor Bowser made clear she hopes for passage this year. “I certainly would like to talk to the Chairman about it,” she said. “We will have more conversations.”
“I think that if we see at the hearing that there's no controversy around it, that it might be possible,” Mendelson said of a quick markup and vote. But he later seemed to dismiss the likelihood of that kind of consensus, noting that groups such as the Committee of 100 on the Federal City have urged the council to return the draft plan for further work, taking into account the pandemic and a new trend of population loss in the city. However, he dismissed that idea, saying, “We’re not going to do that.”
On Monday evening, the membership of the Dupont East Civic Action Association determined to prepare testimony for the November hearing and to seek further community engagement at the Ward 2 level with Councilmember Brooke Pinto in advance of the hearing.
Acknowledgement & credit: @dclinenews
Join DECAA. www.KeepDupontGreen.org, and sign the petition
Make a donation at www.GoFundMe.com/Keep-Dupont-Green
DECAA – Dedicated to community engagement and civic action