by Ryan Hand
Ward 3 neighborhood planner, DC Office of Planning
This rendering of Windom Place by architect Travis Price is just one idea for Van Ness. What is yours?
The Office of Planning is setting up shop at Bread Furst from 10 a.m. to noon Friday, and we invite you to stop in and share your ideas about the future of Van Ness. Your comments will be used to inform the Van Ness Vision Framework, a planning process that builds on the work of ANC 3F’s Van Ness Vision Committee.
The Van Ness Vision Framework will be an actionable vision for a more sustainable, diverse and vibrant retail environment in Van Ness. It is focused on Connecticut Avenue from Van Ness to Albemarle Street, including an improved public realm. The Vision Framework will inform both public and private investments by identifying principles for change and key sites that can be repositioned to fulfill the vision.
The Office of Planning has retained Streetsense and HOK as part of the project team for the Van Ness Vision Framework to provide advice on market position, retail development, and urban design and planning strategies. The team will conduct an analysis of existing conditions that we will use to produce a community playbook. The playbook will be a synthesis of existing conditions that highlights key findings. This document will be used to facilitate a community workshop on January 31st. Input from the workshop will be used to shape the Vision Framework. The Van Ness Vision Framework is the document that will articulate the guiding principles for the future of Van Ness.
The Van Ness Vision Framework will be developed through a community-based planning process. Throughout the project, community stakeholders and residents are encouraged to provide feedback in person and online. There will be four in-person opportunities in Van Ness, beginning with the Bread Furst drop-in hours Friday. This will be followed by three other sessions in January.
On Saturday, January 31, 2015 (9:00 – 12:00 p.m., location TBD), the Office of Planning will host a community workshop where all Van Ness stakeholders are encouraged to come together for a community discussion on shaping the future of Van Ness.
Throughout the process community members are encouraged to discuss and share their views online at vanness.mindmixer.com. For more detailed information, go to the project webpage: planning.dc.gov/vanness.
Drop-in Office Hours:
Friday, December 12th: 10am-noon at Bread Furst | 4434 Connecticut Ave
Wednesday, January 14th, 2015: 4-7pm at Acacia Bistro | 4340 Connecticut Ave NW
Thursday, January 15th 2015: 10am-noon at Starbucks | 4250 Connecticut Ave NW
Thursday January 22nd, 2015: 4-7pm at UDC | 4200 Connecticut Ave NW
If you have any questions about the process please contact Ryan Hand, the Ward 3 community planner at the DC Office of Planning: ryan.hand@dc.gov or (202)-442-7619.
Marchesa says
I applaud everyone’s interest in improving the Van Ness stretch of Connecticut Avenue. In thinking about what to do on Windom, please do NOT even consider closing a sidewalk. We have been living with the east side of Connecticut closed for a year now, with no sign of it opening anytime soon. This is a major inconvenience, and creates more dangers for pedestrians. Traffic calming measures along this section of Connecticut are overdue.
Barbara Parker says
I seem to remember some talk about a Trader Joe going into the new space. Or is that just wishful thinking on my part?