At a special public meeting on November 16, 2015, the Zoning Commission UNANIMOUSLY voted to approve the Zoning Regulations Review (ZRR) text.  This follows eight years of work involving thousands of DC residents, and hundreds of Zoning Commission and public meetings.

Next steps will be for the Office of Planning to work with the Office of the Attorney General, the Office of Zoning, and the Office of Documents and Administrative Issuances to prepare the final order, including the complete final text.  The Zoning Commission anticipates taking final action, so that the final text can be published in the DC Register and made effective, on January 14, 2016.

The Commission also discussed how the new regulations would be “rolled out.”  They decided that, while the new text could be given final approval for publication in January 2016, it would not be made applicable for a period of six months.  This will provide assurances to homeowners and developers that projects wending their way through the review and permitting process will not have to be redesigned to conform to the new regulations. 

The Commission also stressed the need for a continuation of the comprehensive public outreach process.  Although many  of the regulations themselves remain unchanged from the current regulations, there are important new provisions, and the format of the new regulations will change.  These changes have been discussed and made available to the public for over two years, but OP will continue to work with the Office of Zoning and Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs to coordinate information sessions, to help the public get familiar and comfortable with using the new regulations.