1700.1 The Far Northeast and Southeast Planning Area encompasses 8.3 square miles located east of I-295 and north of Naylor Road SE. Most of the area has historically been in Ward 7, although in past decades due to Census redistricting, parts have been included in Wards 6 and 8. Its boundaries are shown in the map to the left.

1700.2 Far Northeast and Southeast is known for its established neighborhoods and its diverse mix of housing. It includes single-family communities like Hillcrest, Eastland Gardens, and Penn Branch; row house and semi-detached housing neighborhoods, such as Twining, River Terrace, and Fairlawn; and apartment communities, such as Naylor Gardens, Mayfair Mansions, and Lincoln Heights. The area has a robust transportation network, including the Minnesota Avenue, Benning Road, and Deanwood Metro stations, Interstate I-295, and several major avenues linking neighborhoods to the underserved communities in Wards 7 and 8 to Central Washington. Far Northeast and Southeast is one of the District's greenest areas. The recently renovated Marvin Gaye Park is home to the District's segment of the Watts Branch Tributary. Watts Branch flows aboveground through the park to the Anacostia River, bisecting the southeastern portion of Ward 7. Thanks to recent infrastructure investments, the community is now able to enjoy both the Watts Branch Trail and the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail. It is home to several of the Civil War Defenses of Washington, otherwise known as the Fort Circle Parks, including Fort Mahan, Fort Chaplin, Fort Dupont, and Fort Davis. Fort Dupont Park and Anacostia Park are two of the largest parks in the Far Northeast and Southeast area, where residents have been able to enjoy recreational activities for generations. There are multiple shopping centers in Far Northeast and Southeast, such as East River Park and The Shops at Penn Branch (formerly Penn-Branch Shopping Center), as well as smaller neighborhood commercial districts along Alabama Avenue SE, Bowen Road SE, Division Avenue NE, Pennsylvania Avenue SE, Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue NE, and other local streets and arterials. The commercial area known by residents as Downtown Ward 7 can be found along Benning Road NE and Minnesota Avenue NE. It is a retail area with fast casual and some sit-down restaurants, as well as convenience stores, but it is still considered underserved regarding restaurant options and grocery stores.

1700.3 Far Northeast and Southeast has always had a strong sense of community spirit, due in part to a well-organized network of community associations, churches, and interest groups. These groups include nonprofits such as the Marshall Heights Community Development Organization, the Washington Area Community Investment Fund, and the Ward 7 Business Partnership. There are social service organizations, such as the East River Family Strengthening Collaborative. Neighborhood groups, such as the Capitol View Citizens Association, the

Deanwood Citizens Association, the Fort Dupont Park Civic Association, the River Terrace Civic Association, the Benning Ridge Civic Association, the Marshall Heights Civic Association, the Penn-Branch and Hillcrest Neighborhood Associations, and the Parkside and Eastland Gardens Civic Associations, provide residents with cultural activities and opportunities for them to understand the history of their community. For decades, activities like Minnesota Avenue and Deanwood Days and the Fort Dupont Summer Concert Series have built community pride and educated, as well as entertained residents and visitors. Far Northeast and Southeast also has a historic tradition of being strongly connected to its natural landscape, dating back to its origins as an agricultural community. Small backyard gardens and community garden plots may be found throughout the community today, even in public pocket parks, vacant lots, apartment complexes, and affordable housing. As the population grows, consideration should be taken to identify park space and neighborhood-serving amenities.

1700.4 While the area is not without its challenges, between 2000 and 2017, Far Northeast and Southeast experienced a 13.74 percent increase in population but also an increase in its poverty rate by two percent. The Comprehensive Planning Area did experience an increase in its percentage of female-headed households by three percent. Its crime and unemployment rates are both above the District average. Many residents must travel long distances for shopping, higher education, and employment opportunities, as well as basic goods and services. Many middle-class families left the neighborhoods of Far Northeast and Southeast during the 1970s, '80s, and '90s, schools and other community services have suffered as a consequence.

1700.5 Far Northeast and Southeast has experienced investment over the last decades; however, there are still gaps in equitable opportunities relative to the District that need to be addressed to ensure that the benefits of the District's economic and population resurgences are broadly shared. It is likely that new residents will be attracted to the area because of its relatively affordable housing and other amenities. Broader prosperity in the Far Northeast and Southeast Planning Area should not be gained at the expense of those who have helped build and sustain the community for generations. While a high priority will be placed on bringing moderate-income families back to this community, an even higher priority should be placed on improving the quality of life for the individuals and families who live there today.

1700.6 The Far Northeast and Southeast area has a 12 percent vacancy rate among its housing units. This Planning Area has seen significant change during recent years. More than 3,550 units of housing have been added, either through new construction or renovation between 2000 and 2018. New developments like Capital Gateway Estates, Parkside, Solstice, Skyland Town Center, and Park 7 are creating more diverse housing choices and opportunities.

1700.7 Non-residential development in Far Northeast and Southeast has lagged behind the rest of the District. In fact, until recently, most of the non-residential construction consisted of reinvestment in public facilities, such as schools, libraries, and recreation centers. This trend started to shift with the District government investing in relocating the Department of Employment Services (DOES) in 2009 to a new facility adjacent to the Minnesota Avenue Metro station. With hundreds of local government employees working at this site in a customer-facing agency, a new vibrancy has come to Minnesota Avenue. Park 7, the newest mixed-use development also located at Benning Road and Minnesota Avenue, has ground floor retail, including a sit-down restaurant, coffee shop, a children's clothing store, and other popular offerings. The addition of new residents and daytime office workers has made the ground floor retail here a success, sparking more interest from the private sector to consider Far Northeast and Southeast as an upcoming retail and commercial market. Additional developments underway in Far Northeast and Southeast, such as the 137-unit Solstice at East Capitol and Minnesota Avenue and the Skyland Town Center, upon completion of Phase 1, will offer more than 250 residential units and 80,000 square feet of retail, including a much-needed large grocery store.

1700.8 Portions of the Far Northeast and Southeast Planning Area have also been identified as a priority area for resilience planning, given the vulnerabilities to climate change and flood risk as identified in the Climate Ready DC Plan published in 2016. In particular, the area around the Watts Branch, a tributary to the Anacostia River, is currently at risk of flooding and projected to be at increased risk in the years ahead. This area has a significant concentration of community resources for those at risk, such as medical services and affordable housing, including Kenilworth Courts development and Lincoln-Heights Dwellings, which both serve vulnerable populations.

SOURCE: District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Act of 1984, effective April 10, 1984 (D.C. Law 5-76; 31 DCR 1049 (March 9, 1984)); as amended by District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Act of 1984 Land Use Element Amendment Act of 1984, effective March 16, 1985 (D.C. Law 5-187; 32 DCR 873 (February 15, 1985)); as amended by District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Amendments Act of 1989, effective May 23, 1990 (D.C. Law 8-129; 37 DCR 55 (January 5, 1990)); as amended by District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Amendments Act of 1989 NCPC-Recommended Amendments, and Closing of Public Alleys in Square 669, S.O. 88-452, Act of 1990, effective May 23, 1990 (D.C. Law 8-132; 37 DCR 2213 (April 6, 1990)); as amended by District Government Land Use Temporary Amendment Act of 1994, effective October 1, 1994 (D.C. Law 10-190; 41 DCR 5360 (August 12, 1994)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendments Act of 1994, effective October 6, 1994 (D.C. Law 10-193; 41 DCR 5536 (August 19, 1994)); as amended by District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Act of 1984 Land Use Amendment Act of 1994, effective March 21, 1995 (D.C. Law 10-235; 42 DCR 30 (January 6, 1995)); as amended by Technical Amendments Act of 1996, effective April 18, 1996 (D.C. Law 11-110; 43 DCR 530 (February 9, 1996)); as amended by Second Technical Amendments Act of 1996, effective April 9, 1997 (D.C. Law 11-255; 44 DCR 1271 (March 7, 1997)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendment Act of 1998, effective April 27, 1999 (D.C. Law 12-275; 46 DCR 1441 (February 19, 1999)); as amended by Technical Amendments Act of 1999, effective April 12, 2000 (D.C. Law 13-91; 47 DCR 520 (January 28, 2000)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan

Amendment Act of 2006, effective March 8, 2007 (D.C. Law 16-300; 54 DCR 924 (February 2, 2007)); as amended by Technical Amendments Act of 2008, effective March 25, 2009 (D.C. Law 17-353; 56 DCR 1117 (February 6, 2009)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendment Act of 2010, effective April 8, 2011 (D.C. Law 18-361; 58 DCR 908 (February 4, 2011)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendment Act of 2021, effective August 21, 2021 (D.C. Law 24-20; 68 DCR 006918 (July 16, 2021)).