2300.1 The Rock Creek West Planning Area encompasses 13 square miles in the northwest quadrant of Washington, DC. The Planning Area is bounded by Rock Creek to the east, Maryland to the north/west, and the Potomac River and Whitehaven Parkway to the south. Its boundaries are shown in the map at left. Most of this area has historically been Ward 3, but in past and present times, some parts have been included in Wards 1, 2, and 4.

2300.2 Rock Creek West's most outstanding characteristic is its high-opportunity, attractive neighborhoods. These include predominantly single-family neighborhoods, such as Spring Valley, Forest Hills, American University Park, and Palisades; row house and garden apartment neighborhoods like Glover Park and McLean Gardens; and mixed-density neighborhoods such as Woodley Park, Chevy Chase, and Cleveland Park.

2300.3 Some of Washington, DC's most important natural and cultural resources are located in Rock Creek West. These resources include Rock Creek Park, the National Zoo, Glover Archbold Park, Battery Kemble Park, and Fort Reno Park, as well as numerous smaller parks and playgrounds. Many of these areas serve as resources for the entire city. Cultural resources include the Washington National Cathedral, American University, the University of the District of Columbia, Howard Law School, and George Washington University's Mt. Vernon Campus; numerous places of worship; and several museums, including the Kreeger and Hillwood. The neighborhoods themselves are an important cultural resource, with many historic landmarks and several historic districts, such as Cleveland Park, Grant Road, and the Immaculate Seminary. Rock Creek West is also the location of the Naval Observatory and the home of the U.S. Vice President.

2300.4 Despite its residential character, Rock Creek West is also home to a diversity of employment centers, including public and private educational and cultural institutions, local broadcasters, and a large number of foreign missions, including the International Chancery Complex on Van Ness Street. Several large hotels are located in the community, including the Omni Shoreham and Marriott Wardman Park near the Woodley Park Metro station.

2300.5 Vibrant retail districts are located around the area's Metro stations and along its major corridors. Special zones have been created in three of these areas, allowing a mix of retail uses and retaining a human scale and pedestrian character along neighborhood shopping streets. Much of the commercial land use in the area is located along the Wisconsin and Connecticut Avenue NW corridors in shopping districts like Friendship Heights, Tenleytown, Van Ness, and Cleveland Park. With services and retail serving both the neighborhood and broader region, these mixed-use corridors are commuter thoroughfares that are often congested,

minimizing pedestrian safety and comfort.

2300.6 Since the early 2000s, as many neighborhoods across Washington, DC have seen reinvestment and population growth, commercial corridors in Rock Creek West have experienced competition for customers and for new restaurants and retailers. Although Rock Creek West's commercial corridors can still rely on local assets, such as proximity to busy transit stations, high-opportunity neighborhoods, and well-travelled roadways, some of the Rock Creek West commercial corridors have faced challenges with retaining businesses and competing successfully with other rapidly growing and popular corridors both within Washington, DC and Montgomery County, Maryland. Some commercial strips experiencing challenges in attracting new retailers or customers have relied largely on restaurants to fill out storefronts. Recent mixed-use developments such as Park Van Ness and Cathedral Commons have helped to add new retail and restaurant choices as well as housing and new patrons for local businesses to major corridors such as Connecticut and Wisconsin Avenues NW. Main Street organizations in Cleveland Park, Glover Park, Tenleytown, Van Ness, and Woodley Park are working to help attract desired retailers and enliven and improve the public realm.

2300.7 The Rock Creek West area has significant economic potential, leading to past and present concerns about the community impacts of development The combination of a relatively high-income population, transportation options , high-opportunity and attractive neighborhoods, high-quality retail, and a limited supply of vacant land has led to very strong market demand. The desire to thoughtfully guide growth, while trying to preserve neighborhoods, remains a top priority throughout the community and is a major theme of this element.

2300.8 The demand for housing remains consistently strong in Rock Creek West. During the 1980s and 1990s, when Washington, DC was losing residents, neighborhoods west of Rock Creek Park continued to add households. Growth has resulted from a combination of factors, including relatively low crime rates, numerous neighborhood amenities, accessible neighborhood retail, convenient Metrorail (Metro) access, active community organizations, relatively high-performing public schools with strong parental support, and numerous private schools.

2300.9 These same factors have created a continuing affordable housing dilemma in the community. The 2016 median sale price for homes in zip codes west of Rock Creek Park exceeded $975,000. Although there are opportunities for new housing development in the area, there continues to be a substantial unmet need for new affordable units and a need to preserve existing affordable and moderate-income options. Increasing the production of affordable and moderate-income units in Rock Creek West is a priority.

2300.10 Washington, DC has a strong need to preserve and create affordable and

moderate-income housing across all Planning Areas. Rock Creek West offers opportunities for creating low- to moderate-income housing units, particularly where available capacity exists under current zoning, such as near Metro stations. As an Area of High Economic Opportunity, as defined by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Rock Creek West has a role to play both in preserving its existing stock of affordable housing while providing new mixed-income housing to meet Washington, DC's fair housing goals.

2300.11 The preservation and improvement of the natural environment is also a high priority in Rock Creek West. The community is fortunate to have one of the densest tree canopies in the District, several community gardens, the Capital Crescent Trail, and more park and open space acreage than any other Planning Area in the city. However, development on the fringes of the parks has caused erosion and diminished water quality and views in some places. The existing tree and slope protections in the zoning code need to be preserved for the foreseeable future.

2300.12 The sense of community in Rock Creek West is reinforced by a particularly active network of neighborhood associations, Advisory Neighborhood Commissions (ANCs), and involved residents. Well-organized citizens associations serve many of the area's neighborhoods, including AU Park, Chevy Chase, Cleveland Park, Forest Hills, Foxhall, Glover Park, Palisades, Spring Valley, Wesley Heights, Tenleytown, and Woodley Park. A number of historical societies and interest groups are also actively involved in community affairs. Main Street organizations in Cleveland Park, Glover Park, Tenleytown, Van Ness, and Woodley Park are working to help attract desired retailers and enliven and improve the public realm. These groups shape local land use and development decisions, and provide guidance on a wide range of issues relating to transportation, community services, public safety, and other long-range planning concerns.

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)).