tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22305958.post2955612766566801366..comments2024-03-25T18:50:15.135-04:00Comments on DCmud - The Urban Real Estate Digest of Washington DC: Southwest Wharf Developers Move onto Design PhaseKenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08295461340042242438noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22305958.post-12737842226641405832011-11-09T07:46:23.844-05:002011-11-09T07:46:23.844-05:00Yes, thank you, the Zoning Commission, not the &qu...Yes, thank you, the Zoning Commission, not the "Office of Zoning." Do you think it's fair to use "Zoning" to cover all, in order to simplify in some cases?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22305958.post-80505037174939293962011-11-07T15:18:54.346-05:002011-11-07T15:18:54.346-05:00Just a slight correction. You have erroneously no...Just a slight correction. You have erroneously noted in this story and the one on Buzzard Point that approval was given by the "Office of Zoning". Actually, the Zoning Commission (ZC) is the body which approves changes to the zoning regulations, maps, as well as Planned Unit Developments and Campus Plans, and they are the group which has just given approval to the SW Waterfront phase 1. They have five members, three appointed by the Mayor and approved by the Council, and two feds, a representative from the National Park Service and one from the Architect of the Capitol. <br /><br />The Office of Zoning (OZ)is the secretariat for the Commission, and serves as administrative staff for the Commission as well as the Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA). OZ is the group that accepts applications for zoning actions, advertises public hearings, makes sure that submissions get in the right folders, updates the on-line zoning resources and periodically runs educational programs on zoning for ANC's and community groups, among other tasks. They do not actually consider the cases or approve or disapprove. <br /><br />Nor do they make recommendations to either the ZC or the BZA. That job is done by the DC Office of Planning. <br /><br />The last piece of the zoning puzzle is the Zoning Administrator (ZA), within the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs. He/she administers and interprets the established zoning regulations. When one wishes to build a project or an addition, one of the first stops in the building permit process is the ZA, who determines whether the project meets the regulations (or is consistent with any variances that have been approved by the BZA). Once the ZA approves, the project can proceed through the rest of the building permit reviews.Ellen McCarthynoreply@blogger.com