Friday, September 11, 2009

Obama Appoints New NCPC Chair


Yesterday, President Obama appointed L. Preston Bryant Jr. as the new Chairman of the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC). As Chairman, Bryant will lead the 12-member Commission charged with securing and enhancing the historical, cultural and natural resources of the capital region. NCPC also oversees federal construction projects, long-range planning efforts and planning policies. Bryant currently serves as Virginia's Secretary of Natural Resources.

The NCPC was established by Congress in 1924 (at that time it was known as the National Capital Park Commission). It is the central planning agency for sites on - or adjacent to - federal land in the National Capital Region, a jurisdiction that covers 2,500 square miles in DC, MD and VA. NCPC also provides an advisory role for the District government on certain land use decisions. NCPC focuses on four main principles:

Urban Design and Plan Review- NCPC reviews a wide range of plans and projects from memorials, museums and federal office buildings to communications towers and perimeter security projects. It also reviews District of Columbia public projects, proposed street and alley closings, and Zoning Commission actions, as well as private development in the Pennsylvania Avenue Historic District.

Comprehensive Planning- NCPC developed The Comprehensive Plan for the National Capital: Federal Elements, to guide decisions for long-term development on topics such as transportation, preservation and historic features, parks and open space, among others.

Signature Planning-
Long-term plans for the region including security concerns, transportation, and future memorials.

Federal Capital Improvements- NCPC helps set the federal government's development priorities by reviewing agency plans for capital improvements and advising Office of Management and Budget on which plans should move forward.

We hope you read this carefully; expect a quiz next week.

4 comments:

IMGoph on Sep 13, 2009, 10:17:00 PM said...

i know the answer already: it's that the people who live in this jurisdiction have absolutely no say in what happens to their city in any meaningful way...

Anonymous said...

Instead of cutting and pasting from NCPC's web site, why don't you do some reporting and tell us something about who this guy is? Why did he get the job? What is his connection to Obama? Was he a big campaign contributor? What expertise or interest in DC does he bring to the job?

Shaun on Sep 14, 2009, 12:47:00 PM said...

Anonymous: DCMud will hopefully get to be part of a media interview with the new Chairman in the near future. We'll get you more details then.

Anonymous said...

Looks kinda scary...

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