The DC Planning Commission?

Comprehensive Plan Task Force Meeting
Originally uploaded by rllayman.

Last night the Comprehensive Plan Citizens Task Force met. This is the steering committee for the Comprehensive Plan revision process. Groups like the Committee of 100 for the Federal City argue that there needs to be a Planning Commission in DC. Well, I wasn't so impressed with the quality of the discussion in the part I witnessed--about historic preservation. Some people were great I will say.

Others, well, I was disappointed, for example, blaming the Tenleytown Fire Station fiasco on historic preservation, when the true problem was the contracting process, the choice of an inept contractor--one that had already proven to be inadequate on other city projects, and poor management of the construction project.

Still and all, I was surprised that people generally fail to accept and recognize that historic preservation was essential to stabilizing, enhancing, and maintaining many DC neighborhoods over the many decades when trends didn't favor urban living.

For more information on the Comprehensive Plan Revision process, check out www.inclusivecity.org