A Look at DC’s New Zoning Regulations - Residential House ZonesRACHAEL HESLING

A Look at DC’s New Zoning Regulations - Residential House Zones Subtitle D of the 2016 Washington, DC Zoning Regulations covers residential

housing. These zones will create stable residential areas with low- to moderate density development.

There are several goals for these residential zones. The R zones will acknowledge and support each neighborhood’s character, walkability, and affordability, as well as promote aging in place and the preservation of housing stock. Compatible accessory and non-residential uses will be limited in these zones. Development on existing lots is allowed, but the regulations have established a minimum lot area for subdividing and creating new lots. The regulations discourage the development of multiple dwelling units, like apartments and condominiums, but buildings and structures related to public education, public libraries, and public recreation will be permitted.

A Look at DC’s New Zoning Regulations - Residential House Zones (cont.) Height, floor area ratio (FAR), and lot occupancy in the R zones will be controlled by

development standards. These same standards will also control the location of these structures in relationship to adjacent lots and streets, as well as rear and side yards.

In R zones, a single principal dwelling unit and a single accessory apartment is allowed in each recorded lot. Any buildings that are detached or semi-detached will not qualify as an attached unit for the purposes of assessing occupancy of the lot. A place of worship in an R zone will be allowed a maximum lot occupancy of 60%.

There are some exceptions to the maximum height of buildings in R zones. These exceptions include architectural decorations, like minarets, spires, towers, and domes, as well as chimneys and smokestacks. Public recreation and community centers can only extend to a maximum of 45 feet, but places of worship and public school buildings can reach up to 60 feet. Institutional structures can be as tall as 90 feet, provided the structure is removed from lot lines at one foot of distance per foot of structural height.

Residential House Zones

R-1-A zones will be designated for large lots and detached homes, while R-1-B zones will be for detached houses on moderately sized lots. The R-2 zones will provide for semi-detached dwellings and protect these areas from denser residential development. R-3 zones will permit row dwellings, as well as a combination of row dwellings with detached and semi-detached dwellings.

Tree and Slope Protection Residential House Zones

Zones R-6 and R-7 are for the purpose of tree and slope protection. They are meant to protect park-like neighborhood settings by limiting the ways in which natural landscapes can be altered. These zones will attempt to preserve mature trees and natural topography as much as possible. These zones will be mapped where there are stream beds, public open spaces, groves of trees, and undeveloped space. Zone R-6 is intended for large lots with detached dwellings, while R-7 includes moderately sized lots with detached houses.

Forest Hills Tree and Slope Residential House Zones

Zones R-8, R-9, and R-10 are similar to zones R-6 and R-7, but are intended specifically for the Forest Hills neighborhoods. These are neighborhoods bordered to the west by Connecticut Avenue and Thirty-Second Street, to the east by Rock Creek Park, to the north by Fort Circle Park and Nevada Avenue NW, and to the south by Melvin C. Hazen Park.

Naval Observatory Residential House Zones

Zones R-11, R-12, and R-13 are intended to protect the Naval Observatory land. These zones recognize the historic importance of the Naval Observatory and are intended to regulate land use in this area in a way that reflects that importance. This zone will also provide the additional controls to protect federal interests on private land, namely the scientific research conducted at the Naval Observatory and the security needs of the Vice President’s residence.

Wesley Heights Residential House Zones

Zones R-14 and R-15 are intended to protect the low-density character of the Wesley Heights neighborhood. These zones will regulate construction of new and existing buildings in the area, with the R-14 zone being intended for large lots and the R-15 zone intended for moderate lots.

Sixteenth Street Heights Residential House Zone

The R-16 zone is intended to address concerns about the increasing non-residential use of houses in the Sixteenth Street Heights area. This zone will limit the expansion of nonresidential uses in order to maintain the housing supply, while still recognizing and maintaining the important number of health and social service facilities in this area.

Foggy Bottom Residential House Zones

Zone R-17 is intended to enhance the historic character and the walkable, so-called “human scale” of the Foggy Bottom area by limiting curb cuts, maintaining landscaped green space, and encouraging the use of public transportation to avoid disruptive traffic.

Georgetown Residential House Zones

Zones R-19 and R-20 are designed to protect the Georgetown National Landmark Historic District by limiting the construction of new and expanded buildings, retaining the quiet, residential nature of the area, and controlling compatible nonresidential uses.

Chain Bridge Road/University Terrace Residential House Zone

Zone R-21 is intended to preserve the park-like setting of the Chain Bridge Road and University Terrace area. This zone will limit the minimum size of lots, protect environmentally sensitive natural areas such as parkland and streambeds, and limit new construction.