Category: Public Space

NEWS: New Draft Signage Regulations

The D.C. Government has released proposed, consolidated regulations on signage in the District.  Below is the public notice that ANC Commissioners received:

On Friday, August 17, the District of Columbia released the proposed rules for the display or posting of a wide range of outdoor signs in the District.  The publication of the newly re-organized and simplified draft regulations is the result of an extensive multi-agency effort, initiated by Mayor Vincent C. Gray, to simplify and provide greater clarity to the existing complex and arcane sign rules.  Mayor Vincent C. Gray stated that “It is anticipated that all stakeholders, whether in private industry or the general public, will benefit from these new simplified regulations.”

The proposed regulations consolidate all of the District’s rules pertaining to outdoor signage in one section of the District’s Municipal Regulations.  The regulations also state the rules for posting and, if necessary, obtaining a permit to post signs.  Title 13 of the DC Municipal Regulations (DCMR), where the new regulations will be located, is organized so that rules that address specific types of outdoor signage are grouped in the same chapter.  For example, regulations regarding signs on public space are in their own chapter, separate from the chapter for signs on private property.  Finally, for each type of sign requiring a permit it is clearly indicated which agencies will be involved in the submission, review, approval and permit issuance process as well as which agency will be responsible for enforcement of the regulations.

The draft regulations can be found on the DC Register’s website and will be available for public comment for the next 60 days.

Comments may be submitted in writing to Alice Kelly, Manager, Policy Branch, Policy, Planning and Sustainability Administration, District Department of Transportation, 55 M Street, S.E., 5th Floor, Washington, DC 20003 or emailed to policy.ddot@dc.gov.

For additional information please contact Alice Kelly at (202) 671-2252 or Alice.Kelly@dc.gov.

NEWS: 2 New Bus Shelters

The ANC has received notice that ClearChannel Outdoor is constructing newly designed bus shelters at two locations in ANC 2B:

  • 16th Street and P Street NW
  • 16th Street and M Street NW

The construction will take place during August or September 2012.  For questions or comments, please contact Alice Kelly of the District Department of Transportation (DDOT): 202-671-2333.

NEWS: ANC 2B approves revised public space guidelines

After several months of work by our ABRA Policy Committee, the ANC at our March 2011 meeting approved a revised set of guidelines for reviewing applications for public space sidewalk cafes.  These guidelines are an update of our 1997 guidelines.

The new public space guidelines will assist the ANC in considering all applications for public space sidewalk cafes fairly and thoroughly.  Applicants file sidewalk cafe requests to the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) Public Space Committee.  If liquor is to be served, then applicants must also file such requests to the Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Board.  The ANC hears these applications first, and the agencies are to give the ANC’s opinion “great weight” in considering the applications.

The process of revising these guidelines began in Fall 2010.  The ABRA Policy Committee circulated a draft and solicited public comment from December through February.  The final document was recommended by the Committee and adopted by the Commission at our March 9, 2011 public meeting.

The revised guidelines are available here.

Our prior posting on this topic is available here.

NEWS: ANC 2B seeks your comments on our Public Space Guidelines

ANC 2B’s ABRA Policy Committee is in the process of revising and updating our ANC’s 1997 Public Space guidelines, and we seek your comments!

ANC 2B is in the process of revising and updating our 1997 Public Space Guidelines, which assist us in guiding our consideration of applications for public space — namely sidewalk cafes.  Our ABRA Policy Committee has published a working draft and seeks public comment.  A link to the 1997 guidelines and a link to the working draft are below:

ANC 2B Public Space Guidelines (1997)

ANC 2B Proposed Revised Public Space Guidelines (December 2010)

You may comment below or write to Ramon Estrada (ramon.estrada@dupontcircleanc.net), chair of our ABRA Policy Committee.

Thank you for your input!