DC Agency May Restrict Construction in Areas That May Eventually Be Underwater

• January 6, 2020

by Nena Perry-Brown

A DC agency is considering changes to the city's floodplain regulations which would restrict construction in areas expected to be underwater in 2100.

The Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE) may amend its Flood Hazard Rules to expand the agency's purview over DC's floodplain, covering the 500-year floodplain rather than just the 100-year. DOEE could also restrict any new construction in areas within the high tide mark, which also corresponds with those areas forecast as “permanently inundated in the year 2100”.

Under the expanded 500-year floodplain regulatory area, DOEE may also prohibit inclusion of underground parking for all-residential developments (without an approved modification), while allowing by-right underground parking for mixed-use developments.  

These possible changes were included as part of a zoning application that was recently filed to remove use prohibitions within the 100-year floodplain from the zoning code. The Zoning Commission is scheduled to consider the application next week.

Here is more of UrbanTurf's recent reporting about the DC floodplain:

• The DC Neighborhoods At Risk of Flooding As Early As Next Year
• A New Flood Wall Proposed in Georgetown
• Eleanor Holmes Norton Proposes Bill to Increase DC’s Flood Protection Funding
• Underwater Innings: New Software Shows Where Rising Sea Levels Would Impact DC
• How Flooding Will Affect DC-Area Residences In the Coming Years

This article originally published at https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/dc-agency-proposes-restricting-construction-in-areas-that-may-be underwater/16303