D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 10, r. 10-A1914
Poplar Point encompasses the area on the east side of the Anacostia River bounded by South Capitol Street, I-295, and the 11th Street Bridge. The area contains U.S. Park Police and National Park Service facilities, the former Architect of the Capitol nurseries, a 700-space Metrorail parking garage, private land along Howard Road, a WASA pump station, and more than 60 acres of managed meadows. The point was created through the filling of tidal mudflats in the 1910s, and has been used for tree nurseries and federal and District maintenance activities for almost a century. Construction of freeways in the 1950s and 1960s left Poplar Point disconnected from the neighborhoods around it. 1914.1
Poplar Point remains isolated today and is underutilized as a great waterfront open space. It is completely unknown to visitors and even most residents of the District of Columbia. Nearly half the site is fenced off from public access and much of the remainder is covered by freeway ramps and bridge approaches. Over the last ten years, a variety of alternatives for the site's future have been explored. Among others, these have included a regional big box shopping center, a Frederick Douglass National Memorial Park, an expanded WMATA parking lot, and a National African American Museum and Cultural Complex. 1914.2
In 2003, the Anacostia Waterfront Initiative called for the site's improvement as a green gateway to the Anacostia River Park network. Today, Poplar Point is envisioned as the future crown jewel in a necklace of great parks extending from Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens on the north to the mouth of the Anacostia River on the south. Key features of this park will include restored wetlands, a daylighted Stickfoot Creek, and new cultural and entertainment facilities. Poplar Point has also been identified by the National Capital Planning Commission as a potential site for new monuments, commemorative works and museums. It has also been discussed as a possible site for a 27,000-seat soccer stadium. 1914.3
The Poplar Point Target Area Plan recommends rebuilding Anacostia Drive along a crescent-shaped alignment that divides the 120-acre area into roughly two halves. The park will be developed to the north of the crescent and a new mixed use neighborhood will be developed to the south. Medium to high-density housing should be provided within this neighborhood, with new development used to leverage the recreational and environmental improvements that will make this a great future public place for all Washingtonians. 1914.4
The new Poplar Point park and neighborhood will be well connected to the nearby Anacostia Metrorail station and to new modes of transit including water taxis, shuttles, and circulators. Connections to the historic neighborhoods east of I-295 will be strengthened by upgrading Howard Road, W Street SE, and Good Hope Road and improving pedestrian and bicycle access along these gateways. Redevelopment of Poplar Point is intended to coincide with and bolster parallel initiatives to revitalize Historic Anacostia, redevelop St. Elizabeths Hospital, and rebuild Barry Farms. 1914.5
Notable skyline features such as the Washington Monument and U.S. Capitol are visible from much of Poplar Point. The site also affords views of the tree-lined ridge above Historic Anacostia. Future structures on the site should preserve these important views, and make the most of the Point's spectacular physical setting. Development should maintain a scale that is compatible with and contributes to the fabric of adjacent neighborhoods, breaking development into identifiable, distinctive parts rather than creating "superblocks." 1914.6
Policy AW-2.4.1: Poplar Point Park
Create a great urban park at Poplar Point that serves neighborhoods across the city, and that includes a variety of active and passive recreation areas. The park should be designed to serve a variety of users, including children, youth, families, and seniors. 1914.7
Policy AW-2.4.2: Environmental Restoration at Poplar Point
Restore the natural environment at Poplar Point, especially the wetlands and Stickfoot Creek. The creek should be daylighted and restored as a natural habitat area. 1914.8
Policy AW-2.4.3: Poplar Point Mixed Use Neighborhood
Create a new transit-oriented mixed use neighborhood oriented around the Poplar Point Park, linked to the Anacostia Metrorail station and new Anacostia streetcar line. The neighborhood should include a significant component of affordable housing and should also include retail and civic uses that benefit the adjacent communities east of I-295. Within the overall mix of uses, allow segments of the future development to be devoted entirely to office use to encourage location of Federal office space and other office space supportive of Federal government agencies to occupy new buildings at Poplar Point. This should be particularly targeted to office space related to the Department of Homeland Security consolidation at the St. Elizabeths site. To minimize the loss of useable open space, development should utilize the land recovered after the realignment and reconstruction of the Frederick Douglass Bridge.
Policy AW-2.4.4: Poplar Point Cultural Facilities
Support the development of regional cultural facilities at Poplar Point, such as museums, memorial sites, gardens, nature centers, amphitheaters, and public gathering places. 1914.10
Policy AW-2.4.5: Scale of Development at Poplar Point
Provide a scale and pattern of development in Poplar Point that recognizes the area's proximity to a Metrorail station and other major surface arterials and that the area is physically separated from surrounding neighborhoods and, therefore, may accommodate buildings and site plans unlike but compatible with the fine-grained pattern found in nearby Historic Anacostia. Development should be pedestrian-oriented and should include active ground floor uses. The massing, height, and bulk of buildings and related features such as parking also should respect adjacent park uses and environmentally sensitive areas.
Policy AW-2.4.6: Poplar Point Vista and View Preservation
Ensure that the design of Poplar Point capitalizes on significant views to the river and U.S. Capitol. The New Jersey Avenue axis is particularly important, as it provides a clear line of sight to the Capitol dome from Poplar Point's prominent river bend. 1914.12
Policy AW-2.4.7: Poplar Point as an Economic Catalyst
Use development at Poplar Point to bring economic development opportunities to adjacent neighborhoods, particularly Barry Farms and Historic Anacostia. Activities at Poplar Point should foster the success of existing businesses in Historic Anacostia, provide job opportunities, and create cultural, educational, and institutional uses that benefit East of the River communities. 1914.13
Policy AW-2.4.8: Access Improvements to Poplar Point
Improve access to Poplar Point by redesigning the road system on the site's perimeter, rebuilding the Frederick Douglass (South Capitol) bridge, converting the Anacostia Metrorail station to a multi-modal terminal, adding provisions for pedestrians and bicycles along Howard Road, W Street SE, and Good Hope Road, and providing water taxi service on the Anacostia River. 1914.14
Action AW-2.4.A: Poplar Point Planning
Action AW-2.4.B: Poplar Point Long-Range Transportation Improvements
As recommended by the 2003 Target Area Plan, assess the feasibility of long-term modifications to the regional highway system on the perimeter of Poplar Point. These include depressing I-295 to facilitate crossings from Historic Anacostia to the waterfront, improving the connection between Suitland Parkway and South Capitol Street, and building a tunnel between I-295 and I-395. 1914.16
See the Far Southeast and Southwest Area Element for additional language on the Anacostia Metrorail Station.
The provisions of Title 10, Part A of the DCMR accessible through this web interface are codification of the District Elements of the Comprehensive Plan for the National Capital. As such, they do not represent the organic provisions adopted by the Council of the District of Columbia. The official version of the District Elements only appears as a hard copy volume of Title 10, Part A published pursuant to section 9 a of the District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Act of 1994, effective April 10, 1984 (D.C. Law 5-76; D.C. Official Code § 1 -301.66)) . In the event of any inconsistency between the provisions accessible through this site and the provisions contained in the published version of Title 10, Part A, the provisions contained in the published version govern. A copy of the published District Elements is availablewww.planning.dc.gov.
D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 10, r. 10-A1914