After I found about about DDOT’s emergency rules on bus loading, I started monitoring the DC Register. This week’s includes emergency zoning rules on what uses are allowed in the buildings that contained the recently-closed schools:

  • DC government agencies, except vehicle storage/maintenance or anything that extends outside the building
  • Medical and dental clinics
  • Community service nonprofits that benefit the local community
  • Nonprofit offices

The rules also state that the off-street parking requirement will be the same as in the most restrictive zone that allows that kind of use. It’s too bad we can’t get a start on the relaxed parking requirements, but this isn’t worse than the requirements for these kinds of uses today. Hopefully this won’t lead to many unnecessary new parking lots next to schools.

David Alpert created Greater Greater Washington in 2008 and was its executive director until 2020. He formerly worked in tech and has lived in the Boston, San Francisco Bay, and New York metro areas in addition to Washington, DC. He lives with his wife and two children in Dupont Circle.