I sent this letter to the District of Columbia committee considering amendments to the comprehensive master plan.
Dear Sir or Madam,
In the Comprehensive Plan Amendment Act of 2020, please restructure the height limit to increase it incrementally away from the National Mall. Opening up the City will provide several badly needed benefits for its residents:
Increase affordable housing by giving developers more areas near metros where they could build. Affordable housing means more housing.
Decrease environmental impacts as increased population density decreases transportation and utility expenses; then, neither the people nor the utilities need travel so far.
Grow street-level retail and restaurants as the people in the higher units automatically become customers.
Increase riders for the public rail and bus lines as more people live closer them and patronize those services. This force multiplier could allow WMATA to increase service and decrease times between trains. When more people expect more trains more quickly, they would use them more, and that would raise even more revenue.
Increase the number of people living in DC. This would increase the tax revenue while growing the economy and bringing more money to the City. That will produce more jobs and more opportunities for everyone in a multiplier of growth.
Increase DC's population and make the case for statehood even more compelling.
DC's height limit is holding back the entire city from growing into the modern city its residents need and deserve. As a resident of over fifteen years and a homeowner of over twelve years, please open up DC's possibilities, so it can reach its next path to glory. Sincerely, Jared Pettinato
December 1, 2020