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Norton Introduces Legislation to Give D.C. Full Control of Zoning Commission

June 23, 2025

Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton has introduced the District of Columbia Zoning Commission Home Rule Act, which aims to eliminate two federally appointed positions on D.C.'s five-member Zoning Commission. The bill would allow the mayor, with D.C. Council approval, to appoint all five Commission members instead of maintaining federal representation through the Architect of the Capitol and National Park Service director. Norton argues that land use decisions should be locally controlled, while emphasizing that federal interests would remain protected through existing federal law and the National Capital Planning Commission.

Who is affected

  • The 670,000+ residents of the District of Columbia
  • The D.C. Zoning Commission
  • The Architect of the Capitol and director of the National Park Service (who would lose their positions on the Commission)
  • D.C. neighborhoods subject to zoning decisions
  • The Mayor of D.C. and D.C. Council (who would gain full appointment authority)

What action is being taken

  • Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton is introducing the District of Columbia Zoning Commission Home Rule Act (H.R. 6215)
  • The bill is being referred to the House Oversight and Accountability Committee
  • Norton is advancing multiple bills as part of her "Free and Equal D.C." series aimed at increasing D.C. self-governance
  • Some Republican lawmakers are simultaneously pushing efforts to repeal key provisions of the Home Rule Act

Why it matters

  • The current system includes two federal appointees on the Zoning Commission who are not accountable to D.C. residents
  • Land use decisions impact local neighborhoods but currently have federal influence
  • The bill represents part of D.C.'s ongoing struggle for local autonomy and self-determination
  • The legislation would increase home rule while maintaining federal interests through other mechanisms
  • It addresses what local officials consider an "outdated holdover" from before the 1973 Home Rule Act

What's next

  • No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: The Washington Informer