Norton Cosponsors Height Act Bill After City Leaders Reach Consensus and Support Bill, Speaks at Markup of the Bill

WASHINGTON, DC – At a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee markup today, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) said she had cosponsored a bill to amend the Height Act, following a consensus reached on the final bill between D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray and Council Chairman Phil Mendelson, as she had urged them to do in a December 2013 letter. At the markup, Norton noted that the bill would amend the Height Act to give the District of Columbia the authority to allow human occupancy in the structures atop buildings known as mechanical penthouses, while maintaining the 1:1 setback for such structures and the city’s unique skyline. The bill is consistent with National Capital Planning Commission recommendations, and is supported by Mayor Gray and Chairman Mendelson. It is sponsored by Representative Darrell Issa (R-CA), Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. The Committee approved the bill.

The December 2013 letter, referenced above, urging Mayor Gray and Chairman Mendelson to reach a consensus, can be viewed online at https://norton.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/norton-urges-gray-and-mendelson-to-have-discussions-on-height-act.

Published: March 12, 2014