NCPC — federal review of DC projects affecting federal interest (DC)
Tracked preemption from the District of Columbia overlay bundle.
Overview
← All state preemptionsDistrict of Columbia overlay roll-upDistrict of Columbia zoning wikiDistrict of Columbia building codesFederal overlaysGlossaryFederal-conflict: Yes
Effective
1952-07-19
Sunset
—
Authority
federal
Scope
state:DC
Other District of Columbia preemptions
NCPC Submission Guidelines — tightened federal review staging (in force 2026-01-08)New York Avenue (NYE) text/map amendments — fixed 8% IZ set-asideComprehensive Plan Amendment Act of 2021 — District Elements + NCPC Federal ElementsDC Inclusionary Zoning Plus — deeper affordability overlayZR 2016 — Zoning Regulations of 2016 (11 DCMR)DC Inclusionary Zoning — mandatory citywide IZ (ZR 2016 Subtitle C Ch. 10)DC Home Rule Act of 1973 — Congressional review & §602(a) reserved mattersDC Zoning Enabling Act — Zoning Commission jurisdiction and federal-appointee structure
Trigger predicate
When this evaluates true for a parcel, the law's preempted fields take precedence over base zoning.
OR
parcel.ncpc_jurisdiction_flag==Trueproject.on_federal_land==Trueproject.affects_federal_interest==True
Preempted fields
3 fields on the base district schema are rewritten when the trigger fires.
| Field | Op | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
review_type | add_required | ncpc_federal_review | NCPC approval is a federal prerequisite — local zoning approval alone is insufficient on federal-interest sites |
comprehensive_plan_federal_elements | override | ncpc_adopted | Federal Elements of the DC Comprehensive Plan are drafted and adopted by NCPC, not DC Council |
view_shed_protection | add_required | — |
Citation
Authority source
National Capital Planning Act of 1952, as amended, 40 U.S.C. §§8701–8724
§ 40 U.S.C. ch. 87 — National Capital Planning
Research notes
NCPC is a federal agency (not a DC agency) — commissioners appointed by the President including Cabinet representatives (Secretary of Defense, Secretary of the Interior) plus Congressional appointees. Reviews and approves: all federal projects in DC; DC projects on federal land or affecting federal interest; Federal Elements of the Comp Plan; advisory role on Height Act administration. Federal prerequisite cannot be bypassed by local zoning approval. See also DC_NCPC_SUBMISSION_GUIDELINES_2026 for the 2026-01-08 staged-review update.