National Capital Planning Commission

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The National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) is a government agency that provides planning guidance for Washington, D.C. and the surrounding communities. In addition to the District of Columbia, the NCPC has planning authority in Montgomery County, Maryland; Prince George's County, Maryland; Arlington County, Virginia; Alexandria, Virginia; Falls Church, Virginia; Fairfax County, Virginia; and Loudoun County, Virginia. The commission has the authority to approve or deny any federal building projects in the region and considers design and location criteria with the aim of preserving historic sites and open space. It has similar authority over District of Columbia public projects and land use planning.

The 12-member commission includes the mayor of Washington, D.C., the chairman of the D.C. city council, the chairmen of the House and Senate committees with authority over the District, two mayoral appointees and three Presidential appointees.

[edit] History

Congress established the "National Capital Park Commission" in 1924 to acquire parkland for the capital. Two years later, it was renamed the "National Capital Park and Planning Commission" and given the additional responsibility of planning for the Washington region. The 1952 Capital Planning Act gave the commission its current name and the responsibility for preservation of important natural and historic sites in the area.

The Home Rule Act of 1973 gave some of the commission's local planning authority to the District of Columbia government. The commission remains the federal government's planning authority in the region and all building projects in central Washington still must receive approval from the NCPC.