[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 186 (Tuesday, December 6, 2011)]
[House]
[Pages H8160-H8161]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
PROMOTING DEVELOPMENT OF SOUTHWEST DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA WATERFRONT
Mr. GOWDY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(H.R. 2297) to promote the development of the Southwest waterfront in
the District of Columbia, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 2297
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. PROMOTING DEVELOPMENT OF SOUTHWEST WATERFRONT.
(a) Updated Description of Property.--Section 1 of the Act
entitled ``An Act to authorize the Commissioners of the
District of Columbia on behalf of the United States to
transfer from the United States to the District of Columbia
Redevelopment Land Agency title to certain real property in
said District'', approved September 8, 1960 (sec. 6-321.01,
D.C. Official Code), is amended by striking all that follows
the colon and inserting the following: ``The property located
within the bounds of the site the legal description of which
is the Southwest Waterfront Project Site (dated October 8,
2009) under Exhibit A of the document titled `Intent to
Clarify the Legal Description in Furtherance of Land
Disposition Agreement', as filed with the Recorder of Deeds
on October 27, 2009 as Instrument Number 2009116776.''.
(b) Clarification of Method of Transfer.--Section 1 of such
Act (sec. 6-321.01, D.C. Official Code) is amended by
inserting ``by one or more quitclaim deeds'' immediately
after ``to transfer''.
(c) Clarification of Relation to Master Development Plan.--
Section 2 of such Act (sec. 6-321.02, D.C. Official Code) is
amended--
(1) by striking ``an urban renewal plan'' and inserting ``a
master plan''; and
(2) by striking ``such urban renewal plan'' and inserting
``such master plan''.
(d) Expanding Permitted Dispositions and Uses of Certain
Property.--Section 4 of such Act (sec. 6-321.04, D.C.
Official Code) is amended to read as follows:
``Sec. 4. The Agency is hereby authorized, in accordance
with the District of Columbia Redevelopment Act of 1945 and
section 1, to lease or sell to a redevelopment company or
other lessee or purchaser such real property as may be
transferred to the Agency under the authority of this Act.''.
(e) Repeal of Reversion.--
(1) Repeal.--Section 5 of such Act (sec. 6-321.05, D.C.
Official Code) is repealed.
(2) Conforming amendment.--Section 3 of such Act (sec. 6-
321.03, D.C. Official Code) is amended by striking ``Subject
to the provisions of section 5 of this Act, the'' and
inserting ``The''.
(f) Clarification of Role of District of Columbia as
Successor in Interest.--Section 8 of such Act (sec. 6-321.08,
D.C. Official Code) is amended by striking ``the terms'' and
all that follows and inserting ``any reference to the
`Agency' shall be deemed to be a reference to the District of
Columbia as the successor in interest to the Agency.''.
SEC. 2. CLARIFICATION OF PERMITTED ACTIVITIES AT MUNICIPAL
FISH MARKET.
The Act entitled ``An Act Authorizing the Commissioners of
the District of Columbia to make regulations respecting the
rights and privileges of the fish wharf'', approved March 19,
1906 (sec. 37-205.01, D.C. Official Code), is amended--
(1) by striking ``operate as a municipal fish wharf and
market'' and inserting ``operate as a market and for such
other uses as the Mayor determines to be appropriate'';
(2) by striking ``, and said wharf shall constitute the
sole wharf for the landing of fish and oysters for sale in
the District of Columbia''; and
(3) by striking ``operation of said municipal fish wharf
and market'' and inserting ``operation of said market''.
SEC. 3. MAINE LOBSTERMAN MEMORIAL.
(a) In General.--Except as provided in subsection (b),
nothing in this Act or any amendment made by this Act
authorizes the removal, destruction, or obstruction of the
Maine Lobsterman Memorial which is located near Maine Avenue
in the District of Columbia as of the date of enactment of
this Act.
(b) Movement of Memorial.--The Maine Lobsterman Memorial
referred to in subsection (a) may be moved from its location
as of the date of the enactment of this Act to another
location on the Southwest waterfront near Maine Avenue in the
District of Columbia if at that location there would be a
clear, unimpeded pedestrian pathway and line of sight from
the Memorial to the water.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
South Carolina (Mr. Gowdy) and the gentlewoman from the District of
Columbia (Ms. Norton) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from South Carolina.
General Leave
Mr. GOWDY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and
include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from South Carolina?
There was no objection.
Mr. GOWDY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Although the United States Constitution gives Congress exclusive
legislative authority over the Federal District, in 1973 we granted the
District of Columbia some significant autonomy by approving the Home
Rule Act. Congress still must act, however, before the city can pursue
certain activities. This brings us to the legislation before us today.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2297 is needed to update zoning laws to allow the
District the flexibility to lease or sell real property on the
Southwest waterfront to a private-sector developer. There is
[[Page H8161]]
currently a $2 billion redevelopment plan pending to renovate this
area, which is only a short distance from the United States Capitol
building.
We hope this redevelopment plan will accomplish its goal of spurring
economic development and bringing jobs to the city of Washington, D.C.
This legislation was approved by the Committee on Oversight and
Government Reform by a voice vote. I again would like to thank my
colleague, Ms. Holmes Norton from the District of Columbia, and Ranking
Member Cummings for working with us on this legislation.
I reserve the balance of my time.
{time} 1350
Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I want to thank the chairman of the full committee, Mr. Issa and my
good friend on the other side who is managing the bill for the
committee, the chair of the subcommittee, Mr. Gowdy, for working
closely with us on this bill so that we could get it to the floor
today. I also thank the ranking member of the full committee and Mr.
Davis, the subcommittee ranking member, for their very important
consultation.
H.R. 2297 will allow development of the waterfront area in Southwest
Washington, D.C., by making technical changes concerning land owned by
the District of Columbia. The District has owned the Southwest
waterfront since the early 1960s, but the legislation that transferred
the land to the District contained restraints typical of the pre-home-
rule period.
H.R. 2297 updates that outdated legislation to allow for the highest
and best use of the land. The limitations serve no Federal purpose, but
the unintended effect was to make a wasted asset of land that could be
productive and revenue- and jobs-producing. Federal agencies have been
consulted on H.R. 2297 and raised no objections.
The bill will allow mixed-use development on the waterfront for the
first time and will create jobs and raise local and Federal revenue at
a time when they are needed most. The Federal Government has no
interest in the Southwest waterfront other than the Maine Lobsterman
Memorial and the Titanic Memorial, which the District and the National
Park Service have worked together to preserve.
The bill also expands the types of goods that can be sold at the fish
market on the waterfront--a market well known in the region. The bill
includes language that we developed with Senator Susan Collins of Maine
to ensure the protection of the Maine Lobsterman Memorial, which is
located at the Southwest waterfront near Maine Avenue.
Mr. Speaker, this is a noncontroversial bill that passed committee by
voice vote that removes out-of-date restrictions. It involves no cost
to the Federal Government.
I urge passage of the bill.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. GOWDY. Mr. Speaker, I would once again thank our colleague Ms.
Holmes Norton and Ranking Member Cummings. Mr. Davis, the ranking
member of the subcommittee, as my colleague so aptly pointed out, also
deserves credit.
With that, I would urge all of our fellow Members to support the
passage of H.R. 2297, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Gowdy) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2297, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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