Closing of a Portion of a Public Alley in Square 785, S.O. 21-03369, Act of 2026
This bill authorizes the closure of a narrow portion of a public alley in Square 785, near 308 and 310 A Street NE in Ward 6, under Surveyor’s Office file S.O. 21-03369. The closed segment is described as a 7-to-8-foot-wide walking alley that is currently unimproved or only lightly improved and is intended to be incorporated into the adjoining residential properties. The legislation finds the alley portion unnecessary for alley purposes and directs that title vest according to the Surveyor’s plat, subject to the conditions in the official file.
The measure is a standard District street-and-alley closing act and also adopts the Chief Financial Officer’s fiscal impact statement. The bill’s practical effect is to remove the alley segment from the public right-of-way and convert it to private property for the adjacent owners, increasing the taxable land area associated with those lots. It does not create a new program or regulatory scheme; instead, it implements a site-specific land disposition under existing D.C. alley-closing procedures.
The bill amends District land use and public space administration only as to this specific alley segment in Square 785. It closes the public alley portion identified on the Surveyor’s plat, allows title to vest in the adjoining properties as shown on that plat, and makes the closed area available for incorporation into the residential lots at 308 and 310 A Street NE. The fiscal impact statement indicates no direct costs to the District and notes that the newly private land will become taxable as part of the adjacent parcels. The bill does not change the general alley-closing statute, but it applies the Home Rule Act and the Street and Alley Closing Acquisition Procedures Act to this particular location.
Overall sentiment is favorable. The Mayor requested prompt approval, and most reviewing entities supported or did not object to the closure, including the Office of Planning, the Office of the Chief Financial Officer, the Fire and EMS Department, the Historic Preservation Office, NCPC, DC Water, Washington Gas, Verizon, and ANC 6C. DDOT initially objected because of underground conduit relocation, but later supported the closure after that issue was resolved. The general view in the record is that the alley segment is too narrow for vehicle use, does not serve a meaningful transportation function, and can be absorbed into the adjoining residential properties without harming the alley network.
The main point of contention was whether closing the alley would affect trash collection and other service access. The Solid Waste Management Administration objected, saying the closure could interfere with residential collection, while DDOT reported that the segment would not affect trash collection because it is too narrow for vehicles and the collection route is elsewhere. DDOT also initially objected until the applicant relocated DDOT electrical conduit at the applicant’s expense. There was also some administrative inconsistency in utility correspondence, including Pepco letters referencing the wrong square or application type, but those issues appear procedural rather than substantive. No strong opposition from residents or the ANC appears in the record; ANC 6C voted unanimously to support the application.