Minority Opinion of Commissioner Simmons

Minority Opinion of Commissioner Karrenthya Simmons
Re: Interim Feedback and Requests Regarding the Rift Valley Chevy Chase Civic Core Redevelopment Proposal

‍I respectfully dissent from the resolution titled “Interim Feedback and Requests Regarding the Rift Valley Chevy Chase Civic Core Redevelopment Proposal.” The resolution mischaracterizes community sentiment, misstates the public process, applies an unduly narrow view of public land use, and risks undermining a project that delivers substantial public benefits to residents of Chevy Chase, Ward 3, and the District of Columbia.

‍The Resolution Misstates Community Sentiment

‍The resolution presents the community as firmly opposed to housing at the Civic Core site, but the survey data cited does not support such a definitive conclusion. Support for housing increased from 39.7% in 2023 to 45.1% in 2025, with even stronger support among residents living closest to the site. Nearly half of respondents in SMD 05 and a majority in SMD 06—those most directly impacted by redevelopment—supported including housing at the Civic Core.

‍More importantly, the surveys relied upon in this resolution were self-selected online surveys and therefore cannot be treated as statistically representative of either the Chevy Chase community or the broader District of Columbia. As explained to ANC 3/4G by an individual with expertise in survey methodology and statistics, self-selected surveys are inherently subject to significant self-selection bias and cannot produce a meaningful margin of error because respondents voluntarily choose to participate rather than being randomly selected from a defined population. Such surveys tend to overrepresent individuals with strong opinions while excluding many residents who may not have been aware of the survey or motivated to participate.

‍These concerns are not speculative or unique to this discussion. Major national research organizations, including the Pew Research Center and Gallup, have publicly documented the significant limitations and reliability concerns associated with self-selected or “opt-in” surveys. Pew Research Center has stated that self-selected samples produce less accurate results than probability-based methods due to substantial bias, limited public coverage, and the inability of demographic weighting to correct for participation bias. Similarly, Gallup has warned that self-selecting samples pose significant threats to data quality and polling accuracy because participation is not randomly distributed across the population, often underrepresenting lower-income individuals, less educated residents, and certain demographic groups. If nationally respected research organizations like Pew Research Center and Gallup do not rely on self-selected surveys when making meaningful analytical or policy conclusions, the District government should exercise caution before treating such surveys as persuasive guidance for significant decisions, as ANC 3/4G recommends in its resolution.

‍ Accordingly, these surveys should be understood as one source of community feedback—not as a vote of the neighborhood and certainly not as determinative evidence of public consensus. The District cannot and should not make long-term decisions regarding publicly owned land based solely on a limited, non-random sample of respondents from one ANC, particularly where the redevelopment has the potential to deliver benefits that extend beyond ANC 3/4G and serve broader District-wide interests. If the question of housing and civic investment at this site were presented to residents across the District of Columbia, the outcome could differ substantially given the District’s adopted housing goals, ongoing affordability challenges, and citywide demand for modern public facilities and recreational space.

‍The Civic Core is a District Asset, not a Private Neighborhood Amenity

‍The Chevy Chase Civic Core site is publicly owned District land and should not be treated as though it exists solely for the benefit or preferences of immediate neighboring residents. As Commissioner Janell Pagats, Chair of ANC 3C, recently stated in correspondence to ANC 3/4G, the site serves broader public purposes, including functioning as the only community center serving upper Northwest Washington. Residents from across Ward 3 and beyond utilize these facilities and have a legitimate interest in the future of the site. ANC 3C formally submitted comments to the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED) supporting housing and broader public investment at the site, reinforcing that there are multiple neighborhood perspectives within Ward 3 regarding the appropriate use of this public asset. The preferences of a single commission area should not override broader District goals related to housing production, affordable housing, public recreation, and equitable stewardship of public land.

‍The role of ANC 3/4G is to provide advisory input, not to function as the sole decision-maker regarding District-owned property with citywide implications. Decisions of this magnitude must balance neighborhood concerns with broader public obligations and priorities established by the District government.

‍The Public Engagement Process Has Been Extensive

‍The resolution implies that DMPED has lacked transparency or meaningful public engagement. In reality, this project has undergone years of public review and engagement through the Comprehensive Plan process, the Chevy Chase Small Area Plan, surplus and disposition hearings, ANC meetings, public meetings hosted by DMPED, and multiple community surveys. The Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, DC Public Library, and DC Department of Parks and Recreation attended a public meeting on February 28, 2026, to introduce the selected development team, Rift Valley.

‍The resolution further suggests that DMPED is disregarding ANC 3/4G, despite the fact that the project is currently in a standard negotiation phase and there are limited finalized details available for additional discussion at this stage. DMPED’s negotiations with the selected developer are a routine and appropriate part of the District’s redevelopment process. The suggestion that ANC 3/4G must review or approve a finalized negotiated package before the District proceeds exceeds the advisory role of the Commission and risks creating procedural expectations that are not required under District law or standard practice. I am also unaware of any comparable circumstance in which the District has granted an ANC this level of authority during active negotiations, and affording such preferential treatment to one ANC would not be equitable.

‍The repeated characterization of the process as insufficiently collaborative appears less rooted in a lack of engagement and more in continued disagreement with the inclusion of housing on the site—a policy direction that has already been established through the District’s various public engagement sessions mentioned above. Continuing to relitigate whether housing should exist at the Civic Core risks delaying more constructive conversations about how to shape the project in a way that best serves Chevy Chase, Wards 3 and 4, and District-wide interests.

‍The Resolution Mischaracterizes the Rift Valley Proposal

‍The resolution dismisses the Rift Valley proposal largely on the basis of first-choice survey rankings while ignoring its broader overall support across respondents’ second and third choices. Additionally, the 2025 survey was never intended to function as a referendum on selecting a developer. The purpose of the 2025 survey was to gather feedback regarding community priorities after residents reviewed the proposals submitted in response to DMPED’s solicitation. The responsibility for evaluating proposals and selecting a development team belongs to District agencies, not the ANC or a neighborhood survey process. The resolution also suggests that changes to the proposal undermine community preferences. The Rift Valley proposal responds positively to the community’s preference for additional outdoor space.

‍The Resolution Applies an Improper Standard to Public Land Use

‍The resolution suggests that residential development on public land must overcome an unusually high threshold of justification. This framing ignores the fact that housing—including affordable and mixed-income housing—is itself a significant public benefit and a legitimate public use of District-owned land.

‍The District of Columbia continues to face documented housing shortages and affordability challenges. Public land presents one of the few opportunities available to create mixed-use developments that simultaneously provide housing, modernized civic facilities, and publicly accessible open space. Public assets must serve the needs of the entire city, not exclusively the preferences of residents living nearer to the site. Stewardship of public land requires balancing local input with broader District-wide obligations and long-term public interests.

‍The Proposal Provides Significant Public Benefits

‍The Rift Valley proposal would deliver approximately 177 new homes, including affordable housing, alongside modernized library and recreation facilities and expanded public open space. The proposal includes substantial investments in an outdoor plaza, recreational areas, civic gathering spaces, outdoor play areas, and gym amenities not available at the current site. This proposal is not a choice between housing and public space. It is an integrated civic investment intended to provide updated public facilities, additional housing opportunities, and improved recreational amenities for residents of Chevy Chase, Wards 3 and 4, and the District of Columbia as a whole.

‍Conclusion

Requesting the removal of housing, delaying the Council’s established surplus and disposition process, or attempting to treat ANC 3/4G survey results as determinative of public consensus would represent a missed opportunity to address important District-wide needs while delivering substantial investment in civic infrastructure.

‍ The Chevy Chase Civic Core is a public asset that belongs to all District residents, not just ANC 3/4G. Its future should be guided by inclusive citywide considerations, not solely by the preferences of a limited subset of survey respondents within a single ANC.

‍ For these reasons, I do not support this resolution and urge the Mayor, the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, the DC Council, Councilmember Matt Frumin, Councilmember Janeese Lewis George, DC Public Library, the Department of Parks and Recreation, and Rift Valley to continue advancing a redevelopment plan that reflects broader District-wide interests, including housing, modernized civic facilities, and expanded outdoor public amenities. The positions reflected in this, and prior ANC resolutions should be considered alongside the many voices across Ward 3 and the District that support a more inclusive vision for the Civic Core site.

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