New policies that provide for greater community involvement in planning joint development projects at Metro stations have been endorsed by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s Joint development Subcommittee.

The recommendations for change grew out of a comprehensive review of the current program and angry calls from residents who said their views were being left out of the planning process for development in their neighborhoods.

The Joint Development Program seeks development of Metro properties with the objective of providing transit-oriented projects.

"I am very pleased that we are going to bring neighborhoods and communities into these discussions on development at the earliest possible stage," said Ward 1 Councilman Jim Graham, who serves on the Joint Development Subcommittee.

At-Large Councilman David Catania was among elected officials who requested a revision of Metro’s development policies after he attended several neighborhood meetings at which angry residents railed against Metro officials for allegedly ignoring their ideas for their own neighborhoods.

Copyright 2002, The Common Denominator