DC has released the RFK Master Plan outlining the proposed development along the Anacostia River, and comments from the public are due by August 14th. It’s time to make your voice heard on what you want for the campus and the river.
Haven’t read the plan yet? Check out our Quick Guide to the RFK Master Plan to see how this new development could impact the river.
The RFK campus serves as an opportunity for DC to lead by example on how new development can support environmental restoration and recreational access to the Anacostia River. Here’s what we think the plan needs to fulfill that vision.
Cutting-edge stormwater infrastructure throughout the campus to control runoff, reduce flooding, and improve water quality entering the river.
The new RFK campus is expected to increase impervious coverage and intensity significantly, which generates higher volumes of stormwater runoff that can increase flooding and carry pollutants into the river. To mitigate stormwater runoff, we believe the RFK campus requires advanced stormwater management practices like large-scale bioretentions that capture runoff and provide water quality treatment on-site. This winter, salt runoff from 20-foot piles of plowed snow at RFK campus parking lots damaged existing rain gardens, reducing their ability to treat water quality. We believe specialized stormwater infrastructure is required to treat runoff from winter snow and prevent salt pollution from entering the Anacostia River and nearby wetlands. We are glad to see that the District will be conducting a detailed and comprehensive environmental study that is appropriate for the complexity of this site.
Clear policies for single-use plastics to reduce litter entering the Anacostia River from the site.
To mitigate the expected increase in trash pollution from higher foot traffic at the site, we encourage the development to set policies banning single-use plastics and promoting reusable containers throughout campus. Implementation of an advanced recycling campus and trash traps at outflows to the river are important measures to reduce trash pollution in the Anacostia River.
A plan to increase recreational access to Kingman Island while protecting its sensitive habitats from impacts of increased foot traffic.
The Master Plan includes a proposed bridge linking the Anacostia Riverfront trail to the southern edge of Kingman Island where a rare and sensitive bog habitat is located. We encourage the development to prioritize the protection of this critical wildlife area and consider the impacts of increased foot traffic, particularly the potential for off-trail foot traffic that could trample plants and amphibians such as spotted salamanders.
We believe the RFK site has potential to serve as a model for sustainable development by prioritizing the protection of the local environment while connecting DC residents to the Anacostia River.
Want to use your voice to protect the Anacostia River? Use our comment template below and email [email protected] with feedback by August 14th
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To whom it may concern:
After reviewing the released RFK Master Plan, I am writing with several suggestions to ensure the Anacostia River’s valuable ecosystems and recreational opportunities are protected throughout the course of development. I believe the RFK Stadium project offers a generational opportunity for DC to demonstrate leadership in sustainable development that enriches the local community while prioritizing environmental protection. I urge you to consider the following suggestions for strengthening the plan’s sustainable development framework:
Given the expected increase in stormwater runoff associated with rising development intensity at this site, I encourage the Master Plan Team to incorporate clear goals for reducing flooding and improving water quality. I encourage the implementation of large-scale bioretention gardens to treat stormwater before it reaches the Anacostia River. Special capture and treatment infrastructure is needed in parking lots that are likely to receive future plowing material from snowstorms in order to prevent salt pollution in the Anacostia River and nearby wetland ecosystems. Mitigation of salt runoff is critical to avoid damaging bioretention gardens at the RFK campus as we saw in 2026.
Where at all possible, policies should ban single-use plastics and promote the use of reusable containers throughout the RFK campus, reducing the litter loading from the new development from day one. In order to address non-reusable waste, I support the creation of a next generation recycling campus and trash traps at outflows to the Anacostia River to minimize trash pollution in the local environment.
I encourage the Master Plan Team to reconsider the proposed pedestrian bridge connecting the Anacostia Riverfront trail to the southern end of Kingman Island, where a rare and sensitive bog habitat is located. I am concerned that increased pass-through traffic will compromise the protection of sensitive species in the district’s only State Conservation Area, and I urge the project team to prioritize the preservation of this critical wildlife habitat.
Thank you very much for considering my concerns regarding the development’s impacts to the local environment and the Anacostia River.
