The Kojo Nnamdi Show

tortoise...after 25 years of fighting and dragging this out, don't you think it's about time to develop this site? aren't you tired of having an inaccessible and deteriorating piece of land that is of no benefit to the community sitting there going to waste?

Tortoise,

As an Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner serving the Bloomingdale community where McMillan Park is located, I'm also quite disappointed in Kojo's selection of ANC 5C Chair, Ronnie Edwards, as a guest for tomorrow's important discussion.

I'm happy to underscore your concerns by adding to the record that Chairman Edwards has worked diligently for years in solidarity with Harry Thomas Jr, Kwame Brown, Jeff Miller et al at DMPED, and Vision McMillan Partners to advance an agenda to destroy the historic fabric of our neighborhood embodied by our Olmsted park. Chairman Edwards consistently ignores the strong resolutions from all the surrounding Civic Associations, which all oppose demolishing our landmark park.

Let's hope that Kojo provides a fair disclaimer on the show about Mr. Edwards' alliance to the Harry Thomas vision for McMillan. I will gladly provide more sunshine on a broad array of very questionable behavior in this regard if you wish. It's time to close this embarrassing chapter in DC's history of shady real estate deals dating back to the Marion Barry era and start all over again clean.

oh and one other thing... it isn't that people here don't want any development. That's not the case at all...we just don't want THIS type of development. So McMillan development more about averting an opportunity lost than about fighting development. Our side of the city has no large contiguous park spaces for people to gather or play. Granted, everybody here wants a grocery store...but we don't want piles of retail and office buildings and new houses which will bring increased congestion, traffic, pollution, flooding, crime and big box store competition for the young local upstart businesses just taking root....that's mostly what we get with this plan. We would like to see much more of a foundation centered plan ...something our city can be proud of...like Millenium Park in Chicago or The High Line Park in New York....something truly special for not just our neighborhood, but the entire city to enjoy.

The unique nature of this site demands particular care, sensitivity and imagination for optimal restoration, preservation and development. Besides its historical significance, it is not just another 25 acre property. Its two levels offer a usable area of 45 acres. Permaculture principles would suggest that we utilize and work with all existing features and conditions, including exposing Tiber Creek which currently runs underground and has caused subsidence, and will continue to undermine the south-eastern cells.

If the VMP plan is implemented, Jeff Miller, Ronnie Edwards and other District officials, who are charged with being stewards of public property, will go down in infamy for being party to the squandering and desecration of an irreplaceable jewel that could be polished to become a world class destination - and a money spinner to boot.

Now is the time to stop this singularly unimaginative and wasteful attempt at development. It's back to the drawing board, taking wiser counsel and the community's input into consideration.

The developers say that the community is behind their proposal. Yet...

The Bloomingdale Civic Association voted against it.

The Stronghold Civic Association voted against it.

The Pleasant Plains Civic Association voted against it.

ANC1B voted against it.

And most importantly, NO SINGLE COMMUNITY GROUP HAS VOTED IN FAVOR OF THE PLAN.

The best the developer could do is get a vote of neutrality from ANC5C and that was largely engineered by Ronnie Edwards, perhaps the biggest VMP cheerleader of all.

These guys need to face it. Nobody wants this plan except for the lobbyists, developers, and politicians who stand to profit from it.

No what the real issue is that most resident have McMillan fatigue. Most area resident are in favor of the development but are so tired of the preservationists attempt to stop this development over the past 30 years that they just don't come out. It's only those who oppose this development that leaders hear from. The survey put out is bias and has not represented the community. The resolutions but forth were full of inaccurate information that Mr. Norman and gang have been using over and over. DIG BABY DIG! McMillan is not only wanted but needed for affordable housing, jobs and good economic development for DC, Ward 5 and Bloomingdale.

ANC 5C approve the plan to move forward. I would think that these community leaders who have been involved with the plan for almost 34 years would have the most knowledge to make an informed decision instead of relying on Mr. Salatti and Mr Norman for their information.

Barrie, Barrie, Barrie:

You still haven't addressed the fact that the civic associations have all voted AGAINST the plan. All of them. That's a rather incovenient truth for you to face, I know, but the truth it is.

And ANC5C did NOT vote to support the plan. What a croc. The ANC voted "not to support nor reject" the VMP plan. In what alternate reality does "not support or reject" equal "support?"

There is no way that plan being shown on the WAMU site is 30% accessible green space. DC may have lots of green space but our neighborhood does NOT!

Also, that would be Fleetwood Mac not Annie Lennox who asks WHY? as in WHy would you support a plan that does not consider local residents.

dcdude you obviously cannot read a map there is actually more than 8 acres bet then again it's like talking to a wall with most of the tree huggers on this topic. Traffic will come no matter what is put there!

You idiot 85 public meetings is community input! READ the plan it's more than 30% so stop the LIES!

FYI don't hide behind a handle of Bloomingdale boy be out like I am! Or shut up!

It is hard to accept the District closing off our Olmsted park, wasting this "Great Place" and over $9 million for 25 years, then spending over $250,000 annually, to mow a lawn no one could ever sit on!
In any city, with proper planning, the millions of dollars DC completely wasted, would have supported a McMillan Park Conservancy, and funded the restoration of the park and all its activities for our city, years ago.
The complete waste of McMillan Park , and the nonsense of people who blame the park for it's own condition,,demonstrates an obsession with over urbanisation, recognizing no environmental limitations. We all know very well,, if this Olmsted park was located in Georgetown , Tenley or Woodley it would never have been so abused by the incompetent corruption of the DC govt. Would have been restored for the benefit of an entitled section of the city, and been renovated many times already. The very abuse of the central and easten sections of Dc is why this travesty has occurred and why it continues. Now a motivated and aware community is saying stop all these wrong plans already, recognize good urban planning, let the people take it over.

Testimony to HPRB on the McMillan Sand Filtration Plant by Daniel Goldon Wolkoff

McMillan Park and City Market

Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, McMillan, is a gem in the Emerald Necklace of parks planned by Sen. McMillan's Senate Parks Commission in 1906. Parks the DC govt. does not think this section of the city deserves.
This issue is difficult to understand ,,why are the residents of this city confronted with wrestling our own resources back from a government and development community, obsessed with huge new construction. The simple recognition of the limits of nature, energy and land need to be recognized. This clique, or oligarachy would not have allowed NY Central Park or Rock Creek Park to exist unless built over.

We need to emulate Manhattan’s Central Park, one of the world's “greatest places”. Over 500 acres, declining in the 1970s, where a conservancy joined with the City of New York for a 26-year public-private partnership to restore, manage, and enhance the magnificent park.
It is hard to accept the District closing off our Olmsted park, wasting this "Great Place" and over $9 million for 25 years, then spending over $250,000 annually, to mow a lawn no one could ever sit on!
In any city, with proper planning, the millions of dollars DC completely wasted, would have supported a McMillan Park Conservancy, and funded the restoration of the park and all its activities for our city, years ago.
The complete waste of McMillan Park demonstrates the neglect and contempt the DC government has for DC's eastern section, under-served for generations with one fifth the park space as NW, and the Vision McMillan Partners development continues this unacceptable imbalance.
I encourage the HPRB to reject the city’s development plans. The McMillan Site is protected under the Landmark and Historic District Act of 1978, DC Law 2-144, the entire site and its context "PROTECTED!" VMP itself commissioned the Historic Preservation Report by EHT Traceries, Inc. which states "this level of development, is inconsistent with historic preservation of the site," AND THAT IS SELF EVIDENT! We need all of this park space, our land, an expanded system, for critical community activities and recreation. We need the vision of Sen. McMillan to restore and complete "The Emerald Necklace" of green space, woods, and trails for the health of our central city. For a higher quality of life, like the upper income areas of DC, have enjoyed since Olmsted designed Rock Creek Park in 1890.

Our wasteful city govt. sucks every dollar it can out of the citizenry, but the richest government in the world can increase its tax revenue as the parkside property values rise and the concessions, performances, and art classes generate fees in McMillan Park. Revenue and benefits to our city will also come from the new residents who VMP doesn't sell condos to, but who buy and rent in alternative locations and renovate derelict properties and add them to the tax rolls. Medical offices can be built across the street at Washington Hospital Center where they belong.While patients from Children's National Medical Center, and their families can get some fresh air, take a nice walk, and help their recovery in a "Healing Garden" at McMillan. The city population needs parks, "great places" and the real McMillan had that vision over 100 years ago. What about the miserable failure of the Dc govt. recommends them to develop, pave over, and sell out our park?
I support the sustainable community design by Professor Gusevich, a design which restores the park, sunlights the underground creek, offers us urban agriculture and forestry, and brilliantly creates a world-class City Market, in adaptive-reuse of existing under-surface masonry galleries. Even the “so dangerous manhole covers” can be converted to skylights for natural light as you buy your fresh local farmed ingredients for dinner in the City Market.
The restoration of McMillan is an incredible opportunity a vision-less govt. is destroying. The reservoir in New York's Central Park serves thousands of joggers, and people meet and walk, for good exercise and camaraderie, a center, a social gathering. As First Lady Michelle Obama promotes exercise, urban gardening, and good nutrition, we need our jogging paths, our reservoir, and our urban farming system. This is really a last chance, as all remaining available land is being over-developed in an anti-environmental onslaught by the DC government and the big developers they serve at our expense.
We need space where youth and underemployed can train in masonry, carpentry, plumbing, landscaping, and so much more. The restoration of McMillan will be a wellspring for the whole city, training programs spin off into urban conservation corps, to help seniors fix up and insulate their houses. We need sustainable energy, and we can preserve a functioning sand filtration cell to demonstrate the legacy of McMillan. And even more so, it is critical we preserve all of McMillan, as a back-up emergency clean water system. Just as the fence went up in World War II to protect McMillan, this in a world of terrorism and sabotage, how irresponsible to demolish this critical clean water infrastructure.
Glen Echo in Montgomery County benefits all ages with a myriad of art education, dance, theater, and festivals 365 days a year. Why did Montgomery County and the Maryland Park System join with conservancy and do the most spectacular historic renovation? They considered a mixed use development at Glen Echo too, but have the foresight and value the population, the young people,, very sad how mindless the DC govt. is.? It is no surprise we suffer crime and disrespect in return form our urban youth.
At McMillan, the community is ready to support our Glen Echo, as a place to develop DC youth in health, character, and respect. Every city official campaigns on supporting our young people, and has failed them. We need this "great place" to help them succeed. We can teach masonry, window repair, electrical, woodworking, landscaping, forestry, agriculture and gardening, useful trades for becoming a responsible, productive adult.
McMillan is a protected landmark. The entire site is protected by our law – all of it, not to be demolished, paved, sectioned off with strips of green space. We need to restore our Olmsted Park. I encourage the HPRB to preserve McMillan for its historic preservation and so many good reasons, for its value to the environment, to our city, to our young people.
Respectfully,Daniel Goldon Wolkoff