The Post’s View
FROM 1905 to 1985, D.C. residents drank water that was drawn from the Potomac River and filtered through sand in underground chambers at the McMillan Slow Sand Filtration Plant, a 25-acre site in Northwest Washington. In 1985, the Army Corps of Engineers constructed a chemical plant across the street to replace McMillan, and the federal government, which owned and operated the plant, designated it as surplus. In 1987 the District purchased the site for $9.3 million.
The city planned to develop it, but a debate between those seeking to preserve McMillan and those aiming to repurpose the land has kept the grounds chained-off, disused and deteriorating. Remaining are 20 underground filtration cells built with unreinforced concrete, surface-level cylindrical buildings that were used to store clean sand, some 100 manholes with exposed or rusted covers and a number of other wooden and brick structures. The industrial jungle is vine-covered and in varying states of disrepair. In 2000, the cost of preserving and reinforcing all 20 cells was estimated at $45 million.
The city proposes to convey much of the site to a commercial partnership that would develop the land for mixed use. There would be a park with a community center; townhouses and apartments (with 10 percent of units set aside for affordable housing); a 50,000-square-foot grocery, and office and retail spaces to support the nearby hospital complexes. (Children’s National Medical Center, the VA Medical Center and Washington Hospital Center are across the street.) Two of the underground cells would be preserved, and about eight acres would be devoted to public space. The package comes with a 2025 estimated completion date, though the District projects that certain buildings would “come online” by late 2016.
Opponents of the plan want to keep more of the old infrastructure; one suggestion would preserve five or six of the cells for use in restaurants, shops and offices. Preservationists are right that the structures are unusual and evocative. But the alternative plans are short on practicality and funding. It’s been seven years since the District solicited proposals and six since it awarded development rights to Vision McMillan Partners. They’ve come up with a reasonable combination of useful development and respect for the past and for open space. It’s time to get moving.
6 Comments:
6/23/2013 9:11 PM EDT
Part 1
The recent Washington Post editorial about McMillan Park omitted several key facts. McMillan Park is on both the National and the District’s registers of historic places. Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr., who’s father designed Central Park, helped to design McMillan Park which was intended to be the marriage of industry and parkland. It truly is a unique, amazing place. In 1905 the Washington Evening Star reported that whispers in the underground chambers produced echoes that repeated from wall to wall like imps sending malicious mutterings and called it “The Cave of the Thousand Devils.” Images of the underground caverns and the columns with the light pouring though are spectacular and help to illustrate what a special place McMillan Park is.
The VMP plans for developing the park include several 12-story buildings that would look completely out of character in a residential neighborhood. The editorial points out that the park, which is over 100 years old, has “rusty manhole covers,” but fails to consider the effects of the increased traffic that will result from the addition of acres of new office buildings and residences being built in an area that is already too congested and not well served by mass transit. The developers do not address the issue of additional water runoff from all of these new buildings and the reduction of green space that currently removes water from the over taxed sewer system. McMillan Park is one of the largest green roofs in the world. This additional runoff will clearly have a negative effect on flooding problems in Bloomingdale.
The editorial mentions nearly eight-acres of public space but fails to explain that that includes all of the green space between the sidewalks and the streets. It may not the best place to play a game of Frisbee, but when developers are calculating, it counts as public green space.
The recent Washington Post editorial about McMillan Park omitted several key facts. McMillan Park is on both the National and the District’s registers of historic places. Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr., who’s father designed Central Park, helped to design McMillan Park which was intended to be the marriage of industry and parkland. It truly is a unique, amazing place. In 1905 the Washington Evening Star reported that whispers in the underground chambers produced echoes that repeated from wall to wall like imps sending malicious mutterings and called it “The Cave of the Thousand Devils.” Images of the underground caverns and the columns with the light pouring though are spectacular and help to illustrate what a special place McMillan Park is.
The VMP plans for developing the park include several 12-story buildings that would look completely out of character in a residential neighborhood. The editorial points out that the park, which is over 100 years old, has “rusty manhole covers,” but fails to consider the effects of the increased traffic that will result from the addition of acres of new office buildings and residences being built in an area that is already too congested and not well served by mass transit. The developers do not address the issue of additional water runoff from all of these new buildings and the reduction of green space that currently removes water from the over taxed sewer system. McMillan Park is one of the largest green roofs in the world. This additional runoff will clearly have a negative effect on flooding problems in Bloomingdale.
The editorial mentions nearly eight-acres of public space but fails to explain that that includes all of the green space between the sidewalks and the streets. It may not the best place to play a game of Frisbee, but when developers are calculating, it counts as public green space.
6/23/2013 9:11 PM EDT
Part 2 -
The residents who will be affected by this development are overwhelmingly against this plan. At a recent public hearing to determine if the District could declare McMillan Park surplus the community was united in it’s opposition to the planned development. A recent neighborhood survey established that most of the residents in the area wanted significantly more park space than the current VMP plan provides.
The District is planning to spend roughly 50 million dollars to destroy the historic cells before it “conveys” (read gives) the property over to the developer. Perhaps there are other parks in DC that are closer to Metro where the District would consider building 12-story office buildings, such as Ft. Reno or Meridian Hill Park? Ward 5 is perhaps the most underserved ward in the city when it comes to parks. Why destroy this historic park and replace it with 12-story office buildings especially when the District is spending 50 million to acquire park space for NoMa? It is the wrong plan for the wrong place and the District should reconsider this plan and come up with something more in keeping with the wishes of the residents.
The residents who will be affected by this development are overwhelmingly against this plan. At a recent public hearing to determine if the District could declare McMillan Park surplus the community was united in it’s opposition to the planned development. A recent neighborhood survey established that most of the residents in the area wanted significantly more park space than the current VMP plan provides.
The District is planning to spend roughly 50 million dollars to destroy the historic cells before it “conveys” (read gives) the property over to the developer. Perhaps there are other parks in DC that are closer to Metro where the District would consider building 12-story office buildings, such as Ft. Reno or Meridian Hill Park? Ward 5 is perhaps the most underserved ward in the city when it comes to parks. Why destroy this historic park and replace it with 12-story office buildings especially when the District is spending 50 million to acquire park space for NoMa? It is the wrong plan for the wrong place and the District should reconsider this plan and come up with something more in keeping with the wishes of the residents.
6/22/2013 8:03 PM EDT
I find it odd that your title, "The McMillan Plant," neglects to mention the park which covered both sides of 1st St. NW since its creation by Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. The entire surface area was a park, and the filtration plant was mostly beneath the section which the District purchased in 1986, east of 1st St. NW, though about half a dozen of the water filtration cells remain on the west side of 1st St., administered by the Army Corps of Engineers on the reservoir side.
Your editorial bears striking similarity to the current message of the consultant which drew up the development plans, VMP, in that VMP is claiming that the portion east of 1st St. NW was never part of the park, and characterizing the portion the District owns, as you have, as an unused industrial facility. That is part of it, but Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr., didn't build waterworks, he built public parks, such as the National Mall. There is no confusion about this, these are facts. Maps at Metro Bus stops correctly indicate the boundaries of the former park, all now behind fences. There was a large open area west of 1st St., near the original location of the fountain, which was set aside as formal recreation area and the site of Marine Band concerts during an earlier period in history, but the whole thing was a park. Now that it belongs to the District, it could be more of a park, given that the security restrictions concerning our water supply have ended. The proposal is to destroy an Olmsted park, and build a little VMP park, if it's not in the way of the rather massive development proposed for the site. -Kirby Vining, Stronghold.
Your editorial bears striking similarity to the current message of the consultant which drew up the development plans, VMP, in that VMP is claiming that the portion east of 1st St. NW was never part of the park, and characterizing the portion the District owns, as you have, as an unused industrial facility. That is part of it, but Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr., didn't build waterworks, he built public parks, such as the National Mall. There is no confusion about this, these are facts. Maps at Metro Bus stops correctly indicate the boundaries of the former park, all now behind fences. There was a large open area west of 1st St., near the original location of the fountain, which was set aside as formal recreation area and the site of Marine Band concerts during an earlier period in history, but the whole thing was a park. Now that it belongs to the District, it could be more of a park, given that the security restrictions concerning our water supply have ended. The proposal is to destroy an Olmsted park, and build a little VMP park, if it's not in the way of the rather massive development proposed for the site. -Kirby Vining, Stronghold.
1 comment:
schultzdc...I want to see the door to door poll that you personally took in order for you to make the statement "The residents who will be affected by this development are overwhelmingly against this plan". You failed to mention that the people at that meeting were from the radical group called Friends of McMillian (misnomer) who proceeded to spit on people at the meeting later. No it doesn't count that an online poll that was probably unduly influenced by FOM and its friends was done because who knows where the people hitting that website came from. Don't spout off things like this like you are the authority on what is going on in this neighborhood. I would bet good money you belong to FOM.
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