From: Erin Fairbanks <erinwhite@yahoo.com>
To:
Sent: Thursday, November 21, 2013 5:55 PM
Subject: PRESS RELEASE: Chair Runs Roughshod over ANC5E Rules
To:
Sent: Thursday, November 21, 2013 5:55 PM
Subject: PRESS RELEASE: Chair Runs Roughshod over ANC5E Rules
Friends of McMillan Park
FOR RELEASE: November 21, 2013
CONTACT: Erin Fairbanks, erinwhite@yahoo.com, 240-506-6777
Chair Runs Roughshod over ANC5E Rules
At the ANC5E meeting of Tuesday, November 19th, Chair Dianne Barnes violated the ANC’s own bylaws by calling for a vote of support for the Gray Administration’s plans to overdevelop historic McMillan into a Tyson’s Corner or Crystal City. Despite vehement objections from two fellow commissioners, Barnes prodded the ANC to ignore the voices of the community, including over 5,000 signatures calling for an open, above-board, competition for the site, and strong-armed endorsing the plan devised by the city’s consultants, Vision McMillan Partners (VMP).
The vote blithely ignored the requirement that “commissioners shall seek the support/non-support of their respective civic association(s) prior to requesting placement of a developer or anyone seeking ANC 5E support” (Article VII, Section 8). No such support/non-support was ever sought from either the Bloomingdale or Stronghold civic associations, located adjacent to McMillan, nor from the McMillan Advisory Group, the semi-official body created to represent community interests to the developer. Further, Friends of McMillan Park has learned that no draft letter of support was ever circulated among the commissioners – an oversight that means the ANC basically wrote VMP a blank check of approval.
ANC Commissioners Teri Janine Quinn and Mark Mueller were the local heroes who objected to the vote and voted against the resolution supporting the VMP plan.
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2 comments:
Sounds like the ANC did the right thing to me. Those bylaws have not been ratified by ANC 5E furthermore they are a separate body and can do as they see fit. After being read these proposed unratified bylaws the to the commissioners, the motion was still seconded and passed. It seems that the ANC is headed in the right direction and once again the FOMP or shall I say the selfish newcomers to DC have set out misinformation to move their agenda of no jobs, no affordable housing, no senior housing. FOMP 0 McMillan Development 2 What FOMP wants is a 25 acre park where their once stood an industrial site in which the city has told everyone over 30 years ago it will be developed. But FOMP insists on moving their agenda which does nothing for DC or it's residents.
Mr. Daneker,
I appreciate your feedback on all of these issues. One point that you have raised above I believe does need clarification however. At the open house this past Saturday, November 16, 2013, the developers for the retail and housing (not townhomes) component specifically stated that all of the 81 senior housing units proposed for the site will be 'market rate housing.' As you well know, this does not address the needs of low or moderate income senior citizens that may be looking for affordable housing. There is nothing to say that the MAG and community members cannot work with VMP to revise the senior housing component but, at this time, that is the situation.
Thanks.
Mathew Bader
BCA McMillan Advisory Group Representative
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