Coalition For Smarter Growth message regarding McMillan

From: Tania Jackson, Vision McMillan Partners <info@envisionmcmillan.com>
Date: Mon, Apr 7, 2014 at 1:04 PM
Subject: FW: McMillan Update

Check out this email sent by the Coalition for Smarter Growth last week. We are proud to have the support of such a well-respected organization and are thankful for their efforts to gather supporters to attend our May zoning hearings. We hope you'll take a minute to read their note below, then click here for hearing dates and times and to sign up to attend and show your support! -Tania

From: Aimee Custis, Coalition for Smarter Growth Sent: Wednesday, April 02, 2014 11:46 AM Subject: McMillan Update    Forward to a friend | View online | Sign up for CSG emails image by intangiblearts on flickr The push to restore the McMillan Sand Filtration site, near Washington Hospital Center, back into the fabric of a walkable DC is nearing an important moment. And now, a new transportation study shows that the redevelopment can be done without choking the surrounding neighborhoods in traffic. The DC Zoning Commission will soon hold hearings on the McMillan project -- so the most critical time to voice support for a project that will make our city more walkable, create more housing choice, and preserve the historic beauty in a new park is almost here. Please sign up here to testify during one of four key hearing nights in early May. Then keep reading for our take on the recent transportation study. >> Our main takeaway from the transportation study? That it’s quite possible to make sure the McMillan redevelopment will provide a variety of transportation choices -- not unnecessarily burden busy roads in the surrounding neighborhoods. This means following through on planned improvements to transit, which the report says are needed even if the site remains fenced off: In the short run, improving the Metrobus 80 bus line on North Capitol St. (already a designated bus priority corridor) will help the most. Other planned bus line improvements are recommended, along with the streetcar line running along Michigan Ave. from Woodley Park to Brookland Station. If these transit investments are delayed, the report recommends coordinated shuttles to the Brookland Metro station. The study concludes that thanks to these new investments in transit and tweaks to the connecting roads, the traffic with the redevelopment will be no worse than if the redevelopment isn’t built. That’s great, and it shows how important more well-designed smart growth developments are to keeping residents mobile as DC continues to grow.  The report also calls for improvements to bicycling and pedestrian infrastructure including completing the street grid through McMillan, multiple pedestrian access points in each building, ample bicycle storage, and space for three Capital Bikeshare stations. While we think the study is positive overall, we’re not pleased with everything. Click here to keep reading about improvements the study doesn’t cover, and sign up to testify during one of four key hearing nights in early May. >> These details are important. With a redevelopment as large and controversial as McMillan has been, it’s important to make sure we are making the right policy decisions. In the coming weeks, we’ll be pushing the city to incorporate our suggestions and give the new neighborhood the tools it needs to live up to its potential. Thanks for all that you do, Aimee -- Aimee Custis Coalition for Smarter Growth action@smartergrowth.net PS: Did you miss out on some of our earlier emails on why we think the McMillan redevelopment is a good deal for DC? Catch up here and here.

Copyright © 2014 Vision McMillan Partners, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you have expressed interest in getting updates related to Vision McMillan Partner's plan to transform the McMillan property into a model 21st century community. Our mailing address is: Vision McMillan Partners 1508 U St, NW