Monday, September 29, 2014

Andrea Rosen: McMillan Sands Filtration Park demolition to come before Mayor's Agent -- Monday, 10-06-2014


From: HistoricWashington@yahoogroups.com
To: HistoricWashington@yahoogroups.com
Date: Mon, 29 Sep 2014 14:01:02 -0400
Subject: [HistoricWashington] McMillan Sands Filtration Park demolition to come before Mayor's Agent, Oct. 6

Those following our city's proposed demolition of the National Register of Historic Places-listed McMillan Slow Sands Filtration site and the Frederick Law Olmstead, Jr.-designed park atop the filtration caverns may be interested in submitting or presenting testimony at next week's hearing before the Mayor's Agent.  Because the city's long-in-the-works plan does not conform to covenants attached to the transfer of the formerly federal site to the D.C. government, HPRB was obliged to reject the plan that was devised by Vision McMillan Partners, the city's "consultant" and through sleight of hand, also the site's developer.  
                                                      
Still the city plows on.

Posted by Andrea Rosen

On Monday, October 6, at 9:30 AM, the DC Mayor’s Agent will hear an appeal by the Gray Administration and its development consultant, VMP, to demolish over 80% of the underground sand filtration cells at McMillan Park. Last year, the DC Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB) rejected the Mayor’s plan for the site, a designated Historic Landmark. The Mayor’s Agent will consider the park’s historic status, the HPRB report, and the proposed demolition request. 

Friends of McMillan Park will advocate at the hearing AGAINST granting the demolition permit, and the public is welcome to testify at the hearing as well. No advance notification is necessary to present oral testimony .Click here for details about the hearing, how to send written testimony, and suggested language to include.

New Crowdrise Donation Site


We recently launched a Crowdrise fundraising page to help defray the cost of legal expenses that we are incurring in the fight to save McMillan Park in the Zoning Commission and Mayor’s Agent hearings. Please consider visiting the site and making a donation to our cause! So far we have spent over $50k on legal fees and expert witnesses, and we still have a long way to go.  

We are also selling lovely posters of McMillan Park for a donation of $30. Email restoremcmillan@gmail.com for details. 

Friends of McMillan Park on the Radio 

Our own Hugh Youngblood appeared on WAMU’s Kojo Nnamdi Show on September 11 along with our community colleague, Chris Leptak of McMillan Advisory Group. Hugh and Chris did an excellent job arguing our side of the McMillan Park debate.  Click here to read the transcript or listen to the show.

Please help us now to stop the proposed destruction and privatization of historic McMillan Park!

Sincerely,
Friends of McMillan Park

If you have any questions, please contact restoremcmillan@gmail.com or call 202.234.0427.

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