Coalition For Smart Growth: "DC's McMillan Sand Filtration Site redevelopment moves forward"

From the Coalition For Smart Growth: 

Here is the direct link.

Dear Supporter, The McMillan Sand Filtration redevelopment plan is moving toward (maybe) its final Zoning Commission meeting on Monday. After a series of changes to the proposal in response to concerns from Zoning Commission members, here's where we stand: We’ve been supportive of the McMillan redevelopment plan so far because it will benefit the city as a whole – transforming a fenced-off 25 acre site into a large new public park and recreation center, mixed use development (with units that will be affordable for many years to come), and restored historic features. The redevelopment will help create a more vibrant, connected city with more housing opportunities and more usable green space. Traffic management has been a recurring hiccup in the development proposal over the past year, concerning many neighbors who are otherwise supportive of redeveloping the area. Fortunately, thanks to revisions made to the plan in the past month, we believe that some of the outstanding traffic management issues have been solved. With the commitments the developers and the city have now agreed to, we believe that many visitors and residents at the McMillan site will have reliable, convenient options to come and go without needing a car. In a perfect world, we'd still like to see a handful of additional improvements (like reduced parking and better biking connections), but overall we think the new traffic reduction tactics and monitoring plan have gone a long way toward answering lingering questions about the project. Keep reading below if you'd like more detail. If you have the time, consider attending the hearing on Monday evening at 6:30 pm at 441 4th Street NW (note that there are two items on the agenda ahead of the McMillan item). Thank you, Cheryl   -- Cheryl Cort  Policy Director Coalition for Smarter Growth Detailed Summary Monday’s Zoning Commission meeting will consider a few outstanding issues on McMillan, including ensuring that the transportation strategy addresses the needs of all the new users of the site as well as the existing community. We previously said we wanted to see a robust commitment to transit and traffic reduction strategies.  Through the review process, the development team has worked out clear commitments to adding transit capacity, traffic reduction strategies, and roadway changes to better handle traffic. In addition, the developer is committing to an accountable monitoring planthat requires stepping up additional investments if thresholds of new traffic are exceeded or the city’s transit plans are not rolled out in time. The final result is a clear commitment by the development team to fill any gaps in transit service (with dedicated shuttles) should the Circulator bus and Metrobus improvement plans not be implemented in time. Of course, the Coalition for Smarter Growth strongly prefers investments in better public bus service for the benefit of all residents and workers in the area, rather than as a private shuttle. To ensure this, we will continue to push the city and Metro to commit to implementing plans for better bus service both north-south along North Capitol Street, and east-west linking riders to nearby Metro stations and more distant destinations. In the long term, we hope to see the plan to run streetcars on Michigan Avenue implemented. In the agreement reached with the DC Department of Transportation (DDOT), the developer will be required to update the project's transit plan two years after its opening, and make any adjustments needed under the direction of DDOT. In addition to the added transit capacity, the developer will reduce potential traffic by using pricing to manage parking, providing 80 Capital Bikeshare bikes (including 20 docks offsite at a Metro station), and offering carsharing.  Moreover, there will be a number of roadway changes designed to improve traffic flow for cars, especially to accommodate health care uses. (Some of these, like an overreliance on turn lanes, can adversely affect the conditions for safe walking. In response to these concerns, DDOT has dialed back some changes to avoid negatively affecting the pedestrian environment.) The new street grid and signalized crossings will greatly improve general bicycling and pedestrian access. But more should be done to help walking along Michigan Avenue be a safer and more comfortable experience. In particular, DDOT should reexamine the new driveways on Michigan Avenue to makes sure designs prioritize pedestrian safety over higher-speed turning vehicles.   Bicycle routes connecting east and west remain poor and are not addressed as part of the development plan or in DC’s bicycle plan or recent MoveDC long range transportation plan. The 2005 DC bicycle plan designates the sidewalk of Michigan Avenue as a “multi-use trail.” For those of you who have ever walked or ridden a bicycle on this supposed “multi-use trail,” you’ll have a hard time distinguishing it from a sidewalk. An improved multi-use trail is planned for Irving Street to the north, but Michigan Avenue’s long term improvements are a streetcar line running from South Dakota NE to Nebraska Ave, in upper Northwest. In addition to the streetcar plan for Michigan Avenue, we think DDOT should upgrade the Michigan sidewalk to a truly multi-use trail that everyone walking and bicycling can feel comfortable using. This would be an important part of improving east-west connectivity to nearby Metro stations and beyond. In addition to the important transit, bicycle and pedestrian investments the project team is committing to, the developer will be required to stay within a limited number of peak period vehicle trips (a “trip cap”), provide ongoing monitoring for the trip cap, and provide a mitigation plan to DDOT if the trip cap is exceeded. We continue to ask that DDOT reexamine the connection between too much parking in the project and the number of vehicle trips into and out of the site. DDOT agrees, but wants to hold off on the reassessment until the second phase of the project comes back to the Zoning Commission for review. As the McMillan development becomes a reality, we'll keep urging DDOT and DC's elected officials to provide the transit resources planned for this area in general and for this project in particular, and to monitor the performance of the project to ensure that the goals are met. We think this approach is a win for everyone.