Wednesday, September 21, 2016

yesterday's McMillan project oral arguments before the DC Court of Appeals: "Great day in court 4 McMillan Park!"






From: Daniel Wolkoff [mailto:amglassart@yahoo.com]
Sent: Wednesday, September 21, 2016 1:53 AM
Subject:
Great day in court 4 McMillan Park!

Brookland resident Daniel Goldon Wolkoff documents a great day in court for Save McMillan Park 

Save McMillan Park had a great day in DC Court of Appeals 9-20-16,

led by our capable attorneys Andrea Ferster, Elizabeth Merit(NTHP), Jason Klein, Ari Theresa and Tony Norman with incredible support from Andrea Rosen, Debbie Hanrahan, MaryPAt Rowan and Phil Blair, David Schwartzman, Joanne, Eric Shultz, Robin Deiner, Camille Bourginion, Kesshini Ludawahetty, Parisa, Daniel Goldon Wolkoff, Kirby Vining, Hugh Youngblood, Paul Cerruti, Betsy McDaniel, Jean-Christophe Devrines, Erin Fairbanks, Gwen Southerland, Jerome Peloquin, Linwood Norman, Jim Shulman, Mr. Rodgersrecycles and so many Bloomingdale neighbors, and CHRIS OTTEN!

                     FOUNDERS OF DC CENTRAL PARK


McMillanistas Slay The Pharaoh! Fight Corruption and naked greed!

photos from DC Court of Appeals September 20, 2016          

                            "The People vs Naked Greed"

13 comments:

mona said...

So did they rule against the park construction? Is that why it was a great day or just the number of people showing up?

Alexandra in Bloomingdale said...

Yes, and there are some of us for whom "great day for McMillan Park" would be defined as the construction project(s) and the promise of all its future amenities moving forward and the surrounding neighborhoods actually having use and enjoyment of McMillan Park again.

Nate said...

Its not clear, but I can't imagine there were any rulings yesterday. The judge will have some time to render a decision after oral arguments. Also, we're calling this DC's Central Park? Could have sworn there was a big green space downtown in a central area...can't recall the name. Or that other central creek park...

Daniel in brookland said...

Nate, let me straighten out your misconceptions if you don't mind.
Downtown DC has a small number of "Squares", Lafayette, McPherson, Farragut, and a small number of traffic circles with Civil War generals memorialized in equestrian statuary. Scott Circle, Logan Circle, Thomas circle, Washington Circle(Revolution). These tiny greenspaces are in the middle of downtown traffic, that is why they are called circles, squares, not parks.
Rock Creek park next to only NW neighborhoods is the "Jewel of the National Park System), I lived for 20 years on the perimeter in Mt. Pleasant. Came 5:00, 6:00 PM, and I would walk to the corner, down into the out/perimeter woods and get a nice stroll on trails, enjoy the trees, animals, and a little outdoor exercise.Haven't done that once since I moved to Brookland. So let's get a section of that 1500 developed by VMP, put it over there!They have too much green, too many trees, too many trails, and what do we need the creek for?
When McMillan served as DC Central Park from 1906 to 1941it was the only integrated park in this highly segregated racist city, as Rock Creek was segregated. These cultural, human rights and historical, and preservation issues have importance to many. Probably little importance to people who have one concern in life, high priced super market food, though numerous alternative ways to serve that to our area are blocked to make sure VMP gets our $billion park.. The Federal govt. saw this as important and placed historic covenants on McMillan when sold to DC for $9.3 million in 1987. Every cent of which has been wasted by your beloved DC govt. ever since. They kept a fence up at the cost of $250,000 a year,now contracted by Spectrum Management, an additional waste for 28 years(gas mowing, herbicide etc.) The fence is a racist affront that has kept the "less privileged" sections of DC out of their own park for 75 years. I know that has absolutely no meaning to you, and the other vociferous mass crowd of VMP/Gray/Bowser/McDuffie supporters, but it really is true, no other city would treat it's own citizens like this. Any decent govt. in the entire U.S. would be thrilled to have a green space in the center of it's crowded neighborhoods for the health and well being of it's people. We have the further insult of these incumbent hacks, telling us we need to sellout to mega developers "because the site has been fenced off for years" Wow, will their arrogance, waste, abuse and mediocrity ever have a limit?
These mediocre copycat but connected mega developers(everyone is in on this one!)in collusion with a govt., that is an international disgrace for it's blatant corruption, are committing theft, FROM US, of the historic protected work of 1900's master designers and engineers, brought to Washington by Senator James McMillan (a real visionary). The historic site, a critical public amenity, was kept in obscurity, and theft of enjoyment by our own elected(except Gray placed into power by mass electoral crime)officials. But can in adaptive re-use, respecting the law and the integrity of it's cultural and recreational value, provide everything we need. Urban agriculture for millions of pounds of fresh produce
see www.mcmillancoalitionforsustainableagricuture.org. it can serve our young and families in classes/art/music, career training in restoration and maintenance, and a big outdoor concert stage like Wolf Trap (see Youtube The Corrs Instrumental).

If you personally don't have the imagination or creativity to make a community building park on our own public site, please get out of the way of the thousands of our residents that CAN. Don't support a criminal violation of our First Amendment rights to "petition our govt.for redress of grievances" by allowing Bowser and McDuffie to illegally hire Fontaine the sleazeball "astroturf PR firm",,,what are your fist amendment rights worth? what are your values? What is the healthy balance of land use that makes a city gracious?

Daniel in brookland said...

and who has kept you out? see testimony by Mr. Crawford. Bloomingdale requests access to it's own park since 1945. I think pretendng that the DC govt. is not the racist villain in this civil rights, and environmental justice struggle is delusional. They are the corrupt disgrace, not the solution. Put a supermarket in the area, use your brain,!

Ryan Eades said...

I'm confused about what was great. Seems like a handful of activists with a sensationalist yet shallow headline.

This is not a comment on the issue, genuinely curious about the substance behind the words.

TheCommiss said...

Amen Build baby Build.
And Daniel...your are the racist here. How can you say the DC govt is racist when the majority of council members and the Mayor are actually African American. Once again Friends of McMillan use terrorists tactics!

TheCommiss said...

Let's correct this post for the MISINFORMATION once again from the terrorists of McMillan.

The following are not members of the DC Bar so they are not attorneys: Elizabeth Merit, Jason Klein, Ari Theresa and Tony Norman. Check out DC bar's website to verify! They may have law degrees but they are not licensed...hence HACKS!

So DC residents make sure you know the truth because you can't trust these special interest groups to educate the public on the real story here!

TheCommiss said...

Ryan there is no substance behind this hence why they are at the appeals court. The last step for these Jacko Wackos before the powers of our Country let them for the last time...THEY ARE WRONG!

TheCommiss said...

Let me correct myself Ms. Merritt is a member. I couldn't edit my post. Now ther is honesty which is more than you get from TOM Terrorists of McMillan

Bloomingdale Resident said...

My understanding is that a ruling is not expected before January.

As for "great day", it seems reasonable that if one spends time, energy and money preparing a case, and 60 people showed up to hear your case presented, you might consider it a great day, even it the outcome was not favorable. In this case, the outcome will not be known for months. I would consider it heart warming, at the very least.

Kirby said...

The DC Court of Appeals, which heard the Friends of McMillan Park vs. the DC Zoning Commission and the DC Mayor's Agent for Historic Preservation case on Tuesday, did not hand down any decision and the court's decision likely will not be issued until perhaps January. As plaintiff in this case, we are optimistic, but of course we would be, given all the trouble and time we have put into this. However, any guess about exactly what the judges will decide is pure speculation and only the judges' decision matters. We will certainly publicize the decision when it is made available. If the court sides with the plaintiff, we expect that the project would be remanded to the city to change in some ways that would be specified in the decision, as happened in the 901 Monroe St. decision. That of course is what the plaintiffs hope, but we will wait for the court's decision. -Kirby Vining, Friends of McMillan Park.

Nate said...

Yeah thanks, I was referring to the big green space called the National Mall, Magellan.