Friday morning the Friends of McMillan Park issued the following press release concerning their return to court to counter the Mayor's Agent for Historic Preservation's decision earlier this year that would allow the rather imminent demolition of McMillan Park.
Kirby Vining
Friends of McMillan Park
3 comments:
Bloomingdale residents who do not agree with this group should make their voices heard and should not be afraid or complacent about speaking up. Friends of McMillan do not represent the best interest of this community! This development will only benefit the surrounding neighborhoods that have for far too long been underserved. And what's at stake is enormous! Continuous delays and legal obstructions prevents much needed services, housing, jobs, and a real park from being built!
And the fault for all that McMillan is not and may never be lies right at the feet of Mayor Bowser and her every predecessor, except Walter Washington. Every Mayor who has had an opportunity to choose greatness regarding what could done at the McMillan site has instead decided to sell out for mediocrity AND each Mayor has done this in clear contravention of District law and regulations (competitive bidding, zoning, the Comp Plan, preservation) as well as the federal covenants and more. So the blame for the lack of progress at McMillan is the District's to bear.
And you are right, Unknown, what's at stake is enormous. The integrity of how the District does business, for one. But of more concrete relevance to the neighborhoods is the enormous amount of traffic the proposed project will bring to Bloomingdale and the surrounding neighborhoods. The enormous change will severely damage the quality of life here. I still hear complaints from neighbors regarding the number of cars navigating First Street now. When that number increases by 4-fold, the traffic will be like a stake driven through the heart of Bloomingdale, leaving this neighborhood (and its neighbors) unrecognizable. If you are willing to accept that trade off (among other trade offs), please say so, out in the open. But that might require being Known, instead of Unknown.
I think everyone here would agree that what is at stake with respect to the McMillan site is enormous. However, can I also add that I am quite honestly tired of being talked down to and lectured to by those who do not support the development of the site. Right now, I see a fenced off weed-infested field that benefits absolutely no one. What I experience are regular e-mails and posts by a few individuals who have decided to lecture everyone on their views, often in the context of telling those who disagree that they are wrong, which benefits no one.
For example, you speak of quality of life. Well, what do you know about how I define quality of life? No one has ever stopped to ask me. Traffic? Honestly, if I don't own a car, what do I care about traffic? If I do own a car but don't commute to work by car, is traffic my #1 concern? What if instead of having to navigate traffic to drive to NOMA or further to buy groceries, I could walk three blocks to the store that was just built near my house? Its a trade off, but what if being able to walk to a new grocery store is the better option? Has anyone asked me?
You speak about traffic driving through the heart of Bloomingdale, but you fail to talk about the options we have to reduce that impact? Traffic calming circles? Conversion of 1st St to a One-Way Street? Adding a bike lane to encourage alternate forms of transportation? I'm not saying any of these will happen but to imply that we have no option other than accept the worst isn't a fair characterization either.
So here I am, in the open, suggesting that we have a conversation about the trade-offs, instead of simply talking about the downsides without weighing the benefits. Bloomingdale now has a Historic Designation that was pushed through by a few vocal people with little consideration of the will of the whole neighborhood. Right now, McMillan feels the same way to me.
Post a Comment