For all interested - a copy of the original #Olmsted landscape plans for the 118 acre @McMillanPark - @friendtobirds @dc4reality @RosinaPhoto @andrewdefrank @stephenmajor @JeffAndersonDC1 @McMillanPark @DDOTDC @AugensteinWTOP @DMPEDDC #unsuckDC #savemcmillanpark #bloomingdaledc https://t.co/Cw9NrgXydA pic.twitter.com/qKOdIfT3YF— Paul Cerruti (@pauljcerruti) December 26, 2019
Thursday, December 26, 2019
see this copy of the original Olmstead landscape plans for McMillan Park
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14 comments:
Does this mean the sand filtration plant was originally not industrial? Or that it was designed so that the public could walk inside the grounds and not just around the perimeter?
No, on both points. Just another attempt to confuse neighbors by associating the park side of McMillan, west of 1st ST, with the industrial side, east of 1st ST.
The industrial side east of 1st st is where the development is proposed. Olmsted beautified the industrial site with trees on the perimeter and on the service roads. He couldn't do anything to cover up the 2,500 manholes across the site and was extremely concerned about public entrance to the site; besides walking around the perimeter.
Kevin - Stop disseminating misinformation. You regurgitate all of the corporate developer's talking points, which begs the question, are you on their payroll? There was not an "industrial side" and a "non-industrial side" - The historical fact that it was both a water purification plant AND a public park is indisputable. What is your motive in continuing to consciously mislead Bloomingdale residents and the public at large? Please clarify your motives? Are you affiliated with the developer consortium VMP and/or DMPED?
Paul - Thanks for sharing the landscaping plans.
I don't believe Paul is attempting to confuse neighbors.
I don't beieve Kevin is trying to disseminate misinformation.
Unknown makes an important point - it was one property and it was all industrial. There are filtration beds on both sides of First Street.
I assume most would say that the reservoir is industrial, not recreational; I don't think people could swim or boat in it. In the early years, the public drove their automobiles around it. Does that mean the reservoir is not part of the park?
There was a Bloomingdale playground west of First, later known as McMillan Playground. Does a park need to be 100% playground to be a park?
Everyone has a right to share the history of McMillan and to express their hopes for the future of McMillan.
Bdale Resident - Kevin is disseminating misinformation and it needs to be called out. It is an historical fact that it was both a water purification plant AND a public park. Regardless of where you stand on the city's development proposal - let the developer consortium's plans stand on their own merit, it should not include misrepresenting the history and/or rewriting the history.
"unknown", You and others are either attempting to mislead residents or are uneducated on the site's history and plans. Every piece of information/theory you an others have presented about the filtration plant being a park have been factually proven wrong.
Attempts like, organzing a, "soccer game", which was actually just a handful of people kicking a soccer ball back and forth between the manholes to each other; among other claims, does not make the site a park.
Are there any other developments around the city you oppose?
Do you live in Bloomingdale?
I formulate my own opinions and do my own research. To which point I have consistently provided facts and information to you and others supporting my statements. You are welcome to re-read the hundreds of fact laden posts I have issued here and on Nexdoor.
I have no affiliation with any party interested in the site other than my family and my neighbors.
correct unknown, the entire site was both industrial and park. The east side of 1st st was all industrial. The west side was a mix of park and industrial.
Please reply with facts, mine as mentioned are available in previous posts. Yours and others don't exist.
Kevin - you failed to answer the question and clarify your motives: Are you affiliated with the developer consortium VMP and/or DMPED? Again, your "facts" are based entirely on false developer talking points that attempt to rewrite history and are intended to mislead the public. The history of McMillan Park is well documented on this blog and elsewhere - perhaps the problem is not documentation, it is your motivation which prevents you from seeing the truth...
The history here is not what should be front and center. Those of us who actually live here need to see an end to the litigation and the obstruction. The extra costs caused by this is inexcusable! We need to look to and focus on the future of this site and our community. First the construction will produce an 8 acre (about 1/3 of the 25 acres) park and recreation center for our residents. Secondly there will be new housing, both market and affordable which is greatly needed throughout the city and last but not least there will be commercial and medical facilities that are long overdue in this part of Washington. Literally thousands of people are walking distance to this site and with the transportation improvements from DDOT scheduled to be included here ($70 million in the dc budget), the area will be vastly improved. At present First Street has simply served as a high speed cut-through for North Capital Street traffic. That will end once this area is developed. And fyi. I am on no one's payroll.
Actually I did answer. You failed to read. Read above.
And no, my facts are not based on developer talking points. Some were gathered from Olmsted Papers at the Library of Congress.
There were some questions for you as well, unknown..
I’ve gone through this with you and others more times than I can count now. But if you feel like doing it again. Go ahead and post your fake information about how the site was a park, and I will correct you.
I’d prefer not to, but go ahead. I will respond. It would at least be interesting if you came up with something new to disprove.
Everyone wants to see resolution and progress at McMillan, including myself, a long time resident of Bloomingdale. However, there are enormous and consequential issues at stake here - the city's lack of due process in selecting the developer consortium, the massive scale and density of the proposed plan without nearby metro access, environmental impact on the community, quality of life for local residents, etc. The planned park of 8 acres, when there was once a 118 acre park, is a token compromise at best. The new housing does include some affordable units, however, accessed via a "poor door" ie rebranded segregation. There is already an over abundance of medical facilities (and space for more) just across Michigan Ave... however, Southeast DC is sorely lacking. Finally, without a metro station, the proposed development will be car centric and will only exacerbate the high speed cut-through that is First Street - to suggest otherwise is simply disingenuous.... and this is only scratching the surface - there is NO vision in Vision McMillan Partners - just greed at the expense of residents and DC taxpayers who are subsidizing the development. DC deserves better!
Kevin - Its futile to go back and forth with you. The "facts" that you purport to have come straight out of the developer consortium/VMP documents. You have nothing new and continue to spew misinformation - such as "industrial side", "non-industrial side", "industrial field", etc... whatever your motivation, you are doing a great disservice to the community and historical record. Your Karma...
Kevin,, just look around, please, and SEE. The Highline in NY's lower west side was an elevated railroad, but innovative planners saw the benefit in making it a recreation promenade. So adaptive re-use is a very valid solution to older sites that no longer are used for their original purpose. Not everything has to be converted to housing or "surplussed" from public ownership and transferred to corporate hands, bottom line corrupt land theft. I understand from a vastly experienced historic preservation activist and former ANC from Capitol Hill, that the developers lawyers, Holland and Knight wrote and gave the legislation to convicted felon and former City Council member Harry Thomas Jr, to submit, and a corrupt City Council passed it. This is corporate welfare abuse(stealing), as any developer can make a profit on such a large plan in this real estate market, so why give them $319 million of our tax dollars and the $ billion land? Gray another criminal who committed massive electoral fraud moved the scandalous plan and The City council wrote and re-wrote the law to keep it moving as well. Harry Thomas received $55,000 donation (bribe) from EYA, and EYA has now used its sponsorship of WAMU to saturate the air waves and even has them stirring up "The Height" issue for them(public radio?)
The likewise corrupt city govt. subordinate agencies all under DMPED have "green-lighted" this development and violate Federal Historic preservation covenants, specifically David Maloney the SHPO(State Historic Preservation officer) has manipulated the covenants to give them a pass, and is an insult to his profession. HPRB, Office of Planning and Zoning Chairman Anthony Hood all did their part and the "evaluative agencies" distorted the whole process in VMP favor, non stop, as did The Mayor's Agent Prof Peter Byrne of Georgetown U. This is how corruption works. Have you ever attended a hearing at Zoning,or HPRB, or even read the transcript of a hearing? So you should stop blabbering for minute and read this corrupt process of agency after agency just "approving it" because the other agency "approved" it. Really Kevin who appointed you the guardian of VMP or the DC corrupt govt??
McMillan Sand Filtration Plant had an Olmsted designed Promenade around the entire perimeter, so it had a tree-lined promenade , but you say it was not a park. Isn't that ridiculous? The DC govt upon wasting the $9.3 million it paid in 1987 for 32 years, VIOLATED the covenants in the GSA assigned deed immediately, first cut down 500 trees and jack hammered the entrance stairs, TO CONCEAL THIS FROM the African-American people that used the site for recreation, and waste the site for 32 years for their corporate overlords to eventually steal the land in the hottest most profitable realty market EVER, ARE YOU PROUD of that?
Daniel, you have stated the same misinformation and lies over and over again. No one can take the valid points you make seriously, when you cloud them with such junk. Myself and others can't continue to respond to you with anything other than, please review our previous responses.
If you want to have a real conversation, quit with the propaganda bologna.
A promenade around an industrial site doesn't made it a park. It makes it a water filtering operation with a nice border. There are legitimate discussions to have about what happens with the property but we are never going to get there garbage-filled rants.
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