CM Michael Brown's newsletter provides a summary of his recent McMillan development roundtable + concerns about flooding

Today, At-Large DC Councilmember Michael Brown distributed an e-newsletter, which includes a section on his McMillan Sand Filtration site development roundtable -- plus concerns about flooding.
 
COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND HOUSING
MICHAEL A . BROWN , CHAIRPERSON
 

Summary of McMillan Development Roundtable 

   

On September 19th, Councilmember Michael A. Brown, Chair of the Economic Development and Housing Committee, held a roundtable discussion on the McMillan Sand Filtration Site. Thirty one public witnesses including ANC Commissioners, Ronnie Edwards, Chairman, ANC 5C, Hugh Youngblood, ANC 5C03, Mark Mueller, ANC 5C04, James J. Fournier, ANC 5C07, Albrette "Gigi" Ransom, ANC5C12, Myla Moss, Chair, ANC 1B and Tony Norman, ANC1B10 testified. The McMillan Park Committee, Bloomingdale Civic Association, Coalition for Smarter Growth, National Association for Olmsted Parks, Coalition for Nonprofit Housing and Economic Development were civic associations that also spoke out in favor and against the development. The development team, Vision McMillan Partners, testified about the alterations made to the master plan following public engagement. (See Map below)
              
Ward 5 Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie, Deputy Mayor Victor Hoskins and staff members of several Councilmembers attended the entirety of the hearing.
 

CONCERNS ABOUT FLOODING
                                              
Councilmember Michael A. Brown, in preparation for his recent roundtable on the development plans for the McMillan Sand Filtration Site, reached out to the directors of both DC Water (George Hawkins) and the District Department of the Environment (Keith Anderson-interim). Councilmember Brown questioned the heads of both agencies on their efforts to diagnose, mitigate and eliminate flooding in the Bloomingdale and LeDroit Park neighborhoods. In addition, he stressed the importance of engaging the development consultants on the McMillan project now, to fully verify the aggressive storm water management plan that is proposed for the development. He also stressed his desire to explore the possibility of expanding the scope of the onsite plan to help the surrounding communities deal with flooding issues for the short and mid-term. "We know the ultimate solution is the massive new sewer pipe infrastructure which DC Water is currently being planned, however, waiting until its completion in 2025, without some relief for affected residents is not an option. If the development at McMillan can serve as part of the near term solution it would be a great win for all stakeholders," stated Councilmember Brown.