To
The New York Times:
This
story merits being published - This is not just a DC neighborhood
fight
for the preservation of a truly historic location in our
nation's
capital.
It
is about government overriding the clear desire of the people -
for
their own interests (many of the DC city goverment officials have
been
tied to the developer)
It
is about city government corruption and how the lure of developer
money
is turning elected officials that are supposed to represent us -
the
community - into servants of those from outside the community with
money.
It
is about real estate and the micro real-estate boom of Washington DC.
It
is about developers seeking to make enormous profit at the expense
of
the community
It
is about how a massive open space has miraculously survived to this
day
in the heart of the District of Columbia, with incredible vistas
of
the Nation's Capitol and skyline, with truly unique underground
vaults
reminiscent of the famous Byzantine cisterns of Istanbul, which
was
originally created to be a permanent open space reserve and park
for
the people and designed by the creative genious of Fredrick Law
Olmsted
Jr..
Visit:
http://friendsofmcmillan.org/
We
have a grassroots/neighborhood community David vs Goliath fight -
However,
it should not be this way! It is the
people of the entire
country
that should be involved in this cause.
The District of
Columbia
is the Nation's Capital after all and belongs to the people!
Please
consider this story! Please feel free
to contact me for
further
information and facts.
We
must prevent this outrage from being carried out.
Sincerest
regards,
Paul
J. Cerruti
T
Street NW
Washington,
DC 20001
message
from Daniel Wolkoff,,
Councilmember
Cheh and Grosso, I am forwarding this email from Paul Cerruti on stoppping this
theft of McMillan. We need council members to be brave enough to save a park
for our city. Where all of it is experienced for our recreation, and jogging, and a place
to build community on, so many things we need. This hand off to the developers
is WRONG, just completely wrong, artificial! Our council has to show some
courage. Please read Paul's sincere effort to get the New York Times to
recognize the mistake and failure going on here. It is your job to protect the
health of our land, and our residents. Stop selling us out! Save McMillan Park.
The citizens own it,,who gave you this license to transfer it to developers?
Where does this entire paradigm come from,,,our park, period.
I
particularly find it hard to accept how poorly educated the council has been
and ignored the needs of the people for so long. The city council is our
council,, not EYA, or even the Mayors Office of Economic Development. You are
our council, not the development conglomerate that got control of McMillan, our
park! You are our council, act like it!
Who gave the DC govt. the right to close off this park in the first
place, and so miserably mishandle it, until these developer came along. This is
a scandal.
If I can put so much time and effort
in to having a decent park here in our area.
The least you can do is stop the demolition,
and get the issue properly exlpored for saving this park.
Living
in NW for 20 years, I took parks for granted. Only moving to this side of DC ,
did I find out what is really happening. The government should be ashamed of
itself. Let's get real. You are participating in the clogging off of the city,
but keeping all of your nice upper NW neighborhood so green, it is not fair. You are in power,
and this is being abused, get some guts.
We
will work with you, and all kinds of trusts, and foundatons and universities
like Howard, and the city youth,, with Michelle Obama, as we provide healthy
recreation, and urban agriculture, and all the benefitial classes, and
activities,, just like Glen Echo. Why do they have Glen Echo and we have this development on our
Registered Historic Place? Thanks you for your help, and conscious efforts for
the city parks, and youth.
Daniel
Goldon Wolkoff
Adams
Morgan Stained Glass
1231
Randolph Street, NE
Washington,
DC 20017
Tel:
202-232-8391
www.adamsmorganstainedglass.com
---
On Sun, 3/24/13, Paul Cerruti wrote:
From:
Paul Cerruti
Subject:
Re: Stop the McMillan Development Lobby NOW
Stop the McMillan Development Lobby NOW |
Historic Preservation Review Board - HELP !
To: publisher@nytimes.com
NY Times:
This
story merits being published - This is not just a DC neighborhood
fight
for the preservation of a truly historic location in our
nation's
capital.
It
is about government overriding the clear desire of the people -
for
their own interests (many of the DC city goverment officials have
been
tied to the developer)
It
is about city government corruption and how the lure of developer
money
is turning elected officials that are supposed to represent us -
the
community - into servants of those from outside the community with
money.
It
is about real estate and the micro real-estate boom of Washington DC.
It
is about developers seeking to make enormous profit at the expense
of
the community
It
is about how a massive open space has miraculously survived to this
day
in the heart of the District of Columbia, with incredible vistas
of
the Nation's Capitol and skyline, with truly unique underground
vaults
reminiscent of the famous Byzantine cisterns of Istanbul, which
was
originally created to be a permanent open space reserve and park
for
the people and designed by the creative genious of Fredrick Law
Olmsted
Jr..
Visit:
http://friendsofmcmillan.org/
We
have a grassroots/neighborhood community David vs Goliath fight -
However,
it should not be this way! It is the
people of the entire
country
that should be involved in this cause.
The District of
Columbia
is the Nation's Capital afterall and belongs to the people!
Please
consider this story! Please feel free
to contact me for
further
information and facts.
We
must prevent this outrage from being carried out.
Sincerest
regards,
Paul
J. Cerruti
T
Street NW
Washington,
DC 20001
-----
Forwarded message ----------
From:
Paul Cerruti
Date:
Sat, Mar 23, 2013 at 10:02 AM
Subject:
Stop the McMillan Development Lobby NOW | Historic
Preservation
Review Board - HELP !
To:
steve.callcott@dc.gov
Cc:
pmendelson@dccouncil.us, kmcduffie@dccouncil.us,
jgraham@dccouncil.us,
dianne_brns@yahoo.com,
ronnieedwards.5c11@gmail.com,
Mark Mueller ,
5e07@anc.dc.gov,
5e08@anc.dc.gov, 5e06@anc.dc.gov
Ms.
Catherine Buell, Chair
Historic
Preservation Review Board
1100
4th Street, S.W., Suite E650
Washington,
DC 20024
Dear
Ms. Catherine Buell:
rvoir,
Sand Filtration sites), overriding clear majority
community
support for preservation of the intrinsically historic
character
and elements of the site and the community's desire for more
park
space.
I
completed a survey, along with many of my neighbors, that resulted
in
the demonstration of overwhelming community support for greater
preservation
of the historic structures (including the very UNIQUE
underground
vaults) and more park space - why is the voice of the
community
being so blatantly disregarded? Are the
potential financial
opportunities
for the developer group(s) more important than the
concerns
of the residents of the communities that are to be directly
impacted?
I
am astounded that in our nation's capitol, a location of such
significance
(historic landscape architect, unique historic
structures,
open space, incredible setting and vistas) is even under
consideration
for development, let alone threatened with being
completely
obliterated!
McMillan
merits and deserves more consideration!
McMillan should AND
could
be Washington's equivalent to NY's Central Park!
When
there are so many existing empty/vacant building lots and city
center
development fill-in still required - why destroy this amazing
open
space, historic asset to the local community, city and public at
large
by building at McMillan?
I
am pleading for a halt to this developer goldrush madness - The
consequences
of the current VMP Master Plan, if carried out, will be
severe
and permanent for the surrounding communities.
From an
explosion
of vehicular traffic on the narrow streets of Bloomingdale -
especially
First Street with its many stop signs - to the massive
increased
sewage volume that will be forced through an "ancient"
over-burdened,
out-dated sewer infrastructure that is already
overwhelmed
and beyond capacity (Note: 2012 Flooding of Bloomingdale).
I
can only imagine what will follow if the current VMP Master Plan is
carried
out... First Street will have to be widened and turned into a
major
thorough fare with traffic lights?
Parking nightmares? Traffic
gridlock? Noise pollution? Increased sewage flooding for 20 more
years? The very quality of life that has kept
residents in our
neighborhood
- even through the darkest days of drug and gang warfare
- and which has been attracting a waive of new
residents - the quite
stillness
at night, the charming alleys and side streets, the almost
small
town feel of Bloomingdale - is threatened with being turned into
a
car-congested, noisy, polluted thorough fare for the thousands of
residents
that will have to travel back and forth to the McMillan
site.
Please
consider the above concerns and those of my neighbors and
residents
of the surrounding communities!
Sincerest
regards,
Paul
I've read some of these posts and they don't strike me as representative of the community at large. I don't live in Bloomingdale, I live in Stronghold, and it seems to me that the people in my neighborhood have much more complex views of McMillan than those reflected by Mr. Cerruti and Mr. Wolkoff. I respect their opinions, but I do want to point out that there have been plenty of people at the SCA, ANC and MAG meetings that seem to think that some development of McMillan is OK. For example, when the new park was introduced at a meeting in February, there was actual applause. This was not from developers or politicians, it was from people who live around here.
ReplyDeleteSo, I just wanted to point that out.