Kirby Vining invites you to sign the Friends of McMillan petition

From: Kirby Vining <nulliparaacnestis @ gmail.com>

Date: May 18, 2013, 6:04:46 PM EDT

Subject: Please help save McMillan Park from destruction by the DC Government

We've been volunteering our time for several years with the Friends of McMillan Park, a volunteer organization composed of people in the DC area who are fighting to keep the city from destroying the McMillan Reservoir Park Historic District, which is located at the intersection of Michigan Avenue and First Street NW.  In case you are unfamiliar with the site -- which is on the National Register of Historic Places -- we're attaching a few photos. We worked hard to get the site onto the National Register, and it finally got on the list at the end of February this year.  As these pictures show, it's stunningly beautiful, well-preserved and unique.  We know of nothing else quite like it. We're contacting you because you participated in a tour we gave of the park, or in a petition we gathered concerning the city's plans, or you participated in the survey of public opinion about the park last summer.

             

Sadly, the city is moving very quickly to replace it with a combination of large commercial buildings and townhouses.  According to the District's Historic Preservation Review Board, about 90% of the historic structures would be destroyed by the city's plans, and the results would be something akin to "Tyson's Corner or Rosslyn."  You can read many more of the details, and also see a photo of the city's plan in the attached fact sheet.

We would greatly appreciate it if you would consider:

1. Signing our online petition to get the city to reject the current plan and consider alternatives that preserve the historic integrity of the site, and

2. Encouraging others to sign as well.

www.surveymonkey.com/s/RG8TZH8

We've been told it took about 7,000 signatures to save DC's Eastern Market from the fate planned for McMillan Park.  We owe a debt of thanks to those who worked for Eastern Market's preservation so that we could experience it today.  We hope you'll join with our neighbors to fight to preserve the McMillan Reservoir Park Historic District for us and future generations.

  

Below I've attached a bit more information on the site and the city's planned destruction of it.

  

Thank you!

        

Kirby Vining