A message from Brookland resident Daniel Wolkoff regarding the McMillan Sand Filtration site:
In
a major area of DC with virtually no parks, few tall mature trees, highest
density and unacceptable youth violence. A city government discriminates against
a community for 27 years with a barbed wire fence around McMillan. To hold back
a park from our community, for developers and lavishes the upper income
sections with numerous parks, pools, sports fields, community gardens, tennis
courts and streets lined with huge mature trees, and Rock Creek Park and the
National Zoo enhance the quality of life for the upper income residents. Then
when our residents want something excellent, and more parks, real ``World Class``
adaptive re-use, not more polluting new construction and asphalt, some local
people get impatient. Too bad they didn`t press the city govt. to act like
leaders and not arrogant racist PIGS for 27 years,, they would have had great
parks all these years!
We
need your support for a system of parks, trails, hiking and jogging around the reservoir, and return to the ``Emerald
Necklace``, This is the last chance. Adaptive re-use of existing structures,
including a City Market and Bizarre in under surface galleries, Like Glen Echo
in Montgomery County( 9th best in US for children) and the Torpedo Factory
style arts/performance, vocational and educational campus and woods. We need to
engage our youth, families and build community at McMillan, not more hyper urbanization brought to you by Harry
Thomas Jr( in federal prison), Kwame Brown (convicted) and Michael Brown
(pleads guilty). Excellent company for EYA and Trammel Crow. They`ll be
supporting the Northern Virginia Asphalt paving
companies and feeding on this pig trough for years, or you can have a
cooler, shady, open park and higher quality of life. Should have been done
years ago!
.
Daniel
Goldon Wolkoff
Adams
Morgan Stained Glass
1231
Randolph Street, NE
Washington,
DC 20017
Tel:
202-232-8391
www.adamsmorganstainedglass.com
Conspiracy Theorist
ReplyDeleteActually, Patch, just spend a little time on Washington Business journal....dig up the stuff on NCRC just before it was dissolved and rolled into the Deputy Mayor's office. it's all there.
ReplyDeleteTo clarify, we don't know for sure that money changed hands. But we do know that VMG was shortlisted without an RFP (there were RFPs prior for McMillan, but not from the process that resulted in the selection of VMG) We also know that the VMG partners (EYA, Trammel Crow) contributed to the council's war chests, and we know of course what eventually happened to these same guys (as Mr. Wolkoff points out above). So while we don't have any proof about any shadiness here, we can say for sure that it's 1) highly non-transparent and not in conformity with standard open and transparent processes used to solicit development on gov't owned property (RFPs, Bids..etc). 2) it is highly suspect given all the other things that have been documented and proven (and the convictions that have resulted). So, yes. We cannot say that this is gov't corruption. But we can ask ourselves why has the gov't not stepped up to simply reveal/explain the process of selection and the justification for the selection of VMG and why they have not released the agreement. When they decline to do that much, i would say it's not over the top to suspect underhanded dealings. Democracy demands transparency. So this is petty far from conspiracy theory...if you think not, you haven't paid attention to DC council politics over the past 30 years.
Todd: I’m not sure why you are clarifying someone else’s post. Never the less, I do appreciate your position and advocacy on transparency. But after seeing Mr. Wolkoff’s behavior at the Surplus public meeting this month, anything he says sounds to me like a big bowl of crazy.
ReplyDeleteI'm clarifying it because it appears that alot people don't seem to realize how this VMG thing went/is going down. Mr. Wolkoff is perhaps a fire brand in this battle (it takes all kinds), but it doesn't mean that his points are completely off the mark. I think that if more people really were aware of the history of this particular transaction, then more eyebrows would be raising and perhaps people might say...wait a minute here...
ReplyDeleteEven if all the suspicions are true, it doesn’t make the VMP plan any better or worse. I’d like to see advocacy for transparency and any investigations of corruption done without standing in the way of a plan that many people want. Plenty of officials are held accountable for corruption in this city after developments are completed. It may sound selfish to some, but I do want to utilize the park space and services the VPM plan will provide while I am still alive.
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ReplyDeleteI'm afraid i just don't buy that we should let it go this time. This is a billion dollar deal and to tolerate this manner of business is to send a signal to the City gov't that it's ok to be non-transparent, the people will suck it up. Further, I too want to use this site..want my 4 year old son to use it too. I also want a grocery in walking distance. I think we can do better than this plan...much better in fact. And i think that we can do it a way that is open and transperant. But this is no getting around that when you tolerate closed door deals btwn business and gov't, then you erode the quality of civic life and you reduce the ability of the people and civil society to have input.
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