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Thursday, November 28, 2013

Brookland Resident Daniel Wolkoff: redevelop the Washington Hospital Center

From: Daniel Wolkoff
Sent: Tuesday, November 19, 2013 3:56 AM
Subject: Re-Develop Washington Hospital Center

Development where it is essential for solving the storm-water runoff from Washington Hospital Center parking lots, mitigated, expansion of Veterans Hospital and expansion of Children's National Medical Center, green solutions and building these supposed critically needed "Medical Office Buildings". Plan and prepare the cross town street car (transit corridor) we really need to be coordinated. With McMillan developed as Park, and Healing Garden, City Market etc.
                                                           
VMP with this poorly conceived urban planning does not create mass transit right of way at McMillan Site for our future transit progress. 
 
The demand for real competent urban planning is not shown by VMP.

It's the re-development/expansion of WHC and the mass transit corridor that is sensible priority, to reduce the flooding with Green Solutions as George Hawkins at DC WASA keeps talking about and the future transit corridor from Adams Morgan to Mt. Rainier.

So who are the organizations in "The Coalition for Smarter Growth"? How many people are members? Vocal but a vacuum?

The static, sterile lawn in VMP renderings, surrounded by a strip of sapling trees, is the remaining land after 50 buildings would swallow up this fascinating historic site. This just shows the marginal level of design talent at VMP. And the monotonous slavish devotion to mediocrity of uninspired and corrupt city officials. Elected and appointed, are self empowered and they dictated this development , and said, swallow this whole you powerless residents, without any open exploration of the numerous valid options for re-development. Parks are development! Bistro, skating rink, carousel, urban farms, beach, gardens,concerts, movie festivals, and any creative use we can imagine, that is park compatible.

National Trust for Historic Preservation recommended to HPRB McMillan development by law must follow Secretary of Interior Preservation Guidelines. Any buildings follow the same roof line of existing structures, spaced apart, and could share the same architecture, like brick and Spanish tile roofs. Classy and coherent.  Just imagine the fabulous 1920 Wardman buildings at the National Zoo. Why does class, coherence, space, and great views have so much difficulty getting into some people's heads?

Take a break from the computer screen and imagine walking up gracious entrance stairs onto a real park of mature trees, and shrub lined gardens, fountains, sculpture, with views of the monuments, sunsets, July 4th fireworks, breezes, and fresh air. Think Meridian Hill Park , this is what McMillan will be, just as planned and designed by Frederick Law Olmsted Jr.

VMP is not capable of re-designing an Olmsted site, not surprising. Even commercial services cleverly built into adaptive re-use of existing under-surface masonry galleries. This park was planned by true "Visionaries" and wasted by the elected and appointed, corrupt officials of this miserable embarrassment of a govt. since the day they payed $9 million, and wasted it every day since. This level of waste of public resources is really atrocious, and should be punished, not glossed over. We can and will have an active, 365 day a year Eco-Campus with endless community and family oriented potential.

Don't be scared friends and neighbors.  This is a National treasure and everyone can participate.

Glen Echo in West Bethesda (not a big useless lawn), restored immaculately, and developed for the entire community's welfare, especially children. Their classes and activity schedule is
88 pages.

This is our opportunity, be smart enough to be part of this, demand excellence for civic, social, community benefit. Vote out the people who fenced us out for 26 years. Correct the historic, institutional racism and imbalance in DC parkland, not with a lawn in front of a grocery store.  Stop the "surplussing" of our land at McMillan, support the creative adaptive-reuse.

Participate!
Daniel Goldon Wolkoff
1231 Randolph Street, NE
Washington, DC 20017
202-232-8391

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