Mat Bader: "HPRB has not approved Vision McMillan Partners' master plan for McMillan"

See this message from Bloomingdale resident Mat Bader:

HPRB has not approved VMP`s Master Plan for McMillan
                                                                                                                  

It needs to be cleared up that the HPRB has not approved VMP`s Master Plan for McMillan. In a press release, Ms. Tania Jackson stated that ``yesterday the Historic Preservation Review Board voted unanimously to accept the Historic Preservation Office`s staff report, which recommended accepting the Master Plan and building design concepts.`` The HPRB did not accept the Master Plan and building design concepts. Rather, the HPRB actions state: 

The Board: (A) Determined that the proposal will result in substantial demolition, as defined in the preservation regulations, and therefore inconsistent with the purposes of the Historic Landmark and Historic District Protection Act; (B) Found the revised master plan has been developed to retain important character-defining features of the site sufficient to convey its historic characteristics; (C) Found the revised concept designs to represent an architecturally coordinated and cohesive approach that specifically relates to the character of the McMillan site; and (D) Asked that the project return for final review after approval by the Zoning Commission and Mayor`s Agent.

                                                                                     

What this means is simply that they chose to support the Historic Preservation Office recommendations and allow the project to advance to the Mayor`s Agent and Zoning Commission. There was no `approval` of the master plan. I suspect this is part of the reason for recommendation (D) which requires that the project return to the HPRB for final review following review by the Zoning Commission and Mayor`s Agent.
                         

For the full set of actions taken by the HPRB and the language for those actions, see this.
                       

Thanks,
                                          

Mat Bader

Bloomingdale Civic Association McMillan Advisory Group (MAG) Representative