Can you post this link? It's a story which parallels McMillian of a grassroots effort by citizens in the country of Georgia that oppose the giveaway of public parkland for private development.
Monday, March 31, 2014
Rene Albacete: opposition to a public parkland giveaway in the capitol of the country of Georgia -- McMillan parallel
See this message from Bloomingdale resident Rene Albacete:
Can you post this link? It's a story which parallels McMillian of a grassroots effort by citizens in the country of Georgia that oppose the giveaway of public parkland for private development.
Can you post this link? It's a story which parallels McMillian of a grassroots effort by citizens in the country of Georgia that oppose the giveaway of public parkland for private development.
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5 comments:
I think it is safe to say that there is no real parallel here. In Georgia, the government is selling off an existing park (that is used by the public) in order to build a private hotel. In the case of McMillan, the government is rehabilitating a historic industrial site, which is currently unsafe and has been inaccessible to the community for over 70 years. The city is moving forward with a specific plan that has divided approval from the surrounding communities… but which follows the general principals that have been the consensus in community discussions for over a decade. The city is using funds from developing part of the space to make it possible to create a large public park and community facilities, and is trying to ensure that the development that does occur also meets public needs.
The type of misrepresentation that is involved in comparing these two sites is one of the problems with our current politics, and prevents rational discussion that allows government to effectively address the needs of communities… including providing them with green space and public art. Treating the government as a maleficent enemy and dismissing the views and wishes of fellow community members sabotages a system where the government is supposed to represent the people. I certainly hope that everyone who has expressed a strong view on this matter votes tomorrow, and believe that if they don’t, they should be ashamed of themselves.
Alex... I'm not sure that there aren't really real parallels here. It's all about public land and the community's desire vs. the gov'ts desire to make revenues. This is what's driving the McMillan development.
Just look at this latest traffic study. In no way does it even try to take into account the local concerns of Stronghold or Bloomingdale. Nothing south of Channing is even looked at till you get to Rhode Island.
Again, just another example of a plan that really doesn't hinge on community representation at all.
Further, let's look at ANC5E. Why is Dianne Barnes writing letters of support for VMP without any support from the SCA, BCA or MAG? How is that in any way representative of the voice of the community? They are basing their community support on the opinion of communities that are a mile or more away but not on those who border the site.
MAG has asked for a few simple design changes (notably moving the south service court road
to the north of the towers) and still VMP offers lame excuses. Again, no intention to respond to the community's desires.
So in the end, you have a cozy relationship between gov't and developers that really is what this piece is talking about.
The malfeasance of the DC gov't is unfortunately not any interpretation...it is cold fact: The Gray scandal is only the latest chapter...before we had Kwame Brown, then Harry Thomas before that.... Marion Barry... how many more do we name? I think it's time the DC gov't proved that it is in fact a competent gov't that represents the people....the Washington Post sure doesn't think so....they call DC the most corrupt civic entity of all: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/govbeat/wp/2014/01/22/the-most-corrupt-states-in-america/
Todd, I strongly respect your opinion, and appreciate your efforts to get the best possible results for the community on this project. I don't argue that the city has been as responsive as it could be during the McMillan debate, or that it has has pressed the developers to be as responsive as they should be. Of course this is difficult when the voices coming from the community are as fractured as they have been.
I also don't argue for a moment that corruption,.. and downright incompetence, aren't problems in our city government. We have issues with individual politicians who seek personal gain, and with a system that tolerates corruption. Fortunately, the federal investigations that we point to as proof of corruption are also proof of some accountability. However, true accountability has to come from the voters, and unfortunately the people who go to the polls haven't shown integrity to be a priority. In fact, voter's distrust of the organs of government that prosecute corruption is one of the reasons that corrupt politicians get re-elected.
We don't have a system that is intentionally out to screw it's citizens, which is how some people paint it. There was a recent article (which, unfortunately I can't find today to reference) about voting patterns in DC that claims that protest groups include large percentages of young people who feel that the government does not represent their interests... and yet they don't vote. It claimed that the numbers of these non-voters with strong issue opinions were high enough that if they did vote consistently, they could radically change the government that they complain about. Like the voters who re-elect corrupt officials, they take for granted that the system is broken, and are more than happy to work around it or butt their heads against it rather than put in the effort to fix it. They ignore the fact that fighting against things, instead of for them, does not help our city in the long run or offer a better system to our children. Of course, if you participate in electing your government, then you hold responsibility for the outcomes in your city, and can't just rail against what happens from the outside.
Regarding the post that started this topic, creating an equivalency between Georgia taking away an active park for the development of a hotel to DC's plans that include a huge park with public amenities on a site that has not had public access for over 70 years IS downright disingenuous.
Hi Alex... Totally agree about people needing to vote and then take responsibility for their choices... and see that you are correct in that there isn't 100% similarity here. However, I really would like to see VMP and the gov't of DC demonstrate some good will to the people of our communities rather than just lip service and designs the disregard Stronghold and Bloomingdale while cowing only the gov't (HPRB and zoning commission). It would really help if they would act on those changes put forward in the MAG Community Benefits Agreement and figure out some real solutions to the traffic mess that this is going to cause.
It is nice to see a relatively civil discussion between two neighbors who disagree. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
One thing that I would like to add - while McMillan Reservoir Park Historic District cannot be enjoyed as a traditional park, it can be appreciated as open green space in an urban setting. I love to walk and drive around the area - enjoying the views of the Capitol, Washington Monument, Library of Congress, Catholic U, the reservoir and Howard U.... It is a great place to watch the changing of the seasons as the ivy colored silos green up in the spring and turn an amazing red in the fall. It is a lovely site for sunset and sunset viewing. I have never gone there to watch fireworks, but I assume that some people still do.
There is also nothing like profiting from the occasional tours of the site when one can actually experience the awe-inducing sand filtration cells and imagine how they could be re-purposed.
Not all parks are the same - they can be enjoyed for what they have to offer. McMillan reminds me of visiting the Pont du Gard in France - admiring the setting as well as the engineering feat that delivered water to the citizens.
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