Washingtonian: "DC's most contentious development battle is about to heat up"

Click on the link to read the * entire * Washingtonian article by staff writer Benjamin Freed.  

I have only included a wee bit here.

DC’s Most Contentious Development Battle Is About to Heat Up

Opponents of building a mixed-use development at the historic McMillan Sand Filtration Site say they're going to put up a "very emotional" fight.
By Benjamin Freed
Published May 1, 2014

A divisive real-estate battle will crank up to a new level Thursday night when the DC Zoning Commission begins hearings on the future of the McMillan Sand Filtration site, a decommissioned water treatment plant and former park, adjacent to the McMillan Reservoir, that is targeted for massive redevelopment.

Tonight’s hearing is the first of three on the 25-acre historic landmark, coming seven years after the District government awarded a consortium of development firms the rights to remake the parcel. But McMillan’s history as a civic park has riled nearby residents who hope to derail further gentrification in Northwest and Northeast DC.

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The Zoning Commission could asked for more modifications, but will most likely let the development go forward.

But before that happens, development buffs, historic preservation enthusiasts, real-estate reporters, and zoning commissioners may want to invest in earplugs. Vining’s members plan to show up to tonight’s hearing in force, and “those people may get very emotional,” he says.