Zoning Commission Approves First Stage of McMillan PUD

• September 29, 2014
• 9 Comments

by Lark Turner

After years of debate, the Zoning Commission (ZC) has tentatively approved the first stage of a planned unit development (PUD) for the redevelopment of McMillan Sand Filtration Plant. In a 4-0 vote, the commission gave developer Vision McMillan Partners a two-year permission to move forward with the first stage of the PUD on Monday night, though final action won’t be taken until November.

The redevelopment plan for the 25-acre filtration site on the northern edge of Bloomingdale (map) includes a mix of townhouses and multi-family residential, office space, park space, a community center and retail, including a grocery store. The development team of Vision McMillan Partners (VMP) is made up of Jair Lynch, EYA, Trammell Crow, and architect Shalom Baranes.

Click to enlarge.

The ZC asked for more detailed information and guarantees on the transportation plan for the project as well as additional renderings and more information on a neighborhood benefits package.

Friends of McMillan, a neighbor group that has long opposed VMP’s development of the site, immediately issued a rebuke to the Zoning Commission and warned that they weren’t going away any time soon.

“Stay tuned for next steps from us,” the group wrote on Twitter. “This isn’t the end — just another step in the process for us.”

On October 6, the project will go before the mayor’s agent, which must provide approval before the redevelopment can move forward. You can read VMP’s pre-hearing statement here.

This article originally published at https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/zoning_commission_approves_first_stage_of_mcmillan_park_pud/9029

9 Comments

1. jaybee said at 1:42 pm on Tuesday September 30, 2014:
   Oh thank goodness, I was worried I was really worried Friends of McMillan was going to go away. My entertainment value would have dramatically declined.

1. Circle Thomas said at 2:35 pm on Tuesday September 30, 2014:
   When this project is finally completed in 2042, I look forward to seeing pictures of the sobbing faces of Friends of McMillan Water Filtration Site in front of it.

1. JQH3 said at 2:48 pm on Tuesday September 30, 2014:
   Would not be surprised if Fear of Modernity put out a "press release" stating that the ZC rejected the PUD and demanded that the site be immediately turned over to urban fish-farming. But really, can someone explain what this actually entails for the development? Does this mean it goes to Mayor's agent next, or what does the two-year PUD entail? When does building start?

1. monademarkpv said at 3:17 pm on Tuesday September 30, 2014:
   Thank God we are a step closer. FOM are no friends of McMillian. All FOM can do now is delay this, but in the end it is going to happen

1. Eponymous said at 4:00 pm on Tuesday September 30, 2014:
   So happy to hear that we're one step closer to something useful on that site. This is an important step to turning this dead zone in the center of D.C. into a lively part of the city that residents can actually enjoy! Now let's fast track the streetcar project, make the Brookland-Tenley line a reality, and add express bus lines on North Cap!

1. Fried Green Tomatoes said at 5:18 pm on Tuesday September 30, 2014:
   Next up: Friends of Fort Totten Trash Transfer Station, err... Park.

1. Daniel Wolkoff said at 4:57 am on Wednesday October 1, 2014:
   Tonight Canadian Broadcasting news program "As it Happens" reports from Canadian World Wildlife Fund,"half the worlds wildlife has died off in the last 40 years." We contribute to this Holocaust with massive environmentally destructive projects like Visionless McMillan Partners and the corruption of the DC government, a 52% drop in wildlife since 1970. We have more evidence of declining rates of wildlife populations dieing off faster than previously realized. GOBBLE UP DC , GOBBLE, GOBBLE, GOBBLE,BUILD, BUILD, BUILD,PAVE,PAVE,PAVE GOBBLE like hogs! Your arrogance doesn't exempt your behind from caring for the environment! Save McMillan Park, a community sustainable agriculture, food,nutrition and exercise hub. A Glen Echo historic art/educational campus, a Wolf Trap for concerts and performance, your choice?

1. Eric Schultz said at 2:21 pm on Wednesday October 1, 2014:
   I don't think that FOM has deleyed this process at all. In fact, they have only worked to improve the proposed development and have uncovered some of the developer's tricks, like billing the city for the campaign they established to quiet the opposition to this development. Don't forget that over 7000 people have signed a petition stating that they don't like this development. The promises from the developer are already starting to shift. They can't find a grocery store, so now they plan a retail store. This development should have been an open competition rather than the city just hiring a company to build office buildings. The list of issues with this development are too many to go into.

1. HouseguyDC said at 4:50 pm on Wednesday October 1, 2014:
   Yes...it could've been an open competition...but all the plans would have been about like this.