A Decision on McMillan Redevelopment Delayed Until September

• July 29, 2014
• 2 Comments

by Lark Turner

In a Zoning Commission hearing on Monday night about the plan to develop DC’s McMillan Sand Filtration Site, commissioners delayed a decision on the massive project until late September — but at least one commissioner indicated support for the plan as a whole.

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.

Commissioner Peter May wants to see the height of one of the project’s medical office buildings, which nears 130 feet tall, dropped to a more comfortable height of 110-115 feet, but expressed approval for the overall plan.

“It’s still going to be quite substantial. It’s not going to address the members of the neighborhood who are really concerned about the density of this project,” May said of the medical building. “If I understand them correctly, they’d like to see almost no development there, maybe a few townhouses at most. But that’s not really — I don’t think there’s a reason for us to decide that that very low level of density is the appropriate approach here. I think there are some really remarkable, wonderful things about this plan, and I think that overall the density makes sense.”

Commissioners also expressed concerns about what they said was Vision McMillan Partners’ nonspecific transportation plan, which needs to be expanded and detailed; its community benefits package; and the loading dock at the grocery store that’s planned for the development. Chairman Anthony Hood scheduled a limited hearing for the fall to give VMP time to respond to the commission’s requests. Hood was more cautious than May in his assessment of the project’s latest iteration, but much more positive than he was in the last hearing, when he told VMP he’d have no problem turning down the PUD.

“Our goal is to make it right,” Hood said last night.

The next hearing is scheduled for September 29.

This article originally published at http://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/zoning_commission_delays_mcmillan_decision_until_september/8794

2 Comments

1. Eric Schultz said at 7:29 pm on Wednesday July 30, 2014:
   During the zoning hearings, the developer specifically requested that a grocery store not be required as part of this development. The space could be used for any type of retail such as a BestBuy. The devloper has been trying to identlfy a grocer to commit to the space, but the developer has been unable to find one.

1. Daniel Wolkoff said at 8:30 am on Thursday July 31, 2014:
   McMillan is not "shuddered", our tax dollars are mis-used by our government who have fenced off OUR park for 30 years in blatant racial and economic class discrimination. Where is there a "shuddered" green space in upper NW? The VMP plan is so GOD awful and YES wrong and forced and too massive, and virtually everyone thinks it is hideous. The time for balance for the earth, in our environmental decisions is NOW! The people must re-gain control of govt. 20 DC officials, including the Zoning Commissioners, are in bed with destructive industries like VMP, and we can't afford this excess, carbon emitting, urban heat island, destruction of our public green-space. This city is not a democracy! Do you want illegal, unethical and disgusting, well,,, the Mayors deputy (DMPED) are buying community support with their Baltimore PR firm, Jamie Fontaine,,, attempting to subvert, and "neutralize opposition", and "create the appearance of community support".VMP is buying City Council support from the top lobbyists, The Carmen Group, that majority partner Trammel Crow is paying $10,000 a month INDEFINITELY!!!!! Urban Turf is a Real Estate rag, but our earth is more important than the hand that feeds you. Are you journalists or a big joke, why not tell the whole story of anti-democratic, unethical, and illegal things VMP has done including the $55,000 bribe to felon Harry "Tommy" Thomas Jr. that started this entire pathetic mess. No Dc taxpayer or voter, the OWNERS of McMillan ever gave consent to make this miserable plan on our land, and destroy our clean water and food security. When this dictatorship demolish the underground 20 acres, that is where sustainable agriculture could provide DC food security,,wake up Urban Turf, do you have children? McMillan Park is where your govt. officials want to pave over the green space, where they kept the public out of since 1986. The designated (sole-source developer) Vision McMillan Partners plan, is for 50 buildings, six private streets, 600 condos, two Medical Office Towers, an (as of yet untenanted grocery store with a lawn in front, McPark pretending to be a real park), a community center and 3000 parking spaces. An expected increase in traffic estimated at 20,000 cars per day on top of 30,000 already using N. Capitol daily. This last 25 acres is where, WE THE PEOPLE" must put our foot down, and kick out this corporate/govt. corrupt scheme! We demand historic preservation and a 25 acre park. We demand world class adaptive re-use of 20 acres of underground galleries for concepts as bizarre as growing enough vegetables to make DC food secure, and not dependent on trucks bringing produce from drought areas of California or Mexico, and Florida. Preserving a 105 year old, proven, safe water filtration system that can be a critical emergency life saver, as a crisis or natural disaster can strike at any time. Other strange concepts like a family arts/cultural/performance campus come from us the people, we own it! We see Bethesda and the Maryland provide an actual family educational campus in a historic restoration called Glen Echo. The idea of a National Park like concert stage modeled after Wolf Trap, or Great Meadow in New York's Central Park, are needed by the community, as DC music lovers would be able to walk to shows and festivals, movies, opera, and symphony out doors while enjoying family picnics. Children would have a safe 25 acre bike and play area instead of asphalt school yards and the street.Central Park was literally saved in the 1970's by a public/private park conservancy, and we can do the same, just kick pout VMP neighbors! THE TIME TO FIGHT THIS ENVIRONMENTAL DESTRUCTION OF OUR LAND, our neighborhoods, our city, IS RIGHT NOW, JOIN US! COME ON DC,for our families,our children and grandchildren,, WE HAVE TO END THIS CORRUPT, SHAMEFUL CRIME NOW!!INDICT GRAY, STOP BOWSER!REJECT VMP! www.friends of mcmillan.org McMillan Coalition for Sustainable agriculture