Betsy,
- Pages 2 and 3 of the Report introduce the 2006 DC Comprehensive Plan guidelines for McMillan Park.
- Pages 3 and 4 of the Report outline a set of Preservation Principles for McMillan Park established by the DC Historic Preservation Office (HPO).
A smart approach for developing testimony is to outline why the proposed VMP plan fails to align with the Comprehensive Plan guidelines and/or the HPO preservation principles.
To clear the HPRB hurdle, VMP must first address all the HPRB concerns (and the people's concerns that we get onto the HPRB's radar/record via testimony). We expect that next week's hearing will result in the Board issuing a laundry list of concerns to VMP for them to take to the woodshed and work on for a month or so and then return for a follow-on hearing to present their proposed mitigations to the stated concerns.
Preservation of the underground cells comprises a paramount historic preservation concern. The man/machine/establishment/VMP asserts that it's too expensive to preserve the underground caverns, and they convinced the Staff Report to echo their assertion. Counter-testimony could assert that preserving the cells is indeed economically viable by providing, for example, cost estimates for the work and/or suggestions for economic activity that could thrive in the existing structures once they were preserved and restored to a certain degree.
Here's a summary of similar issues to focus on from the Report:
- Policy MC-2.6.1: "substantial contiguous portion of the site for recreation and open space" ... "connectivity to nearby open spaces such as the Armed Forces Retirement Home, should be achieved through site design"
- Policy MC-2.6.2: "explore the adaptive reuse of some of the underground cells" ... "Consideration should be given to monuments, memorials, and museums as part of the site design."
- Policy MC-2.6.3: "reduce parking, traffic, and noise impacts on the community" ... "improve transportation options to the site and surrounding neighborhood" ... "increase connectivity between Northwest and Northeast neighborhoods"
- Policy MC-2.6.4: "Be responsive to community needs and concerns in reuse planning"
- Policy MC-2.6.5: "maintain viewsheds and vistas and be situated in a way that minimizes impacts on historic resources"
- Preservation Principle 2: "strong sense of the property's park-like character (which is distinctly different from its surroundings) should be maintained"
- Preservation Principle 4: "The North Capitol frontage of the park should include a substantially scaled public entrance."
- etc
Appearing in person will have a bigger instantaneous impact although submitting written testimony is a big help in "building the record" that the Mayor's Agent will eventually evaluate in a more hardcore court-like hearing sometime this Fall or later.
The more design iterations HPRB requests, the more we slow down the VMP train. We should do our best to delay the process until the Mayor goes to jail and we get a real crack at doing something monumental at McMillan Park.
VMP got HPO on board with their assertions by telling HPO that the community was completely on board with the proposed VMP plan. HPRB was very surprised to learn at the 24 May HPRB hearing (that got postponed) that there was a significant amount of (or maybe even any) unreadiness in the community. We need to deliver as much testimony as possible to build a voluminous record of community concern to underscore the resolutions of opposition placed onto the record by all the Civic Associations surrounding McMillan Park. I've attached the Bloomingdale Civic Association resolution here as a reference along with a copy of Council Chairman Mendelson's letter of opposition.
Please include in your testimony an appeal to the Board for fresh eyes / a new project team. One easy justification would be VMP's failure to comply with Policy MC-2.6.4 through their failure to modify the design in response to community input.
Thank you,
Hugh
On Sat, Jul 7, 2012 at 3:04 PM, Commissioner Youngblood <anc5c03@gmail.com> wrote:
Betsy,Our advisor at the National Trust for Historic Preservation encourages us to focus our testimony around the 'Preservation Issues' identified in the HPRB Staff Report.I'll find a copy of that report now and forward it along with a pointer to the issues on which we should focus.Thank you,Hugh--On Sat, Jul 7, 2012 at 11:17 AM, Betsy McDaniel <bloomingdame@gmail.com> wrote:
Hugh, or anyone else-A woman, whose name I didn't get, spoke to me after one of the McMillan meetings and said that once a plan gets by HPRB, there is no stopping it. Someone else (was it Rae Zapata?) said something similar at a BCA meeting.So, what should we say that can slow the train a little that is only related to historic? Even HPRB thinks it is wishful thinking to save all of the filtration structures. Think it was on the last notice for the earlier meeting about green space. Is that considered an historic issue? I guess it is since it is historically green? lolDoes anyone have any idea what will make the most impact - sending a written statement, or appearing at meeting? I wish I had a unique perspective, but I don't. But I do want to second someone else's statement.If they have lots of different ideas thrown at them, will they say - this needs more work and maybe some fresh eyes, or give up and say keep moving?I'll plan on attending.Thanks for all of your work on this. You, too, Mark and John (and whoever else is on this list).Betsy
On Sat, Jul 7, 2012 at 10:36 AM, Commissioner Youngblood <anc5c03@gmail.com> wrote:Thank you for your interest in McMillan Park. Your help is
needed to speak out for this historic area.
Please attend and/or testify at the Government of the
District of Columbia Historic Preservation Board hearing on
July 12 at 10AM where the proposed master plan for McMillan
Park will be reviewed. This is a very important hearing for
the future of McMillan and we need your support.
The location of the meeting is at: Office of Planning, 1100
4th Street, SW, Suite E650, Washington, D.C. 20024 (202)
442-8800. Hearing topic: Consideration of McMillan
Redevelopment.
The preservation review process ENCOURAGES PUBLIC
PARTICIPATION AND COMMENT on projects that impact historic
property or the surrounding neighborhood. Following the
applicants' presentation, the Board will ask for testimony
from the affected ANC, any organizations or individuals in
support, and organizations or individuals in opposition. Do
you feel that the current plans reflect good preservation
of this historic resource? What do you want to see
preserved at McMillan and why?
The HPRB is extremely interested in hearing the views of
the public. WRITTEN TESTIMONY received electronically by
the Historic Preservation Office by 12:00 noon on
Wednesday, July 11th, will be forwarded to the HPRB members
in advance of the meeting. Written testimony can also be
presented at the meeting to the Board; 12 copies should be
provided. If you provide written testimony in advance and
also intend to testify in person, the Board will ask that
you summarize your testimony. All correspondence should be
addressed to the Chairman, Historic Preservation Review
Board, Historic Preservation Office, 1100 4th Street, S.W.,
Room 650, Washington, DC 20024 or sent c/o Steve Callcott
at steve.callcott@dc.gov.
The HPRB concerns itself only with historical and
preservation issues. The Board, by the nature of its role,
cannot consider design, aesthetic, traffic, zoning, or
political issues.
This is a critical juncture in the process of deciding what
should happen at McMillan. Although we as citizens rarely
have a chance to directly affect a project like this, this
hearing on the 12th is one of those rare opportunities.
Please consider supporting a positive future for the
McMillan Sand Filtration Site.
Other ways to get involved:
- Join the Friends of McMillan Facebook page and group:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Friends-of-McMillan-Park/290238094364046?ref=ts- Follow @McMillanPark on Twitter:Visit our Website:http://friendsofmcmillan.org/
- Contact D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson (202
724-8064, 1350 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Suite 402,
Washington, DC 20004 <pmendelson@dccouncil.us>) and Mayor
Vincent C. Gray (<eom@dc.gov>, 202 727-6300, 1350
Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Suite 316, Washington, DC 20004) and
tell them that you want any development plans made more
open, with community input.
- Please sign our petition:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/RG8TZH8
Thank you from all of us at Friends of McMillan Park.
______________
Hugh YoungbloodANC, SMD 5C03
Hugh Youngblood
ANC, SMD 5C03
240.925.1079
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