Saturday, 22 April 2017

[WardFive] Re: [WARD5] Intowner condemns DC Govt actions on McMillan development

Hello Sir LeRoy,

I think an assumption that those who are not heard from are clueless and apathetic is a terrible assumption. While we may have a lot who are not informed or do not care enough to be informed or choose not to be involved even when they are informed, there are a lot of people just realize that is almost futile to fight our City Officials and their funders.

So many of the city officials and city workers want to make a difference but often times the difference stack is prioritized based on those who fund their campaigns, what the planners of the City would like done and what would get them re-elected...and our City workers just want to keep their jobs.

Think about the amount of time we humans lose in order to stop people from building on Brookland Green, Brookland Middle not owning Turkey Thicket, etc... Remember the overflow tank being installed for Bloomingdale...easiest solution but for years they avoided it because the residents were expendable and the city had their own long term plans...which did not involve keeping feces out of basements in Bloomingdale. Now it is being installed because "gentrification" is here. BTW -- I was blamed for wanting Golf in Schools because I was interested in Golf for my daughter who was 3 at the time .... like I need them to teach her anything -- couldn't be that I was simply interested in what was a best case approach for our kids ..applying a model that an entire industry is built on ...The National FIRST TEE Golf Program!  

Imagine, we had Spingarm School Cluster with Browne, Young and Phelps adjacent to a entire sports facility, land to build more spaces like a Olympic Swim Pool and enough public housing around to influence change for an entire community ..and a GOLF COURSE (FIRST BLACK GOLF COURSE..how historic) to teach our kids "life skills" (something First Tee focuses on) but our Officials couldn't see the Value in that Cluster location to create as one of the 1st School Clusters for our KIDS ... it was too much like right! 

SO I am not sure who is better off...those who fight for things but lose life's most precious commodity ... TIME!! I only wish I could get my time back because I feel so helpless in the fights we have partaken in ... whether we won or lost, WE LOST... and I can't get my time back. AND that's the saddest part of all of this ... 

The irony is that our City Officials talk about things like Statehood, Trump -- his Tax Returns and the litany of his issues, Racism, etc and yet they constantly do exactly the same to us. We are in an endless cycle of madness. Imagine ... we have a new Chancellor who reported that we somehow we are on target with a 75% graduation rate yet we have so many who are at a 20, 30, 40, 50 percent proficiency in Math and Reading! I don't know what math he is looking at but ....I tried to talk to him and he turned what I was saying to him not believing in a US and Them ... well "our kids" are the ones having the issues and Their Kids are not ...at least not in this city ... so it is about US (our kids) and Them (their kids) ....Not Us and Them as Human Beings!!!  

Now, every time I start thinking of being involved, I slap myself on my head. Isn't it amazing ...WE LIVE IN A CITY WHERE THE CITY OFFICIALS STILL ARE PART-TIME EMPLOYEES BUT YET RECEIVE $130,000 PLUS....AND OF COURSE, full time jobs elsewhere and/or benefits ....maybe a guaranteed job at a later date!! WE CAN'T even expect A SIMPLE DECISION TO MAKE THE COUNCIL MEMBER POSITION A FULL TIME POSITION...Isn't that SAD!! 

I keep saying that President Trump is not doing anything that our own local leaders aren't doing to us in some way or fashion --- he is just on a larger scale! I think that I am going to get a cup of coffee and take a ride on the Trolley sometime over the next week, get off at the end by Langston Golf Course ... But what do we know...I wish some of us mere humans had a brain! 

 -- Remember the Spiderman Story...Spiderman could have stopped the robber who killed his Uncle but stepped aside and let him go .. the ONLY reason I keep trying is that I hope and pray that a few could be helped so that less bullets find targets!! It could be me or my daughter or someone else or their child!! But what do I know...all I can say to those who try ... keep being a superhero...fight to prevent "Dark Money" from taking over as much as you are able to!! 

Rob Ramson



 

On Sat, Apr 22, 2017 at 9:29 PM, LeRoy hall <lema@rcn.com> wrote:
Here's the problem.  We who are the few informed, involved, fearless, outspoken, concerned green residents, voters and tax payers have to carry on our backs the clueless apathetic majority.    They are basically worthless to any grass roots efforts to maintain a good quality of life
against the Gentrification of our neighborhoods just to satisfy developer's profits and elected official's payoffs.   The mayor and council are not our friends.  If they were, they would give us the respect we deserve as voters in a democracy.  Instead, they exhibit an arrogant attitude as though we are their subjects rather than their bosses.   They have taken advantage of Gentrification to maneuver older homeowners out to invite newer more affluent home buyers in.
 
Examples:  McMillan Park – All the facts are against their push for VMP development. Over 7,000 signatures and overwhelming testimonies
against.     Streetcars -  This incompetent City Government has wasted over $200 million so far.  They have denigrated public school property for a car barn.      Soccer - They are about to give away millions more for a soccer stadium.     Seniors -  They passed legislation a few years ago to give a property tax exemption and reneged and changed it to a deferral.   Housing -  Lower income citizens are stagnating on a long waiting list while upscale apartments and condos proliferate.     Jobs -   Their only answer is a bunch of Walmarts.     
 
Trump is NOT our biggest problem.   
 
LeROY
          
 
From: Rob
Sent: Saturday, April 22, 2017 1:51 PM
Subject: Re: [WARD5] Intowner condemns DC Govt actions on McMillan development
 
Just a very dfficult pill to swallow that so many "exceptions" and circumventions have been pulled out of the approval bag without any encouragement by the developers or the "friends" of... Is it so difficult to believe that one ANC felt coerced, pushed, rushed,  feel uncomfortable?? Do you want us mere humans (non ANC) to believe that all was done on the up and up with ANC 5E, yet so obviously slick with everything else??
 
Come on now Debbie ... it was like the lady who testified in support of McMillan but was forced admit that thousands of dollars was funder by the development team to her organization...even though most of her organization's argument contradicts the developers proposed development.
 
Anyone who receives money from developers and is looking for future funding cannot be seen as credible supporters of a project ... unless that person also identifies the known overall flaws, corruption, tricks, deception, underhandness, irregularities etc of that has been deployed ...
 
Any ANC, former ANC, person involved in this development also has the obligation to disclose any such impropriety...if known or suspected....or that should also be punishible...not necessarily by the "Law", but at least by public opinion.
 
Is there anything which you would like to share that may have occurred or was this process completely without impropriety or attempt at impropriety??
 
Please share what you do know or experienced ... we need all the help to support our focus on maintining the historical integrity of the underground cells/architecture of McMillan and finally having our City fund a true fully Usable Green Space ... remember, all which is being proposed can be fulfilled by other planned and soon to be planned developments in the immediated 1 mile radius!!
 
Thanks,
 
Your friend (exercising my right to disagree with you),
 
Rob (smile)
 
 
 
 
On Apr 22, 2017 11:32 AM, "Debbie Steiner" <dlsmith112@msn.com> wrote:
Further, have you seen the letter? If not, you have no creditability regarding my comments.  If you were, at anytime involved or seen this type of malfeasance then say so.  
 
From: WARD5@yahoogroups.com <WARD5@yahoogroups.com> on behalf of Debbie Steiner DLSmith112@msn.com [WARD5] <WARD5@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Saturday, April 22, 2017 11:26:09 AM
To: Rob
Cc: LeRoy Hall; Guy Durant; Edward (12st Architect) Johnson; Ward 5 Google Groups; friends-of-mcmillan-park@googlegroups.com; ward5@yahoogroups.com; Blair; jy; Kirby Vining, Friends of McMillan Park

Subject: Re: [WARD5] Intowner condemns DC Govt actions on McMillan development
 
 
Let's be clear Mr. Ransom... you are not were you ever an ANC for 5E.  Further, I am putting the 'truth' out there.  So again... if the letter is suppose to be from a Commissioner from. ANC 5E, they are in serious trouble... PERIOD
 
From: Rob <indianrob@gmail.com>
Sent: Saturday, April 22, 2017 9:46:24 AM
To: Debbie Smith
Cc: LeRoy Hall; ward5@yahoogroups.com; Edward (12st Architect) Johnson; jy; Blair; Guy Durant; Ward 5 Google Groups; friends-of-mcmillan-park@googlegroups.com; Kirby Vining, Friends of McMillan Park
Subject: Re: [WARD5] Intowner condemns DC Govt actions on McMillan development
 
Good Morning,
 
All that I can say is WOW!!! Did you just attempt to convince the entire community that there was no pressure placed upon the ANC to take a vote .... and no relationship encouragement or other enticement utilized by the developers, city representatives, friends of, etc....
 
Unreal!!
 
While I was sleeping last night, did 5E just shift into a Utopian Society during that time that ANC 5E was involved with the McMillan development/developers? Seriously...
 
And now this "Trump" style approach of threatening a Lawsuit .... National Level approach to politics and "contracts" is not much different from our local approach level but yet we are so vocally upset with President Trump's approach!!
 
Hilarious....
 
Just so you are aware ... Zoning had to ask Office of Planning 3 to 4 times to further justify 901 Monroe ... and OP still couldn't do it...neither could Zoning. I will never be able to erase from my brain the Vice Chair admonishing OP for their inability to provide the Zoning commissioners proper validation to make the intent to approve an easier one. I actually felt bad for Steve .. representative from OP... who turned red in the face.
 
Anyways, as a supporter of smarter development and inclusive green/healthy approach to community development, it is sad to see that the awesome "green approach" report from our Mayor's Office yesterday still does not include a green approach to agriculture, recreation and lifestyle approach like McMillan could provide. There is absolutely no real parks, large enclosed recreational spaces, no real city agricultural space but yet our City touts "Green" from the rooftop of the Wilson Building!!
 
We don't all want to live in NOMA....it would be so nice for the City to be wrong in their current development approach just ONCE ... McMillan is just that place for our City to acquiesce!!
 
Rob Ramson
 
 
 
 
On Apr 22, 2017 7:50 AM, "Debbie Steiner" <dlsmith112@msn.com> wrote:
Referring to an ANC comments:  If the Commissioner who wrote this was from 5E, this is false.  And whoever decided to write the comments and take this route to defame the ANC 5E process is a lie and will be sued to the fullest extent of the law. 
 
 
From: WARD5@yahoogroups.com <WARD5@yahoogroups.com> on behalf of Daniel Wolkoff amglassart@yahoo.com [WARD5] <WARD5@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Friday, April 21, 2017 11:19:56 PM
To: Ward 5
Cc: Jackie Young; Guy Durant; LeRoy Hall; Phil and Marypat; Edward M.; Rob Ramson
Subject: [WARD5] Intowner condemns DC Govt actions on McMillan development
 
 
 Jason Klien, Attorney for McMillan Coalition for Sustainable Agriculture speaks at UDC Law School Forum on McMillan followed by questions and answers can be viewed starting at 55:13.]


It seems to me that the  Atty Genertal should now be prodded into action against VMP and EYA as the letter presents allegations of attempted bribery of a government official (ANC's)  This would appear to be a credible cause of action I believe, e.g.  Offers of emoluments with clear monetary value ..The AG could issue subpoena's, do discovery and bring down the entire house of cards ... Now, let's see just how INDEPENDENT our new AG really is !
jerome Peloquin
 
 
This message is also posted at the Bloomingdale Neighborhood blog: http://bloomingdaleneighborhood.blogspot.com/2017/04/intowner-mcmillan-park-redevelopment.html
 
McMillan Park Redevelopment Sinks Further into the Muck
Published: April 18th, 2017
By William G. Schulz*
http://intowner.com/2017/04/18/mcmillan-park-redevelopment-sinks-further-into-the-muck/
Accompanying images can be viewed in the April 2017 issue pdf
A series of early April filings with the DC Zoning Commission  raises the smell of corruption and levels of bureaucratic muck now surrounding — perhaps engulfing — the city's highly controversial plans to redevelop McMillan Park Reservoir, an historic site which spans the Bloomingdale and LeDroit Park neighborhoods just to the west of North Capitol Street and the seven-square block Stronghold neighborhood across North capitol in Northeast.
Through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, Friends of McMillan Park (FOMP) — the neighborhood organization long opposed to redevelopment of the site as planned by developers Vision McMillan Partners (VMP) — has produced more documentary evidence of credible allegations of malfeasance and bribery that the city has long kept buried.
The filings with the Zoning Commission are part of so-called "remand hearings" now being held in response to a DC Court of Appeals decision issued Dec. 28, 2016, that brought VMP's project to a screeching halt. As reported by The InTowner, in a unanimous decision by a three-judge pa nel the court vacated the commission's remapping and Planned Unit Development (PUD) decisions that were a greenlight for subdividing and redeveloping the 25-acre McMillan site. In fact, Mayor Muriel Bowser held a groundbreaking ceremony at the site just one day before release of the court's decision which effectively shut the project down once again.
One of the newly released documents, a June, 2011 letter to former Mayor Vincent Gray, from an anonymous ANC 5C commissioner, stated that the commissioners were "being bombarded and even bullied to take a vote on the McMillan development plan by MVP, particularly EYA [one of the developer partners that also includes Trammel Crow and Jared Lynch]. We have been offered gifts of money, meals and ball game tickets, etc. They have approached us with offers to help us in 'anything. . . . This is corruption and it comes at a time when the city is already under scrutiny. . . ."
The letter writer further stated, "I understand that McMillan has been a long time in the making, but it is not fair that we are being pushed to the point of being bullied to hurry up and vote of [sic] this."
Another letter uncovered through the FOIA process and filed by FOMP with the Zoning Commission strongly rebuts VMP and the city's conclusion that VMP's high-density development of the site is the only plan that can work:
"The demolition of 90% of the underground vaults, paired with new construction of buildings reaching up to 115 feet high, is not necessary," Paul Millstein, a vice president of local developer, Douglas Development Corporation, wrote to city officials in October 2014. "Proceeding with such a design would be destructive to the fabric of the land without just cause. The cost-reward implications to the community and to the District does not justify such a high-density development."
The DC Mayor's office and City Council have been repeatedly criticized for choosing VMP through a questionable, no-bid contract, and for also refusing to hear credible alternatives to VMP's radical redevelopment plan.
Kirby Vining of FOMP and the McMillan Park Advisory Group says he has information that the Mayor's office may be conducting an investigation of the criminal allegations made by the anonymous ANC commissioner to former Mayor Gray.
The McMillan project remains on an indefinite hold as the Zoning Commission tries to make its way through the list of remands from the Court of Appeals. Jason Klein, one of the attorneys who argued the case for FOMP and affiliated opposition parties, suggests that is a tall order.
"What the [court] said was not that what the Zoning Commission did was not allowed, but the way they went about it is illegal," Klein told a University of the District of Columbia Law School-hosted forum in late March. The Zoning Commission picked the policies that supported their plan and ignored the rest, Klein said. "The court said to the Commission, 'you can't just do whatever you want and give some willy-nilly justification after the fact.'"
Klein is skeptical that VMP's project will restart anytime soon. On its remand, the court made clear that a repeat of arguments in favor of the project won't cut it. Justifications for remapping and rezoning the McMillan site must be based on additional and sufficient evidence to sway the court. What's more, Klein said, any appeal of the DCCA ruling would have to go to the U.S. Supreme Court where it is unlikely to make it on to the high court's docket.
[Editor's note: Klein's forum talk,
followed by questions and answers can be viewed starting at 55:13.]
FOMP's Vining says he thinks the city, at this point, is holding public hearings to save face while city officials figu re out what to do next. The scheduled hearings are now stretching into late April and early May.
Klein didn't elaborate at the UDC Law School forum, but another critical portion of the court's ruling held that a designation by the so-called Mayor's Agent giving the McMillan site "special merit" status to allow higher density and height development as well as destruction of otherwise protected historic structures on the site, was not valid. Such special merit designations, the court ruled, must be justified with extensive documentation that the city ignored almost entirely. The VMP plan, for example, would mostly destroy the remnants of a 19th century engineering marvel — the old sand filtration units and underground caverns once used to purify the city's drinking water that in part gives the site its historic landmark status.
As a key to unlock all of the VMP project, the lack of a special merit designation forces VMP and the city into a complete do-over.
And now the documents made public by FOMP's efforts would seem to further undermine the city and the developer's increasingly shaky arguments, justifications, and legal contortions to allow them to subdivide the site, erect high-density office buildings, new housing and retail space while leaving the city with but a shadow of the original parkland for public use.
Still, it has begun to seem that nothing VMP and city officials do in relation to McMillan Park is too outrageous or scandalous to discredit the project or quell their determination to move forward. While city officials and VMP long ago stopped speaking to the media about the project, they have announced no plans to give up on or significantly recalibrate the project.
Years of reporting on the McMillan Park Reservoir redevelopment by The InTowner reveals the widespread and strenuous objections of city residents about the lengths officials are willing to go to see VMP's plan happen:
Using taxpayer dollars to hire a PR firm to discredit VMP's opponents; flouting open-hearing and competitive bidding laws to keep VMP — with little or no justification — as the development team; ignoring land use covenants that conveyed when the parkland was purchased by the city from the federal government some 30 years ago; and, perhaps worst of all, for all of those 30 years keeping the beauty and sweeping vistas of the McMillan Park Reservoir site off-limits to the public, and behind a strong, chain-link fence.
* Associate Editor William G. Schulz, a resident of Dupont Circle since the 1980s, has been a journalist specializing in science and investigative reporting for over 30 years.
 
 


Daniel Goldon Wolkoff
Adams Morgan Stained Glass
1231 Randolph Street, NE
Washington, DC 20017
Tel: 202-232-8391
www.adamsmorganstainedglass.com
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R. Ramson
1440 Newton Street, N.E.,
Washington D.C., 20017
202-438-5988

"We must become the change we want to see" - Mohandas Gandhi-
(Together, for a Brighter Tomorrow)

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