For Immediate Release, Monday, October 6, 2014
McMillan Coalition for Sustainable Futures, 202-631-7292
At the end of September 2014, the DC Zoning Commission deliberated and made some initial decisions to approve two very controversial projects that would giveaway large tracts of public land to private developers and create “mixed-income” communities — Barry Farm & McMillan Park.
For McMillan Park, despite the hundreds of letters in opposition submitted to the zoning record by residents living nearby the 25 acres of public space, and despite expert review and conclusions that the traffic generated by the proposed project would cause significant congestion and pollution, Zoning Commissioners are ready to move the project forward. (1)
At the McMillan deliberation meeting held on September 29, 2014, Zoning Commission Chairman Anthony Hood, said (paraphrasing) “We will not be rushed, this project is too important for the community.” After a brief pause, but within the same stream of thought, Hood then chose to move a proposal that the Commission approve the PUD application, which was quickly adopted.
“The paradoxical behavior and capricious dismissal of the people of DC is astounding and appalling,” said Daniel Wolkoff, with McMillan Coalition for Sustainable Agriculture. “The Zoning Commission has never rejected any of these major projects for want of information and analysis, like McMillan, no matter how many lawyers, experts, and letters of opposition we bring to the table. It’s a process totally tilted in the developers favor.”
In Ward 8, the DC Housing Authority (DCHA) is applying to rebuild historical Barry Farm into a new community consisting of a majority of market-rate residential units. DCHA admitted that they have started the demolition application process and will disperse all current Barry Farm residents in one fell swoop, before the redevelopment may even be financed. (2)
At zoning hearings held earlier this summer, Chairman Hood was adamant about prioritizing “predictability” for the future of current Barry Farm residents, and he asked for a detailed plan in writing. But on September 18, 2014, DCHA returned with a document for the Commission which only pointed to a “a process” that would develop a relocation/return plan “in the future.” Despite no plan in writing, Hood seemed placated and Commissioners stated they were generally “satisfied” with DCHA’s proposed project.
“The rubber-stamp machine that is the DC Zoning Commission continues to let the longtime residents of the District of Columbia down,” stated Detrice Belt, Chair of the Barry Farm Tenant and Allies Association who won party status in the zoning case. She continued, “In a most harmful way, the unaccountable Zoning Commissioners support development at any cost and have never sought to protect the vulnerable families of Barry Farm or protect DC residents anywhere these corporate projects threaten displacement.”
The Zoning Commission has given initial approval to both the Barry Farm and McMillan Park PUD applications in the face of DC’s highest court, the DC Court of Appeals, recently vacating the 901 Monroe Street PUD, whereby the Zoning Commission ignored the “200-footers,” a group of directly affected Brookland residents. (3)
The Zoning Commission is now beginning to deliberate on 1,000 pages of proposed changes to DC’s entire zoning code book, called the DC Zoning Regulations Rewrite (ZRR) as proposed by the Office of Planning. (4)
If recent planning decisions regarding Barry Farm and McMillan Park are any measuring stick, then the fact that the Office of Planning has provided no science or data to support their myriad of proposed zoning changes, including the tripling the area of downtown DC, won’t mean a lick of difference to the Zoning Commission in their review of the highly controversial ZRR. (5)
Supporting Information:
[1] DC Zoning Commissioners may want to move forward on McMillan, but there are still administrative hurdles ahead. For example, today, Monday, October 6, 2014, the Mayor’s Agent under the Office of Planning will begin reviewing the proposed demolition of most of the historic artifacts at the McMillan site, including the antique waterworks and underground groin vaults.
[2] See DC Zoning Commission Case 14-02; Barry Farm PUD; 25+ acres of public land in Ward 8.
[3] See Washington Business Journal article dated September 11, 2014, “The Zoning Commission has never rejected a PUD application before, and it does have a tendency to adopt applicants’ draft orders nearly word-for-word.” http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/breaking_ground/2014/09/court-remands-brookland-project-to-zoning-panelin.html
[4] See DC Zoning Changes Network Press Release dated October 2, 2014, http://dczoningchanges.com/docs/2014_10_02_zrr_pr_deliberations.pdf
[5] See DC Office of Zoning Website, ZRR Deliberations, http://www.dcoz.dc.gov/news/2014/news092214.shtm