Chairman Mendelson and 
Committee Chairs McDuffie, Bonds, Nadeau.

On Wednesday November 25th, ANC1A’s Executive Committee sent a letter to city Council attempting to “qualify” the commissions support for the Park Morton Equity Plan (PMEP) and calls for development and racial equity the PMEP represents.  The Executive Committee’s letter is attached.

Below is my response to their letter:

The Park Morton Equity Plan (PMEP) Team is appreciative of the support provided for the PMEP “goals and objectives” by ANC1A with its October 14th resolution.   

As highlighted in the discussion leading up to the vote (video links below),  the resolution was drafted as a result of much debate and crafting working with 1A Commissioners.   Further, our team understood ANC1A’s support for the PMEP was “qualified” and to date neither myself nor other Equity team members have used the resolution in any context other than “qualified” support.

ANC 1A October 2020 Park Morton Q&A Session

Oct 5, 2020

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMUQiK_5VTY&list=PLP8hL8xi5dqy5kc_GaOGMvbOSqjGrw8Jj&index=1

October 14, 2020.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-Hhh-qhN30kekWuKyqtO1qrWVMzzjft-/view

ANC 1A October 2020 Meeting

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIdq3ZEZ5t8&list=PLP8hL8xi5dqyYX-IY31frre6LmgPOwKku&index=10

Any confusion, contradictions and conflicts with regards to the Commission’s  exercise of “great weight” in this matter is a result of ANC1A’s actions, not my advocacy for equity nor others in support Park Morton Equity Plan and development team accountability.  

Although the Park Morton Equity Team would love to have ANC1A’s 100% support for our PMEP efforts in its entirety as outlined in “An Equitable Way Forward”, we are more than satisfied with the ANC1A resolution passed on 10/14.   I was very proud of the courage shown by commissioners given the risks and pressures they faced politically and socially.  

The 1A resolution passed on 10/14 helped to give volume to the voices of a movement led by Black Women living in public housing calling for development and racial equity.   The resolution took a step in helping us to see these Women  not just as consumers of affordable housing, but in their full humanity as neighbors and partners who contribute to the future of our city.    NCI and other development policies in our city are not designed on a model of development and racial equity.   So these voices for equity, PMEP, cause fear and anxiety to those vested in current models such as Park Morton NCI which see these Women as mere consumers of affordable housing.  So even “qualified” ANC support for the PMEP is something to be proud of.

These Black Women with this added volume via the ANC’s support are now better able to make their own case.  I am humble and honored that they have allowed me to help.  In my life Black Women like these have stood up for me as I have struggled for equity in a society which fears it.  Again, I am honored to pay it back and lend my experiences to community development and politics to the effort.   I applaud ANC for staking a stand for development and racial equity via the PMEP.

The question of course is this volume loud enough for the Council to hear.   

Bill B23-0884 – the Bruce Monroe Extension of Disposition Authority Act of 2020

There should be little confusion, before the Council today is bill B23-884 and its merits or lack thereof.  B23-884 proposes to provide the Park Morton NCI lead developer The Community Builders, Inc. (TCB) with a second contract extension.  This time for an 5 additional years, although they have failed to achieve the primary goal of the original sole source contract, produce Build-First units to prevent Park Morton resident displacement during development. (Note the committee markup of the bill reduces the extension from 5 to 3 years).

Performance of Park View Community Partners (PVCP) led by TCB

 1. Park View Community Partners (PVCP) led by TCB has failed for the second time to meet their obligations under the original LDA as well their sister development agreement with the Housing Authority as NCI Master developer. In fact they have produced zero new units in 6 years and is responsible for a net lost of  more than negative 70 affordable units due to displacement of residents from units.

2. The primary purpose and foundation for award of the Bruce Monroe contract to PVCP  was to produce Park Morton NCI Build-First units at the Bruce Monroe site in a reasonable time frame to prevent resident displacement. This purpose is no longer achievable.  

3. The PUD which failed to withstand legal review, as well as,  failures to resolve zoning issues in a timely manner is largely the responsibility of TCB. As well, TCB has failed to develop an alternative which protected residents from these legal delays.

Since the Council has come back from Summer recess, TCB representatives have used their time before Council and project meetings to duck responsibility for their role in NCI failures, make excuses and point fingers at others in order to hold on to this project.   As much as the Equity Team would love to partner with TCB to achieve the “goals and objectives” of the PMEP, TCB as indicated time and time again that they are not up to the task.  So we ask,  and think it only fair, that they relinquish their role as lead Master Developer on Park Morton NCI. 

The time to make changes like adopting the PMEP and its “goals and objectives” is now as TCB’s contract expires.   

William