Robert Brannum, the current president of the Bloomingdale Civic Association, posted the following message to the Brookland listserv on September 10, 2009.
One sure way to mobilize a community on an issue is for governments to announce plans for massive development projects. Such is the case for the McMillan Sand Filtration Site (commonly referred to as McMillan Park). The McMillan Park lies in the northern part of the District aligning North Capital Street and Michigan Avenue in Ward 5 in the Bloomingdale and Stronghold communities.
Until the mid-1980's, the Army Corps of Engineers owned the site, which accommodated a massive slow sand and safe drinking water filtration system dating from the early days of the 20th century. The sand-filtration system was innovative and was the city’s first water-treatment facility. It was a big win for the people who advocated against chemical treatment. However, new water filtration technologies forced its closure in 1986.
In 1991, the D.C. Historic Preservation Review Board designated McMillan Park a Historic Landmark and nominated the site for the National Register of Historic Places. During the Corps of Engineers’ ownership, no commercial development of the Park occurred, and public access to the Park had been restricted since World War II when the Army erected a fence to guard against sabotage of the city's water supply. When the National Capital Planning Commission prepared the federal element of its first Comprehensive Plan in 1983, it included McMillan Park as among the "Parks, Open Space and Natural Features" of the city that "should be conserved and whose essential Open Space Character [be] maintained."
The Park's future became uncertain, though, in 1986 when the Corps of Engineers declared the property surplus and asked the General Services Administration to dispose of it. GSA iterated its position that open space was not the highest and best use of the property, and insisted on selling the property for mixed commercial development. (Source: 968 F2d 1283 McMillan Park Committee v. National Capital Planning Commission).
Fast-forwarding, the District of Columbia government purchased the site from the federal government in 1987 for $9.3M for development. The site has been vacant for over 20 years. There have been many community meetings and local government efforts to revitalize or develop the site without much success. As one who has attended many meetings, I always thought no matter how long it would take, in my lifetime something positive would rise at McMillan Park before a Barack Obama would be elected President of the United States.
The most current development plans with the support of Mayor Adrian Fenty are spearheaded by a development team led by EYA (in partnership with Jair Lynch Development Partners, StreetSense Inc., The Alexander Co., and Smoot & Urban Service Systems Corp). There are community residents who want the site with its historic silos and cells to be preserved as a 25-acre open space park, and there other residents who desire a mixed use residential and commercial development with a smaller open space and park component.
Regardless as to our personal views on what should be the future of McMillan Park, our passion should not get ahead of facts. Nor should we present alternative development proposals for McMillan Park when the hidden goal is not to develop McMillan Park. Those who oppose any development of McMillan Park and want to preserve it as a complete park have a right to that view and have a right to fight for their position. Those who feel there should be complete or smaller development have a right to express their views and fight for their position.
It is right all community residents have the opportunity for their voices to be heard on the future of McMillan. However, information from ALL sides should be accurate, up to date, and to the extent possible complete. If we are to demand honesty and respect from the government and developers, we must be honest and respectful with each other as neighbors.
I am beholding neither to any developer nor to any government official regarding McMillan Park. I have been a part of the Bloomingdale community all of my life. The house my family lives in is the home of my grandparents. It is the home where my mother and my aunt where were raised and were later married. I, as do so many of my neighbors, have a personal affinity for this community, and an understanding of the historic importance of McMillan Park. As a long-term resident of this community, I have fought to preserve McMillan Park’s legacy and to restore its beauty.
I do not see this as MY MCMILLAN, but rather OUR MCMILLAN. Let us hope, we as community residents can hear above all the noise to work together to see McMillan Park become alive again.
Your neighbor,
Robert
Robert Vinson Brannum
158 Adams Street, NW
President, Bloomingdale Civic Association, Inc.
