Here's what the staff have to say about next steps and schedules:
The community-stakeholder interview process, described at the June meeting, began in June and has been proceeding over the summer. A report from Kramer & Associates summarizing the results of the interviews is anticipated in September. The planning staff is currently in the process of scheduling the next town meeting for late September and establishing a schedule for the fall. At the September meeting the interview results will be presented along with a schedule and outline of next steps in the planning process. We will notify you via eNews and the Braddock web page as soon as the date and location for the next meeting are determined.
14 comments:
The summary is interesting in that each group seems completely disconnected from the other groups, like they just handpicked groups of people to attempt some kind of representation of diversity.
Its clear, for example, who Group 2 was. Its also clear that even with Group 2 in place, the overwhelming consensus was less density and less public housing, even with the City making some attempt to "manufacture" the outcome.
Group 2 mostly favored lower density. If you are suspicious of the group's reported viewpoint it was Andrew Bing, Kramer's Senior VP, who probably tilted the outcome.
His scribe was a Del Ray resident who favored building heights around the metro. Bing's a primary interviewer so we'll watch carefully for the interview summaries.
I thought the summary was fair. It's major weak point was it's failure to emphasize how important we felt it was to disperse public housing. In fact, everyone in my group (but for the people who didn't actually live in the neighborhood) listed that as their number 1 priority. Those who didn't live in the area were more concerned with traffic.
I am just trying to figure out where this line came from in Group 2:
"• Impact of new development on existing public housing"
Huh? I thought the ongoing 15 year issue in this neighborhood was the impact of existing public housing on new and existing development.
I'm relatively new to the area. It's clear that people agree that the ARHA public housing has a negative impact on the neighborhood and should be moved.
But what about the Carpenters Shelter? Do they have a history of being good neighbors to PG? Is the recent murder of one of its residents outside its front door an isolated incident, or has there been a history of problems there?
How does that figure into the Braddock Plan?
"But what about the Carpenters' Shelter?"
The Carpenters' Shelter doesn't sit between luxury lofts and condos. You don't see rows and rows of clothes hanging up to dry and garbage strewn everywhere. Plus, it's not ugly.
The Carpenter's Shelter predominantly houses women and their children. The shelter for single men is down on Eisenhower Avenue. The Carpenter's shelter does, however, have a daytime program for the homeless who do not want overnight accommodation but need a place to bathe, etc.
FYI, originally the Shelter was going to be sited on Duke Street but the Growler hears that Del Pepper fought that one.
The rationale for the shelter being located in our neighborhood is that this is where many of the homeless originally came from and where they gravitate back to.
"The Carpenters' Shelter doesn't sit between luxury lofts and condos."
It will be soon, with the upcoming development of Tony's Auto and the Jaguar Project.
"The Carpenter's shelter does, however, have a daytime program for the homeless who do not want overnight accommodation but need a place to bathe, etc."
If, in fact, the shelter expands as it hopes to do, then there will be far more single men using the shelter's daytime offerings. For example, like the guys who are murdering each other in the parking lot of the shelter. Not something I'm in favor of. Nor, I'm sure, will the new residents of the Jaguar project.
"FYI, originally the Shelter was going to be sited on Duke Street but the Growler hears that Del Pepper fought that one."
Tell me more... Was it NIMBYism or another rationale?
"The rationale for the shelter being located in our neighborhood is that this is where many of the homeless originally came from and where they gravitate back to."
Great - I thought the idea was to redistribute concentrated poverty. Putting the homeless shelter in the middle of the dense public housing only exacerbated (and continues to exacerbate) the problem. Didn't PG fight back? Would love to hear the history of this...
"FYI, originally the Shelter was going to be sited on Duke Street but the Growler hears that Del Pepper fought that one."
As I am sure she would fight a resiting of Adkins or Bland units....
It seems the only thing she cares about is the local neighborhood where she lives and the Potomac Yard Metro station.
Good luck getting her buy-in on Eisenhower or Landmark Resolution 830 resiting.
"The rationale for the shelter being located in our neighborhood is that this is where many of the homeless originally came from and where they gravitate back to. "
Maybe the Madison and 620 Payne sales agents can use this as part of their sales pitch:
"This is where all the city's public housing is concentrated and where all the homeless people come back to, since they know the area borders on near anarchy and chaos most summer nights and weekends."
I am sure they will sell tons of units with that pitch.
""The Carpenters' Shelter doesn't sit between luxury lofts and condos."
It will be soon, with the upcoming development of Tony's Auto and the Jaguar Project. "
In many discussions about the Plan, I get the sense people feel its a Fait Accompli that all these proposed developments will occur. As of right now, 1 development has been built. All the other proposals are nice to assume and discuss and debate, but the critical factor is that only 1 other project has made it through the nightmare that is the Planning Commission SUP process, and they are under no obligation to build anything (I am referring to 620 Payne). With the credit markets getting shakier and the housing market for condoes collapsing in many areas, I am not sure how its "in the bag" that any of this stuff even gets built.
Its like Artmels 1992 plan; it was supposed to bring all this change to the neighborhood. Where is it?
"It seems the only thing she cares about is the local neighborhood where she lives and the Potomac Yard Metro station."
If you're a newcomer (you must be to think this) you might be interested in knowing that Councilwoman (and former Vice-Mayor) Pepper has racked up a better attendance at ICCA and other neighborhood meetings than most alleged association members and residents in an attempt to keep ICCA somewhat honest. And certainly more than most of the rest of Council.
As someone who does a lot of work behind the scenes I have found her to be responsive, active and helpful. I hope to high heaven that she continues, although sadly she is only one voice on Council (and not a Del Ray mafioso) when PG needs so much more.
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