I attended last night's Office of Planning meeting regarding the Florida Market (A.K.A. The Capital City Market). This meeting was the first of the phase two meetings (there are only two phases to the overall planning process). The process culminates in a report that OOP will release and submit to the Council in January. If the Council adopts the report it could become law and would then have teeth that would affect future development at the Market. I'd like to make several points with this post:
1. These meetings organized by OOP are very important. We should all make an effort to show up to them (turn out at last night's meeting was pretty low). The Office of Planning has turned out some pretty good presentations and you are missing out on a lot of good info if you skip these meetings. Last night there was another reference to a not really released (but referenced in the Post a few years back) comprehensive plan that included the Market. The reference was to possibly establishing a cooking school there that could train people for careers in the culinary arts. Mostly last nights meeting just focused on the sorts of uses people might like to see, where they might like to see those uses, and what that might realistically mean (examining factors like building height).
2. These meetings aren't about New Town, but they are inextricably linked to it. Many people seem confused about the New Town proposal, and how it fits in with the OOP efforts. The OOP stuff is a parallel effort that was funded because of the New Town legislation, but it isn't a part of New Town. The OOP process is totally non-binding, unless (and until) the council turns it into law. That said, going to the meetings is useful because you get a good look at what is in the Market now, what could be there, and what effects might result from making certain changes. It's also a chance to ask any questions you might have and to hear other people's opinions.
3. People don't know much about New Town. Here is the legislation. Read it (really). Some highlights:
a. The historic preservation language is ridiculously weak. The plan will preserve the orginal historic market buildings "unless it is found impractical to do so by the Developer and the Office of Planning." Sec. 3(o). Impractical? Not exactly a high bar there.
b. The reference to blight at 3(d) previously referenced "blight" as defined in DC Code
2-1219.01(6). The definition relates to triggers for eminent domain power. The legislation requires the approval of the owners of 50% of the land to progress to its later stages. This 50% seems to get mischaracterized a lot as being 50% of the land owners, which is not the same thing. Sec. 6. Section 7 requires the Mayor to obtain the Council's approval before exercising eminent domain. Also note that contrary to the suggestion of the language in 3(d), that "[t]he Market is becoming an attractive place for criminal activity, homeless
inhabitants," crime is not increasing, but rather declining in the Market. This passage used
to end with "and is detrimental to public safety, morals, or welfare," but I guess that part
got slashed.
c. The construction will take more than 5 years. Sec. 3(q).
6 comments:
I though New Town was dead in the water. What's going one with that?
I have to admit that I am far less gung ho about saving the market than a lot of other people here. As it is right now, the market is a derelict eyesore that quite frankly is rather unsanitary.
Just because it is old doesn't mean it is worth saving. I don't want to impose an extra burden on a property owner to redevelop the land because some pretentious hipsters want to preserve the gritty feel of the city.
Vino,
I think if you attend one of the meetings you'll find it nearlyu impossible to make tht pretentious hipster argument (few, if any, of the people there could possibly fit that description) with a straight face.
And, Choi doesn't own most of the land he wants to develop (we're not having a discussion about applying for historic status here). That's why he's asking the city to force the other owners to give up their land against their will.
I don't like the seizure of private property for a private purpose such as New Town but I think that the current owners have allowed those properties to become dilapidated and as they are now is an eyesore.
In the past, I've heard a lot of people complaining against the New Town proposal because it will turn the Market into something resembling Clarendon. I would welcome the Clarendonization of the area at this point if it would bring some safety and prosperity to the area.
I have a beef with the city as well as to the lax enforcement on run down and abandoned properties as well and the plethora of regulations and licenses which seem to discourage people from opening businesses here.
I'm afraid I have to agree with "in vino veritas".
AH (Area Homeowner)
I've got mixed feelings on this one.
Using eminent domain to acquire large parcels for a private development really bothers me.
But I also think the idea of the Market has been glamorized to a point that's a bit ridiculous and doesn't really match the reality of what is there. It is what it is - a mostly wholesale market with a few businesses that serve a local market (like the Italian place and a couple others) but most are not really local (unless you count junk tourist trinket wholesalers and such as local). How many of these businesses actually have any ties to the community or actually serve the community directly?
Maybe a nice compromise - develop part of the parcel and keep some of the warehouse stuff.
I do think the Market as is contributes to the lack of safety in the area. But, really, isn't that a police department responsibility? Can individual shop owners really be held responsible because neighborhood thugs run rampant in the neighborhood?
But I am a big believer in private property rights. So this is a tough one.
it's all about creating a win-win situation.
inked is right in saying that everybody should participate.
otherwise, we're all a bunch of spectators on the sidelines.
which means: it doesn't matter what you think, the folks that actually go to the meetings and voice their opinions are the folks that will help direct the futre of the market.
and there's no doubt that its future is going to be far different than it is now.
remember, the "florida market" used to be around where the Archives bldg. is now.
folks back then had ideas of using the property in other ways, and booted the farmer's market out to where it is now.
that same thing is going on now. history has this funny tendency of repeating itself.
right now, there really are better uses for that land.
and that's why we have all these meetings. to try and figure out the best usage of that real estate.
it's unsustainable in 2007.
this neighborhood is changing, and a farmer's market is better off elsewhere.
it's the way it is.
the issue is what to do with the land.
this city is becoming fairly dynamic. the market will not be what it is today when you walk there five years from now.
attend the meetings and give your input, whether you're of two minds or one.
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