Building on the Metro...

I have had an extended e-conversation with a Takoma Park activist about the WMATA board of directors vote, tomorrow, about the land disposition agreement for the Takoma Park Metro site.

She says that they have an alternative proposal that called for preserving park land sure, but that they proposed a four story building with liner retail on the ground floor, structured parking, and at least two floors of dwelling units.

I said "how come that wasn't in Sunday's Post op-ed,"Metro Opens Doors (To Automobiles).") She said that the process of writing and getting the Post to agree to run the op-ed took 5 months, and that the Post didn't want to include any images or discussion of the alternative proposal.

Speaking of media, and governance generally, a big issue is how do alternative proposals get communicated, when "power" doesn't want to listen, and the "bearers of truth" have limited access?

My ur- value is deliberate civic engagement and small d democracy. (And this comes out in many meetings--as various city officials know--and the advocacy that I do, much of which I do not write about. )

This question of access and the communication of alternative viewpoints is one that I have considered for more than 20 years. In fact, decades ago I suggested that the Civic Index produced by the National Civic League somehow measure this, as part of the overall index of a community's "civic health."

WRT the land disposition agreement for tomorrow, she writes:

There has been tons of comment, numerous reports, all kinds of information on the Takoma Metro issue, and little or none of it has gone to the Board, especially the new chair. They have the sale of the land on the administrative agenda, which is a sort of consent agenda, to be voted with a block of other issues.

We've also recently learned that WMATA apparently does these joint development projects all the time where they don't make a dime in profit and end up putting money into it.

What's wrong with this picture?
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Lyric from "Metro," by Berlin.

I remember searching for the perfect words
I was hoping you might change your mind
I remember a soldier sleeping next to me
riding on the Metro