A Troubling Turn in Takoma Park

This is a very troubling turn of events. The Takoma Park City Council voted unanimously to reject this plan. The project in question, if it were eventually approved, is poised to promote racial and economic segregation, hurt the environment, worsen traffic problems at the junction, undermine local businesses and further polarize the community.

What’s more, the Neighborhood Development Company hasn’t acted in good faith. And, it bullied both the city of Takoma Park and the Takoma Park Silver Spring Co-op, an exemplary Takoma institution. Community members aren’t going to forget about NDC’s aggressive and divisive actions.

Development at Takoma Junction is needed; there’s no question about that. However, it’s imperative that the current plan and the current developer be discarded without delay.

*This is the original version of a letter that will run in tomorrow’s Washington Post. The letter was posted online at about 4.30pm today. At around 7pm, some changes were made to the letter without my knowledge.