D.C. Council Member Tommy Wells said he’s not convinced that legislation proposed Tuesday to dissolve a District organization charged with the redevelopment of the Anacostia River’s waterfront is the best way to proceed.
Wells, D-Ward 6, said Friday he was surprised by Ward 2 Democratic Council Member Jack Evans’ proposal to dissolve the Anacostia Waterfront Corp., diverting its assets and governance back to the mayor’s office. The bill also seeks to dissolve the National Capital Revitalization Corp. in the same way as the AWC.
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Evans, who said he voted for the AWC’s creation, said Tuesday the agency has been too unresponsive to the council and has engaged in too much fighting over turf along with the NCRC to be effective.
“If somebody has an idea as to how to do this better,” Wells said Friday, “I’m open to listening.”
Wells campaigned in part on redeveloping the Anacostia’s waterfront into a walkable community for families, with green space, shops and restaurants. He said Friday he wondered whether putting Mayor Adrian Fenty’s administration in charge of redeveloping the waterfront now is prudent considering his desire to take over the District’s schools.
“That would put a tremendous amount of responsibility on the mayor to focus on the waterfront at the same time that he’s focusing on the schools and other things,” Wells said.
AWC Executive Director Adrian Washington said Friday that he had spoken with Evans about the legislation and knew to expect it. The AWC received a $5 million appropriation from the District for 2006 and has an operating budget of $7 million, Washington said.
Washington added he agreed with Fenty’s plan to do a review of his organization within the next 60 days and then make recommendations for its future based
on that.
“I hear what Council member Evans is saying, I take it very seriously,” Washington said. “I think like Council member Wells, we should examine it and fix it, not scrap it. … Remember, this is a 20-year effort. It’s a $10 billion plan. For our first year, it’s great progress but you’re really not going to see all the results right away.”
