My name is Rabbi Merkin.
I am the Headmaster of the Yeshiva of Greater Washington. Which is an educational institution located right next to the Kemp Mill Shopping center. 

Just (some) background - as a Rabbi I have spent many years studying Talmud and I am trained to question assumptions. It is a very wonderful assumption that this will reduce the traffic. Who says that? That is the first thing. In Judaism you assume it is A unless you know it is B and the burden of proof is on the other side, not on us, so to speak. That is number one. 

Number two, in terms of the affordable housing, which is a virtuous goal, without a question. But I question what the impact would be upon their present institutions. For example right now the Yeshiva Gedolah is undergoing a multimillion dollar expansion. The expansion emanated from natural growth, what will the influx be? Where will we have the room? What will the impact from an educational perspective be? And in terms of the physical space? What are we talking about? In my mind, there are a lot of unknowns.

There are a number of Jewish businesses in the Kemp Mill shopping center, which are lynched-benched to our community. What will happen to them? How many of them will be able to survive the amount of time they are not going to be able to be open? There are a lot of questions and from my perspective the burden of proof is to be able to understand it a lot better. What I submit to this board is to please take a deep dive. 

We need much more information to be able to understand its value because right now I would clearly vote against it. 

Thank you.