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McMillan Park: DC Court of Appeals Continues to Halt Demolition; Residents
Want DCRA to Put Safety First
Washington, DC -- On Friday, May 28, 2021, the DC Court of Appeals
issued a ruling on Mayor Bowser's request to allow demolition to begin at
McMillan Park, and the answer was no. DCCA Ruling attached below.
Citing issues around jurisdictional issues and other pending legal matters, the
Court has continued to halt the Mayor's huge redevelopment project at McMillan
Park (Michigan Ave & North Capitol St NW) until appeal issues are resolved
as to DCRA's "premature" issuance of permits to demolish the site.
"DCRA wants to put
safety last. We are talking about asbestos in the air and in DC's drinking
water supply," said Peter
Stebbins, spokesperson for the Save McMillan Action Coalition. Stebbins
rhetorically asked: "Even if you like the 2+ million square foot luxury
redevelopment with its 3,000 parking space-garage, a project that privatizes
and paves over some of the last green space in the area, shouldn't the
demolition be done safely?"
In support of keeping the demolition machines at bay, the DC Court of Appeals
ruled that the current injunction against demolition is continued indefinitely
while the appeals are pending. The Court said the so-called harm to not
start demolition now is “self-inflicted” by the city, and that continuing the
demolition injunction is presumptively in the public interest.
McMillan supporters will now move to written briefing demonstrating their
appeal issues regarding environmental & impacts, among other legal issues,
before the Court over the summer.
McMillan Park supporters also recently filed claims in Federal court concerning the longstanding restrictive covenants on the McMillan land deed and are awaiting trial to start on that as well.
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FMI :: www.SaveMcMillan.org
Daniel in brookland said...
ReplyDeleteDO BOTH!
I drove down North Capitol on Tuesday and thought the decking is a pretty un pleasant place for recreation, lined by automobiles and right over a busy major congested and polluted highway..Also how could Bloomingdale let the govt. corporate collusion "surplus and dispose" of 25 acre, once bucolic GREEN,McMillan Park,that the same government has BLIGHTED so badly, and tragically. What I believe is corruption, transferring our land and wealth to what I think is mediocre developers. Co-opting the name of Senator McMillan, and not even resurrecting the gorgeous Three Muses statue memorial fountain, or doing any waterworks, whats the story here, $$$$$ for corporate profit, not public good or needs. A super Market can be done a million ways. without holding us hostage.
SO DO BOTH, Save the Park, and build the decking and A SUPERMARKET, get decent properly planned mass transit out of this mediocre govt. TO SERVE North Capitol and the hospital centers, and Kiddies, the coming 81 ACRE Armed Forces Retirement Home's massive DEVELOPMENT with 5000 planned parking spaces on top of 3000 parking spaces planned for McMillan "Town Center" and GOOD LUCK for the future congestion coming your way.
You are hostages there, not citizens that own the park land!
McMillan Park 25 acres public green space could be great urban gardening reclamation project so we started Committee for the McMillan Park Conservancy to advocate the international trend for adaptive re-use of historic sites. We need a Central Park large scale for kids, and outdoor concert stage, Glen Echo arts and classes campus, even outdoor schools are the trend to resist covid. The 20 acre stable subterranean concrete structures are 14 feet in height, cool year round, preserving the waterworks is just wise, even as emergency shelter or clean water system to mitigate low flows of the Potomac. Already a beautiful hybrid park and city utility for many decades, the Olmsted landscaping can be restored, and outdoor recreation with sunset views of the monuments is sitting right there.The people of Washington own this 25 acre green-space, was enjoyed as the only integrated park by DC African-American community 1905 to 1941.
Please for your own health of your neighborhood join our
cause now, and also support the Federal law suit filed May 5 , as the GSA assigned covenants make the VMP plan illegal under Federal law. Daniel Goldon Wolkoff 202-232-8391 amglassart@yahoo.com www.savemcmillan.org
Thursday, June 17, 2021 2:06:00 PM