www.keepdupontgreen.org is the official website for
Dupont East Civic Action Assocation
a 501(c)3 educational corporation
dedicated to community engagement and civic action
Join the neighborhood discussion and action forum, HearUsNow!
to join HearUsNow, contact Nick DelleDonne, 703 929 6656
Dupont East Civic Action Association (DECAA) is also on YouTube. Subscribe to our channel, here https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCd5VKFR6epUB6eZxFkfZJZA
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Some current DECAA project updates
Masonic Temple Construction Protest
April 1 2023. from Ed Hanlon.
STOP WORK ORDER STAYS IN EFFECT
Victory for the Community Over Greed
Thursday morning was another showdown with the Masons and Perseus over the
Masonic Temple Project.
On October 31, 2022, after more than 2 years of litigation, Judge Yvonne
Williams issued a declaratory judgment in the Masons’ case. Judge Williams
declared approximately half of all the land Perseus is constructing a new
luxury apartment building on is being illegally built on the site of the
Temple Historic Landmark. The Judge declared the landmark site extended more
than 100 ft behind the Temple, not less than 6 ft as the Masons claim. The
Judge declared the Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB) had violated
the Constitutional Rights of the Plaintiffs to Equal Protection under the
14th Amendment. The Judge vacated the previous approval HPRB had given the
Masons, issued an injunction forbidding all employees, and officials of the
DC government from relying in any way on that HPRB decision. In January
Judge Williams ordered the DC government to issue a STOP WORK ORDER, to stop
construction on that part of the luxury building within a 100 ft of the rear
of the Temple the Judge wrote “to prevent any further barriers to demolition
which may become necessary based on the outcome of related litigation now
pending before the Court of Appeals.”
Michael Hays did brilliant lawyering in the Superior Court.
So, (never say die) the Masons came up with a scheme to get around the
Judge’s October 31 Order and begin work again. (Perseus had intended to
finish construction in April). The Masons filed a ‘new’ Application with
HPRB’s to “amend” the landmark’s boundaries, even though nothing had changed
since Judge Williams’ decision last October, and then regurgitated all the
same facts and arguments Judge Williams had already rejected in her Orders.
The Masons thought the HPRB (which never met a big developer it didn’t like)
would rubber stamp the amendment, then Perseus would walk that over to Dept
of Buildings (DOB) the next morning, get the Stop Work Order lifted… happy
days here again for the Masons… The system is so corrupted by big money
and big developers.
HPRB was ready to do it until on Thursday morning, when I threatened to move
to hold the entire HPRB Board, and every one of its members, in contempt of
Court.
Michael Hays, Lance Salonia, our expert witness Professor Richard Striner,
brilliantly excoriated the entire HPRB. Iris Green excoriated both HPRB and
our own undemocratic ANC! It was a full court press invigorated with outrage
at the scheme the Masons were trying to get away with.
The Board members apparently got worried about possibility of being in
contempt of Court, went into an unexpected “Executive Session”in the middle
of the hearing (highly unusual), for a 45 minute huddle with their lawyer.
They came out and said while they were all prepared to approve the Masons’
request that day (OMG how surprising), BUT they had “concerns”, there were a
lot of “legal issues”, they weren’t lawyers, this was a highly unusual case,
they needed clarity from the Court of Appeals. One of the Board members
insisted that “due process” should be allowed to proceed in the Court of
Appeals (oral arguments are scheduled for late April), that they weren’t
trying to violate anyone’s “due process” rights. The entire Board then
voted unanimously to put off any action on the Masons request for 3 months
to “allow due process to go forward in the Court of Appeals”. A victory for
the little guys.
Thanks,
Ed
February 2023.
The City has issued a Stop Work Order directing the developer to cease all construction on the Masonic Temple Historic Landmark site. The Masons, the developer Perseus, the Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB), the Office of Planning all claimed the foot print of the Masonic Temple Historic Landmark site ended less than 6 feet behind the rear of the Temple. The Court declared the historic landmarked site extends more than 100 feet, not 6 feet, from the back of the Temple towards 15th Street. The city has filed an appeal to the DC Court of Appeals with oral argument possible in March or April.. click here for background information
Bike Lanes and Street Design
In a major victory for the Dupont East Civic Action Association (DECAA) and its attorney Ed Hanlon, DC’s Board of Ethics and Government Accountability (BEGA) ruled July 7 that WABA is a lobbying organization. It must register with the Ethics Board as a lobbyist and must publicly report quarterly its lobbying expenses and its contacts with DC government officials.
DECAA is the organizer of the city-wide Coalition on DDOT Bike Plans. Click /here/ for more about bike plans in at least 14 other DC neighborhoods.
PEOPLE WITH MOBILITY DISABILITIES SUE THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
FOR STREET REDESIGN VIOLATING ACCESSIBILITY LAWS click here to see information about this lawsuit. DECAA is a plaintiff in this suit.
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