PRESS RELEASE
October 6, 2021
Save McMillan Action Coalition
Contact: Linwood Norman, smac.dc@gmail.com
202-656-3012
McMillan Park Supporters Demand City Council to Repeal Mendelson’s Misleading Action Allowing Park Demolition
Demolition Now Underway Despite Threat of Asbestos Contamination — Several Court Cases Still Active
Supporters of McMillan Park are urgently demanding that City Council repeal a budget amendment spearheaded by Council Chair Phil Mendelson that is now being used for demolition of the park.
“Councilmember Mendelson has defrauded his constituents about McMillan by saying this amendment won’t affect the court cases. In reality, it has already done that. The public should be greatly concerned about the potential threat of asbestos contamination of the area’s air quality and nearby reservoir,” said Peter Stebbins, lead petitioner in one of the McMillan court cases.
“City regulators show no proof of conducting an environmental assessment nor an asbestos abatement plan at the park, though demolition has resumed there. Concerned citizens should immediately contact their Councilmember to repeal Mendelson’s misleading action.”
McMillan Park supporters have challenged the demolition of the historic concrete structures at the park in part because experts have testified in court there is a strong likelihood that asbestos exists in concrete at the site and that during excavation, asbestos fibers would be plumed into the air and nearby DC water supply.
When the amendment to the DC Budget Act 2022 was adopted in July, Mendelson sought to allay concerns by some councilmembers that his amendment could be viewed as exerting undue influence in the continuing court cases involving McMillan Park. Developers want to turn the 25-acre park into a mix of high-rise residential and commercial development.
At the time, Mendelson promised that the amendment was only to signal the Council’s aspiration for future development at McMillan Park, as proposed by the Mayor. Afterward, however, the Council’s amendment was used by the Office of Attorney General Karl Racine’s attorneys to convince the DC Court of Appeals to lift the stay of demolition to allow excavation machines back into McMillan Park, which quickly began earlier this week.
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