PR: McMillan Park Appeals Cases Survive OAG Karl Racine’s Request for Dismissal; Mayor Begins Park Demolition in Violation of Court Ruling

McMillan Park Appeals Cases Survive OAG Karl Racine's Request for Dismissal; Mayor Begins Park Demolition in Violation of Court Ruling

Washington, DC — On August 27, 2019, the DC Court of Appeals Acting Chief Judge, Stephen Glickman, denied DC's Office of Attorney General, Karl Racine's request to dismiss the appeals of several DC residents who have challenged the destruction of McMillan Park.  See attached order.

Melissa Peffers, Cynthia Carson, Daniel Wolkoff, Jerome Peloquin, Chris Otten, Linwood Norman, and James Fournier have been waiting for this decision since filing numerous replies in July in response to Racine's Motion to Dismiss the appeals. The Court denied Racine and has asked appellants for opening legal pleadings in the next month. If they do not submit an opening brief, the case will be dismissed.

"We can't understand DC planning officials on this one at all.  There are cities around the world preserving old beautiful industrial sites, restoring them, adaptively re-purposing them, and seeing them become successful public havens welcoming tourism, generous economic activity, and creative placemaking that brings social uplift for people of all backgrounds," said Chris Otten, longtime McMillan Park Supporter and member of Lincoln's Cottage Friends. "Here the waterworks are second to none in a fascinating subterranean aesthetic and the above ground sand bins and regulators that peer across grand vistas to all major landmarks in the city. It is an incomparable gem on the East Coast that the Mayor wants to throw in the trash just to build more expensive condos. We will fight this all the way!"