{"id":2914,"date":"2021-12-09T16:52:31","date_gmt":"2021-12-09T16:52:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.dcfeedback.com\/fit2print\/?p=2914"},"modified":"2021-12-09T16:56:33","modified_gmt":"2021-12-09T16:56:33","slug":"emergency-motion-to-stay-construction-at-masonic-temple","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.dcfeedback.com\/fit2print\/dc\/2914","title":{"rendered":"Emergency Motion to Stay Construction at Masonic Temple"},"content":{"rendered":"<div dir=\"ltr\">\n<p class=\"gmail-paragraph\" style=\"margin:0in;vertical-align:baseline;font-size:12pt;font-family:\"Times New Roman\",serif\"><span class=\"gmail-normaltextrun\"><b><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(51,51,51)\">Immediate release: Thursday, Dec. 9, 2021<\/span><\/b><\/span><span class=\"eop\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(51,51,51)\">\u00a0<\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"gmail-paragraph\" style=\"margin:0in;vertical-align:baseline;font-size:12pt;font-family:\"Times New Roman\",serif\"><span class=\"gmail-normaltextrun\"><b><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(51,51,51)\">Contact:<\/span><\/b><\/span><span class=\"gmail-normaltextrun\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(51,51,51)\">\u202fNick\u00a0DelleDonne\u202f\u202f<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"gmail-paragraph\" style=\"margin:0in;vertical-align:baseline;font-size:12pt;font-family:\"Times New Roman\",serif\"><a href=\"mailto:delledonne.n@comcast.net\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"gmail-normaltextrun\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(60,97,170)\"><a href=\"mailto:delledonne.n@comcast.net\" >delledonne.n@comcast.net<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/a><span class=\"gmail-normaltextrun\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(51,51,51)\">\u202f, 703 929 6656<\/span><\/span><span class=\"eop\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(51,51,51)\">\u00a0<\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin:0in;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif\"><b><span style=\"font-size:16pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black\">\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin:0in;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif\"><b><span style=\"font-size:16pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black\">Emergency Motion to Stay Construction at Masonic Temple <\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin:0in;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin:0in;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black\">The proposed development at the Masonic Temple at 16<sup>th<\/sup> &amp; S Streets, NW, reached a new juncture Tuesday, Dec. 7, as the Dupont East Civic Action Association (DECAA) filed an emergency motion to stay construction. The motion was filed with the Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA) after the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) issued a construction permit. Until now, the Masons had only an excavation permit and have dug a hole 44 feet deep to accommodate two levels of garage and a two levels of subterranean luxury apartments, which are unheard of in DC and outlawed in New York City. The Masons and developer Perseus have 7 days to reply.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin:0in;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin:0in;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black\">Funded by Eagle Bank, Perseus continues work at the site even though the BZA has not yet determined whether the subdivision of the lot violates zoning regulations; and even while DECAA&#39;s appeal of the building permit is pending before BZA. A hearing is not scheduled until February 23.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin:0in;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin:0in;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black\">\u201cThe rear yard created by the subdivision is without any doubt a non-conforming rear yard in violation of zoning regulations,\u201d said DECAA attorney Ed Hanlon, \u201cbecause it contains a massive 11-foot-high stone wall (shown here).\u201d Zoning regulations prohibit a structure more than 4 feet high (other than a fence, a retaining wall or stairs) in a rear yard. Perseus claims the 11-foot granite wall is a fence. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin:0in;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin:0in;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black\">Perseus is rapidly proceeding with construction in an obvious attempt to build as much of the apartment building as fast as possible before the hearing in February in order to present BZA with a <i>fait accompli<\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin:0in;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin:0in;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black\">\u201cA stay of construction is necessary to preserve the status quo and BZA&#39;s ability to award meaningful relief, if it upholds our appeal and finds the subdivision and building permit invalid,\u201d Hanlon said. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin:0in;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif\"><span style=\"font-size:14pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin:0in;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif\"><span style=\"font-size:14pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"0\" height=\"0\" class=\"mailtrack-img\" alt=\"\" style=\"display:flex\" src=\"https:\/\/mailtrack.io\/trace\/mail\/c5e226301b1cf75f84458130ffe64110b940211c.png?u=7803408\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"postie-attachments\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.dcfeedback.com\/fit2print\/?attachment_id=2915\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.dcfeedback.com\/fit2print\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Masons-11-wall-in-BZA-emergency-stay-12-8-21-image003-300x247.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300px\" height=\"247px\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-2915\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.dcfeedback.com\/fit2print\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Masons-11-wall-in-BZA-emergency-stay-12-8-21-image003-300x247.png 300w, http:\/\/www.dcfeedback.com\/fit2print\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Masons-11-wall-in-BZA-emergency-stay-12-8-21-image003.png 553w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Immediate release: Thursday, Dec. 9, 2021\u00a0 Contact:\u202fNick\u00a0DelleDonne\u202f\u202f delledonne.n@comcast.net\u202f, 703 929 6656\u00a0 \u00a0 Emergency Motion to Stay Construction at Masonic Temple \u00a0 The proposed development at the Masonic Temple at 16th &amp; S Streets, NW, reached a new juncture Tuesday, Dec. 7, as the Dupont East Civic Action Association (DECAA) filed an emergency motion to stay [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2915,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2914","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dc"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.dcfeedback.com\/fit2print\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2914","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.dcfeedback.com\/fit2print\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.dcfeedback.com\/fit2print\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.dcfeedback.com\/fit2print\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.dcfeedback.com\/fit2print\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2914"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.dcfeedback.com\/fit2print\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2914\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.dcfeedback.com\/fit2print\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2915"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.dcfeedback.com\/fit2print\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2914"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.dcfeedback.com\/fit2print\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2914"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.dcfeedback.com\/fit2print\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2914"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}