WASHINGTON (7News) — Preservation groups asked a federal judge Saturday to immediately halt redevelopment plans at East Potomac Park, alleging federal officials are moving ahead with a sweeping golf course overhaul and tree removal project without completing required environmental and historic preservation reviews.
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The motion, filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. by the D.C. Preservation League and other plaintiffs, seeks an emergency status conference and a temporary stay or preliminary injunction blocking additional work at East Potomac Golf Course and surrounding parkland.
The plaintiffs said recent media reports indicated construction and tree-clearing could begin Monday as part of a major redevelopment project tied to a proposed “championship” golf course. Court filings cite fundraising materials that describe a “comprehensive redevelopment” of East Potomac Park and include renderings showing a redesigned golf complex extending across much of the existing park, including Hains Point.
According to the filings, the groups allege the project would dramatically alter or destroy portions of the historic East Potomac Park landscape, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its significance in landscape architecture and public recreation.
The lawsuit also challenges the dumping of approximately 37,000 cubic yards of debris and soil at the golf course site from the demolition of the White House East Wing project. Plaintiffs said recently released testing data showed elevated levels of contaminants, including lead, arsenic, mercury and petroleum-related compounds, in some samples.
The plaintiffs claim federal agencies violated the National Environmental Policy Act and the National Historic Preservation Act by advancing the redevelopment before conducting proper reviews. They also argue officials failed to adequately test the material before it was deposited at the park.
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The motion asks the court to block additional dumping, tree removal, land disturbance and further implementation of redevelopment plans while the lawsuit proceeds. Plaintiffs also requested that the court prevent the golf course from being closed during the legal challenge.
