Court Green Lights DECAA Lawsuit against Masonic Development
Court Green Lights DECAA Lawsuit against Masonic Development
The key event in this week’s double header hearings over the Masonic Temple development is the decision on Friday, September 27, by the Honorable Judge Yvonne Williams of the DC Superior Court to deny the city’s motion to stay discovery. It is the first of a series of dates scheduled in the lawsuit against the city filed by the newly organized Dupont East Civic Action Association (DECAA) against the development proposed by the Masonic Temple at 16th and S Streets, NW.
Judge Williams scheduled dates for the exchange of materials and setting a pretrial date in June next year. “This is a breakthrough for the whole community.” said Nick DelleDonne, president of DECAA, which filed the suit to stop the development of a five and a half story apartment building in a protected historic district, in the last open green space in East Dupont Circle.
“We have been blessed at every turn in this community struggle to stop an outrageous overdevelopment while the agency, which was established to protect our resources, panders to developers,” said DelleDonne in a reference to the Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB).
Appointed to the Court by President Barack Obama in 2011, Judge Williams did not rule on the DC Attorney General’s last minute motion to dismiss the law suit. DECAA is represented by the celebrated attorney Barry Coburn of the law firm Coburn and Greenbaum.
In a related case, on Thursday, September 26, in its fourth hearing regarding the Masonic development, HPRB overruled the testimony of a dozen neighbors protesting the development, and approved the subdivision of the lot, which technically will allow the developer to apply for construction permits. “DECAA asked for a continuance of the hearing pending resolution of the lawsuit, but to no avail,” DelleDonne said.
DelleDonne put out an appeal for neighbors to take part in the struggle, sign our petition, make a donation and join our Association for the betterment of the community. “We can win this fight if we stick together,” he said. “We do not want to look back in 30 years and say we did nothing.”
Visit DECAA’s website and sign our petition. www.KeepDupontGreen.org
Make a donation at www.GoFundMe.com/Keep-Dupont-Green