Preservation Group Seeks to Delay East Potomac Park Closure
The plaintiffs request a 14-day order temporarily blocking the National Park Service’s planned closure of the park south of Buckeye Drive, including its golf course, or, in the alternative, a 14-day pause. They asked U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes to act before the closure date, arguing that it would advance President Donald Trump’s redevelopment plan without required environmental and historic preservation reviews.
The Park Service says the closure is needed because a seawall along the Potomac River is deteriorating and poses safety concerns. The plaintiffs dispute the need to close the entire area, arguing that fencing has been used around troubled sections and that the seawall problems have existed for years. They add that the government has yet to say when repair work will start.
The challenge concerns plans to replace the park’s three golf courses with a championship-format layout by Tom Fazio. The proposed redesign could also affect parts of Ohio Drive and Hains Point, areas where people bike, fish, picnic, run and walk, the plaintiffs say. They argue that closing the park could allow construction to begin before the public can weigh in on its environmental and historic effects.
On October 26, Reyes barred any additional felling of trees at the East Potomac Golf Course unless the court approves it and ordered the government to give 10 business days’ notice before making irreversible changes. Crews had removed about 430 trees earlier in October. Trump has said rebuilding would begin on November 15, with the redesigned course expected to reopen in about 15 months. The government says National Links Trust, the nonprofit operating the course, will stop operations by that date.
The government’s response to the emergency motion is due November 9, with the plaintiffs’ reply due November 10. Reyes scheduled a hearing for November 13, two days before the planned closure.
Court Challenge Seeks to Protect East Potomac Park From Premature Closure
The D.C. Preservation League and two local golfers are asking a judge to prevent the National Park Service from closing much of East Potomac Park before the legal challenge to President Donald Trump’s redevelopment plan is resolved. They seek a 14-day pause, saying the shutdown could clear the way for construction without environmental and historic preservation reviews.
The Park Service cites a deteriorating Potomac River seawall as a safety reason to close the section extending beyond Buckeye Drive to the golf course. The plaintiffs argue that a seawall problem does not justify closing the whole area: they say fencing has been used around troubled sections, the issues have persisted for years, and officials have not announced a repair schedule.
The stakes extend beyond golf. The proposed redesign would replace three existing courses with a championship-format layout by architect Tom Fazio, and could affect parts of Ohio Drive and Hains Point where people bike, fish, picnic, run and walk. The plaintiffs warn that closing the park could let construction proceed before the public can weigh in on its historic and environmental consequences.
Judge Ana Reyes has already ordered that no more trees be felled at the East Potomac Golf Course unless the court approves it and required 10 business days’ notice before irreversible changes. That October 26 order followed the removal of about 430 trees earlier in the month. Trump has said rebuilding would start November 15, with a reopening expected in about 15 months.
The government’s response is due November 9, and the plaintiffs’ reply November 10. A hearing is scheduled for November 13. The emergency motion puts the question plainly: whether a broad closure should precede the court’s review of the redevelopment.
Judge Asked to Block Seawall Safety Closure at East Potomac Park
The National Park Service intends to shut the section of East Potomac Park that lies beyond Buckeye Drive, golf course included, on November 15, citing danger from a deteriorating seawall along the Potomac River. The D.C. Preservation League and two local golfers want U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes to stop that closure for 14 days as their legal challenge proceeds.
The plaintiffs argue that closing the entire area is unnecessary, saying fencing has been placed around troubled sections and that the seawall problems have existed for years. They also point to the absence of an announced repair schedule. But their request would prevent the agency from carrying out its planned closure while the dispute over the park’s future continues.
The case is tied to President Donald Trump’s plan to replace the park’s three golf courses with a championship-format layout created by Tom Fazio. Trump has said rebuilding would begin on November 15 and that the course would reopen in about 15 months. The government has also said National Links Trust, the nonprofit currently operating the course, will stop operations there by the closure date.
The plaintiffs say the redevelopment could affect parts of Ohio Drive and Hains Point, where people take part in activities such as biking, fishing and walking, and argue that reviews should come before construction. Reyes’s October 26 order already bars additional tree removal at the golf course without court approval and requires 10 business days’ notice before irreversible changes. About 430 trees had been removed earlier in October.
The government must respond by November 9, and the plaintiffs may reply by November 10. Reyes will hear the emergency request on November 13, shortly before the Park Service’s planned closure.
Reported by MSNBC, WTOP, Newsweek.
