District Of Columbia 2023-2024 Regular Session

District Of Columbia Council Bill B25-0839 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1
2	2
3	3	MURIEL BOWSER
4	4	MAYOR
5	5
6	6	June 6, 2024
7	7
8	8	The Honorable Phil Mendelson
9	9	Chairman
10	10	Council of the District of Columbia
11	11	John A. Wilson Building
12	12	1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 504
13	13	Washington, DC 20004
14	14
15	15	Dear Chairman Mendelson:
16	16
17	17	Enclosed for consideration and adoption by the Council of the District of Columbia is proposed
18	18	legislation entitled the “Reservoir Park Recreation Center Designation Emergency Declaration
19	19	Resolution of 2024”, the “Reservoir Park Recreation Center Designation Emergency Act of
20	20	2024”, the “Reservoir Park Recreation Center Designation Temporary Act of 2024”, and the
21	21	“Reservoir Park Recreation Center Designation Act of 2024”.
22	22
23	23	This legislation will officially designate the new park and recreation center at the site formerly
24	24	known as the McMillan Sand Filtration site located at North Capitol Street and Michigan
25	25	Avenue, NW, as the “Reservoir Park Recreation Center”. The 25-acre McMillan Sand Filtration
26	26	site is being redeveloped into a new mixed-use development, and a core component of the
27	27	redevelopment is the six-acre public park and recreation center with a pool, fitness center, open
28	28	green spaces, and meeting and gallery space for public use that will be designated by this
29	29	legislation.
30	30
31	31	The name “Reservoir Park Recreation Center” was selected to speak to the site’s long association
32	32	in the neighborhood with the adjacent water reservoir and the new name of the surrounding
33	33	neighborhood, Reservoir Park. On May 21, 2024, Advisory Neighborhood Commission 5E
34	34	voted 5-1-0 in support of naming the new park “McMillan Park Recreation Center”. However,
35	35	naming this site “Reservoir Park Recreation Center” rather than continuing the association with
36	36	the name McMillan is due to deliberative efforts to disassociate with the problematic history of
37	37	the former Senator James McMillan, for whom the site was renamed named after it had been
38	38	operating for several years.
39	39
40	40	While the District has benefited from Senator McMillan’s efforts that led to the creation of the
41	41	original water reservoir, today’s District cannot look past his troublesome record which harmed
42	42	thousands of minorities in the United States and its territories and that spurred additional pain,
43	43	economic loss, and racial inequities which we are still working to rectify today. The “City Beautiful” movement in the District, which he helped lead, also baked in segregation and
44	44	demolished African-American communities without building alternative housing.
45	45	We intend for the new park and recreation center to be open to the public in June. Approval of
46	46	the enclosed legislation will facilitate the installation of park signage before the park opens to the
47	47	public.
48	48
49	49	I urge the Council to take prompt and favorable action on the enclosed legislation.
50	50
51	51	Sincerely,
52	52
53	53
54	54	Muriel Bowser
55	55
56	56	Enclosure
57	57
58	58
59	59
60	60
61	61
62	62	~ 2{(p~
63	63	3 at the request of the Mayor
64	64	4
65	65	5
66	66	6 A BILL
67	67	7
68	68	8
69	69	9
70	70	10 IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
71	71	11
72	72	12
73	73	13
74	74	14
75	75	15 To officially designate, on an emergency basis, the park and recreation center located
76	76	in Lot 105
77	77	16
78	78	in Square 3128 as "Reservoir Park Recreation Center".
79	79	17
80	80	18 BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this
81	81	19 act may be cited as the "Reservoir Park Recreation Center Designation Emergency Act
82	82	of 2024".
83	83	20 Sec. 2. Pursuant to section 401 and 422 of the Street and Alley Closing and Acquisition
84	84	21 Procedures Act of 1982, effective March l 0, 1983 (D.C. Law 4-201; D.C. Official Code §§ 9-
85	85	22 204.0 l and 9-204.22), the Council designates the park and recreation center located in Lot 105 in
86	86	23 Square 3128 as "Reservoir Park Recreation Center".
87	87	24 Sec. 3. Fiscal impact statement.
88	88	25 The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement of the Chief Financial Officer as the fiscal
89	89	26 impact statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975,
90	90	27 approved October 16, 2006 (120 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code §1-301.47a).
91	91	28 Sec. 4 Effective date.
92	92	29 This act shall take effect following approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the
93	93	30 Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto), and shall remain in effect for no longer than
94	94	31 90 days, as provided for emergency acts of the Council of the District of Columbia in section 412(a) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act approved December 24, 1973 (87 Stat. 788; 32
95	95	D.C. Official Code §1- 204.12(a)). 33