District Of Columbia 2023-2024 Regular Session

District Of Columbia Council Bill B25-0840 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.
OldNewDifferences
11
22
33 MURIEL BOWSER
44 MAYOR
55
66 June 6, 2024
77
88 The Honorable Phil Mendelson
99 Chairman
1010 Council of the District of Columbia
1111 John A. Wilson Building
1212 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 504
1313 Washington, DC 20004
1414
1515 Dear Chairman Mendelson:
1616
1717 Enclosed for consideration and adoption by the Council of the District of Columbia is proposed
1818 legislation entitled the “Reservoir Park Recreation Center Designation Emergency Declaration
1919 Resolution of 2024”, the “Reservoir Park Recreation Center Designation Emergency Act of
2020 2024”, the “Reservoir Park Recreation Center Designation Temporary Act of 2024”, and the
2121 “Reservoir Park Recreation Center Designation Act of 2024”.
2222
2323 This legislation will officially designate the new park and recreation center at the site formerly
2424 known as the McMillan Sand Filtration site located at North Capitol Street and Michigan
2525 Avenue, NW, as the “Reservoir Park Recreation Center”. The 25-acre McMillan Sand Filtration
2626 site is being redeveloped into a new mixed-use development, and a core component of the
2727 redevelopment is the six-acre public park and recreation center with a pool, fitness center, open
2828 green spaces, and meeting and gallery space for public use that will be designated by this
2929 legislation.
3030
3131 The name “Reservoir Park Recreation Center” was selected to speak to the site’s long association
3232 in the neighborhood with the adjacent water reservoir and the new name of the surrounding
3333 neighborhood, Reservoir Park. On May 21, 2024, Advisory Neighborhood Commission 5E
3434 voted 5-1-0 in support of naming the new park “McMillan Park Recreation Center”. However,
3535 naming this site “Reservoir Park Recreation Center” rather than continuing the association with
3636 the name McMillan is due to deliberative efforts to disassociate with the problematic history of
3737 the former Senator James McMillan, for whom the site was renamed named after it had been
3838 operating for several years.
3939
4040 While the District has benefited from Senator McMillan’s efforts that led to the creation of the
4141 original water reservoir, today’s District cannot look past his troublesome record which harmed
4242 thousands of minorities in the United States and its territories and that spurred additional pain,
4343 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
4444 demolished African-American communities without building alternative housing.
4545 We intend for the new park and recreation center to be open to the public in June. Approval of
4646 the enclosed legislation will facilitate the installation of park signage before the park opens to the
4747 public.
4848
4949 I urge the Council to take prompt and favorable action on the enclosed legislation.
5050
5151 Sincerely,
5252
5353
5454 Muriel Bowser
5555
5656 Enclosure
5757
5858
5959
6060
6161
6262 1
6363 2
6464 3
6565 4
6666 5
6767 6
6868 7
6969 8
7070 9
7171 10
7272 A BILL
7373 airman Phil Mendelson
7474 at the request of the Mayor
7575 11 IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
7676 12
7777 13
7878 14
7979 15
8080 16 To designate, on a temporary basis, the park and recreation center located in Lot 105 in Square
8181 17 3128
8282 as "Reservoir Park Recreation Center".
8383 18
8484 19 BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this
8585 20
8686 act may be cited as the "Reservo ir Park Recreation Center D esignation Temporary Act of 2024".
8787 21 Sec.
8888 2. Pursuant to section 401 and 422 of the Street and Alley Closing and Acquisition
8989 22 Procedures Act
9090 of 1982, effective March 10, 1983 (D.C. Law 4-201; D. C. Official Code§§ 9-
9191 23 204.01 and 9-204.22), the Council designates the park and recreation center located in Lot 105 in
9292 24 Square 3128
9393 as "Reservoir Park Recreation Center".
9494 25 Sec.
9595 3. Fiscal impact statement.
9696 26 The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement
9797 of the Chief Financial Officer as the
9898 27 impact statement required by section 4a
9999 of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975,
100100 28 approved October
101101 16, 2006 (120 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code §1-301.47a).
102102 29 Sec. 4 Effective date.
103103 30 (a) This act shall take effect following approval by the Mayor (or in the event
104104 of veto by
105105 31 the Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto), a 30-day period of congressional review
106106 32
107107 as provided in section 602( c )( 1) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 24, 1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Official Code §1- 206.02(c)(1)), and publication in the District of 33
108108 Columbia Register. 34
109109 (b) This act shall expire after 225 days of having taken effect. 35