FOMP: Join us at the D.C. Court of Appeals on Wednesday, October 17th at 9:30am

Dear Friends of McMillan Park,  
          On Wednesday, October 17th at 9:30am the Friends of McMillan Park will present oral arguments before a panel of judges of the D.C. Court of Appeals, appealing the preservation component of the McMillan case, following a decision by the city that would allow demolition as early as the fall or winter of 2018.  

        We have asked that the court expedite a review of the recent decision by the Mayor's Agent for Historic Preservation that would permit demolition of the site very soon.  This is the reason why we have separated the preservation component of this case from the zoning component, which will come later. The court overruled and remanded both the preservation and the zoning components of the case in December 2016. 

           There are three cases on the docket before the court that day, and we're number two, though that order could change.  Ordinarily the judges allow a brief period of time for the attorneys for the parties in the case to present oral arguments, and then the judges ask some questions.  The public does not speak, only the judges and the attorneys for the parties.  After that, we wait for the court's decision, perhaps several months, and hope that we have made a favorable impression. 

           The D.C. Court of Appeals is located at 430 E St. NW, directly across the street from the Metro Judiciary Square Station, and is the building directly opposite the building where zoning and HPRB cases are heard.  There's construction going on around the courthouse, and we think the entrance right now is via the Indiana Ave. side of the building. There are two courtrooms used by the Court of Appeals and we do not know which of the two will be used on October 17th. But it's one or the other, not both. Just ask what room the Court of Appeals is meeting in that day. 

          Please join us!  The "court of public opinion" is important and we'd like to show the judges that we care by showing our presence.  For our previous court date, the audience was a sea of "Save McMillan Park" buttons, which one must presume made some impression.  

            And if you didn't catch it earlier, investigative reporter Jeffrey Anderson's recent article on the recent history of the McMillan case is a very good summary of where we are now and what this is all about: 
http://www.districtdig.com/2018/09/28/heads-in-the-sand/

Thank you for your continued interest and support,