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10/18 13:47 CDT Trump says he will close historic DC golf course for 15 months
of renovations
Trump says he will close historic DC golf course for 15 months of renovations
By MICHELLE L. PRICE
Associated Press
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) --- President Donald Trump on Sunday announced plans
to close a historic public golf course in the nation's capital for 15 months
and redevelop it despite an ongoing court challenge to his long-sought
renovation.
Trump posted on social media about his intent to shutter the East Potomac Golf
Course, not far from the White House, starting Nov. 15 to make it "one of the
Best and Most Spectacular Golf Courses anywhere in the World."
A judge last week, however, ordered a halt to his redevelopment plans until at
least Oct. 26 after scolding the government for starting a large-scale tree
removal at the course over a holiday weekend while providing little notice to
the court or the plaintiffs trying to stop the makeover.
Trump did not acknowledge the legal fight in his post, which included an
artist's rendering for the course redesign.
"When completed, it will be open to the Public while, at the same time,
designed to the Highest Level of Golf and able to hold World Class Tournaments
such as the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship, the Ryder Cup, and the Presidents
Cup," Trump wrote.
Democracy Forward, which is representing the plaintiffs challenging his
renovation plans, responded by saying that the course is part of a national
park and recreation facility that is meant for everyone to enjoy.
"Our litigation is intended to protect this community jewel for the people and
communities it serves and we will continue to work with our plaintiffs to
defend it from unlawful and harmful intrusion," Skye Perryman, the president
and CEO of the group, said in a statement.
The judge in the case took notice of Trump's online message and ordered the
government to notify her by 8 p.m. EDT Sunday whether its position had changed
from a court filing Friday that said "at most" Trump has given "preliminary
thought" to the rebuilding plan and "there is no final agency action."
Capital makeover extends well beyond the fairways Trump, a golf aficionado who plays often, had already announced plans to makeover the links as part of his broader push to renovate and refurbish places around Washington, including the White House and the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Many of his projects, including plans for a huge ballroom at the White House, the installation of his own name on the Kennedy Center and construction of a massive arch, have been challenged in courts. The 106-year-old park and course has been the subject of many emergency hearings as the president has sought to renovate it. While it has been open to Washingtonians of all income levels, opponents of Trump's plans to turn it into a high-end course have argued it will alter the character of the space and make it less affordable to people. Trump in his post echoed arguments he has made to justify his plans to remake the Kennedy Center, arguing it is in such dangerous condition that it needs to close. "The current Course is old, broken, dilapidated, and of no further use or effect. It is in very poor condition, with falling, dangerous, and disease infested trees and, importantly, a collapsing and hazardous seawall," Trump wrote. Debris from the demolition of the White House East Wing to make way for his ballroom project has also been dumped on the grounds. The National Park Service has said the debris tested positive for lead, chromium and other toxic metals. Trump also sought to justify the National Park Service's removal of hundreds of trees that the judge paused, writing in his announcement that when the gold course was originally built, "it was famous for no trees, with views of Washington, D.C., for all to see, but now, it is completely overgrown, dysfunctional, and unsafe."
Legal case returns to court and the administration seeks to remove the judge Trump's post outlining a clear plan for construction complicates a federal court hearing scheduled for Monday in a lawsuit filed by the DC Preservation League and two golfers opposing the construction. U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes has ordered key members of the Republican administration to testify on the recent tree-cutting and whether those actions are tied to the president's plans for the historical public links. The administration on Friday asked for Reyes to be replaced on the case, questioning her impartiality and citing what it called "egregious" behavior from the bench in response to an emergency hearing Oct. 12. Her frustration boiled over in a three-hour hearing when she lambasted the government's attorney for the lack of notification she and the plaintiffs received before the trees were chopped down. At the upcoming hearing, the judge is expected to address the request that she step aside. Meanwhile, over the weekend the plaintiffs asked that she grant them a more long-standing preliminary injunction in the case and/or a stay. ___ Associated Press writer Gary Fields in Washington contributed to this report.
Capital makeover extends well beyond the fairways Trump, a golf aficionado who plays often, had already announced plans to makeover the links as part of his broader push to renovate and refurbish places around Washington, including the White House and the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Many of his projects, including plans for a huge ballroom at the White House, the installation of his own name on the Kennedy Center and construction of a massive arch, have been challenged in courts. The 106-year-old park and course has been the subject of many emergency hearings as the president has sought to renovate it. While it has been open to Washingtonians of all income levels, opponents of Trump's plans to turn it into a high-end course have argued it will alter the character of the space and make it less affordable to people. Trump in his post echoed arguments he has made to justify his plans to remake the Kennedy Center, arguing it is in such dangerous condition that it needs to close. "The current Course is old, broken, dilapidated, and of no further use or effect. It is in very poor condition, with falling, dangerous, and disease infested trees and, importantly, a collapsing and hazardous seawall," Trump wrote. Debris from the demolition of the White House East Wing to make way for his ballroom project has also been dumped on the grounds. The National Park Service has said the debris tested positive for lead, chromium and other toxic metals. Trump also sought to justify the National Park Service's removal of hundreds of trees that the judge paused, writing in his announcement that when the gold course was originally built, "it was famous for no trees, with views of Washington, D.C., for all to see, but now, it is completely overgrown, dysfunctional, and unsafe."
Legal case returns to court and the administration seeks to remove the judge Trump's post outlining a clear plan for construction complicates a federal court hearing scheduled for Monday in a lawsuit filed by the DC Preservation League and two golfers opposing the construction. U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes has ordered key members of the Republican administration to testify on the recent tree-cutting and whether those actions are tied to the president's plans for the historical public links. The administration on Friday asked for Reyes to be replaced on the case, questioning her impartiality and citing what it called "egregious" behavior from the bench in response to an emergency hearing Oct. 12. Her frustration boiled over in a three-hour hearing when she lambasted the government's attorney for the lack of notification she and the plaintiffs received before the trees were chopped down. At the upcoming hearing, the judge is expected to address the request that she step aside. Meanwhile, over the weekend the plaintiffs asked that she grant them a more long-standing preliminary injunction in the case and/or a stay. ___ Associated Press writer Gary Fields in Washington contributed to this report.
