On Thursday, April 28, in Ward Eight, Washington DC, the District Dynamos surveyed the sudden demolition of the Washington Highlands Library.
Video of carnage in Ward Eight
This is a building that has served the community for more than fifty years. Chief Cooper came storming into the neighborhood proclaiming Ward Eight needs a new library -- a tear down and rebuild of the library for more than 15 million dollars.
In May 2009, Ward Eight residents saw DCPL's proposed new library design. The drawings were nearly complete, down to the bookshelves. Many residents despise this design and expressed as such at the May meeting and the last one hosted in June 2009. By then, DCPL had gone to the Commission on Fine Arts and gotten this Federal rubber stamp to build it.
Ward Eight ANC Commissioners felt their neighbors were left almost completely out of the picture and the public input process was entirely inadequate.
Four of five Ward Eight ANC Commissions, entire Commissions, representing more than fifty-thousand Ward Eight residents passed ANC resolutions asking DCPL to negotiate these plans in good faith with the ANC's.
DCPL ignored these offers of concern and meaningful engagement with a matter-of-right philosophy driving their
actions.
Unfortunately, DCPL's short-sighted process is now leaving local homeowners unsafe and feeling quite upset. DCPL gave residents, living around the library, one day's notice of the use of heavy machinery to tear out this old, heavy, steel and concrete behemoth.
ANC-8D had a meeting on Thursday, April 22, and noone from DCPL came to inform them of the demolition, despite the fact the library sits in ANC-8D and these Commissioners have been most interested in what happens to their library.
Other Ward Eight ANC Commissions didn't get any response from Chief Cooper or DCPL regarding their resolutions of concern. Individual Commissioners had to get little tidbits of information from DCPL at Board of Library Trustees meetings.
Now, the homeowners around the Washington Highlands library have been sadly surprised, waking up to pounding and vibrations. DCPL said they would do a pre-assessment orientation for all the homes on the hill behind the library. They did not do this.
The trail of broken promises continues, now endangering those around the library, as the old Washington Highlands is being broken up. The ANC's never got any written reports about the removal of asbestos and lead. The open pile of rubble is sending dust and debris into the air when brisk winds roll through. The vibrations going up the hill into the foundations of homes could be disastrous.
Who is going to protect these Ward Eight homeowners? The Dynamos want to know.
* See the timeline of events here.
* See why ANC's wanted to renovate the building here.
* See the ANC resolutions here.
LIBRARY
DYNAMOS