A Lawsuit Seeks To Stop Trump's Overhaul Of A 100-year-old Public Golf Course In Washington

Two golfers successful Washington, D.C., person sued nan national authorities to effort to forestall nan Trump management from overhauling a much than 100-year-old nationalist play course, accusing nan management of violating biology laws and polluting a parkland that is connected nan National Register of Historic Places.

The suit, which besides claims nan management is violating a legislature enactment governing nan property, is nan latest successful a bid of ineligible battles challenging President Trump’s bonzer efforts to put his people connected nationalist spaces successful nan nation’s capital, including nan Kennedy Center for nan Performing Arts, which he ordered closed for renovation.

At nan extremity of past year, a group of preservationists revenge a akin suit seeking to forestall nan management from demolishing nan East Wing of nan White House successful bid to build a ballroom — a task estimated to costs $400 million.

Trump, an avid golfer, besides plans to renovate a subject play people conscionable extracurricular Washington that has been utilized for decades by past presidents.

The title revenge against nan Department of nan Interior connected Friday says that nan Trump administration’s reconstruction of East Potomac Park — which includes nan East Potomac Golf Course — would break nan legislature enactment that created nan parkland successful 1897. The enactment established nan parkland for nan “recreation and nan pleasance of nan people.”

The play people has been recognized connected nan National Register of Historic Places successful portion for its efforts to racially merge successful nan 1940s. Municipal play courses dress up only 18% of courses successful America.

“East Potomac Golf Links is simply a testament to what’s imaginable pinch nationalist onshore and why nationalist spaces matter,” said Washington resident and plaintiff Dave Roberts. “It deserves amended than becoming a dumping crushed for discarded and yet different backstage playground for nan privileged and powerful.”

The suit came aft nan Trump management successful December ended a lease statement nan nonprofit National Links Trust held for East Potomac and 2 different play courses successful Washington. The Interior Department said it did truthful because nan nonprofit hadn’t implemented required superior improvements and grounded to meet nan position of nan lease.

The Interior Department property agency said successful an email Friday that it doesn’t remark connected pending litigation, but that it would “ensure these courses are safe, beautiful, open, affordable, enjoyable and accessible for group visiting nan top superior metropolis successful nan world which is successful statement pinch President Trump’s agenda.”

The White House besides didn’t respond to an emailed petition for remark Friday evening.

Construction connected nan East Potomac people has already begun, according to nan lawsuit. In October, nan National Park Service began dumping debris from nan demolition of nan East Wing of nan White House onto nan play course, nan title said, raising concerns that nan materials could incorporate contaminants that could pollute nan air.

As a result, nan plaintiffs argued, nan management besides violated nan National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 by failing to see nan harmful biology impacts of nan project.

The National Links Trust said successful December it was “devastated” by nan determination to terminate nan lease and defended its guidance of nan courses.

The spot said that $8.5 cardinal had gone toward superior improvements astatine nan courses and that rounds played and gross had much than doubled successful its tenure managing nan courses. It besides said nan termination of nan lease jeopardized hundreds of section jobs.

The nonprofit has agreed to support managing nan courses for nan clip being, but semipermanent renovations will stop.

The first 18 holes of nan East Potomac Park Golf Course were built from 1918 to 1923.

Riddle writes for nan Associated Press. AP writer Audrey McAvoy successful Honolulu contributed to this report.