Casey Trees has reported that on March 18, Mayor Gray and Councilmember McDuffie announced a plan for the DC Department of General Services (DGS) to swap unused parcels of land in exchange for the Brookland Green site, owned by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). The move was in response to overwhelming community support to save the "Brookland Green," a parcel of land that is home to more than 20 mature trees and located adjacent to Brookland-CUA metro station's Kiss-And-Ride drop-off.
While many residents and businesses were open to portions of the land being developed, they were also concerned that too rapid of development in the neighborhood would come at the expense of green space, trees, and goals for their neighborhood. Councilmember McDuffie, the Brookland Neighborhood Civic Association, and Casey Trees have stood together in support of preserving the Brookland Green and its trees. Doing so helps the District achieve the goals embodied in the Mayor's Sustainable DC Plan, which set a 40% trees canopy goal and aims to have parks within a 10 minute walk of all residents.
Reported by Maisie Hughes, Director of Planning and Design, Casey Trees. For further information, see: http://issuu.com/caseytrees/docs/the_leaflet_april2014/2?e=2628843/7328112