survey<\/a> conducted by the advisory neighborhood commissions (anc) in 2016 that revealed that 647 out of 814 subjects polled preferred the bruce monroe park be used for a \u201cpark\u201d \u2013 431 preferred \u201cpublic uses\u201d and 455 disliked \u201ccommercial\/residential development.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\npoe expressed that this survey was misleading and provided more opportunities for respondents to pick what kind of \u201cdevelopment\u201d they preferred.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
tamika mcpherson and her dog doodle in their third-floor apartment in park morton. they have lived here for 15 years. she recently purchased her air conditioning unit because of the heat this summer. she is still waiting on a voucher and hopes she will be allowed to live in the new park morton units. \u201c[park morton] has a long history. and people like me want to live around it. you know, people, people like me want to really, really survive,\u201d mcpherson said. \u201cbut if i can’t afford where i live, i don’t want them to push me out. you know, i’m a washingtonian. don’t push me out.\u201d (eva chillura)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\u201cthe park is getting ready to be, partially, i should say, disposed of because our councilwoman breanne nadeau\u2026 decided without any community feedback that this was going to be the replacement area for park morton apartments,\u201d high said.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\nthe councilwoman denied an interview request about park morton and bruce monroe. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201ci almost feel like housing has betrayed us,\u201d high said. \u201cit’s like a magic trick when the magician gets you to watch one hand while he slights the other.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\nshe is now forced to pick between preserving a sustainable green space or new housing for the displaced park morton residents \u2013 at least one third of them, as only 33% of the new development would be housing for previous public housing residents, she said. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201ci used to be a pessimist, but now i’m an optimist,\u201d high said. \u201ci see that when you grind your heels in, you can really get something done. something has to give. something has to give.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
marc poe attending to the bruce monroe park’s beehives oct. 8. (andrea pedemonte)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\npoe is involved with the two lawsuits against the city in the dc court of appeals to preserve bruce morton park as a green space and prevent the city from moving forward with the development. one of the lawsuits succeeded in 2016 which resulted in the court of appeals requiring the developers to \u201cvacate and be remanded,\u201d poe said. starting in 2021, poe is now appealing the \u201ccomprehensive plan\u201d order.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cwhen they did a survey of what was going to stay a park and what was going to be developed, they conveniently took over another 500 square feet of space for them,\u201d poe said. \u201cit’s not much, [but] it says it should be exact.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\nthe new order from the city has tried to redefine what this development would mean for the replacement units of the residents in park morton. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cwhere [high] used to live, they had two bedroom apartments,\u201d poe said. \u201cthey could call it a housing unit. so they’re replacing a house \u2013 a two bedroom housing unit \u2013 with a studio\/one bedroom housing unit because they’re both one for one replacement is what they call it. so it’s bullshit.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\nthe appeal moves forward to oral arguments nov. 8 of 2023. meanwhile, the state of park morton, bruce monroe park and the community that they serve is stuck in this period of waiting.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
the current residential development project under construction oct. 5. this is where high\u2019s building used to be 10 months ago. (andrea pedemonte)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201chope is like a hot air balloon, right? it takes a while for your hope to take off. because there’s always some resistance,\u201d high said. \u201cbut when it gets up there, it’s something. as long as you’re floating \u2013 meaning fighting \u2013 being part of your active community, helping with something that matters to the people, there’s always going to be hope. that balloon will float on for a long time.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n