Third Church Wins Major Victory

The Dupont Circle ANC has been a fierce advocate for the Third Church of Christ, Scientist in its efforts to worship at a facility of its choosing that allows the church to serve its congregation and the community. The church is currently housed in a deteriorating Brutalist structure at the corner of 16th and I Streets, NW. For a decade now, the church has sought to tear down the building and rebuild a new structure that is more environmentally friendly, more inviting to the community, and which could house both worship services and a reading room for the church.

Preservationists in DC have actively sought to keep the structure intact, when its crumbling concrete and rusting steel have imposted a financial burden on the church that would literally have bankrupted the church.

On July 24, 2008, I represented the ANC before the Mayor's Agent hearing on whether the church could build a new structure on its land at 16th & I, NW. On May 13, the Mayor's Agent issued its decision, allowing the church to raze the existing structure and rebuild a new facility of its choosing, with advice and consent from the Office of Historic Preservation.

In issuing its decision, the Mayor's Agent relied heavily on the testimony I provided on behalf of the ANC. In part, the decision stated, "The Mayor’s Agent is required by D.C. Official Code §1.309(10) (2001) to give “great weight” to the issues and concerns of the affected Advisory Neighborhood Commission. In this case, ANC 2B submitted a written resolution in support of the Applicant’s request for a demolition permit on grounds that the church building did not meet HPA No. 08-141 the needs of the Applicant in fulfilling its religious mission and that maintenance of the building imposed an undue financial burden and hardship on the congregation. The Mayor’s Agent concurs with the ANC that the Applicant faces an undue economic hardship. As previously noted, the Mayor’s Agent is authorized in this proceeding only to make a determination on the application for a demolition permit and therefore declined to address the Applicant’s First Amendment claims also raised by the ANC."

This is the second time I've provided testimony on historic preservation issues that has resulted in a ruling adopting the ANC's position. Unfortunately, both of these instances have been adverse to preservation issues. I look forward, in the future, to working to preserve historic structures to the benefit of the entire community.