Norton to Meet with Community on Tennis Tournaments at Carter Barron Park

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) will meet with Ward 4 residents who live near Carter Barron Park Tuesday, October 23, 2012, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Mosaic Church of the Nazarene (4401 16th Street NW),to discuss tennis tournaments held at the National Park Service (NPS) facility. Norton, along with Ward 4 Councilmember Muriel Bowser, Metropolitan Police Chief Cathy Lanier, National Park Service (NPS) Superintendant Tara Morrison, Washington Tennis Education Foundation Board member David Wilmot, Washington Tennis Education Foundation Program Manager Willis Thomas, and Lagardere Unlimited Director Jeffrey Newman, will listen to and address community concerns, including parking during tennis tournaments, flooding after the 2012 tournament, and the condition of the park after tournaments have ended.

"I first met separately with the community and NPS officials and received several commitments from the NPS. This evening, I want to bring all concerned into the same room for a constructive dialog to ensure that all the parties are satisfied," Norton said.

Just before Norton was elected, some members of Congress funded the tennis facility without consulting with the District government or the Ward 4 community. When Norton came to Congress, she insisted on an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), and after the appropriate safeguards were put in place, the community appeared satisfied. However, residents recently requested a meeting with the Congresswoman, where they questioned whether the NPS, the Washington Tennis Education Foundation, and Lagardere Unlimited, the sponsor of the tournament, are complying with the EIS Record of Decision.