Eleanor Holmes Norton: “H.R. 5494 will transfer ownership of certain properties in the District from the National Park Service (NPS) to the…”

“H.R. 5494 will transfer ownership of certain properties in the District from the National Park Service (NPS) to the District of Columbia. NPS supports the transfer of these small, scattered properties. These isolated parcels are of no use to NPS, but can be useful for overall livability in the city. The District of Columbia is land-poor because the federal government owns much of the land here, and certainly the best located land. In fact, these transfers achieve a balance between the city and NPS, by addressing the city's growing need for land in a manner consistent with NPS's mission to protect parkland. These small parcels are scattered throughout the city and include a portion of the Marie H. Reed Community Learning Center, the old Meyer Elementary School site, the Shaw Junior High School recreational fields, the Southwest Library site, and a small traffic island at the intersection of North Capitol Street and Florida Avenue. The transfer of these small parcels will allow the District to develop recreational fields, encourage economic development and improve livability in the District of Columbia.”