Council rejects emergency exemption to Green Building Act for Ward 8 natatorium

The Council on Dec. 2 rejected an emergency declaration that would have exempted natatoriums in Ward 8 from certain Green Building Act (net‑zero) requirements, a measure introduced to try to ensure a pool is included in the Congress Heights Recreation Center project.

Councilmember Trayon White argued the measure was needed because residents had been waiting for the pool for years and faced shifting narratives from agencies about why a pool was not included. He framed the vote as correcting a broken process: "We're gonna go down our sword," he said, arguing the community had repeatedly asked for a pool.

Councilmember Lewis George and others pushed back, saying the project had been designed to meet net‑zero standards and that the Green Building Advisory Council had approved a net‑zero design earlier. Lewis George stressed budget implications and legal constraints on a $5 million net‑zero enhancement, saying, "The 5,000,000 cannot be used for anything other than net 0 infrastructure." Opponents warned that exempting natatoriums ward‑by‑ward would create a harmful citywide precedent.

A roll‑call vote was requested; the Secretary recorded 4 yeses, 7 noes, 1 present and 1 absent, and the Chair announced the emergency declaration failed. Members continued debate on related funding and reprogramming, and the sponsor later withdrew a separate disapproval resolution after extended discussion.

The failed emergency prevents an immediate statutory carve‑out to the Green Building Act for the Congress Heights project; Councilmembers said further work on funding, design, and citywide natatorium policy may continue in committee.