Politics & Government

Jack's Boathouse Pursuing Litigation Against NPS

The Georgetown waterfront fixture will file a complaint in US District Court this week.

Jack's Boathouse is taking its fight to maintain its right to operate a boat rental company at the Georgetown waterfront all the way to the United States District Court for the District of Columbia this week, according to the Washington City Paper.

The small business seeks to prevent the National Park Service from proceeding with its open bidding process for a new concession for the site.

NPS says it is only following its standard protocol for contracts on park property by pursuing a concession contract rather than renegotiating a lease with boathouse owner Paul Simkin.

Find out what's happening in Georgetownwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Interested in getting Georgetown Patch directly into your inbox each morning? Learn more about our daily newsletter.

Simkin and his attorney, Charles Camp, previously explained to Patch that they believe NPS may not have the right to the property and therefore NPS lacks the ability to issue a concession contract or end the business' lease. Camp believes NPS has taken certain actions that would cause the land to revert to the District of Columbia's ownership.

Find out what's happening in Georgetownwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"We believe that we have full jurisdiction of the Georgetown waterfront park," Jennifer Mummart, the acting NPS associate regional director for communications in the national capital region, told Patch last week.

Jack's had hoped the DC Attorney General's office would step in and potentially file suit over the land. But last week Ted Gest, a spokesman for the DC Office of Attorney General, told Patch the office would not make a public statement or offer an opinion on the Jack’s Boathouse issue.

So Jack's is moving forward on its own. Camp told the Washington City Paper that he is asking the court for "a declaratory judgment, injunctive relief, and damages." Camp also told the paper that they would sue anyone who tried to operate a business on the Jack's boathouse site, should NPS award the contract to another business.

Related content:

Jack's Boathouse Fighting Potential Ouster by NPS

Waterfront Boathouse Zone Plan Pending Jack's Boathouse Resolution

NPS Responds to Jack's Boathouse Conflict


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here