PHOTO: Embassy Lawn Generates Protest At Republic Of Congo | News

WASHINGTON, DC (WUSA) --- The patch of grass is gone. Instead, a paved entrance-way graces the front of the Embassy of The Republic of Congo, a historic mansion on 16th Street.

Area residents want the grass back. The Dupont Circle Citizens Association (DCCA) will hold a protest Tuesday evening against the the "willful destruction of the front lawn." 

Residents describe the embassy's renovation as a step toward a paved driveway, as reported by the Washington Examiner.

However, Congolese Ambassador to the U.S., Serge Mombouli, replies, there is "no intention" to create a driveway, according to the newspaper.  

"We decided on a course of political action," says DCCA Preservation Committee Chair and Second Vice President Charles Ellis.

Previously, formal complaints from others at the Dupont Circle Conservancy and the Advisory Neighborhood Commission (2B) proved not to be effective.

The Republic of Congo recently bought the Toutorsky Mansion to serve as its embassy. The estate belongs to the 16th Street Historic District.

The purchase was approved by DC zoning officials after the embassy withdrew its plan to renovate the front entrance into a driveway, as reported by the Washington Examiner.

Under DC law, front lawns are city property, but Embassy properties are considered foreign soil and exempt from District law, according to DCCA.  

DCCA then had specifically requested no changes be made to the historic greensward.

Written by: Elizabeth Jia
9NEWS NOW & WUSA9.com