January 14, 2019 PYMIG Meeting Summary
The PYMIG held a meeting at the Charles Houston Rec Center on January 14 at 7pm. The purpose of the meeting was to provide updates on the Development Special Use Permit (DSUP), address additional State funds for the Station, and discuss potential Station modifications. The agenda, presentation materials and video of the meeting can be found at here. (Note: The presentation material slides are helpful in understanding the synopsis of the various change options.)
DSUP Update. The PYMIG submitted a proposed DSUP for what is now the current design of the Station to City Staff in Nov 2018. That proposed DSUP was approved by the City Planning Commission on December 6th and by the City Council on December 15th. Further modifications to enhance the south entrance that will be made possible by the additional State funding will require another DSUP amendment.
Funding. The State has verbally committed to accelerate release of an additional $50M for improvements to Station access. That funding will allow the additional improvements to occur within the present construction timeframe. A legal commitment to release the funds requires approval by the Commonwealth Transportation Board and is expected soon.
Improvements to Station Access. City Staff first stated the additional $50M in funding is NOT sufficient to restore the original Station design with two mezzanines, each with a separate entrance pavilion and pedestrian bridge over the CSX Railroad tracks (slide 9). The recently approved Station redesign has a single mezzanine at the north end of the platform with access from the east (Potomac Greens) side via bicycle/pedestrian walkway and elevators. Access from the west (Potomac Yard) side of the station would be provided by a walkway from the north pavilion and a ramp from Glebe Road to the single bridge over the CSX tracks (slide 10).
The PYMIG discussed three design ideas presented by City Staff to improve access from the west (Potomac Yard) side of the Station. Idea #1 envisions adding a Southern Entrance Pavilion at Glebe Road and an elevated bridge in lieu of the current ramp (slide 11). Idea #2 envisions keeping the current approved ramp structure but adds moving walkways on the ramp (slide 12). Idea #3 would add a Southern Pavilion at Glebe Road, a bridge over the CSX tracks and a “downsized” Southern Mezzanine. To keep this option within budget would require moving faregates from the Southern Mezzanine to the Southern Pavilion and there would be no access to the Southern Mezzanine from the East (Potomac Greens) side of the station (slide 13).
In my comments to the PYMIG, I opposed Idea #3 because it would not provide us with additional access to the Station; therefore, it would create a source of light/noise pollution 600 feet closer to our community than the North Mezzanine with no benefit to us. Lastly, since all three “Idea” slides show proposed changes, I asked City Staff to add access stairs from the east (Potomac Greens) side to the North Mezzanine to all three “Idea” slides. They agreed to change the slides to reflect adding the access stairs.
The next meeting of the PYMIG will be held on January 28th at 7-9pm at the Durant Center, 1605 Cameron St.