Below you’ll find notes from the December 17 PYMIG meeting, courtesy of our neighborhood’s PYMIG liaison, Steve Crime.
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December 17, 2019, PYMIG Meeting Summary
The PYMIG held a meeting at the Charles Houston Rec Center on December 17, 2019, at 7pm. The purpose of the meeting was to update the status of the enhanced southwest access to the Metrorail Station, present the latest from the City’s Board of Architectural Review (BAR), and receive a construction update from the builders (PYC). The agenda, presentation materials, and video of the meeting will be available in the next 24-48 hours here: https://www.alexandriava.gov/PotomacMetroWorkGroup (Note: The presentation material slides will significantly aid in understanding the synopsis of the different change options.)
1. Southwest Access. The PYMIG was tasked by the City Council to provide cost information for two options to improve access to the Metrorail Station from the southwest (Potomac Yard side) and recommend a preferred choice to the City Council. The City, WMATA, and PYC have been working to finalize the costs of two options and will present them at the January PYMIG meeting (slides 3, 4, and 5).
2. The BAR (slide 6). The BAR approved the proposed stormwater downspouts, handrails and lighting scheme for the new station during its meeting on December 4, 2019.
3. Construction Update.
a. The original design of the Metrorail Station included an earthen berm that paralleled the eastern side of the station with a walkway to access the station between the berm and the Station. In the last 30 days, the National Park Service has mandated a change and now requires PYC to install a retaining wall to reduce the width of the berm by about 50%, thereby reducing encroachment on the wetlands. The retaining wall will be approximately 1,000 feet long. PYC will install 125 piles, eight feet apart, along the entire wall. PYC is exploring whether drilled piles can be used in place of driven piles. The heavy red line below the walkway in the following diagram shows the approximate location of the retaining wall:
b. PYC has continued work on the AC switchgear building between the WMATA and CSX tracks. The site has been prepared and the concrete footings will be poured on Friday, December 20, 2019. Final demolition of the traffic circle is still awaiting removal of the eastern streetlight. The construction area in the wetlands between the Metro tracks and the eventual chain link fence has been cleared. The fence will be installed just outside of the black fabric dust barrier seen in slide 13. The wetlands area to the east (outside) of the fence will remain undisturbed.
4. Construction Parking. PYC has completed the worker parking lot in Potomac Yard; however, it is not presently being used since so few workers are participating in this phase of site preparation. This will continue until fill operations are complete and actual construction of the station begins.
The PYMIG will meet on Monday, January 27, 2020, at 7pm at the Charles Houston Rec Center, 901 Wythe St.