Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Environmental Protections topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents press for sediment, air-quality and noise protections during hospital demolition
Summary
Residents raised concerns about Sligo Creek sedimentation, dust and generator noise during demolition of the Washington Adventist Hospital site. Consultants described sediment traps, filter-bag pumping and wetting procedures, and said a sediment-control plan is under county review and an air-monitoring plan will be presented at the next council update.
Residents at a Takoma Park outreach meeting asked detailed questions about stormwater, dust and noise controls for the planned demolition of the vacant Washington Adventist Hospital campus. A neighbor said earlier on-site work had damaged Sligo Creek; in response, Bob Graham of Rogers Consulting described a multi-layered erosion- and sediment-control approach.
"We're gonna have supercil fence, which is like a chain link fence with filter fabric," Graham said, adding that the team would install two sediment traps sized slightly above typical requirements and pump water through filter bags before release. He said those traps will use existing storm outfalls to convey captured water down the slope and reduce hillside erosion. Graham estimated the sedimentation-control plan would complete county review "within the next 30 days or so."
On dust and air quality, Graham and Todd Cohen said typical demolition methods include wetting down structures to suppress dust and that wetting, filter bags and sediment traps will be used to keep fine particulates from entering drainage. Graham noted that county and state air-quality regulations apply but that ongoing neighborhood monitoring is not typically automatic; several residents recommended baseline monitoring and continuous sampling. Cohen said the team has engaged a company to develop a monitoring plan they expect to present at the June 24 council update.
Community members also raised noise concerns, especially in the valley where sound can travel. A resident described generators and nighttime noise during prior activity; Graham said the county would likely require a sound-mitigation plan and that contractor planning will address hours of operation and enclosure options for noisy equipment.
The project team encouraged residents to review posted exhibits showing proposed debris routes (Carroll Avenue) and promised to publish meeting materials and a follow-up plan online. The county and city permit reviews will set specific operational limits and monitoring requirements before major demolition begins.
Ending: The sediment-control plan is in county review and air-quality and noise-mitigation plans will be developed with contractors and presented at the next scheduled council briefing; no monitoring program had been published by the end of the meeting.
