SILVER SPRING, MD – As
part of its approach to minimize disturbance to environmentally sensitive areas
during construction of the Intercounty Connector (ICC), the Montgomery County
Planning Board will consider a recommendation from its staff on Sept. 6 to protect
forest and parkland by using an existing neighborhood stormwater management
pond to collect construction runoff.
The State Highway
Administration (SHA) has proposed the ICC as a proposed 18-mile
controlled access toll road connecting I-370 near the Shady Grove Metro Station
to U.S. 1 between Beltsville and Laurel.
On Thursday, the
board will receive an ICC briefing from staff that will include a recommendation
to divert construction runoff on a two-thirds’ mile stretch of the project east
of New Hampshire Avenue. Rather than build a new temporary retention pond,
planning staff – along with the county Department of Environmental Protection,
the Department of Permitting Services and the SHA – suggest using the two-acre Lower
Oak Springs pond temporarily for that purpose.
By using an existing
pond, the county would save an acre of parkland and about three acres of forest
that would be lost to a new pond, transportation planning staff say.
The Lower Oak
Springs pond is located in the Upper Paint Branch Stream Valley Park, which is
owned by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission and serves
as a collection basin for area homes. Highway officials would improve the pond
to accept the runoff, then restore it to its former stormwater collection
function upon completion. At the same time, highway officials will dredge and
improve the pond, saving DEP that maintenance task.
Planning staff
hosted a meeting with residents of the Gum Springs community in July to present
the pond proposal. At that time, residents asked that construction workers
minimize clearing near the pond and restore the pond with landscaping and
habitat improvements.
WHAT: ICC
stormwater retention issue
WHEN: Thursday,
Sept. 6, approximately 7 p.m.
WHERE:
Park
and Planning Headquarters
8787
Georgia Avenue
Silver
Spring, MD