A walk-through informational display will be available for review from 6:00 PM until 7:00 PM, when the public hearing will begin. A time limit of 3 minutes per speaker will be imposed if the number of attendees warrants one.
The 16.2 mile project will impact many small streams, as well as five major ones: Rock Creek, Sligo Creek, Long Branch, the Northwest Branch, and the Northeast Branch. It will affect three watersheds: Rock Creek, and the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers. The Purple Line would discharge fill material into these watersheds.
There would be additional environmental impacts on 11937 SF of forested nontidal wetlands, 9552 SF of emergent nontidal wetlands, 71,328 SF of 25-foot nontidal wetland buffers, 5598 SF of palustrine open water, 15346 SF of perennial stream, 19851 SF of intermittent stream, and 1461 SF of ephemeral stream. The Purple Line would also disturb 250144 SF of the 100-year floodplain.
Finally, the project would impact a total of 367 acres of forest. A mitigation and restoration plan to address these impacts has been submitted by the Maryland Transit Administration.
This is another point at which Purple Line opponents could stall the project, as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and MDE will decide whether to issue a joint permit. No permit, no Purple Line. With environmental impacts having been a key factor in delays thus far to the project, this hearing will be dealing with issues that are very much still on the table.
31 comments:
Can't wait for all the NIMBY's in Chevy Chase to start whining and wasting more tax-payer dollars on lawsuits. Maybe they can join forces with the Save Westbard nuts? Or better yet, maybe they can create their own racist enclave somewhere?
5:21: This is why voters are clamoring to approve term limits. The MoCo political cartel you speak for refers to anyone who believes planning processes should be followed, and that their elected officials should foremost represent the interests of their constituents, are "nuts," "NIMBYS," "racist," etc.
Ironically, the Councilmembers you are representing have opposed all 3 black candidates for U.S. Senate since 2006. Who are you calling racist?
The Council you support presides over MCPS, where black students are more likely to be suspended than in Texas public schools. TEXAS!!! Who are you calling racist, again?
The Council has presided over an INCREASE in the achievement gap between white and black/Latino students since 2010, according to their own report. Who is the "racist" here?
This and the Westbard lawsuits are just as frivolous and pointless as Moore's lawsuit.
@5:56 How do you know I support the "MoCo political cartel" I'm actually in favor of term limits. I'm not in favor of these stupid lawsuits that waste government (tax payer) funds. It's people like these lawsuit happy residents that cause my property taxes to go up!
Seriously man, why is everyone who disagrees with you some sort of political "agent" for the County? Get.A.Grip.
We support the Purple Line. It is a well designed project which will benefit disadvantaged Bethesdians; in particular, those who cannot afford to lease a car for their domestics.
With the Purple line, lower income Bethesdians can hire domestics who are then able to arrive for work on time by using the Purple Line to travel to Montgomery County.
Dyer literally believes that everyone who doesn't agree with his outlandish positions either:
a) works for the County Council/Hans Riemer
or
b) works for Bethesda Magazine
I fully agree with 5:21, and am not affiliated with either of the above, but of course Dyer will still think so, and I fully expect to be called a "moron", "dumba**" and whatever else pathetic insult Dyer can come up with.
Notice how he's been eerily silent on his former bff Gov. Hogan after he went forward with a cost-effective Purple Line and put to rest the completely asinine idea of a new Potomac crossing.
BTW term limits make no sense, and hurt the democratic process. If the people want to keep their representative on the council because they're pleased with their work, they should be able to. Not to mention that this matter has already been decided by the people of Montgomery County, multiple times.
We'll have a note in November to decide whether folks want term limits or not.
Let's leave it up to the voters.
6:13: No, it's the $72 million tax cuts to developers that make your taxes go up. They're working on another developer tax cut now, which they call the Subdivision Staging Policy. You're smart to be in favor of term limits, therefore.
I can't see how it would matter to you whether a building was 50' or 75' at Westbard if the shopping center gets redone either way. What skin do you have in that game if you're not a supporter of the MoCo cartel councilmembers?
6:27: I've seen no statement from Hogan saying he is against a new Potomac River bridge. I've only read a report about Rahn claiming it won't happen anytime soon. He apparently is also unaware that the right-of-way for the highway was already set aside decades ago and is still in place between Sam Eig Highway and the Potomac.
His commments also suggest he is unaware that Virginia already designated VA-28 to connect to the future Potomac crossing. They grade-separated the intersections already in preparation.
Ah more studies. No new infrastructure will get made in this town. Studied to death. You are delusional to think that there wouldn't be the same NIMBY opposition to your mythical bridge. It will never happen.
7:14: The new bridge, M-83 Highway, the Northern Parkway, and extending Montrose Parkway to the ICC would all meet opposition, lawsuits, etc. That's just part of any transportation project. But they get done quick when developers need them to build, like the ICC and new Wilson Bridge.
It took nearly half a century to build the ICC. That's not "quick", you #Birdbrain.
7:51: It was on the books that long. When Ehrlich dug it out for Konterra, it got done fast. He talked about it in 2002, shovels went into the ground less than 5 years later.
I'd believe they were waiting since 1952 for their permits. <-sarcasm
I can't wait till Westbard is just a two-seat ride from Dulles via the Purple Line and the Silver Line.
As a previous county council candidate and potential future candidate, can you illustrate your detailed plan for this? Thanks Dyer!!
So you are saying it took half a century plus 5 years. That's not quick either.
That would be a fantastic connection!
Does Dyer plan to provide an environmental impact statement for the Second Crossing?
@ 6:32 AM = Elm
Dyer believes that "business" economic development" is good.
Dyer believes that "developers" are bad.
Dyer believes that the Second Crossing is necessary to connect to Dulles and to divert long-distance traffic away from the Beltway.
Dyer believes that the Montrose Parkway should be extended to the ICC.
Dyer believes that the ICC is bad, because "developers wanted it built".
Dyer believes that Maine-to-Florida traffic would be better off going straight through downtown Washington DC than along the Wilson Bridge.
Dyer believes that NoVa does not suffer from "greedy developers", only MoCo.
No wonder his readers are confused...
Your effort as spin is laughable.
Your effort at denial is pathetic.
At least I tell the truth.
Actually yes I am confused as well. Can dyer clarify his individual positions? This is a great list to start from.
@ 12:07 PM - And who might you be?
I'm 11:05AM. I never post anything I wouldn't say face-to-face.
11:05 AM/9:02 AM/9:37 AM (Dean & DeLuca thread) - For a random anonymous person on the Internet, you sure are an incredibly self-important twat.
Oh look, the buffoon is trying to brain.
Sorry, of the three, I'm only 11:05.
In the Dean & DeLuca thread my only comment was at 8:10.
Was there a press release announcing this event? Where can I find out more information?
Re: my prior message, I found the announcement: http://www.nab.usace.army.mil/Missions/Regulatory/Public-Notices/Public-Notice-View/Article/939360/pn16-54-corps-mtapurple-line-2016-61278-m07-mde-nontidal-wetlands-and-waterways/
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