ICC: update after Dec. 17 community meeting

I'll shortly be putting summaries of the Dec. 17 community meeting in everyone's mailboxes. Thanks to all who attended and gave their views! In the meantime this is the letter I sent to the state representative today, asking him to address the concerns raised by the residents on Sunday evening.


December 19, 2006

Dear Mr. Dickerson:

As I previously mentioned to you, the Shady Grove Station Townhouse Association held a community meeting on Sunday, December 17, to discuss the State’s recent offer for our common property, which we received on Wednesday, November 22. The consensus at our meeting was that we need more information about the State’s plans and about the Intercounty Connector’s (ICC) potential impacts on our community before we can make an informed decision about the State’s offer. Accordingly, we ask the State to provide the following information at the earliest possible time:

1. Please survey and stake the portion of our property that the State plans to take for the ICC. How soon can we expect the State to do this? None of us are able to decipher the maps and get a concrete sense of exactly which portion of our property the State would like to purchase.

2. Please provide us with all information that the State has on the vertical profile and appearance of the proposed ICC from existing I-370 to Redland Road, particularly the portion that passes closest to our community. Please provide us with clear graphic depictions, numerical data on the ICC’s elevation and location relative to our homes and land, and all other relevant information.

3. Does the State plan to provide noise barriers along the ICC between existing I-370 and Redland Road? If so, where exactly would they be located, how high would they be, and what would they look like? What cumulative noise levels does the State predict our community would experience if the ICC is built? By cumulative we mean the noise from traffic on the ICC, on the I-370 spur, on Shady Grove Road, and from other sources. If the State does plan to build noise barriers along this stretch of the ICC, by how many decibels does the State predict these barriers would reduce predicted noise levels in our community? If the State does not intend to provide noise barriers along this stretch of the ICC, why not?

4 How would the ICC’s construction affect traffic flow on Shady Grove Road between Route 355 and Midcounty Highway, and on other local roads?

5. How does the State plan to gain access to this stretch of the ICC during construction? Would crews access the site through the cul-de-sac at the end of Berclair Terrace? If so, what impact would that have on our community members driving into Weatherby Drive or using the cul-de-sac of Berclair Terrace for parking, as many of us do?

6. When does the State plan to begin construction of the ICC along the stretch that would pass through our community? How long will this construction last? Please provide the State’s best estimate on the levels of (a) noise; (b) dust and dirt; and (c) air pollution during construction, including the projected length of exposure for each.

7. What impact would air pollution from vehicles on the ICC and other roads, and from other sources, have on residents of our community? Has the State modeled the pollution levels that would occur? Has it assessed the potential impacts on our health?

8. If the State plans to light the ICC throughout the night, what impact would that lighting have on our community?

9. The State’s valuation of the land that it plans to purchase from our homeowner’s association appears not to take into account the drop in property values that would almost certainly occur if the ICC is built so proximate to homes and our neighborhood. If the valuation does not include this impact on our property values, why not? If it does, please explain how.

Thank you for your time. Please let me know of any questions or concerns. I’m sending a hard copy of this letter in the mail as backup.

Sincerely,

Alexandra Witze

Board Member

Shady Grove Station Townhouse Association