Ward 5 CM McDuffie: First Street Tunnel construction mitigation letter of support

From: McDuffie, Kenyan (Council) <kmcduffie@dccouncil.us>
Date: Fri, Oct 11, 2013 at 4:27 PM
Subject: RE: First Street Tunnel Construction Mitigation Letter of Support
To: "McDuffie, Kenyan (Council)" <kmcduffie@dccouncil.us>
Cc: "Mandel, Jon (Council)" <jmandel@dccouncil.us>, "Mobley, Levonnia (Council)" <JMobley@dccouncil.us>

Dear Residents,

                                                       

Last month, I received a letter requesting assistance with the impact of construction for the First Street Tunnel Project. I am writing to provide a status update in advance of receiving a detailed letter from DC Water on the subject, which I expect will be issued to the community in the next few weeks.

           

As you know, since taking office, I have focused both legislatively and through the budget process with the Executive to bring immediate relief to Ward 5’s flood-prone neighborhoods. Working with Mayor Gray, I established the Bloomingdale Flooding Task Force, which devised interim relief strategies to mitigate the impact of the flooding. In addition, DC Water has expedited a long-term sewer tunnel infrastructure project by three years – a $125 million project. I, as well as my staff, have attended large community forums and local block meetings with neighbors who will be directly impacted by this project.

                   

I continue to be in regular contact with Mayor Gray and representatives from DC Water and DDOT regarding this project and your concerns. I continue to advocate on your behalf, both for infrastructure to remedy Ward 5’s flooding and for a construction process that is as minimally disruptive as possible, given the size and scope of the project. More specifically, I have stressed a number of items from your letter for DC Water to address, including improving communications with residents, conducting best practices during the construction phase, and working with DDOT to restore the neighborhood in its pre-construction condition. I am pleased that we are making significant strides on both fronts, and I expect a detailed response from DC Water that will address the concerns you have articulated in your letter.

         

When we receive a response from DC Water and have an opportunity to meet the contractor who will be working directly on this project, I am confident that we will be able to address many of these issues.

    

As always, please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.

                                                                                          

In Service,

 

Kenyan R. McDuffie