Potomac Yard Metro Station Alternative B
The City of Alexandria, WMATA, and Coalition for Smarter Growth, among others, are risking public safety in their push to build the Potomac Yard Metro Station Alternative B (PYMS) on top of wetlands in a floodplain of the George Washington Memorial Parkway. This recklessly sited and purely mercenary proposal will destroy functioning forested floodplain and wetlands, significantly increase impervious surface runoff, and degrade adjoining freshwater tidal wetlands by using them for stormwater management - all greatly exacerbating dangerous flooding along the parkway and serious threats to public safety (see WTOP news story at link below). None of these significant impacts can be effectively mitigated, especially with the loss of natural floodplain values.
https://wtop.com/local/2018/07/flooding-closes-both-directions-of-george-washington-parkway-near-reagan-national-airport/slide/1/ (The PYMS is the epicenter of the flooding in the "40 people rescued from cars on flooded George Washington Parkway" feature.)
Alternative B is by far the most environmentally damaging choice of all the practicable alternatives considered, and is the only one that needlessly situates the project in wetlands and a floodplain. In contrast, there are several good practicable alternatives that meet the project purpose and do not significantly impact the environment - Bus, VRE, A, and B-CSX alternatives. However, the City stubbornly favors only Alternative B because building it on City and federal parkland maximizes development opportunities at nearby Potomac Yard (why give up one foot of developable land in a post-industrial site when one can re-purpose "unused" wetlands and parkland instead?).
Hal Hardaway, Alexandria 22314
C. Dara, Alexandria 22304
Jimm Roberts, Alexandria 22314