by Marlene Berlin
When it rains, it pours. And when it pours, the stormwater overflows into yards from one section of Ellicott Street. The District is doing something about it at last.
DDOT is creating a drainage system for the segment of Ellicott between Connecticut Avenue to 32nd Street where there had been none, says Ian Maggard, the Ward 3 community liaison for Mayor Muriel Bowser. He put me in touch with Ejineh Simie, who manages this Department of Transportation project. Simie told me in an email that this entails adding four new catch basins to capture and control runoff, installing new new storm drain pipes, and replacing the curb and gutter where necessary.
If the project remains on schedule, Simie says it will be complete by the end of the year.
Other projects you might encounter while walking, biking or driving the neighborhood:
The Brandywine Street water main project is due to wrap up sometime in November. DC Water is replacing the water main and hookups on Brandywine Street between Connecticut Avenue and 31st Street, and along 31st between Brandywine and Gates Road.
We also see a lot of DC Water after rain events. Its workers must remove storm debris that impedes the flow of our streams at culverts and bridges. They were out on Saturday, September 23rd removing a tree that had fallen across Broad Branch Stream at the Ridge Road Bridge.
Work on the Beach Drive rehabilitation project continues. This work was happening on a Saturday:
At Fessenden and Broad Branch Terrace, neighbors have been watching with interest the slow and deliberate home demolition, likely so the materials could be reused or recycled elsewhere. The community was curious as to whether it was all coming down or some would be left to build around.
It has been completely demolished. A new home is rising in its place.
And since the summer, 4600 Connecticut Avenue has been renovating the large yard behind the building.
