Between the Northwest Branch Trail and the West Hyattsville Metro station, developers are building a multifamily unit and townhouse development. In order to meet the storm water management requirements, a section of the adjacent NW Branch Trail has been temporarily closed so that dirt can be removed from the area and underground compensatory storage can be built. When the work is complete, a better trail with lighting, a new bridge and connections to the new development will be built.
The project will include a community park along the trail with an amphitheater, an expanded trail where the existing trail is (though shifted a bit) and new paths leading from the trail to the community. The trail will also get trail makers, LED lighting and emergency call stations.
Away from the trail, the project will include an 8' wide hiker biker trail (although elsewhere they call it a bike lane or a sidewalk) along the northside of Little Branch Run, which is the long diagonal street across the development, a 10' wide promenade (also called a sidewalk) along River Terrace Road, the road adjacent to the trail area, and a direct connection to the Metro (not seen on the image above).
As mentioned before, the trail is being closed because the property needs the area for storm water management.
The majority of this park space is actually owned by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) Parks Department. It was dedicated to the Parks Department from the subject property in 1957. The applicant and the Parks Department have come to an agreement where the applicant may use the parkland for some of their stormwater management features, which is crucial because the project site lies within the 100-year floodplain. Properties that lie in the floodplain are required to take extra measures to manage stormwater and mitigate against a higher flooding risk. As a result, an arrangement has been made where the applicant can use dirt from the M-NCPPC property to raise the site out of the floodplain. The applicant will then incorporate underground compensatory storage for the site on the M-NCPPC parcel. In exchange, the parcel in question will be turned into a greenway with improvements made to the adjacent trail. M-NCPPC will retain ownership of this site with a memorandum of understanding in place for the applicant to control the maintenance of the stormwater facility.
As mentioned, the recently closed the trail resulting in a 6-9 month detour (don't worry, no stairs) which can be seen below.
The signs were up on Monday 12/3 but on Tuesday 12/4 it was not yet closed. When it’s actually closed I’ll know what’s happening
Posted by: Glen Worrell | December 04, 2018 at 09:23 PM
new trail open today
Posted by: Glen Worrell | July 10, 2019 at 08:38 AM
Photos anyone?
Posted by: washcycle | July 11, 2019 at 03:32 PM
Photos at
https://twitter.com/maschweisguth/status/1149854607943843840
Posted by: M. Schweisguth | July 13, 2019 at 03:25 PM