Athletic Facilities Project Webpage

December 5, 2023—Task Force Meeting, 7:00 p.m., Presentation Deck, TF Update #9
October 17, 2023—Task Force Meeting, 7:00 p.m., TF Update #8
August 3, 2023—HPRB Hearing, 12:45 p.m.
July 31, 2023—ANC 3/4G Special Meeting, 7:00 p.m, Presentation Deck
July 20, 2023—Meeting for Adjacent Neighbors Re: HPRB, 6:00 p.m., Presentation Deck, Recording (partial)
June 14, 2023—Task Force Meeting, 7:00 p.m., TF Update #7
May 17, 2023—Task Force Meeting, 7:00 p.m., TF Update #6
April 19, 2023—Task Force Meeting, 7:00 p.m., TF Update #5
March 22, 2023—Task Force Meeting, 7:00 p.m., TF-Update #4
February 15, 2023—Task Force Meeting, 7:00 p.m., TF-Update #3
January 24, 2023—Maret Neighborhood Forum Re: Tree Work, Presentation Deck
January 23, 2023—ANC 3/4G Meeting, 7:00 p.m.; Maret presentation on upcoming tree work
January 18, 2023—Task Force Meeting, 7:00 p.m.; TF-Update #2

December 5, 2022—Task Force Meeting, 7:00 p.m.; TF-Update #1 #1; pre-construction surveys begin
November 28, 2022—ANC 3/4G votes to approve Task Force Members
November 14, 2022—ANC 3/4G Meeting: pre-construction surveys announced
September 12, 2022—ANC 3/4G: Maret update, including tree work

Dear Neighbors,

As the end of the calendar year quickly approaches, I wanted to reach out to introduce myself as Maret’s new head of school, and also provide an update on the Maret athletic field project at the Episcopal Center for Children (ECC). As you may recall, in April 2022 the DC Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA) approved our application to create a multisport athletic field and baseball diamond on property leased from the ECC, located behind their buildings at the intersection of Nebraska and Utah Avenues NW. 

Along with our team of arborists and in consultation with DDOT’s Urban Forestry Division, we have continued to actively care for four heritage trees that were relocated on the site earlier this year. Over the past several months, we have also worked closely with various District agencies in connection with the submission and review of the required permit applications for the project. We are pleased to announce that all of our permit submissions have been approved by the District of Columbia. Accordingly, we plan to begin preparing the site for construction later this month with the expectation that construction activities will begin in January 2024. 

As required by our MOU with ANC 3/4G, we will be coordinating with the ANC Maret-ECC Field Task Force (https://bit.ly/Fields-Task-Force) throughout the construction process, which is anticipated to continue through summer 2024. If you have any questions or concerns about the construction activities on the site, please visit Maret’s project website (https://bit.ly/Fields-Construction), which provides a wide array of helpful information, or contact our project manager, Johnny Seikaly, at johnny.seikaly@mcnbuild.com or (202) 333-3424. 

Maret has long awaited the opportunities that these new athletic fields will bring, and I personally look forward to ensuring that Maret is an active and contributing member of the Chevy Chase community. Over the next several months as construction gets underway and our team begins to spend more time on the site, I hope to meet many of you. And, in the not-too-distant future, we look forward to welcoming you and your families to enjoy the fields yourselves.

My best wishes for a warm and safe holiday season, and a healthy new year. 

Sincerely,
Dennis Bisgaard
Head of School

As we noted in our June 21 communication, we are expecting to receive our permits in the early fall. During the process, the reviewing agencies provide feedback which may require additional work on construction plans. Below are some updates on the current status of our permit review.

• The Department of Buildings has completed its review of our Environmental Impact Screening Form. Their review, in conjunction with the appropriate District agencies, determined that our project is not likely to have substantial negative impact on the environment and that the submission of an Environmental Impact Screening Statement is not required.
• In late June we received feedback from DDOT requesting additional pedestrian safety measures at the intersection of 28th Street NW and Nebraska Avenue NW. In order to update our plans appropriately, we performed survey work on Monday, July 3. Our traffic engineers will be revising our plans to include a third crosswalk and ADA ramps as requested by DDOT. 
• As part of the permitting process, the project has been referred to the DC Historic Preservation Review Board, which will review aspects of our plan along the west side of the parking lot that abuts the ECC’s historic boundary. Their review will focus on the infrastructure improvements on the site. The next scheduled meeting of the HPRB will take place on July 27, with a potential continuation session on August 3. The project plans that are subject to review are available here.

This spring, we completed the relocation and transplant of the four heritage trees on the site for our new fields at the Episcopal Center for Children (ECC). Our engineers have checked their placements, and our arborists continue to follow our approved tree relocation and preservation plan and actively evaluate the trees’ health post-transplant. We have also installed a remote irrigation system, which allows us to monitor the ground moisture and ensure the trees are receiving the appropriate amount of water. You may see our people out on the field doing a final clean-up and checking trees. 

We do not expect any significant activity on the project site until we obtain our permits, which we expect to begin receiving late summer or early fall. We will begin work shortly after the required permits are in place. In the interim, we are researching and securing equipment, materials, and supplies, as well as developing a construction schedule with the assistance of our contractors and engineers.

We will continue to work closely with the Maret-ECC Project Task Force, and we look forward to attending an ANC 3/4G meeting early in the fall.

Dear Neighbors,

Our tree relocation company, Environmental Design, Inc., has been on the fields at the ECC since March 1 preparing the site to move the heritage trees. They are continuing their work this week, beginning to dig out the heritage tree root balls. As a reminder, the roots were pruned in Spring 2022 to allow new feeder roots to grow in the area of the root balls that will be moved. This strategy ensures the transplanted trees can absorb the appropriate amount of water and nutrients. 

EDI has not yet needed to deliver heavy equipment to the site but will do so in the coming weeks. Access for those deliveries will take place via Nebraska Avenue. EDI will not be using the Utah/Rittenhouse alleys for these heavy equipment deliveries.

Tree work on the site of the Episcopal Center for Children (ECC) will continue in March and April with the relocation of four heritage trees. Maret has contracted with Environmental Design, Inc. (EDI), an industry leader with 40 years of experience in transplanting large trees. EDI’s website includes several videos that explain their approach and show how they move trees.

This phase of work will take 6–8 weeks to complete and will begin with the mobilization of equipment and crews March 1–6. During the mobilization period, EDI will be bringing heavy equipment onto the site on 18-wheel trucks. The large trucks will enter the site from Nebraska at the curb cut behind ECC. Once on site, the equipment will run on mulch pathways to minimize impact.

The crews will also need access to the site via the Utah and Rittenhouse alleys, as agreed to in our Memorandum of Understanding with the ANC. The alleys will be used for equipment deliveries. Access will occur via the gate by the Media Center on the ECC property and via the northeast corner of the site near 28th Street NW where a portion of the fence will be removed temporarily. Neighbors living on the alleys should expect the majority of this equipment delivery to occur between March 1 and March 8. The contractor team has been notified that they should not stage equipment or leave vehicles in the alleys. We have also told them to be particularly cognizant of the presence of children. If we get new information or a change to these plans, we will update neighbors who are adjacent to the property and keep the ANC Task Force in the loop.

We have obtained the required sediment and erosion control permit and have silt fencing in place to manage stormwater. EDI will be providing additional straw wattles and bales to supplement the silt and super-silt fencing. We will continue to work with the Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE) and DDOT Urban Forestry Division (UFD) as needed. Additionally, an aborist from Wetland Studies & Solutions will be on site to monitor the transplant work.

Once equipment is delivered and the site is prepared, EDI will continue with its work, encapsulating the root balls of the trees, inserting pipes, preparing holes, and eventually moving the trees—two at a time. The work will conclude with grading, installation of irrigation, and demobilization of equipment in mid to late April. As this exciting work progresses, we will be in touch to share additional information. 

NOTICE: TREE WORK

BEGINNING MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6

Maret will continue tree work on the grounds of the Episcopal Center for Children (ECC) starting Monday, February 6. The work will include removing 66 trees on the property, the majority of which are dead; are in critical, poor, or fair condition; or are invasive species. We expect that the work will take two weeks to complete. The removal of these trees is necessary in order to relocate the heritage trees on site.

Maret has obtained all of the required permits from DDOT Urban Forestry Division to remove the trees and has worked diligently with the ECC, experienced experts, and District agencies to develop effective tree transplant and preservation plans (Tree Permit 88465, Tree Permit 90191).

The ECC property includes many wonderful trees that will be retained, maintained, and protected during field construction. Additional trees and landscaping will be planted around the athletic fields and perimeter of the ECC's grounds when field construction is complete. We look forward to having a green space that is safe, well designed, and which so many in the community can benefit from.

SAFETY NOTICE

Given the work that will be taking place, please do not attempt to access the grounds behind the ECC’s buildings. 

CONTACT INFORMATION

If you have any questions or concerns about the tree removal process, contact Project Manager Johnny Seikaly and the ANC Project Task Force via this question/complaint form.

If you have general questions about the Maret-ECC athletic fields project, contact us at ecc-maretfields@maret.org.