Attendees
Members: Joan Salome-Rodriguez (Facilitator), Erica Eliason, Richard Lawrence
National Grid: Terri Thomson
Rep for Community Remediation through the Trust: Aaron Kaufman
Guests: Corinne Brenner (Gowanus Dredgers), Elizabeth Waldran (Park Slope resident)
The Committee’s agenda was to discuss the Turning Basins so that we can make decisions about how they will look, what we lose and what we gain.
Aaron Kaufman gave us information on the main channel bulkheads (next to Whole Foods and running parallel to 3rd and 5th Streets) and the 5th Street Turning Basin at the west side of Third Avenue. He explained that the bulkheads along the north side of the channel are sitting at an angle where the foot of the bulkhead sticks out a few feet as compared to the heads. Because they are not stabilized in any way and cannot hold back erosion of the land behind them, new vertically embedded metal bulkheads are being installed. They will be permanent and, he believes, cannot be cut down because the tie-back rods will be connected to a deadman rod to ensure the structural integrity of the bulkhead. Because of the nature of the design – intervals of deadman rods – cutbacks are not feasible. In order to dredge the area, structurally secure bulkheads had to be installed. (See photos and diagram that is not fully representative of the tie backs and deadmen below).
As for the area under the 3rd Avenue Bridge, per Terri, the Record of Decision requires that this area will be excavated eastward 25 feet. The bulkhead with the weepholes that runs parallel to 3rd Avenue will ultimately be cut down but not removed as it is stabilizing the bed of the canal.
We were assured the channel and basin will remain navigable.
However, there were a number of questions that Aaron is to get back to us about:
- What will go in the gap between the old and new bulkheads on the Whole Foods side?
- Was Whole Foods footprint remediated when it was built?
- Can the new bulkhead be perforated?
- What is the plan on the “mural” side (south side of the channel)?
- How much water are we losing?
- How will what we lose here be returned to us at Turning Basins 1 & 11 (near Lowe’s in RTA 3)?
- Will the CAG be involved in the designs for TB’s 1 & 11?
- Are there preliminary designs already?
- As for the fill between the bulkheads, what will it be?
- Can we expect mounding of the water from the underground streams?
- Is there a plan to use rip rap (layers of stones, dirt, pebbles, in essence) for fill? Presumably there would need to be weep holes or cutback of the new bulkhead for that to even work.