SSCAB Annual Report

Silver Spring Citizens Advisory Board Annual Report for FY2013

The Silver Spring Citizens Advisory Board (SSCAB) spent fiscal year 2013 addressing long-standing community concerns, discussing new property developments, and inviting heads and employees of government agencies to discuss how their work impacts Silver Spring and Takoma Park.  

SSCAB and the community engaged in a dialogue with Police Chief Tom Manger about community safety and security issues in the Silver Spring Regional Area, with particular focus on youth-related issues.  Recreation Department Director Gabe Albornoz  and Assistant State Attorneys for Montgomery County Steve Chalkin and George Simms were also present. This discussion was a follow-up to the one-year anniversary of the youth-related shootings in Silver Spring that led to controversial and ultimately tabled curfew legislation.  

Concerns with transportation and property developments increased throughout the year.  The Transportation, Energy and Environment Committee (TREE), which used to be named the Transportation and Pedestrian Safety Committee, met with Councilmember Marc Elrich on Bus Rapid Transit and focused on its funding.  The Neighborhoods Committee and the Commercial Economic Development (CED) Committee collaborated to provide a presentation by the 8001 Newell Street development team and a community discussion with Planning Board Member Casey Anderson with Staff Member Elza Hisel McCoy. Studio Plaza was another residential development in Silver Spring that was a great concern to the East Silver Spring residents. The Board submitted a letter regarding the project, which led to Studio Plaza implementing changes to its plan for development.  The development of a soccer field on Northwood Four Corners Park, the Blair Redevelopment project, and the Purple Line development were also discussed during the Neighborhoods, TREE and CED committees.  The latest development project in Silver Spring  discussed was the re-development of City Place mall, which will be re-branded as Ellsworth Place.  The Board and the community voiced our excitement and considerations of the Ellsworth Place project to the County Council and County Executive as well.

Zoning law changes remained a long-standing concern in the Silver Spring community.  The Neighborhoods Committee and the Commercial Economic Development (CED) Committee partnered up again to let Jennifer Wise from  Montgomery County Parks and Planning present an overview of the zoning rewrite currently in process and the specifics of the proposed zoning text amendment regarding accessory apartments.  Glen Orlin from the County Council's staff shared his analysis of the zoning text amendment and an update on the discussion and proposals that emerged from the County Council's Planning, Housing, and Economic Development (PHED) committee.

Given the recent property developments, SSCAB responded to a growing call for more open space, green space and urban parks in the community.  TREE held a joint meeting with Neighborhoods Committee to learn from a presentation on green space and urban parks.  Montgomery County's Silver Spring Central Business District planner Robert Kronenburg summarized the history and current state of the County's vision through its master plan for the Central Business District to educate the community on the state of open space and property developments in Silver Spring. The Board wrote to the County Council and County Executive a summary of residential concerns regarding open space while offering possible remedies.

Despite the growing attention to the recent property developments in Silver Spring, the Board and its committees focused on other areas of need.  The needs of small businesses remained a priority for the CED committee, evidenced by inviting  Jerry Godwin  of the Wheaton Business Innovation Center and Ernest Bland of the Silver Spring Urban District Advisory Committee to speak about small businesses.  CED also continued the work of organizing the 3rd annual Taste the World at Fenton Village to support the local restaurants and neighboring businesses distant from the more developed downtown Silver Spring.  Meanwhile, TREE dealt with environmental matters such as the Tree Canopy Conservation bill.   The Board relayed community feedback and recommendations on the bill to the County Council and County Executive in the form of a letter.  As the FY!4 budget process was underway, the Board wrote to the County Council and County Executive  to advise them on the budget priorities of Silver Spring and Takoma Park residents, including funding for the Taste the World at Fenton Village, increased funding for affordable housing initiatives and positive youth development, and continuation of police presence in downtown Silver Spring, the Civic Building Pilot Program, and transportation funding.

SSCAB also invited directors and employees of the County whose work impact the daily lives and activities in Silver Spring:

• David Dise, Director of the County's Department of General Services,  provided updates on the development of the new Silver Spring Library, Progress Place, Third District Police Station, Transit Center.  Dise also engaged in a discussion on re-use of the existing library site in Silver Spring and existing 3rd district police station building.   

• Ramona Bell Pearson, Assistant Chief Administrative Officer for the County and Jewru Bandeh, then-Manager for the Silver Spring Civic Building and Veterans Plaza. Both Pearson and Bandeh spoke on the $200,000 Pilot Program to Increase Access to the Civic Building Facility and its implementation during the year. 

• Uma Ahluwalia, Director of Heath and Human Services Director for Montgomery County, also spoke on the presence of health and human services in the Silver Spring Regional Area.  

• Rick Nelson, Director for Montgomery County's Department of Housing and Community Affairs was invited to speak on affordable housing and other residential development in the County.   

• Steve Silverman, Director of Economic Development, came to give SSCAB and the community an update on the department's initiatives in the County.   

• Rohan Ross, Solid Waste & Recycling Supervisor for the City of Takoma Park and Eileen Kao, the Chief of the Recycling Section for the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection, discussed with the TREE committee the profitable recycling programs and how it impacts our community.  In addition, Yvette Freeman from the Silver Spring Urban District provided information about the recycling efforts in downtown Silver Spring.

The Board also joined with Councilmember Valerie Ervin twice to engage in community dialogues.  SSCAB attended a joint community dialogue session hosted by Montgomery County Councilmember Ervin and Washington, DC Councilmember Muriel Bowser.  The event was held at Shepherd Park Elementary School in the District, and was well attended by members of both the Silver Spring and D.C. communities.  Agenda items included cross-jurisdictional issues such as crime, the 16th street traffic circle, parking and development.  SSCAB and Councilmember Ervin also invited the community to discuss food, nutrition & hunger in Montgomery County.  We discussed food insecurity, access to nutritious foods, the SNAP the Silence Challenge, school breakfast funding, Kennedy Cluster project, the County's Food Recovery Work Group, and many other important initiatives.

Overall, SSCAB addressed a myriad of issues that reflects our diversity in Silver Spring and Takoma Park.  SSCAB will continue to address the concerns of those that live or work in the communities we serve.

NATIONAL FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

National Funding Opportunities

Support for Outdoor Youth Programs


The North Face Explore Fund


The North Face Explore Fund aims to inspire the next generation of young explorers and conservationists by supporting nonprofit organizations throughout the country that are working to get youth outdoors to explore their natural world. Grants are provided to organizations that encourage youth outdoor participation, focusing primarily on creating more connections of children to nature, increasing access to both front and backcountry recreation, as well as providing experiential education for both personal and environmental health. Funded programs should seek a specific audience and reach out to a specific community or place of interest. In 2013, the Fund will award 30 grants of $2,500; ten additional grants of varying amounts will be awarded based on online voting taking place this summer. The application deadline is May 1, 2013. Visit the Fund’s website to submit an online application.

Healthy Communities Nationwide Recognized


Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: Roadmaps to Health Prize 


The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Roadmaps to Health Prize honors outstanding community efforts and partnerships across the United States that are helping people live healthier lives. Up to six winning communities will each receive a $25,000 cash prize and have their success stories celebrated and shared broadly with the goal of raising awareness and inspiring locally-driven change across the country. For the purposes of this prize, "a community" is defined as one of the following: town, city, county, tribe or tribal community, or region (such as contiguous towns, cities, or counties). The application deadline is May 23, 2013. Visit the program’s website to review the selection criteria and learn more about the application process.

Grants Promote Community Organizing for the Disadvantaged


Presbyterian Committee on the Self-Development of People


The Presbyterian Committee on the Self-Development of People (SDOP) participates in the empowerment of economically poor, oppressed, and disadvantaged people who are seeking to change the structures that perpetuate poverty, oppression, and injustice. SDOP currently supports groups in the United States who are oppressed by poverty and social systems, want to take charge of their own lives, are organizing to do something about their own conditions, and have decided that what they are going to do will produce long-term changes in their lives or communities. Supported projects must be presented, owned, and controlled by the groups of people who will directly benefit from them and must address long-term corrections of the conditions that keep people bound by poverty and oppression. Grants of up to $20,000 are provided. Applications may be submitted throughout the year. Visit the SDOP website to review the grant criteria.

Regional Funding Opportunities

Grants Address Hunger Issues in the Southeast U.S.


BI-LO Winn-Dixie Foundation 


The BI-LO Winn-Dixie Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the well-being of people in the states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. The Foundation's primary focus is on providing funding to organizations that address hunger. The Foundation also funds a limited number of programs focused on health, education, women, and children. The application deadline is June 30, 2013. Visit the Foundation’s website to submit an online application.

Federal Grant and Loan Programs

Support to Improve Quality of Drinking Water


Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 


The Improving State and Local Capacity to Assess and Manage Risks Associated with Private Wells and Other Small Drinking-Water Systems program supports efforts to better understand the possible exposures, hazards, and health outcomes in communities and populations using private wells or small drinking-water systems. Letters of intent are due April 29, 2013. The application deadline is May 15, 2013.

......................................
Program Offers Second Chance for Adult Offenders


Department of Justice 


The Second Chance Act Reentry Program for Adult Offenders with Co-Occurring Substance Abuse and Mental Health Disorders program supports the provision of services and treatment during and after incarceration in prison or jail. The application deadline is May 16, 2013.

Delta Region Health Services Supported


Department of Agriculture 


The Delta Health Care Services Program provides support to address continued unmet health needs in the Delta Region. Funds may be utilized for the development of healthcare cooperatives, healthcare services, health education programs, healthcare job training programs, and for the development and expansion of public health-related facilities. The application deadline is May 28, 2013.

Program Helps Improve Neighborhood Housing

Department of Housing and Urban Development
 The Choice Neighborhoods Planning Grants program provides support to improve severely distressed public or multifamily housing that is located in distressed neighborhoods. The application deadline is May 28, 2013.
......................................

USEFUL LINKS FOR ARTS ORGANIZATIONS - AVAILABLE GRANTS!

Program Funds Arts Organizations

National Endowment for the Arts <http://www.arts.gov/grants/apply/GAP14/Challenge.html>  

The Challenge America Fast-Track program supports small and mid-sized organizations for projects that extend the reach of the arts to underserved populations. Grants are available for professional arts programming and for projects that emphasize the potential of the arts in community development. The application deadline is May 23, 2013. 

Capacity Building Grants for Humanities Organizations

National Endowment for the Humanities <http://www.neh.gov/grants/challenge/challenge-grants>  

The Challenge Grants program provides support for capacity-building grants, intended to help institutions and organizations secure long-term improvements in and support for their humanities programs and resources. The application deadline is May 1, 2013.

Support for Arts Education and Childhood Reading Initiatives

Target Store Grants <https://corporate.target.com/corporate-responsibility/grants> 

Target Store Grants support nonprofit organizations in the communities where the company's stores are located. Arts, Culture, and Design in Schools grants support programs that enhance students' classroom curriculum by bringing the arts and cultural experiences to schools, such as in-school performances, artist in residency programs, and workshops in schools. Early Childhood Reading grants support programs that foster a love of reading and encourage young children, preschool through third grade, to read together with their families. Grants of $2,000 are provided in both categories. Online applications will be accepted through April 30, 2013. Funding guidelines are available on the company's website. 

TOP FIVE CHALLENGES TO PEDESTRIANS IN SILVER SPRING

TOP FIVE CHALLENGES TO PEDESTRIANS IN SILVER SPRING

A 'Guest' blog by William Smith (April 2, 2013)

As a person with a serious vision impairment, I moved with my family to Silver Spring 19 years ago. We chose Silver Spring in part because of my disability. This community has many of the things we were looking for, all in walking distance. My wife and I raised two children in East Silver Spring with no car.

Now that my children are away at college, I find that I am more isolated than before. This is mostly due to my lack of trust in the pedestrian infrastructure and enforcement in my hometown. I’m never sure when I will come upon an obstacle that will force me (or encourage me) to do something unsafe like trying to get by an obstacle by stepping into the street.

For  the last 15 years I have done all I could do to raise awareness of the plight of Silver Spring pedestrians. At first, this was because of my children. Now it’s for me.

Like me, over 30% of our community does not drive. The young, the disabled, the elderly, people who can’t afford a car, or those who simply want to live a car-free life. In Silver Spring, there are as many as 30,000 people who don’t drive. Many are minorities, and many depend entirely upon pedestrian infrastructure and transit to go about their daily routine.

I have a vision impairment, but ironically, it has forced me to see things that most people would never see. Dealing with the world on foot changes your perspective.

Recently, over lunch with Reemberto Rodriguez, Director for the Silver Spring Regional Area, the conversation evolved to trying to identify the top five challenges to pedestrians in Silver Spring. These may not seem ‘earth-shattering’ to most people. But, if walking and transit are your primary modes of transportation, they are critically important. A narrow passage or slippery pavers may not bother most people, but to a pedestrian they can be real impediments.  While an individual obstacle may be easy to overcome, if it is repeated on every block it becomes a systemic problem that is much bigger to deal with. This list contains five easy to see and understand challenges that pedestrians face in Silver Spring and other parts of Montgomery County. Addressing these five challenges would do a lot to make Silver Spring accessible to everyone.

There are many other challenges to being a Silver Spring pedestrian. Please add your own as a ‘comment’ to this blog. This list is ‘only the beginning’.

Top 5 Challenges for Silver Spring pedestrians:

1. Snow-plowed roads mean snow-covered sidewalks.

2. Trash day obstacle courses.

3. A “Sidewalk Closed “ sign is not enough!

4. Poles and hydrants.

5. Think before you park.

-------------------------------------------

1. Snow-plowed roads mean snow-covered sidewalks

Removing ice and snow from County roads is a priority for the Department of Transportation whenever there is a snowstorm. The County budgets as much as $8 million a year on recovery efforts after storms. It’s important to get roadways open so that emergency vehicles can make their way. In recent years, the Department of Transportation has received good marks for clearing roads quickly – even during storms with 20 or more inches of snow.

Part of the plan for removing snow quickly from County roads seems to be depositing the snow on adjacent sidewalks and across intersection ramps. While roads may be cleared of ice and snow within a matter of hours, snow plowed up onto the sidewalks can go untouched, and can remain blocking the sidewalks for weeks. Most Silver Springers are familiar with the act of walking in the street after a snowstorm. While the County did enact a law several years ago that requires property owners to clear sidewalks in front of their property within 24 hours after the storm, the problem of sidewalks blocked by plowed snow persists.

After it snows, can we simply commit to treating pedestrians and transit users as important in the recovery?

2. Trash day obstacle course

Trash day in Montgomery County follows the same course as in many other jurisdictions. Residents place their garbage and recycling containers on the curb, and early in the morning on a particular day solid waste management trucks come by and empty them. The containers are then haphazardly tossed back onto the sidewalk.

While many people take care to place their trash receptacles on the curb in a way that keeps the sidewalk open, solid waste management employees do not necessarily do the same. Sidewalks across Montgomery County are blocked one day a week with toppled trash cans and recycling bins – making them obstacle courses for everyone and almost impassable for people with wheelchairs, canes, guide dogs, or even strollers. Montgomery County’s trash and recycling collection system is probably in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

I am proud to live in a community that takes solid waste management so seriously. It is about time to revisit County trash collection policies, with a view to ending the weekly denial of right-of-way access to certain people.

3. A “Sidewalk Closed” sign is not enough!

We live in a growing community, dotted by numerous construction sites. Very often, these construction sites are designed in a way that impedes access to the right-of-way for pedestrians. While it is understandable that some construction sites must obstruct sidewalks for some length of time, some are blocked for months, or even years.

There are regulations in place to ensure safe and continuous flow of pedestrian traffic. County and State laws require construction sites to consider using temporary pedestrian facilities that allow pedestrians to safely pass through the worksite.  Uniform enforcement of these requirements seems to be lacking.  In reality, many sites simply close the sidewalk for the duration, even if it means that thousands of pedestrians will come across the obstruction and simply walk in the street to get by. In effect, failure to enforce the law encourages (and I would say, even trains) pedestrians to walk in the street.

How can we ensure that regulations to ensure pedestrian flow and circulation during construction are adhered to?

4. Poles and hydrants

There are many actors in County right-of-way. Aside from County agencies, Pepco, Verizon, Comcast, and WSSC all maintain infrastructure in the right-of-way. Utility poles and fire hydrants have especially long service-lives. Many of the poles still standing in Montgomery County were installed in 1960 or earlier. Fire hydrants can be expected to serve even longer.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (and the Rehabilitation Act, passed in 1973 – 40 years ago) requires anyone doing work in the right-of-way to follow certain guidelines. Among these, is a requirement that these companies fix any ADA problems when they maintain their infrastructure. This means that W SSC should replace non-ADA-compliant hydrants when they replace old water mains. Pepco should replace utility poles so that they are no longer in the center of well-traveled sidewalks. The County, as manager of the public right of way, has the responsibility to ensure that these companies and their contractors follow federal, State, and County laws.

Ensuring that everyone who works in the right-of-way is doing the right thing is how we make Silver Spring accessible to everyone for the next thirty years. How do we get everyone to do the right thing?

5. Think before you park.

While there is some discussion about what constitutes illegal parking, for a pedestrian it means parking a vehicle in a place that causes pedestrians to walk in the street. Many drivers have no concept of what it means to rely entirely on sidewalks to get around. Consequently, they think nothing of leaving the back end of the car hanging-out into the street. Every time the behavior is tolerated, it makes it seem more okay to everyone else. We should expect more from drivers.  We cannot tolerate parking that endangers people’s lives.

Perception plays a key role in this problem being overlooked, or even tolerated. County Police should routinely train officers to recognize and act on pedestrian hazards. Occasional pedestrian enforcement should be routine. In my experience, the rules seem ambiguous to some officers. We should require more from drivers, and educate and inform the public – sometimes through enforcement.

Parking that endangers pedestrians is rude AND dangerous. Let’s clear-up the rules and make sure everyone follows them.

In closing, when you ignore a problem, you are in effect endorsing the behavior. In other words, failure to recognize a problem causes pedestrians to adjust their behavior accordingly. Thus, permitting bad behavior effectively trains pedestrians to walk in the street.

Silver Spring has many of the elements it takes to build a thriving pedestrian culture. Walking is good for business, health, and the urban environment. Like the proverbial canary in a coal mine, pedestrians are an indicator species for a thriving community.

How can we embed in our bureaucratic culture – and culture in general – the sense that attention to pedestrian access is as critical as attention to vehicular flow and circulation? What does it take to make pedestrians as important as drivers?

A walkable community is one of the goals of smart growth, but it doesn’t happen all by itself. Leaders must embrace the idea that pedestrians are a central part of urban life and must be provided for in plans and budgets. If we really are trying to build a great example of new urbanism, it is essential that we start prioritizing pedestrians now… These ‘top five’ examples can provide a good place to start.

Transit Center - Evaluation of Superstructure

SILVER SPRING TRANSIT CENTER

EVALUATION OF SUPERSTRUCTURE (March 15, 2013)

BY

KCE STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS, P.C.

WISS JANNEY ELSTNER ASSOCIATES, INC., AND

WALTER P. MOORE AND ASSOCIATES, INC.

Summary of Their Findings, Recommendations, and Conclusions

(1)                  During and after the pouring of the concrete slabs by Foulger-Pratt Contracting, LLC (2010 through 2011), the County observed certain construction deficiencies that include the concrete slab thickness, cracking and spalling of concrete, and exposed tendons and rebar.

(2)                  County formally notified Foulger-Pratt of defective and non-conforming work on September 22, 2011. County directed Foulger-Pratt to analyze the construction deficiencies and to propose an appropriate remedy.

(3)                  Foulger-Pratt proposed an unacceptable solution to the County to fix the deficient slab conditions.

(4)                  On March 15, 2012 (just over a year ago), Foulger-Pratt, through its consultant Simpson Gumpertz & Heger (“SGH”), recommended the application of waterproofing – a silane sealer, to address only the cracking of the slabs.

(5)                  Unsatisfied with Foulger-Pratt’s response, the County directed Foulger-Pratt to consider further alternatives, namely a bonded 2” overlay proposed by Parsons Brinckerhoff, Inc. (“PB”), the structural engineer of record (“SER”).

(6)                  On June 22, 2012, Foulger-Pratt assured the County that the silane sealer will work, and also provided an additional response, submitted by Simpson Gumpertz & Heger, that effectively dismissed the bonded overlay alternative proposed by PB as unnecessary.

(7)                  Foulger-Pratt represented that the application of silane is sufficient to “achieve a service life approaching or exceeding 100 years”.

(8)                  County remained unsatisfied with Foulger-Pratt’s response to address the deficient slab conditions.  The County concluded that a thorough analysis of as-built conditions of the Silver Spring Transit Center must be performed to ensure the safety of the public and to ensure that the Silver Spring Transit Center is constructed to achieve a 50 year service life.

(9)                  On June 18, 2012, the County retained KCE Structural Engineers, P.C. (“KCE”) to perform a thorough and complete analysis of the as-built structure, including the design, construction, and inspections procedures.

(10)             As of June 2012, the County’s primary concerns included, but were not limited to:

                                                       i.      The thickness of the concrete slabs;

                                                     ii.      Visible evidence of extensive cracking in the slabs, beams, and girders; and

                                                   iii.      Exposed post tensioning ducts.

(11)             County asked KCE Structural Engineers to develop its professional engineering opinion as to:

                                                       i.      The ability of the Transit Center to support the loads it was to have been designed to support;

                                                     ii.      The durability and maintenance of the as-built structure; and

                                                   iii.      The causes of the primary concerns raised by the County and others with respect to design and construction of the Transit Center.

(12)             KCE was also asked to provide a concept for the repairs/remediation so that the Transit Center can be safely placed in operation.

(13)             KCE performed an extensive document review and structural evaluation of the Transit Center’s structure.  To assist with its evaluation and testing of the Transit Center, KCE retained Wiss Janney Elstner Associates, Inc. (“WJE”) and Walter P Moore and Associates, Inc. (“WPM”), who in turn retained other consultants/subcontractors.  Information about the consultants is included in Attachment 2 of the Report.

(14)             KCE and its team of engineers (WJE and WPM) identify deficiencies present in the design, construction, and inspection and testing procedures for the Transit Center.   

                                                       i.      Design - PB designed the SSTC and is the structural engineer of record.

                                                     ii.      Construction – Foulger Pratt is the General Contractor.  It hired Facchina Construction Company, Inc. (“Facchina”) as one of its subcontractors, and it was Facchina that poured the concrete slabs, beams, girders, and columns, and installed the reinforcing steel and post tensioning cables along with its sub-subcontractors.

                                                   iii.      Special Inspection Testing Procedures were conducted by The Robert B. Balter Company, Inc.

(15)             Design deficiencies in the Transit Center that are the responsibility of PB are as follows: 

                                                       i.      Poorly coordinated set of design documents – e.g. interferences between design elements such as mild steel reinforcing, post-tensioning cables, electrical and other embedded items.

                                                     ii.      Over-stressing of design – e.g. post-tensioning stresses exceed actual weight of concrete slabs, thus causing excessive cracking (over-tightening a drum)

                                                   iii.      Over-restraint inherent in design – e.g. concrete slabs are restrained from permitting the natural movement which occurs during curing (hardening) of concrete, thus causing excessive cracking.

                                                   iv.      Failure to incorporate certain WMATA Design Criteria into Contract Documents.

                                                     v.      Expansion joints are inadequate in number and in placement.

                                                   vi.      Concrete pouring and curing requirements not incorporated into drawings and contract documents.

                                                 vii.      Failure to accommodate fire rating requirements – e.g. insufficient concrete cover specified over post-tensioning and rebar in concrete slabs and columns.  Two-hour rating called for in the drawings.  Structure would only receive a one-hour rating as designed.

(16)             Construction deficiencies in the Transit Center that are the responsibility of Foulger-Pratt and its subcontractors are as follows:

                                                       i.      Slab thickness – well below contract requirements, even assuming accepted tolerances (a permissible deviation).

                                                     ii.      Concrete Strength – Contract calls for concrete strength of 8,000 psi; Foulger-Pratt through its subcontractors provided concrete with a calculated strength of 6,970 psi.  The 6,970 psi number represents a holistic view of the overall calculated concrete strength of the facility.  KCE and its team used that number to calculate the load capacity of the Transit Center and as a basis for calculating the loads for the remediation plan.

                                                   iii.      The concrete in deck Pours 1A, 1B, 1E, 1H, and 2C has unacceptable concrete strength based on the ACI 318-02 requirements. Table 10A in the Report shows the slabs with insufficient concrete strength.  Certain slabs do meet the minimum requirements, however, as a whole the facility does not comply with applicable standards or the design requirements.  KCE and its team’s representative compressive strength core results are found in Table 10 (pages 56 and 57 of the Report). 

                                                   iv.      According to KCE and its team, concrete strength is compromised by a combination of several factors:  The addition of too much water to the concrete mix and improper cold curing methods employed by Foulger-Pratt and its subcontractors for concrete that was poured in cold weather.

                                                     v.      Pour Strips on level 330 do not contain post tensioning cables or sufficient rebar to support design loads.  Regardless of other deficiencies on the project, this defect results in an unusable facility – *a significant safety hazard from the failure of the level 330 pour strips.  Without the investigation of the Transit Center completed by KCE and its team of consultants, the County would not have become aware of the significant defects in the pour strips on level 330 unless and until there was a failure of those pour strips during the normal operation of the Transit Center.

(17)             Inspections deficiencies that are the responsibility of The Robert B. Balter Company are as follows:

                                                       i.      The Robert B. Balter Company’s inspections were not completed in accordance with contract documents, WMATA standards, or the Statement of Special Inspections as required by the Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services.

                                                         

                                                     ii.      The Robert B. Balter Company failed to provide adequate inspections, specifically with respect to concrete placement, curing and representative samples testing which likely contributed to concrete strength deficiencies.

(18)             KCE and its team of consultants’ conceptual recommendations and opinion is that remedial actions are required:

                                                       i.      To provide the required strength of certain structural elements;

                                                     ii.      To provide long term durability of the decks and columns; and

                                                   iii.      To achieve the required fire rating of certain columns.

(19)             KCE and its team of consultants propose the following conceptual recommendations:

                                                       i.      Remove and replace existing Pour Strip slabs on Level 330 with appropriately designed and detailed Pour Strips before the overlay noted below is installed.

                                                     ii.      Increase the combined shear and torsional capacity of selected post-tensioned beams on Levels 330 and 350.

                                                   iii.      Enlarge certain columns to provide the required fire rating and increase durability.

                                                   iv.      Increase the combined shear and torsional capacity of selected post-tensioned girders to provide the required shear and torsion capacities.

                                                     v.      Provide a properly detailed concrete overlay on the top surface for the slabs of Levels 330 and 350 in order to provide the required long-term durability.

                                                   vi.      There are two approaches that can be adopted to address these slab concerns:

1.      Design an unbonded overlay system including an appropriately designed wearing course for traffic loads and a properly detailed interstitial waterproofing layer; or

2.      Design a bonded topping slab.

(20)             KCE and its team concludes that the problems at the Silver Spring Transit Center have been caused in varying degrees by errors and omissions of the designer, Parsons Brinckerhoff, Inc., the general contractor, Foulger-Pratt Contracting, LLC and its subcontractors, and the inspection and materials testing firm and Special Inspections Program Special Inspector, The Robert B. Balter Company, Inc.

(21)             KCE and its team of consultants’ professional opinion is that with the conceptual remediation recommendations completed as outlined in their report, the Silver Spring Transit Center can be safely put into service.