Hayfield Road Pipe Conveyance Project Update 9-11-17

While stormwater project discussions and studies have been going on for many years in Hayfield Farm, now contractors are doing visible work on Hayfield Road. Here is your progress report. Please see the recent presentation and related information from the April 19, 2017 HCA meeting at http://www.hayfieldfarmva.com/about-us/stormwater.

WGL Letter

Washington Gas (WGL) sent a letter dated August 22, 2017 to residents along Hayfield Road. To ensure open lines of communication, Dave Anglin scheduled a meeting with WGL on Friday September 8. In brief, WGL work includes installing a new gas main under Hayfield Road (east side, e.g., Park side). Connecting service lines go from the “main” to the meter at each house on both sides of the median strips. This is very good news because we will be receiving a new system (“main” + service lines) as WGL is being proactive in their replacement program. Furthermore, Hayfield Road residents are getting their new lines sooner than otherwise due to this Pipe project. WGL began work the first week of September.

WGL Meeting September 8, 2017 at 2:00pm

As you know, Dave Anglin is the overall Hayfield Pipe Project Manager for Fairfax County. Keep in mind, as Dave has reiterated, that he works with the utility companies, but they do not work for him, meaning they are not subcontractors to Fairfax County. Dave is working very hard to coordinate their work, of course. Dave scheduled a meeting with WGL at Lee District Supervisor Jeff McKay’s office on Friday September 8. Those attending included WGL staff, InfraSource staff (sub-contractor to WGL), Dave Anglin, John “Jack” Connors (Lee District Staff; Marcus Wadsworth normally would attend, but he was out of the office), and two HCA representatives (Alanha Kellogg, VP; John Millikin, Stormwater Management Committee Chair). While this may be too detailed for some, others might find the information useful, so here is a meeting summary.

Dave Anglin gave a general, brief overview of the stormwater situation in Hayfield Farm. Then WGL addressed the questions that Alahna Kellogg, I and Dave Anglin asked.

1. The WGL letter August 22, 2017 references the “Virginia SAVE program.” Is the current WGL work strictly via the “SAVE” program or is it also in conjunction with the Hayfield Pipe project? The WGL work is in via the Steps to Advance Virginia’s Energy Plan (SAVE). However, this is happening in conjunction with the Pipe project, though WGL is a separate business entity from Fairfax County; WGL is not a sub-contractor to Fairfax County. The SAVE program aims to replace older gas lines with new, longer lasting lines so this is very good news for all those affected, including residents along Hayfield Road. You are getting a new “main” as well as new service lines. The service lines go from the main to your house meter. The service line is installed via a narrow trench a few inches wide. Staging for equipment is at the Hayfield Pool parking lot.
2. Which homeowners are affected? All houses on Hayfield Road are scheduled to receive a new service line. Some corner houses, whose gas is from the cross street (not from Hayfield Road) will not be affected at this time.
3. Is the Hayfield Farm Swim Club (pool) affected by the WGL work? The pool is possibly not affected but WGL and the HFSC President will be directly communicating to ensure clarity.
4. What “digging in the median strip” is required? There may be digging in the median strips but no trees will be affected. Any grass that is removed will be replaced with seed and straw cover. Any street digging is completed by early evening. The street is temporarily patched; permanent patches occur when WGL work is completed.
5. When does work occur? Work will generally occur during the day. Exact hours are being reviewed, but generally it will be 7:00am to 5:00pm. WGL is working to formalize this.
6. How long will I be without gas service? This is a difficult question because the time will vary by house but in general it may be from several to eight hours. Again, an emergency situation would be addressed until the emergency is resolved. The goal is to minimize disruption, work safely at all times and complete work as expeditiously as possible.
7. Who are the contacts for problems? The August 22, 2017 letter provided two WGL staff contacts, Mr. Linden Fraser (703-372-5787 office and 703-201-8795 cell) and Mr. Sam Barrett (703-372-5787 office and 703-498-7000 cell). Within the HCA, you can contact HCA President Jim Fogarty or Stormwater Management Committee Chair John Millikin (contact information in this newsletter, page 3).
8. What is the traffic plan to include parking during WGL work? The quick answer is that traffic will be routed around a particular median strip during the day but WGL will be gone by 5:00pm, except in unusual circumstances, e.g., an emergency. On most evenings, therefore, you will have overnight street parking. However, occasionally (not usually) there may be unexpected conditions. In any major project, these do occur, to include an emergency condition, unexpected weather issues, etc. There will be rolling no-parking zones (generally by median strip) as work progresses; however traffic flow will continue uninterrupted. Rolling no-parking means that it will be by median strip. So, for example, no parking will be allowed around a particular strip (during the day) until all houses next to that strip have the new gas service line installed. All parking is planned to be available at the end of the work day (generally after 5:00pm), even in the rolling no-parking zones. WGL installs the “main” and associated “tie-in” under the street; later WGL will install the individual service lines. And of course, the clear requirement is to restore gas service to your house by the end of the work day.
9. What is the estimate for how long the WGL work will take? The goal is to complete work by January, 2018. Factors affecting WGL work completion include weather, customer cooperation and emergencies. Remember that WGL needs access to each house to complete the work for the day, i.e., to relight gas appliances. This estimate will be revisited in a month.
10. Is Sunday October 29, 2017 at 3:00 pm (Halloween Parade from Pool via Hayfield Road to Hayfield Park) an issue for WGL? The parade date is ok; there is no issue here as WGL is not working on Sundays.
11. Can the flags in the median be removed or moved/replaced for mowing? Please, please–Leave the various median and yard flags in place until the project completes. In fact, it is illegal to remove these flags. These flags mark utilities and help to ensure an accurate and safe work environment for everyone working in the area.
12. Will mowing occur along the Hayfield Road median strips? Mowing is suspended until WGL removes the utility marking flags. If some median strips are completed per WGL, then mowing can resume on those strips. Mowing occurs generally into November and resumes in March each year; this is always dependent on turf growth, of course.
13. When will Hayfield Pipe project plans (100 2’ x 3’ printed pages) be posted online on the Fairfax County web site? The Fairfax County web site is being redesigned; no new postings are allowed on the web site until at January 2018. There is discussion that Nextdoor.com will provide an alternative posting space for officials. So, for example, the project manager or Lee District Supervisor’s office might soon be posting at HayfieldFarm.Nextdoor.com. This could include updates for our Pipe project.
14. In addition to WGL, what other work, if any, will occur prior to the October 18 HCA general meeting? There may be some overlap as Dominion Energy will be raising power lines at Broadmoor and Hayfield. This includes installing taller telephone poles.
15. How can WGL provide last-minute information to the community? John Millikin offered to be the conduit for that information. WGL would send an email message which either John Millikin or Becky Suttell would in turn forward to the community via the HCA Email distribution list. To add your name to that list, please send a request to HayfieldFarm@gmail.com.

Sanitary Lateral Inspection Meeting September 11, 2017 at 6:30pm

This meeting occurs after the newsletter deadline. It is primarily for homeowners along the west side of Hayfield Road; “west side” means the pool side. If you are driving on Hayfield Road toward the pool, you are on the west side of Hayfield Road. The intent is to provide both an email update soon after the meeting and a newsletter update next month. The meeting location is the Hayfield Middle School Cafeteria, 7630 Telegraph Road, Alexandria, VA 22315. Directions: Enter the building at Exit 1 and go through the set of blue double doors; Go through the lobby and turn left down the second hallway (Orange avenue); Right in front of your, at the end of that hallway, is the Middle School Cafeteria.

HCA Meeting, Wednesday September 20, 2017 at 7:30pm

WGL plans to attend this meeting to provide a WGL summary of their work and to answer resident questions. While this has not been confirmed, WGL will probably be there. HCA meetings are held in the Hayfield Elementary School Cafeteria as usual.

HCA Meeting, Wednesday October 18, 2917 at 7:30pm

Dave Anglin, Project Manager for the Pipe project will provide an overall update. He will discuss utility work, contractor selection process for the pipe installation, etc. He will answer questions as time permits.