Leggett Building Project Activity Update – February 18, 2021

Dear Neighbors,

Thank you for your continued interest and engagement in the Leggett Building construction project at the Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus. As part of our ongoing commitment to keep our neighbors informed about the construction process, we wanted to share information about the project’s Noise Suppression Plan.

A few weeks ago, the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection and the City of Takoma Park issues an approval of a Noise Suppression Plan for the demolition phase of the project. A copy of the plan and the approval letter from the County are available on the project website. The College is proud of the collaborative process that was used to help inform the plan and is grateful for the many contributions of neighbors that have been engaged since early in the building design process.

Your feedback has directly contributed to a serie s of measures which will work to mitigate noise generated during the construction process. The layout of the site was devised in a way to reduce backing up of equipment and trucks with back-up alarms. Demolition equipment will be outfitted with OSHA-approved white noise back-up alarms. Contractors will be using noise-muffling blankets to dampen the sound of equipment used on site. Additionally, project activity updates will occur weekly instead of biweekly as previously planned. Several additional measures as noted in the plan will be put in place to limit disturbance to our neighbors.

Our commitment remains to meet requirements of the plan, and whenever and wherever feasible, to implement recommendations. One element of the County’s approval letter recommends the project leave the Falcon Hall swimming pool area structure standing as long as practicable. The construction team has completed the demolition of the pedestrian bridge between Science North and Science South as well as the removal of Falcon Hall rooftop air handling units while the swimming pool area structure has remained intact. However, following significant review by the project team, we have concluded that further delay of the removal of the pool area structure is not viable. Postponing the demolition of this area has raised safety concerns and would cause a delay in the overall project timeline by three academic terms, in addition to raising overall project costs well beyond the available budget.

In addition to our regular weekly updates on the construction process, we’ll be sharing additional communications dedicated to the timing and nature of specific demolition activities. Please visit the project’s website at montgomerycollege.edu/tpss-design for additional information. If at any time you have any questions, please contact us at community@montgomerycollege.edu or call the project hotline at 800-879-9879.

We look forward to working with you and keeping you informed throughout the duration of this project.

Thank you,
The Montgomery College Team