Dear Neighbors,

On Thursday August 10 we attended the first of the weekly construction meetings of the Henshue Construction company, and the overseeing engineering company GAS (see last week's bulletin).

Guess what? Construction did NOT begin on August 7, as had been planned, but was expected to begin (for sure) on Friday, August 11. It will begin at the southwest terminus (the crossing over the Capital City Trail) with tree clearing and brush clearing. The clearing operation should reach our area (Odana to Breeze Terrace) by (we're guessing) mid-August. What that will mean for our neighborhood is suggested in the summary by Tony Fernandez which is quoted later in this bulletin.

Other items from the construction meeting:

• Grading and earth moving (where required by the plans) will follow the clearing, operation, and stone laying will follow that. Henshue expects to work sequentially from southwest to northeast, not "jumping around."

• But, construction of retaining walls where required WILL jump ahead, and may commence soon.

• The construction/personnel know what Japanese Knotweed looks like; they have its location coordinates, and they will do their utmost (as required by the contract) not to spread it.

• Henshue, GAS, and State DOT request our neighbors' cooperation. PLEASE DO NOT USE THE CORRIDOR WHERE CONSTRUCTION IS IN PROGRESS! This is required by insurance/liability agreements - and will help us get through this unpleasant stage of construction faster. We thank you all for your cooperation!

Remember, it is easy to get information about the process if you want it, or to ask about particular issues. In addition to this site (please tell others about it) you may email (preferred) Paul at pbeckett@facstaff.wisc.edu, Kurt at kkiefer@madison.k12.wi.us, or Char Thompson at chart@tds.net --or call. We have copies of the detailed plans which you are welcome to consult. We will be happy to contact the supervising engineer, Aaron Palmer of GAS and, if needed, arrange a personal meeting for you.

Quite reasonably, Henshue and GAS request that as much as possible neighbors make contact with us (Paul and Kurt) first, so that questions and concerns can be aggregated. However, if you cannot reach us, and feel a question is urgent, you may contact Aaron Palmer by calling 218 1517 (phone at his office, with a message machine) or 209 6447 (mobile). Aaron's email is aaron.palmer@gasai.com

Kindly do NOT debrief construction crew members you happen to see. Time and again this has resulted in alarming misinformation which is hard to correct in the neighborhood later. As indicated, it will be easy to get authoritative information. Thanks!

Now, while construction has just begun, the surveying is done. It is not easy to look at the stakes and know what they mean. This is true even if you have managed to identify and ignore the stakes left over from the MG&E operation. Kurt and Char will be organizing meetings in the evening on the corridor to explain to neighbors in each major section what to expect. These meetings will cover Odana to Glenway; Glenway to Commonwealth; and Commonwealth to Breeze Terrace. Try to attend. We think neighbors will want to know exactly what is going to happen as early as possible in the process.

In the meantime, our expert neighbor Tony Fernandez has summarized the stakes and their meaning as follows:

1. The "slope intercept" is the theoretical point where the proposed grading meets the existing ground. The contract Special Provisions allow the contractor to grade 2 ft. beyond this line in order to blend in to the existing ground. The slope intercept lines are shown on the plans with a short dash line, which is labeled on each sheet as "Slope Intercepts".

2. The stakes are typically 4 ft. outside the theoretical intercepts, (or 2' outside the permitted grading limits). Some of the stakes, as you noted, are only 2' outside the intercepts (or at the permitted grading limits) and those stakes are marked 2' O/S.

3. The slope intercepts were established based on survey every 100' and may not exactly represent the conditions between 100' "stations". There is inevitably some adjustment of this line to match the actual terrain conditions as the construction proceeds. The actual grading could be a little wider, or in some locations, narrower than shown on the plans.

4. The contractor and the Resident Engineer (Aaron Palmer) have been requested to preserve trees at the fringes of the grading limits where possible. In general, people should expect the ground to be completely cleared of vegetation between the grading limits. Ultimately all disturbed areas will be covered with topsoil and seeded with grass.

Yours,

Paul and Kurt

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Last Modified: 03-Feb-08 05:53 PM

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