Blue Hole Park Repair Plan Approved

After a case of sticker shock on an initial repair bill for Blue Hole Park, the City is moving forward with a less-costly plan. Record flooding in the park in June 2007 ripped out an 800-foot section of road and hike and bike trail, as well as a retaining wall.

Last week, the City Council approved a plan to fix the hike and bike trail in the park, stabilize the eroded river bank, and allow for emergency access. The plan provides for reconstruction of the hike and bike trail through the park, but public vehicles will no longer have through-access. A vehicle turnaround at the Rock Street entrance is planned, and public vehicle access from Scenic Drive will end near the picnic area at the west end of the park.

With approval of a revised plan, engineering is now underway. Reconstruction work should begin later this summer and be complete by the end of October.

Earlier this year, the City received an engineering report for the cost to fix the park road with a flood-proof retaining wall. The cost exceeded $600,000, due to anchors that would have been drilled into the limestone riverbed in order to ensure that the public roadway could withstand major floods.

The less-costly plan for a trail and emergency access-only surface will be paid for with $160,000 from the City’s insurer and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. A costly retaining wall was removed from the initial plan. The Parks Board recommended the less-costly option in May.

In addition, on-street parking will be added along Rock Street in the block north of Second Street. This work already was planned for River Place, a proposed office and retail project. The development agreement for River Place provided for the use of the City’s 0.5 percent 4B sales tax to fund public road improvements. The work on Rock Street will begin as part of the Blue Hole reconstruction effort and should be complete by the end of November.

Until the construction work at Blue Hole is complete, the park remains fenced and is closed to the public. However, the City’s five swimming pools are open through mid-August. For pool hours and details, visit the Aquatics page at aquatics.georgetown.org.