City engineers determined that the reservoir, built in the 1920s, needed to be replaced because cracks in the concrete had significantly compromised the structure’s integrity, especially after the 1994 Northridge earthquake.
The country club, which initially protested the project as a business disruption, reached a $2.5-million settlement with the city in 2007 to allow access to the land and pay for the course’s reconfiguration. Under the agreement, the course must be in playable condition by the end of the year.
Kyle Marshal, superintendent of Chevy Chase Golf Course, declined to comment on the construction’s progress.
The 14.5-million-gallon reservoir, which includes two tanks and a pump station, has stayed within budget, Roepke said.
The reservoir became fully operational last month, but the pump station is operating using a power generator, Roepke said. Permanent power is expected to be hooked up within three weeks.
“We have to get on permanent power as quick as we can,” he said.
After unexpected groundwater caused project delays last year, the City Council in September authorized a revised work schedule, allowing construction crews to work on the site between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Saturdays to make up for lost time.
The Chevy Chase Estates Homeowners Assn., whose members had voiced concerns over the effects of construction noise on the neighborhood, approved the revised work plan at its annual meeting.
Larry Barnes, president of the association, said that while the construction was a disruption, he was pleased with the city’s efforts to reduce its impacts.
