Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Disposal and Reuse of Surplus Properties at Naval Station Newport, RI and Notice of Public Scoping Meetings, 65868-65870 [2012-26755]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
• Department of the Navy

[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 211 (Wednesday, October 31, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65868-65870]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-26755]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Navy


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Disposal and Reuse of Surplus Properties at Naval Station Newport, 
RI and Notice of Public Scoping Meetings

AGENCY: Department of the Navy, DoD.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as implemented by the Council on 
Environmental Quality regulations (40 CFR Parts 1500-1508), the 
Department of the Navy (DoN) announces its intent to prepare an 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to evaluate the potential 
environmental consequences of the disposal and reuse of surplus 
properties at Naval Station (NAVSTA) Newport, Newport, Rhode Island, 
per Public Law 101-510, the Defense Base Closure and Realignment (BRAC) 
Act of 1990, as amended in 2005 (BRAC Law). The surplus properties 
include: the former Naval

[[Page 65869]]

Hospital, the former Navy Lodge, Tank Farms 1 and 2, and the Defense 
Highway/Stringham Road Corridor. Potential impacts associated with 
reuse of the surplus properties at NAVSTA Newport, including changes in 
land use and traffic patterns, will be evaluated and will contribute to 
the alternatives considered.

DATES: The DoN will conduct public scoping meetings in the Town of 
Middletown and the City of Newport, Newport County, Rhode Island, to 
receive comments on the environmental concerns that should be addressed 
in the EIS. Public scoping open houses will be as follows:
    1. Open House: Wednesday, November 14, 2012 4:00pm-8:00pm, Joseph 
H. Gaudet Middle School Cafeteria located at 1113 Aquidneck Avenue, 
Middletown, Rhode Island.
    2. Open House: Thursday, November 15, 2012 1:00pm-5:00pm, Newport 
Public Library Program Room located at 300 Spring Street, Newport, 
Rhode Island.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Director, BRAC Program Management 
Office Northeast, Attn: Newport BRAC EIS, 4911 South Broad Street, 
Building 679, Philadelphia, PA 19112-1303, telephone 215-897-4900, fax 
215-897-4902, email: david.drozd@navy.mil.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The BRAC Commission was established by 
Public Law 101-510, the BRAC Law, to recommend military installations 
for realignment and closure. Recommendations of the 2005 BRAC 
Commission were included in a report presented to the President on 
September 8, 2005. The President approved and forwarded this report to 
Congress on September 16, 2005, which became effective as public law on 
November 9, 2005, and must be implemented in accordance with the 
requirements of the BRAC Law.
    As a result of implementation of BRAC Law, on January 5, 2009, 
certain land and facilities at NAVSTA Newport were declared excess to 
the needs of the DoN and made available to other Department of Defense 
components and other Federal agencies. The DoN evaluated all Federal 
requests and made a decision on property required by the Federal 
Government. The DoN declared approximately 225 acres of property at 
NAVSTA Newport as surplus to the needs of the Federal Government on 
February 9, 2010.
    The proposed action for this EIS is the disposal and reuse of 
surplus property at NAVSTA Newport. Upon completion of the disposal, 
the surplus property will be redeveloped in a manner consistent with 
the Aquidneck Island Reuse Planning Authority's (AIRPA) Redevelopment 
Plan. The EIS will consider the alternatives that are reasonable to 
accomplish the proposed action. Alternatives to be considered include: 
(1) Disposal of the surplus property by the DoN and reuse in accordance 
with the AIRPA Redevelopment Plan; (2) Disposal of the surplus property 
by the DoN with a high-density reuse scenario; and (3) No Action, in 
which the DoN would retain ownership in caretaker status and no reuse 
or redevelopment of the surplus property would occur.
    Alternative 1 would allow for the disposal and reuse of surplus 
property at NAVSTA Newport. Reuse would be conducted in accordance with 
the AIRPA Redevelopment Plan. The Plan provides a mix of land uses 
based on existing conditions on the surplus property and in the 
community, guiding principles for development established by AIRPA, and 
public participation. It is anticipated that full build-out of the Plan 
would be implemented over a 20-year period. The Redevelopment Plan 
calls for the development of the following at each surplus parcel:
     Naval Hospital--This waterfront parcel consists of 7 acres 
of land and facilities plus 3 acres of submerged land. Existing 
structures would be demolished prior to redevelopment of the site. 
Approximately 3.8 acres (54%) of the 7 acres of land-based property 
would be redeveloped, with a mix of hotel and residential uses in 
addition to a waterfront park with pedestrian paths and a pier. The 
remaining 3.2 acres of upland (46%) and 3 acres of submerged land would 
be maintained as open space and natural areas associated with the 
waterfront park.
     Navy Lodge--This parcel consists of 3 acres of land with 
no facilities on the parcel. Approximately 1.8 acres (60%) would be 
redeveloped with two, one-story retail buildings and associated 
parking. Approximately 1.2 acres (40%) would be maintained as open 
space.
     Tank Farms 1 and 2--This parcel consists of 145 acres of 
land and facilities. Existing structures would be demolished prior to 
redevelopment of the site. Approximately 31.1 acres (21%) of the 
overall combined property would be redeveloped with a mix of uses 
including office space, light industrial, boat storage, multi-modal 
parking, and a solar array. About 113.9 acres (79%) would remain as 
passive land use or open space.
     Defense Highway/Stringham Road Corridor--This parcel 
consists of 67 acres of land, including 4.6 miles of two-lane roads and 
15 acres of adjacent open land. The Redevelopment Plan calls for 
retaining use of the two-lane roads, with the addition of an adjacent 
multi-use pedestrian pathway in a greenbelt. The remaining land would 
be used for recreation/open space areas including a shoreline park.
    Alternative 2 would also allow for disposal and reuse of the 
surplus property at NAVSTA Newport. This alternative features a higher 
density of uses at each parcel and similar to Alternative 1, it is 
anticipated that full build-out of the high-density scenario would be 
implemented over a 20-year period. Under Alternative 2, redevelopment 
at each surplus parcel would include the following:
     Naval Hospital--The residential use proposed under 
Alternative 1 would be replaced with commercial uses and a conference 
center would be added to the proposed hotel. The remainder of the site 
would be developed as described under Alternative 1. This higher 
density alternative would result in development of approximately 4.1 
acres (58%) of the 7-acre land-based portion of the site.
     Navy Lodge--The higher density alternative calls for the 
development of two, two-story retail buildings and an increase in 
parking compared with Alternative 1. Alternative 2 would result in 
development of approximately 2.1 acres (70%) of the overall site.
     Tank Farms 1 and 2--Redevelopment would occur with the 
same mix of uses as under Alternative 1 however, the amount of office 
space and light industrial would be increased resulting in development 
of 34.1 acres (24%) of the overall site.
     Defense Highway/Stringham Road Corridor--The higher 
density alternative calls for greater expansion of the proposed 
shoreline park.
    Alternative 3 is required by NEPA and is the No Action Alternative. 
Under this alternative, the property would be retained by the U.S. 
government in caretaker status. No reuse or redevelopment would occur 
at the surplus property.
    The EIS will address potential direct, indirect, short-term, long-
term, and cumulative impacts on the human and natural environments, 
including potential impacts on topography, geology and soils, water 
resources, biological resources, air quality, noise, infrastructure and 
utilities, traffic, cultural resources, land use, socioeconomics, 
environmental justice, and waste management. Known areas of concern 
associated with the BRAC action include impacts on cultural resources, 
impacts on local traffic patterns resulting from reuse scenarios,

[[Page 65870]]

and the clean-up of installation remediation sites.
    The DoN is initiating the scoping process to identify community 
concerns and issues that should be addressed in the EIS. Agencies and 
the public are encouraged to provide written comments at scheduled 
public scoping meetings. Comments should clearly describe specific 
issues or topics that the EIS should address. Written comments must be 
postmarked or emailed by midnight December 2, 2012, and should be sent 
to: Director, BRAC Program Management Office Northeast, Attn: Newport 
BRAC EIS, 4911 South Broad Street, Building 679, Philadelphia, PA 
19112-1303, telephone 215-897-4900, fax 215-897-4902, email: 
david.drozd@navy.mil.
    Requests for special assistance, sign language interpretation for 
the hearing impaired, language interpreters, or other auxiliary aids 
for scheduled public scoping meetings must be sent by mail or email by 
November 5, 2012, to Ms. Katie Dixon, Ecology and Environment, Inc., 
368 Pleasant View Drive, Lancaster, NY 14086, telephone 716-684-8060, 
email: kdixon@ene.com.

    Dated: October 25, 2012.
C. K. Chiappetta,
Lieutenant Commander, Office of the Judge Advocate General, U.S. Navy, 
Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2012-26755 Filed 10-30-12; 8:45 am]
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