Notice of Public Meeting on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Multiple Projects in Support of Marine Barracks Washington, DC, 21225-21227 [2015-08863]
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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 74 / Friday, April 17, 2015 / Notices
until 3:30 p.m. and Friday, May 22,
2015 from 8:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at
the Marine Corps University in
Quantico, Virginia. The address is: 2076
South Street, Marine Corps University,
Quantico, Virginia 22134–5068.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr.
Kimberly Florich, Faculty Development
and Outreach Coordinator, Marine
Corps University Board of Visitors, 2076
South Street, Quantico, Virginia 22134,
telephone number 703–432–4682.
Dated: April 10, 2015.
N.A. Hagerty-Ford,
Commander, Office of the Judge Advocate
General, U.S. Navy, Federal Register Liaison
Officer.
[FR Doc. 2015–08865 Filed 4–16–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3810–FF–P
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Navy
Meeting of the Secretary of the Navy
Advisory Panel
Department of the Navy, DoD.
Amendment.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
Announcement of the
Secretary of the Navy Advisory Panel
meeting scheduled for April 20, 2015,
(Federal Register, Volume 80, No. 67,
Wednesday, April 8, 2015) did not
comply with 41 CFR 102–3.150(a). After
subsequent review and pursuant to 41
CFR 102–3.150(b), the Advisory
Committee Management Officer for the
Department of the Defense waives the
15-calendar day notification
requirement.
The Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV)
Advisory Panel will meet 8:15 a.m. to
4:00 p.m. to review ways to establish a
culture of innovation in the Department
of the Navy. This meeting is opened to
the public.
DATES: The meeting will be held on
Monday, April 20, 2015, from 8:15 a.m.
to 4:00 p.m.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at
the Pentagon, in Room 4B746, 1000
Navy Pentagon, Washington, DC 20350–
1000.
Building Access: Public access is
limited due to the Pentagon Security
requirements. Any individual wishing
to attend this meeting should contact
Ms. Cassandra Dean at 703–697–2386 or
Commander Randall Biggs at 703–695–
3042 no later than April 13, 2015.
Members of the public who do not have
Pentagon access will be required to
provide Name, Date of Birth and Social
Security Number by April 13, 2015, in
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order to obtain visitor’s clearance.
Public transportation is recommended
as public parking is not available.
Members of the public wishing to attend
this meeting must enter through the
Pentagon’s Metro Entrance between 7:45
a.m. and 8:00 a.m. where they will need
two forms of identification in order to
receive a visitor badge and meet their
escort. Members will then be escorted to
Room 4B746 to attend the open of the
meeting of the Advisory Panel. Members
of the public must remain with the
designated escort at all times while in
the Pentagon. After the meeting is
adjourned, members of the public will
be escorted back to the Pentagon Metro
Entrance.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Commander Randall Biggs, SECNAV
Advisory Panel, 1000 Navy Pentagon,
Washington, DC 20350–1000, 703–695–
3042.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
agenda is as follows:
April 20, 2015, speakers and
discussions on the Department of the
Navy Culture of Innovation Initiatives.
Individuals or interested groups may
submit written statements for
consideration by the SECNAV Advisory
Panel at any time or in response to the
agenda of a schedule meeting. All
requests must be submitted to the
Designated Federal Officer (DFO) at the
address detailed below. If the written
statement is in response to the agenda
mentioned in this meeting notice, it
must be received at least five days prior
to the meeting in question. The DFO
will review all timely submissions with
the SECNAV Advisory Panel before the
meeting that is the subject of this notice.
For further information write to: Deputy
Under Secretary of the Navy, (Policy),
Secretary of the Navy Advisory Panel,
Designated Federal Officer, 1000 Navy
Pentagon, Washington, DC 20350–1000.
Dated: April 10, 2015.
N.A. Hagerty-Ford,
Commander, Judge Advocate General’s Corps,
U.S. Navy, Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2015–08867 Filed 4–16–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3810–FF–P
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Navy
Notice of Public Meeting on the Draft
Environmental Impact Statement for
Multiple Projects in Support of Marine
Barracks Washington, DC
Department of the Navy,
Department of Defense.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
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Pursuant to Section
(102)(2)(c) of the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969
(NEPA) (42 United States Code [U.S.C.]
Sections 4321–4370h); the Council on
Environmental Quality (CEQ)
regulations for implementing the
procedural provisions of NEPA (Title 40
Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R)
Parts 1500–1508); Department of the
Navy (DoN) Procedures for
Implementing NEPA (32 CFR part 775);
and Marine Corps NEPA directives
(Marine Corps Order P5090.2A), the
United States Marine Corps (Marine
Corps) has prepared and filed with the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) a Draft Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) that evaluates the
potential environmental consequences
that may result from implementation of
repair, renovation, and construction
projects at Marine Barracks Washington
(MBW), District of Columbia (DC)
anticipated to occur within an
approximately 5-year planning horizon
from the publication of the Record of
Decision anticipated in 2016). The
principal project analyzed in this Draft
EIS is the replacement of a Bachelor
Enlisted Quarters (BEQ) Complex
(including supporting facilities and
parking) currently housed in Building
20 at MBW. Depending on the
alternative selected, the BEQ Complex
replacement project may include land
acquisition in DC. The Draft EIS also
evaluates renovation and improvement
projects to Building 7 at the Main Post;
improvements to the MBW Annex gate
at 7th and K Streets; and improvements
to building facades, fencing,
infrastructure, pedestrian amenities, and
landscaping throughout the installation.
The Draft EIS includes a programmatic
evaluation of several additional projects
anticipated to occur beyond the 5-year
planning horizon for which information
sufficient to conduct detailed NEPA
analysis is not yet available. Principal
among these projects is the potential
reuse of Building 20 or the Building 20
site once the BEQ Complex has been
relocated. Other longer-term projects
include renovation of Building 9 to
accommodate the consolidation of
various administrative functions, as
well as some additional landscaping
and maintenance projects. Once these
actions become sufficiently ripe for
detailed analysis, additional NEPA
analysis will be completed. A Notice of
Intent to prepare this EIS was published
in the Federal Register on September 6,
2013 (Vol. 78, No. 173, p. 54873).
With the filing of the Draft EIS, the
DoN is initiating a 45-day public
comment period and has scheduled a
SUMMARY:
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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 74 / Friday, April 17, 2015 / Notices
public open house meeting to receive
written and verbal comments on the
Draft EIS. Federal, state, and local
agencies and interested individuals are
encouraged to attend the public
meeting. This notice announces the
dates and locations of the public
meeting, and supplementary
information about the environmental
planning effort.
DATES AND ADDRESSES: The Draft EIS
public review period begins April 10,
2015 and ends on May 26, 2015. The
Marine Corps is holding an open house
public meeting to inform the public
about the Proposed Action and the
alternatives under consideration, and to
provide an opportunity for the public to
comment on the Draft EIS. Marine Corps
representatives will be on hand to
discuss the Proposed Action, the NEPA
process, and the analyses presented in
the Draft EIS. The meeting will be held
from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Tyler
Elementary School (1001 G Street SE.,
Washington, DC 20003) on Wednesday,
April 22, 2015. The DoN will consider
and respond to comments received on
the Draft EIS when preparing the Final
EIS. The DoN expects to issue the Final
EIS in November 2015, at which time a
Notice of Availability will be published
in the Federal Register and local print
media.
The Draft EIS has been distributed to
Federal and local agencies, elected
officials, and the interested public. The
document can be viewed online and
downloaded from www.mbweis.com/
EISDocument.aspx.
Copies of the Draft EIS are available
for public review at the following public
libraries: Southeast Public Library, 403
7th Street SE., Washington, DC 20003;
Southwest Public Library, 900 Wesley
Place SW., Washington, DC 20004; and
Northeast Public Library, 330 7th Street
NE., Washington, DC 20022.
A copy of the Draft EIS will be made
available upon written request to: MBW
EIS Project Manager: Ms. Katherine
Childs, 1314 Harwood Street SE.,
Building 212, Washington Navy Yard,
DC 20374–5018 or via email at
katherine.childs@navy.mil.
Comments: Attendees will be able to
submit written or verbal comments at
the public meeting. Comments may be
mailed to MBW EIS Project Manager:
Ms. Katherine Childs, 1314 Harwood
Street SE., Building 212, Washington
Navy Yard, DC 20374–5018, or
submitted electronically at the EIS Web
site, www.mbweis.com. Comments may
be submitted anytime during the 45-day
public review period, and must be
postmarked or electronically dated on or
before May 26, 2015, to ensure they
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become part of the public record. All
comments submitted during the official
public review period will become part
of the public record on the Draft EIS and
will be addressed in the Final EIS.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
MBW EIS Project Manager: Ms.
Katherine Childs, 1314 Harwood Street
SE., Building 212, Washington Navy
Yard, DC 20374–5018, (202) 685–0164.
Please submit requests for special
assistance, sign language interpretation
for the hearing impaired, or other
auxiliary aids at the public meeting to
Ms. Childs by April 17, 2015.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
Proposed Action evaluated in the Draft
EIS would occur within an approximate
5-year planning horizon from the
publication of the Record of Decision
anticipated in 2016, and address
existing and anticipated facility
deficiencies at MBW. MBW is part of a
highly urbanized metropolitan area of
DC, with the Main Post and Building 20
located at the intersection of 8th and I
Streets SE. in the Capitol Hill
neighborhood, the largest historic
district and one of the most densely
populated residential neighborhoods in
the city. The MBW Annex is located at
the intersection of 7th Street SE. and
Virginia Avenue SE. in the Near
Southeast neighborhood, which has
been an emerging growth area as a result
of revitalization efforts that began in the
1990s and is transitioning to an
established neighborhood with a
growing residential community.
The purpose of the Proposed Action
is to address existing and anticipated
facility deficiencies at MBW in order to
better support the functions of the
Marine Corps units assigned to MBW.
The Proposed Action is needed for the
Marine Corps to meet current Quality of
Life (QOL), efficiency, sustainability,
life safety, Anti-Terrorism and Force
Protection (AT/FP) requirements, and
facilities standards. Most of these
requirements are set forth in the
Department of Defense (DoD) Unified
Facilities Criteria (UFCs) for planning,
design, construction, sustainment,
restoration, and modernization.
The existing BEQ (Building 20) has
multiple deficiencies relating to force
protection, minimum space
requirements, QOL, life safety,
sustainability, and energy efficiency and
cannot be renovated or redesigned to
meet current standards. No existing
MBW property can accommodate the
entire replacement BEQ requirement
(BEQ, support facilities, and parking) at
a single site. However, the below-grade
parking at Building 20 could be retained
to meet parking needs associated with
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the replacement BEQ Complex. To
comply with current standards and
continue to meet MBW mission
requirements, the Marine Corps needs to
either acquire property, establish a
tenant site on federal or DoD property,
or select a site on DoD property to
accommodate a portion of the
replacement BEQ requirement (BEQ and
support facilities) and construct a
replacement BEQ near the MBW Main
Post. The Proposed Action does not
include any change to the MBW mission
or staffing levels.
Building 7 interior renovations are
required to improve space utilization,
meet life safety standards, improve
attainment of sustainability goals, and
address certain AT/FP shortfalls.
The purpose and need for the
following projects are aligned with
fostering MBW integration with the
community consistent with current UFC
guidance:
• Improve the MBW Annex gate at
7th and K Streets SE to provide a ‘‘sense
of arrival’’ for both installation
personnel and visitors.
• Make aesthetic improvements (e.g.,
signs, door awnings, lighting, and
landscaping) so that all building
exteriors present a more attractive, less
utilitarian appearance to the
surrounding neighborhood.
• Incorporate pedestrian-friendly
amenities (e.g., pedestrian paths,
signage systems, seating, lighting, and
landscaping) into MBW properties that
are safe and appropriately sized to their
surroundings.
Each of these projects is a separate,
distinct, and independently complete
and actionable project.
The Draft EIS also discusses the need
for optimal reuse of Building 20 or the
Building 20 site and long-term solutions
for MBW space needs.
The Draft EIS evaluates five action
alternatives. Projects analyzed in the
Draft EIS and common to all five
alternatives include:
• Replacement BEQ Complex: A
multi-story BEQ Complex (including
parking and support facilities) to replace
the functions currently housed in
Building 20. The proposed replacement
BEQ Complex would be constructed to
accommodate 125 standard Marine
Corps 2+0 berthing rooms, which would
provide a 250-bed sleeping capacity. In
addition, the replacement BEQ Complex
would accommodate the following
supporting uses: Music training,
enlisted dining facility, company
administration space, classroom training
space, fitness facility, and armory.
• Main Post renovation projects:
Interior renovations to Building 7 at the
Main Post.
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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 74 / Friday, April 17, 2015 / Notices
• Projects to foster integration of
MBW with the community: These
include improvements to the MBW
Annex gate at 7th and K Streets SE. and
improvements to the building facades,
fencing, infrastructure, pedestrian
amenities, and landscaping throughout
the installation.
Alternative 1—Site A. Under
Alternative 1, the Marine Corps would
acquire privately owned land and a
government-owned right-of-way (ROW)
for the proposed BEQ Complex.
Alternative 1, Site A, consists of 3.0
acres in Squares 929 and 930 and an
approximate 340-foot segment of L
Street between 8th and 9th Streets SE.
The affected segment of L Street SE.
would be closed to vehicular and
pedestrian traffic and street parking. For
the purposes of this EIS, it is expected
that the replacement BEQ Complex
would be constructed within the L
Street ROW.
Alternative 2—Site B. Under
Alternative 2, the Marine Corps would
acquire privately-owned land and a
government-owned ROW for the
replacement BEQ Complex. Alternative
2, Site B, consists of 1.8 acres in Square
976 and an approximate 315-foot
segment of the L Street ROW between
10th and 11th Streets SE. Unlike
Alternative 1, there would be no
construction within the L Street ROW.
This segment of L Street would be
closed to vehicular traffic and on-street
parking, but it would remain open for
pedestrians. No structures would be
constructed within the adjacent Virginia
Avenue Park, and the park would
remain open to public use. The segment
of the ROW and the adjacent portion of
Virginia Avenue Park are included
within this site as a means of satisfying
the AT/FP vehicular standoff distance,
while also allowing public use to
continue.
Alternative 3—Site C. The land
comprising Site C is federally-owned,
but subject to a master development
plan and agreement between GSA and a
private developer (Forest City
Washington) authorized by prior special
legislation. An agreement with Forest
City Washington and GSA to transfer
Site C to the DoN/USMC would be
required in order for Site C to be
selected. Under Alternative 3, the
Marine Corps obtain appropriate real
estate interest in a portion of the
federally owned land at the Southeast
Federal Center (SEFC) for the proposed
replacement BEQ Complex and a 3-story
above ground parking structure.
Alternative 3, Site C, is 2.1 acres within
Square 853, bounded by M Street SE. to
the north and Tingey Street SE. to the
south. In addition to having to reach an
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agreement with Forest City Washington
and GSA, under this alternative, the
SEFC ‘‘The Yards’’ Redevelopment
Master Plan would need to be revised.
Alternative 4—Site D. Under
Alternative 4, the Marine Corps would
establish a tenant site on 1.67 acres of
federally owned land at the northern
end of Square 953, within the boundary
of the Washington Navy Yard (WNY).
The existing land use includes an
administrative building (Building 169)
as well as tennis and basketball courts
east of Building 169, all of which have
been identified as areas for potential
redevelopment in the WNY Master Plan
(approved by the National Capital
Planning Commission on November 6,
2014). Also included is the parking lot
south of Building 169 (16 spaces) and
potentially a portion of Poor Street that
connects Parsons Avenue and 10th
Street SE. BEQ construction on this site
would require the demolition of
Building 169, which is currently
occupied by MBW functions. The
existing below-grade parking at the
Building 20 site would be maintained to
satisfy the BEQ Complex parking
requirement.
Alternative 5—Site E. Under
Alternative 5, the Marine Corps would
use 0.89-acre within the boundary of the
MBW Annex (Squares 881 and 881W).
For the purposes of this EIS, it is
expected that the replacement BEQ
Complex construction would occur
within the 6th Street L’Enfant Plan
viewshed between Building 25 (Annex
building) and Building 26 (Annex
parking garage). The new facility would
be sited as close to Building 25 as
possible and would connect via a
breezeway between the replacement
BEQ Complex and the western end of
Building 25. The site currently contains
a basketball court that would be
relocated to the north of Building 25.
The existing below-grade parking at the
Building 20 site would be maintained to
satisfy the BEQ Complex parking
requirement.
The Marine Corps has not identified
a preferred alternative at this time. Each
of the action alternatives involve tradeoffs among economic, technical,
environmental, and Marine Corps
statutory mission requirements. A
preferred alternative will be selected in
the Final EIS after public comments on
the Draft EIS are evaluated.
Dated: April 10, 2015.
N.A. Hagerty-Ford,
Commander, Judge Advocate General’s Corps,
U.S. Navy, Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2015–08863 Filed 4–16–15; 8:45 am]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
[Docket No. ED–2015–ICCD–0007]
Agency Information Collection
Activities; Submission to the Office of
Management and Budget for Review
and Approval; Comment Request;
Reaffirmation Agreement
Federal Student Aid (FSA),
Department of Education (ED).
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
In accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44
U.S.C. chapter 3501 et seq.), ED is
proposing a new information collection.
DATES: Interested persons are invited to
submit comments on or before May 18,
2015.
ADDRESSES: Comments submitted in
response to this notice should be
submitted electronically through the
Federal eRulemaking Portal at https://
www.regulations.gov by selecting
Docket ID number ED–2015–ICCD–0007
or via postal mail, commercial delivery,
or hand delivery. If the regulations.gov
site is not available to the public for any
reason, ED will temporarily accept
comments at ICDocketMgr@ed.gov.
Please note that comments submitted by
fax or email and those submitted after
the comment period will not be
accepted; ED will ONLY accept
comments during the comment period
in this mailbox when the regulations.gov
site is not available. Written requests for
information or comments submitted by
postal mail or delivery should be
addressed to the Director of the
Information Collection Clearance
Division, U.S. Department of Education,
400 Maryland Avenue SW., LBJ,
Mailstop L–OM–2–2E319, Room 2E105,
Washington, DC 20202.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
specific questions related to collection
activities, please contact Ian Foss, 202–
377–3681.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
Department of Education (ED), in
accordance with the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) (44 U.S.C.
3506(c)(2)(A)), provides the general
public and Federal agencies with an
opportunity to comment on proposed,
revised, and continuing collections of
information. This helps the Department
assess the impact of its information
collection requirements and minimize
the public’s reporting burden. It also
helps the public understand the
Department’s information collection
requirements and provide the requested
data in the desired format. ED is
soliciting comments on the proposed
information collection request (ICR) that
SUMMARY:
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 74 (Friday, April 17, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21225-21227]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-08863]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Navy
Notice of Public Meeting on the Draft Environmental Impact
Statement for Multiple Projects in Support of Marine Barracks
Washington, DC
AGENCY: Department of the Navy, Department of Defense.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section (102)(2)(c) of the National Environmental
Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) (42 United States Code [U.S.C.] Sections
4321-4370h); the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations for
implementing the procedural provisions of NEPA (Title 40 Code of
Federal Regulations (C.F.R) Parts 1500-1508); Department of the Navy
(DoN) Procedures for Implementing NEPA (32 CFR part 775); and Marine
Corps NEPA directives (Marine Corps Order P5090.2A), the United States
Marine Corps (Marine Corps) has prepared and filed with the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) a Draft Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) that evaluates the potential environmental consequences
that may result from implementation of repair, renovation, and
construction projects at Marine Barracks Washington (MBW), District of
Columbia (DC) anticipated to occur within an approximately 5-year
planning horizon from the publication of the Record of Decision
anticipated in 2016). The principal project analyzed in this Draft EIS
is the replacement of a Bachelor Enlisted Quarters (BEQ) Complex
(including supporting facilities and parking) currently housed in
Building 20 at MBW. Depending on the alternative selected, the BEQ
Complex replacement project may include land acquisition in DC. The
Draft EIS also evaluates renovation and improvement projects to
Building 7 at the Main Post; improvements to the MBW Annex gate at 7th
and K Streets; and improvements to building facades, fencing,
infrastructure, pedestrian amenities, and landscaping throughout the
installation. The Draft EIS includes a programmatic evaluation of
several additional projects anticipated to occur beyond the 5-year
planning horizon for which information sufficient to conduct detailed
NEPA analysis is not yet available. Principal among these projects is
the potential reuse of Building 20 or the Building 20 site once the BEQ
Complex has been relocated. Other longer-term projects include
renovation of Building 9 to accommodate the consolidation of various
administrative functions, as well as some additional landscaping and
maintenance projects. Once these actions become sufficiently ripe for
detailed analysis, additional NEPA analysis will be completed. A Notice
of Intent to prepare this EIS was published in the Federal Register on
September 6, 2013 (Vol. 78, No. 173, p. 54873).
With the filing of the Draft EIS, the DoN is initiating a 45-day
public comment period and has scheduled a
[[Page 21226]]
public open house meeting to receive written and verbal comments on the
Draft EIS. Federal, state, and local agencies and interested
individuals are encouraged to attend the public meeting. This notice
announces the dates and locations of the public meeting, and
supplementary information about the environmental planning effort.
Dates and Addresses: The Draft EIS public review period begins April
10, 2015 and ends on May 26, 2015. The Marine Corps is holding an open
house public meeting to inform the public about the Proposed Action and
the alternatives under consideration, and to provide an opportunity for
the public to comment on the Draft EIS. Marine Corps representatives
will be on hand to discuss the Proposed Action, the NEPA process, and
the analyses presented in the Draft EIS. The meeting will be held from
5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Tyler Elementary School (1001 G Street SE.,
Washington, DC 20003) on Wednesday, April 22, 2015. The DoN will
consider and respond to comments received on the Draft EIS when
preparing the Final EIS. The DoN expects to issue the Final EIS in
November 2015, at which time a Notice of Availability will be published
in the Federal Register and local print media.
The Draft EIS has been distributed to Federal and local agencies,
elected officials, and the interested public. The document can be
viewed online and downloaded from www.mbweis.com/EISDocument.aspx.
Copies of the Draft EIS are available for public review at the
following public libraries: Southeast Public Library, 403 7th Street
SE., Washington, DC 20003; Southwest Public Library, 900 Wesley Place
SW., Washington, DC 20004; and Northeast Public Library, 330 7th Street
NE., Washington, DC 20022.
A copy of the Draft EIS will be made available upon written request
to: MBW EIS Project Manager: Ms. Katherine Childs, 1314 Harwood Street
SE., Building 212, Washington Navy Yard, DC 20374-5018 or via email at
katherine.childs@navy.mil.
Comments: Attendees will be able to submit written or verbal
comments at the public meeting. Comments may be mailed to MBW EIS
Project Manager: Ms. Katherine Childs, 1314 Harwood Street SE.,
Building 212, Washington Navy Yard, DC 20374-5018, or submitted
electronically at the EIS Web site, www.mbweis.com. Comments may be
submitted anytime during the 45-day public review period, and must be
postmarked or electronically dated on or before May 26, 2015, to ensure
they become part of the public record. All comments submitted during
the official public review period will become part of the public record
on the Draft EIS and will be addressed in the Final EIS.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: MBW EIS Project Manager: Ms. Katherine
Childs, 1314 Harwood Street SE., Building 212, Washington Navy Yard, DC
20374-5018, (202) 685-0164. Please submit requests for special
assistance, sign language interpretation for the hearing impaired, or
other auxiliary aids at the public meeting to Ms. Childs by April 17,
2015.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Proposed Action evaluated in the Draft
EIS would occur within an approximate 5-year planning horizon from the
publication of the Record of Decision anticipated in 2016, and address
existing and anticipated facility deficiencies at MBW. MBW is part of a
highly urbanized metropolitan area of DC, with the Main Post and
Building 20 located at the intersection of 8th and I Streets SE. in the
Capitol Hill neighborhood, the largest historic district and one of the
most densely populated residential neighborhoods in the city. The MBW
Annex is located at the intersection of 7th Street SE. and Virginia
Avenue SE. in the Near Southeast neighborhood, which has been an
emerging growth area as a result of revitalization efforts that began
in the 1990s and is transitioning to an established neighborhood with a
growing residential community.
The purpose of the Proposed Action is to address existing and
anticipated facility deficiencies at MBW in order to better support the
functions of the Marine Corps units assigned to MBW. The Proposed
Action is needed for the Marine Corps to meet current Quality of Life
(QOL), efficiency, sustainability, life safety, Anti-Terrorism and
Force Protection (AT/FP) requirements, and facilities standards. Most
of these requirements are set forth in the Department of Defense (DoD)
Unified Facilities Criteria (UFCs) for planning, design, construction,
sustainment, restoration, and modernization.
The existing BEQ (Building 20) has multiple deficiencies relating
to force protection, minimum space requirements, QOL, life safety,
sustainability, and energy efficiency and cannot be renovated or
redesigned to meet current standards. No existing MBW property can
accommodate the entire replacement BEQ requirement (BEQ, support
facilities, and parking) at a single site. However, the below-grade
parking at Building 20 could be retained to meet parking needs
associated with the replacement BEQ Complex. To comply with current
standards and continue to meet MBW mission requirements, the Marine
Corps needs to either acquire property, establish a tenant site on
federal or DoD property, or select a site on DoD property to
accommodate a portion of the replacement BEQ requirement (BEQ and
support facilities) and construct a replacement BEQ near the MBW Main
Post. The Proposed Action does not include any change to the MBW
mission or staffing levels.
Building 7 interior renovations are required to improve space
utilization, meet life safety standards, improve attainment of
sustainability goals, and address certain AT/FP shortfalls.
The purpose and need for the following projects are aligned with
fostering MBW integration with the community consistent with current
UFC guidance:
Improve the MBW Annex gate at 7th and K Streets SE to
provide a ``sense of arrival'' for both installation personnel and
visitors.
Make aesthetic improvements (e.g., signs, door awnings,
lighting, and landscaping) so that all building exteriors present a
more attractive, less utilitarian appearance to the surrounding
neighborhood.
Incorporate pedestrian-friendly amenities (e.g.,
pedestrian paths, signage systems, seating, lighting, and landscaping)
into MBW properties that are safe and appropriately sized to their
surroundings.
Each of these projects is a separate, distinct, and independently
complete and actionable project.
The Draft EIS also discusses the need for optimal reuse of Building
20 or the Building 20 site and long-term solutions for MBW space needs.
The Draft EIS evaluates five action alternatives. Projects analyzed
in the Draft EIS and common to all five alternatives include:
Replacement BEQ Complex: A multi-story BEQ Complex
(including parking and support facilities) to replace the functions
currently housed in Building 20. The proposed replacement BEQ Complex
would be constructed to accommodate 125 standard Marine Corps 2+0
berthing rooms, which would provide a 250-bed sleeping capacity. In
addition, the replacement BEQ Complex would accommodate the following
supporting uses: Music training, enlisted dining facility, company
administration space, classroom training space, fitness facility, and
armory.
Main Post renovation projects: Interior renovations to
Building 7 at the Main Post.
[[Page 21227]]
Projects to foster integration of MBW with the community:
These include improvements to the MBW Annex gate at 7th and K Streets
SE. and improvements to the building facades, fencing, infrastructure,
pedestrian amenities, and landscaping throughout the installation.
Alternative 1--Site A. Under Alternative 1, the Marine Corps would
acquire privately owned land and a government-owned right-of-way (ROW)
for the proposed BEQ Complex. Alternative 1, Site A, consists of 3.0
acres in Squares 929 and 930 and an approximate 340-foot segment of L
Street between 8th and 9th Streets SE. The affected segment of L Street
SE. would be closed to vehicular and pedestrian traffic and street
parking. For the purposes of this EIS, it is expected that the
replacement BEQ Complex would be constructed within the L Street ROW.
Alternative 2--Site B. Under Alternative 2, the Marine Corps would
acquire privately-owned land and a government-owned ROW for the
replacement BEQ Complex. Alternative 2, Site B, consists of 1.8 acres
in Square 976 and an approximate 315-foot segment of the L Street ROW
between 10th and 11th Streets SE. Unlike Alternative 1, there would be
no construction within the L Street ROW. This segment of L Street would
be closed to vehicular traffic and on-street parking, but it would
remain open for pedestrians. No structures would be constructed within
the adjacent Virginia Avenue Park, and the park would remain open to
public use. The segment of the ROW and the adjacent portion of Virginia
Avenue Park are included within this site as a means of satisfying the
AT/FP vehicular standoff distance, while also allowing public use to
continue.
Alternative 3--Site C. The land comprising Site C is federally-
owned, but subject to a master development plan and agreement between
GSA and a private developer (Forest City Washington) authorized by
prior special legislation. An agreement with Forest City Washington and
GSA to transfer Site C to the DoN/USMC would be required in order for
Site C to be selected. Under Alternative 3, the Marine Corps obtain
appropriate real estate interest in a portion of the federally owned
land at the Southeast Federal Center (SEFC) for the proposed
replacement BEQ Complex and a 3-story above ground parking structure.
Alternative 3, Site C, is 2.1 acres within Square 853, bounded by M
Street SE. to the north and Tingey Street SE. to the south. In addition
to having to reach an agreement with Forest City Washington and GSA,
under this alternative, the SEFC ``The Yards'' Redevelopment Master
Plan would need to be revised.
Alternative 4--Site D. Under Alternative 4, the Marine Corps would
establish a tenant site on 1.67 acres of federally owned land at the
northern end of Square 953, within the boundary of the Washington Navy
Yard (WNY). The existing land use includes an administrative building
(Building 169) as well as tennis and basketball courts east of Building
169, all of which have been identified as areas for potential
redevelopment in the WNY Master Plan (approved by the National Capital
Planning Commission on November 6, 2014). Also included is the parking
lot south of Building 169 (16 spaces) and potentially a portion of Poor
Street that connects Parsons Avenue and 10th Street SE. BEQ
construction on this site would require the demolition of Building 169,
which is currently occupied by MBW functions. The existing below-grade
parking at the Building 20 site would be maintained to satisfy the BEQ
Complex parking requirement.
Alternative 5--Site E. Under Alternative 5, the Marine Corps would
use 0.89-acre within the boundary of the MBW Annex (Squares 881 and
881W). For the purposes of this EIS, it is expected that the
replacement BEQ Complex construction would occur within the 6th Street
L'Enfant Plan viewshed between Building 25 (Annex building) and
Building 26 (Annex parking garage). The new facility would be sited as
close to Building 25 as possible and would connect via a breezeway
between the replacement BEQ Complex and the western end of Building 25.
The site currently contains a basketball court that would be relocated
to the north of Building 25. The existing below-grade parking at the
Building 20 site would be maintained to satisfy the BEQ Complex parking
requirement.
The Marine Corps has not identified a preferred alternative at this
time. Each of the action alternatives involve trade-offs among
economic, technical, environmental, and Marine Corps statutory mission
requirements. A preferred alternative will be selected in the Final EIS
after public comments on the Draft EIS are evaluated.
Dated: April 10, 2015.
N.A. Hagerty-Ford,
Commander, Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Navy, Federal Register
Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2015-08863 Filed 4-16-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3810-FF-P
