Notice of Issuance of the Department of the Army Program Comment for Inter-War Era Historic Housing, Associated Buildings and Structures, and Landscape Features (1919-1940), 64491-64506 [2020-22572]

Agencies

• Historic Preservation, Advisory Council

[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 198 (Tuesday, October 13, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64491-64506]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-22572]


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ADVISORY COUNCIL ON HISTORIC PRESERVATION


Notice of Issuance of the Department of the Army Program Comment 
for Inter-War Era Historic Housing, Associated Buildings and 
Structures, and Landscape Features (1919-1940)

AGENCY: Advisory Council on Historic Preservation.

ACTION: Notice of issuance of the Department of the Army Program 
Comment for Inter-War Era Historic Housing, Associated Buildings and 
Structures, and Landscape Features (1919-1940).

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SUMMARY: The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation has issued a 
program comment for the U.S. Department of the Army that sets forth the 
way in which the Army complies with Section 106 of the National 
Historic Preservation Act for its inventory of Inter-War Era historic 
housing management actions, including: Maintenance, repair, 
rehabilitation, renovation, abatement, mothballing, demolition, 
replacement construction, new construction, lease and conveyance.

DATES: The Program Comment went into effect on September 4, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Address any questions concerning the Program Comment to 
Rachael Mangum, Office of Federal Agency Programs, Advisory Council on 
Historic Preservation, 401 F Street NW, Suite 308, Washington, DC 
20001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rachael Mangum, (202) 517-0214, 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 106 of the National Historic 
Preservation Act, 54 U.S.C. 306108 (Section 106), requires federal 
agencies to consider the effects of projects they carry out, license, 
or assist (undertakings) on historic properties and to provide the 
Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) a reasonable 
opportunity to comment with regard to such undertakings. The ACHP has 
issued the regulations that set forth the process through which federal 
agencies comply with these duties. Those regulations are codified under 
36 CFR part 800 (Section 106 regulations).
    Under Section 800.14(e) of those regulations, agencies can request 
the ACHP to provide a ``program comment'' on a particular category of 
undertakings in lieu of conducting individual reviews of each 
individual undertaking under such category, as set forth in 36 CFR 
800.4 through 800.7. An agency can meet its Section 106 
responsibilities with regard to the effects of those undertakings by 
taking into account an applicable program comment and following the 
steps set forth in that comment. The U.S. Department of the Army (Army) 
sought a program comment for its management actions related to its 
inventory of approximately 3,200 Inter-War Era historic housing units. 
Actions could include maintenance, repair, rehabilitation, renovation, 
abatement, mothballing, demolition, replacement construction, new 
construction, lease and conveyance. These actions present a potential 
for adverse effects to historic properties.
    The ACHP issued the Program Comment for Army Inter-War Era Housing, 
Associated Buildings and Structures, and Landscape Features (1919-1940) 
(Program Comment) on September 4, 2020. The Section 106 regulations 
require that such program comments be published in the Federal 
Register.

I. Need for the Program Comment

    The need for the Program Comment is based on the Army's obligation 
to provide quality housing to its Soldiers and their families. The Army 
has approximately 470,000 Active Duty Soldiers with 650,000 family 
members, 400,000 of which are children. Housing and associated living 
conditions are critical factors for military family resiliency in the 
face of the extraordinary challenges and stressors Soldiers and their 
families must cope with in their daily lives.
    There are health and safety risks to military families living in 
historic housing that result from hazards such as lead-based paint and 
asbestos commonly found in historic building materials. The Army must 
also maintain and improve the living conditions that contribute to the 
quality of life owed to military families who occupy historic housing. 
The high costs associated with the use of historic building materials 
and in-kind building materials and specialized craftsman associated 
with using those materials have proven to be financially limiting 
factors to the Army's ability to fully implement planned improvements 
to historic housing.
    Also, due to military mission needs, a military family may be 
required to move every two or three years. The Army attempts to 
minimize the impact of these moves on families and school-aged children 
to the extent possible by its efforts to plan many of the thousands of 
annual moves during the summer months, when schools are not in session. 
Many, but not all, required maintenance, repairs, and improvements to 
all Army housing, both historic and non-historic, occur during this 
short transition in occupancy during the summer months. While extensive 
prior historic preservation planning and actions to support these moves 
occur, the Section 106 project-by-project review process under existing 
installation-level Programmatic Agreements (PAs) contributes to delays 
in completing historic housing maintenance, repairs, and improvements 
needed for the transition in occupancy. Those delays directly impact 
the ability of reassigned military families to move-in and occupy 
historic housing.
    To provide quality housing for military families, the Army must 
address the health and safety risks from historic building materials, 
associated costs, compliance process time, and must also implement 
actions that address and improve the material living conditions of 
historic housing to ensure Soldiers and their families have the quality 
of life they deserve.

II. Army Inter-War Era Housing and the Program Comment

    The Army has the largest housing mission in the federal government, 
managing over 100,000 total housing units for Soldiers and their 
families. Of this total, the Army has approximately 31,000 historic 
housing units. Over

[[Page 64492]]

3,200 of these historic housing units are from the Inter-War Era (1919-
1940). The Army's inventory of Inter-War Era historic housing was, in 
general, constructed following standardized plans developed by the Army 
Quartermaster Corps, and is subject to frequent and recurring 
undertakings. The intent of this Program Comment is to address the 
Army's National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) compliance 
requirements by establishing procedures for management of the Army's 
nation-wide inventory of over 3,200 Inter-War Era housing units that 
balances historic preservation requirements with the Army's 
responsibility to provide the thousands of military families who live 
in this historic housing with the quality of life, health, and safety 
they require. The Army acknowledges that its Inter-War Era housing 
units are historic properties for the purposes of the Program Comment. 
The Program Comment addresses a category of frequent and repetitive 
undertakings occurring within this large class of similar historic 
properties. The category of undertakings addressed by the Program 
Comment is management actions: Maintenance, repair, rehabilitation, 
renovation, abatement, mothballing, demolition, replacement 
construction, new construction, lease and conveyance. These actions 
present a potential for adverse effects to historic properties.
    The Program Comment's treatment measures for Army Inter-War Era 
housing address the effects of Army management actions through 
extensive historical research, documentation, and recordation of the 
properties, establishment of preservation planning documents to guide 
management actions, and the implementation of new procedures and 
lifecycle analyses. The purpose is to ensure the historic and 
architectural character of Inter-War Era Housing, associated buildings 
and structures, and landscape features (Inter-War Era housing) is 
maintained and any unavoidable adverse effects resulting from 
management actions are minimized or otherwise mitigated.
    Treatment measures in the Section 106 process often address the 
effects of undertakings on historic properties through documentation 
and recordation as part of the historic preservation process. The 
treatment measures include: extensive existing documentation, research 
to further develop the Army Inter-War Era housing historic context, 
development and implementation of Design Guidelines for Army Inter-War 
Era Historic Housing (1919-1940) (Design Guidelines), development and 
implementation of a Building Materials Catalog for Army Inter-War Era 
Historic Housing (1919-1940) (Building Materials Catalog), an Army 
Federal Preservation Officer (FPO) NHPA policy statement for Program 
Comment implementation, development of public information and use of 
social media for public educational materials, lifecycle tracking of 
building materials data, and treatment measure monitoring and 
reporting. In the case of management actions involving removal and 
replacement of historic building materials or demolition, the 
documentation records and preserves information about historic housing. 
The Program Comment, Design Guidelines, and Building Materials Catalog 
also identify materials, set criteria, and establish step-by-step 
procedures for consideration and selection of appropriate building 
materials.
    Over 95 percent of Army Inter-War Era housing is managed under 
housing privatization partnerships that the Army has entered into with 
various property management entities. While day-to-day housing 
operations may occur under these partnerships, the Army remains 
ultimately responsible for compliance with the NHPA for its inventory 
of historic housing.

III. Building Materials and Methods for Preservation of Inter-War Era 
Housing

    The Army will implement its management actions to address the 
interconnected issues of health and safety, costs, process, and the 
material living conditions of Inter-War Era historic housing using 
appropriate building materials and methods that will maintain the 
historic and architectural character of Inter-War Era housing, 
associated buildings and structures, and landscape features. The Army 
will implement its management actions using historic building 
materials, in-kind building materials, and imitative substitute 
building materials. Historic building materials means building 
materials that are 50 years old and older. In-kind building materials 
means new building materials that are identical to historic building 
materials in all possible respects including their composition, design, 
color, texture, and other physical and visual properties. The term 
imitative substitute building materials means modern, industry 
standard, natural, composite, and synthetic building materials that 
simulate the appearance of and substitute for more costly historic 
building materials. These materials do not necessarily meet the 
Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic 
Properties.
    Planning for the selection and use of appropriate building 
materials on historic housing is critical. Specific overarching 
planning criteria are established in the Program Comment for the 
selection of appropriate building materials that consider the need to 
maintain the historic and architectural character of Inter-War Era 
housing in a balanced priority with health, safety, and quality of life 
considerations for military families. To further ensure that proper 
planning for and use of appropriate building materials occurs, the Army 
developed two preservation planning documents associated with the 
Program Comment: The Design Guidelines, and the Building Materials 
Catalog. These two preservation planning documents are incorporated 
into the Program Comment as Appendices A and B, respectively. These 
documents can be accessed at: https://www.denix.osd.mil/army-pchh/home/.
    The methods for selection and use of appropriate building materials 
is set forth in the Program Comment, Design Guidelines, and the 
Building Materials Catalog. The primary focus of these documents is on 
preservation of the historic and architectural design integrity of the 
housing, associated buildings and structures, and landscape features. 
The Design Guidelines provide specific information regarding Inter-War 
Era housing architectural styles and identify the overall character-
defining features and design elements associated with the specific 
Inter-War Era architectural styles. The Guidelines also provide methods 
and approaches to Inter-War Era housing routine maintenance, emergency 
repairs and disasters, rehabilitation, renovation, new additions, new 
construction, replacement construction, and improvements to windows and 
doors, entrances, porches and details, roofs, foundations and walls, 
interiors, and interior structural systems. The Guidelines also address 
mothballing and layaway of housing and provide guidelines for 
demolition; historic designed landscapes and features, historic 
districts containing Inter-War Era housing, circulation systems and 
paving patterns, and associated buildings and structures; and actions 
related to force protection requirements.
    The Building Materials Catalog is used in concert with the Design 
Guidelines. The Building Materials Catalog provides additional 
specificity on building materials and their use. The Building Materials 
Catalog establishes the methodology for selecting specific building 
materials that will maintain the historic and architectural character 
of

[[Page 64493]]

the housing, associated buildings and structures, and landscape 
features. Catalog entries are provided for major components of the 
house design. Design considerations for each catalog entry are derived 
from the design fundamentals of scale, mass, proportion, and materials. 
This provides the guidance for selection of appropriate materials and 
component designs that factor location, type, size, finish and 
maintenance into their selection. Focus is on appropriate design, 
applicable materials, and performance characteristics. Emphasis is 
placed on retention of the housing design integrity. It is intended 
that by following the Design Guidelines and the Building Materials 
Catalog, the management actions implemented under the Program Comment 
will preserve the historic and architectural character of Inter-War Era 
housing.

IV. Consultation on the Program Comment

    The Army sought participation from the public, State Historic 
Preservation Officers (SHPOs), Indian tribes, Native Hawaiian 
Organizations (NHOs), and other interested parties in the Program 
Comment's development prior to formally submitting its request for a 
Program Comment to the ACHP. The Army published a Notification of 
Intent in the Federal Register and issued a nation-wide media release 
on October 28, 2019, giving the public a 45-day period to submit 
comments. To host technical and administrative documents, consultation 
conference information, and status reports on the Program Comment 
development, the Army also activated a website in October 2019 at 
https://www.denix.osd.mil/army-pchh/home/. This website will remain 
active for the 35-year duration of the Program Comment. In September 
and October 2019, the Army conducted consultation meetings with the 
National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers (NCSHPO), 
the National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers 
(NATHPO), and the National Trust for Historic Preservation (NTHP). 
These meetings solicited input to develop a Program Comment that 
considered the consulting parties' perspectives. In November 2019, the 
Army provided a briefing to the ACHP membership regarding the Program 
Comment's purpose, intent, process, and schedule in November 2019.
    In October 2019, the Army published an invitation for consultation 
on its website and invited over 900 individuals representing key 
stakeholder organizations including SHPOs, Tribal Historic Preservation 
Offices (THPOs), Indian tribes, and NHOs, to a series of monthly 
consultation conference calls from November 2019 through June 2020 to 
provide for the participation by all interested parties and the 
opportunity to inform all aspects of the Program Comment and related 
documents. Call topics included Army privatized housing operations, 
undertaking and property types, treatment measures and effects, housing 
design guidelines, demolition, properties of particular importance, 
public education materials, treatment measure monitoring and reporting, 
and a building materials catalog. Drafts of the Design Guidelines and 
Building Materials Catalog were provided to consulting parties for 
review and comment. All comments and Army responses are included in the 
Army's Administrative Record for the Program Comment provided to the 
ACHP and available on the Program Comment website.
    Major outcomes of this consultation were the development of a 
treatment measure for the Army to track the lifecycle of select in-kind 
and imitative substitute building materials on over 300 housing units 
during the next 35 years; the development of robust demolition 
procedures, including an opportunity for relevant consulting party and 
ACHP review of each demolition proposal as well as Army headquarters 
level decisions for all proposed demolitions; and guidelines specifying 
that new and replacement construction will be compatible with existing 
historic housing, and avoid obstructing views out from or in to any 
historic district(s). A further enhancement during this period of 
consultation was the removal of National Historic Landmarks (NHLs) from 
consideration under the Program Comment. Undertakings involving NHLs 
will continue to be handled on a case-by case basis.
    In May 2020, the Army FPO provided a Program Comment update and 
status report to the ACHP membership. The status report identified 
consulting party concerns that arose during consultation and discussed 
how the Army had addressed those concerns.
    During this period, the Army FPO also coordinated internally with 
commands and installation commanders and provided briefings at the Army 
world-wide Garrison Commander's Conference in November 2019 and at an 
Army Residential Communities Initiative (RCI) Partner Conference in 
February 2020.
    On July 15, 2020, the Army submitted its formal request for a 
Program Comment to the ACHP, starting the ACHP's 45-day regulatory 
clock, which was originally set to end on August 31, 2020. The request 
included the Army's Section I. Overview of the Program Comment, 
portions of which are being used in this, and the two companion 
documents, the Design Guidelines (Appendix A) and the Building 
Materials Catalog (Appendix B). The full Section I of the Army's 
submittal to the ACHP is available on the Army's Program Comment 
website.
    Following the Army's formal request, the ACHP carried out its own 
consultation. The ACHP hosted two consultation meetings with its 
members on July 22 and 23, 2020 to discuss the draft documents sent 
with the Army's formal request. Thirteen members or their 
representatives attended two meetings. The ACHP also conducted calls 
with SHPOs and NCSHPO on July 27, 28, and 31, 2020, and with Indian 
tribes and NHOs on July 30 and 31, 2020. Comments provided during the 
meetings were noted and any additional comments were requested by 
August 17, 2020.
    ACHP created a web page to host the text of the Program Comment and 
appendices, highlighted it on its News web page and its Twitter and 
Facebook web pages, and sent a broadcast email announcing the posting 
of the Program Comment and availability for public review and comment. 
ACHP sent the email to Senior Policy Officials and Senior Policy 
Official Representatives (SPOs & SPO Reps), ACHP alumni, Federal 
Preservation Officers and Federal Preservation Officer Representatives 
(FPOs & FPO Reps), State Historic Preservation Officers (SHPOs), NTHP, 
National Preservation Organizations, Preservation Partners, Statewide 
and Local Preservation Organizations, Native Hawaiian Organizations 
(NHOs), and Tribal 106 Contacts. The public review period began August 
3, 2020 and ended August 17, 2020.
    By the close of the comment period, the ACHP received comments from 
26 respondents. The primary concerns expressed in the comments focused 
on (1) objections to including demolition, new construction, transfer, 
sale and lease in the management actions, as these may result in 
adverse effects to historic properties; (2) lack of SHPO and Tribal 
consultation for most actions, including ground disturbing activities 
based on the Army's assumption that prior disturbance limits the 
potential for intact archaeological resources; (3) the use of imitative 
substitute materials and the lack of a hierarchy for its selection only 
after historic or in-kind materials were considered; (4) insufficient

[[Page 64494]]

mitigations to offset potential adverse effects; (5) requirements for 
professional assistance to be provided by Secretary of the Interior 
(SOI) qualified professionals.
    ACHP staff held a conference call with ACHP members on August 17, 
2020, to discuss the comments received and to seek any comments or 
recommendations for revisions to the draft that ACHP members wished to 
provide. Sixteen ACHP members participated. ACHP staff hosted a follow 
up consultation meeting August 19, 2020, with NCSHPO and NTHP to 
discuss specific revisions to address the comments received during the 
public comment period and those raised during the ACHP member 
teleconference. ACHP staff conducted a meeting with the Army FPO and 
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army on August 19, 2020, to provide 
an overview of comments and recommended changes to the Program Comment. 
To allow additional time for consideration of changes in response to 
comments received, the ACHP requested and obtained a 4-day extension 
from the Army on August 20, 2020, to extend the period for ACHP comment 
until September 4, 2020. Based on this feedback, the ACHP staff and the 
Army then worked together to revise the draft in the following ways:
    1. Sales and transfers were removed from the list of management 
actions (category of undertakings) covered by the Program Comment;
    2. Conveyance was added to the list of management actions covered 
by the Program Comment. A new process was added in Section 3.2 to 
clarify that lease and conveyance are limited solely to leasing or 
otherwise conveying Inter-War Era housing for the purposes of 
possession, management, and operation as housing and associated 
ancillary purposes that support housing operations. New definitions for 
``lease and conveyance,'' ``associated ancillary purposes that support 
housing operations,'' and ``privatized housing'' were added to Section 
2.3 to explain the unique situation of the existing legal partnerships 
between the Army and privatized housing partners as part of the 
Residential Communities Initiative (RCI), that is, the land is leased 
and ownership of the housing is conveyed but only for the term of the 
ground lease; no conveyances under this partnership extend beyond the 
land lease agreement;
    3. Revisions to proposals and procedures for demolition in Section 
3.2.5 specify that the section of the Program Comment applying to 
demolition may be removed or amended at any time at the ACHP's 
discretion, following procedures in Section 8. The use of demolition 
was limited to housing that is highly deteriorated, and/or vacant for 
12 months or longer due to underutilization, and/or where potentially 
hazardous materials or unsafe conditions are present. The demolition 
procedures were updated to require that the Building Disposition Report 
will include analysis on the likelihood for re-utilization as housing 
in the next five years and the feasibility and costs of long-term 
layaway and mothballing; analysis on whether the costs to rehabilitate 
or renovate the housing exceed the combined costs of demolition and new 
or replacement construction on a per square foot basis; the preparation 
of the appropriate state/SHPO-specific inventory form; and is sent to 
appropriate Indian tribes, NHOs, and the ACHP in addition to the SHPO. 
The requirements for reporting demolition decisions were updated to 
include that the Army will provide the ACHP a summary of each 
demolition decision within 30 days of a decision in addition to the 
Annual Report for the first five years (2021-2025). Reporting on 
demolition was also extended to every 5 years for the duration of the 
Program Comment to ensure the ACHP has sufficient information to 
monitor use of the demolition procedure;
    4. The definitions for ``new construction'' and ``replacement 
construction'' were clarified to indicate that these actions can only 
occur within existing Inter-War Era housing neighborhoods;
    5. The procedures for discovery of historic properties and Native 
American and Native Hawaiian human remains and funerary objects were 
updated in a major revision to Section 4.2 to address concerns about 
the lack of an explicit process that will be followed in the event of 
inadvertent discoveries during ground disturbing activities that may 
occur during demolition, new and replacement construction, and 
landscaping;
    6. Section 2.2.5 Applicability and Exclusions was amended to 
specify that the Program Comment does not apply to Inter-War Era 
housing located at Fort Meade, MD which will remain subject to a Deed 
of Easement;
    7. A new definition was added to Section 2.3 for ``professional 
assistance'' that means assistance from an individual who meets the SOI 
Professional Qualification Standards in the appropriate field (e.g., 
architectural history, historic architecture, or archeology); and
    8. Revisions to the Building Materials Selection Procedure 
(3.2.2.4) set forth that in-kind building materials will be selected if 
they are determined to be the appropriate replacement material in 
accordance to the analysis of performance, costs, short and long-term 
cost/benefit, and impacts on the ability to fully implement quality of 
life improvements to the housing. Revisions to the procedure set 
further limits on the use of vinyl siding by specifying that it will 
only be selected and used after other replacement building materials 
are evaluated and determined not to be the appropriate replacement 
building material.
    With the Army's request for a Program Comment that allows a federal 
agency flexibility in being able to use imitative substitute building 
materials in the treatment of its historic properties, the ACHP 
considered whether the decision would set a precedent for other federal 
agencies. Considering the entirety of the approach presented by the 
Army, modified based on comments received, the ACHP considers the use 
of this material to be appropriate for the Army's inventory of Inter-
War Ear housing but finds that it may not be suitable for historic 
properties owned by other federal agencies, and therefore does not set 
a precedent, based on the following key factors:
    1. The Army operates and manages the largest inventory of housing 
among all federal agencies. The Program Comment would apply to 
approximately 3,200 Army housing units. With this volume of inventory, 
the Program Comment assists the Army and its privatized housing 
partners with the scale and repetitive nature of its management actions 
to repair and maintain standardized housing by following a standardized 
process and using standard materials as specified in the Design 
Guidelines and Building Materials Catalog;
    2. The Program Comment assists the Army in addressing the nature of 
housing occupancy and need for quick turnover of housing for Soldiers 
and their families. Renovations often occur in a limited window (summer 
months) between occupancies;
    3. Applying standardized management actions keeps these historic 
properties occupied/in use following their original function, military 
housing;
    4. There is limited public access and enjoyment of these historic 
properties, located in military housing areas on restricted-access Army 
installations;
    5. The Program Comment will provide greater consistency in the 
application of NHPA compliance requirements which currently vary by 
installation and SHPO under the existing PAs for privatized

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housing that have been in effect for about 15 years; and
    6. The Army has committed to various treatment measures appropriate 
to mitigate the adverse effects of using imitative substitute building 
materials, such as lifecycle tracking analysis, which will be publicly 
available and provide data now lacking in this field. Other agencies 
considering a similar approach to the use of imitative substitute 
materials would need to present their own mitigations appropriate to 
minimize those effects.
    The Army Program Comment was submitted to the ACHP membership for a 
vote on August 28, 2020. In a vote that closed on September 4, 2020, 
the ACHP members voted in favor of issuing the Program Comment 
reproduced below.
    While NCSHPO, NTHP and several other ACHP members were supportive 
of the overall goal of the Program Comment--to improve the condition of 
military housing--they remain opposed to some of the provisions of the 
Program Comment such as the inclusion of demolition, new construction 
or replacement construction. They believe those activities are not 
necessary to meet the overall goal and do not warrant a programmatic 
solution.

V. More Information

    For further information on the Program Comment and the Army's 
analysis and process leading to its proposal, and a copy of the Design 
Guidelines and the Building Materials Catalog, please go to: https://www.denix.osd.mil/army-pchh/home/.

VI. Clarification Regarding Army Housing Partners

    The ACHP interprets the Program Comment to allow the Army to ensure 
compliance with its terms regarding privatized housing by imposing such 
requirements on its housing partners.

VII. Text of the Program Comment

    What follows is the text of the issued Program Comment (again, the 
text of Appendices A and B, the Design Guidelines and the Building 
Materials Catalog, can be found at https://www.denix.osd.mil/army-pchh/home/):

Program Comment for Department of the Army Inter-War Era Historic 
Housing, Associated Buildings and Structures, and Landscape Features 
(1919-1940)

1.0 Introduction

    This Program Comment for Department of the Army (Army) Inter-War 
Era Historic Housing, Associated Buildings and Structures, and 
Landscape Features (1919-1940) (Program Comment) provides the Army with 
an alternative means to comply with Section 106 of the National 
Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), 54 U.S.C. 306108, and its 
implementing regulations at 36 CFR part 800 (Section 106) regarding 
management of its Inter-War Era housing, associated buildings and 
structures, and landscape features (hereinafter referred to as Inter-
War Era housing). Section 106 requires federal agencies to take into 
account the effects of projects they carry out, license, or assist 
(undertakings) on historic properties, and to provide the Advisory 
Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) a reasonable opportunity to 
comment with regard to such undertakings. The ACHP has issued the 
regulations that set forth the process through which federal agencies 
comply with these duties. Those regulations are codified under 36 CFR 
part 800 (Section 106 regulations).
    Under Section 800.14(e) of those regulations, agencies can request 
the ACHP provide ``program comments'' on a category of undertakings 
that may have adverse effects. An agency can meet its Section 106 
responsibilities with regard to the effects of those undertakings by 
following the steps set forth by the ACHP in a program comment, in lieu 
of conducting individual reviews of those undertakings as set forth in 
36 CFR 800.3-800.7. In managing the largest inventory of historic 
housing in the federal government, the Army has an obligation to 
Soldiers and their families to provide housing that is safe, healthy, 
and affords the quality of life that is owed to our Soldiers and their 
families. The Army's obligation to military families, in the context of 
management of this large inventory of historic military housing, 
presents the Army with unique and significant challenges including: 
Providing for the well-being and quality of life for our Soldiers and 
their families living in historic housing; managing maintenance and 
repair costs for the large historic building inventory; addressing 
historic building materials that present lead-based paint, asbestos, 
and other hazards to housing occupants; rapidly turning around homes 
for reassigned military families in the context of the project-by-
project review processes under 36 CFR 800 and the Section 106 
Programmatic Agreements (PAs) at each installation; and preserving the 
historic and architectural character of its historic housing, 
associated buildings and structures, and landscape features.
    In order to ensure positive historic preservation outcomes, the 
Program Comment requires the Army to implement management actions for 
Inter-War Era housing following the Design Guidelines for Army Inter-
War Era Historic Housing (1919-1940) (Appendix A) (Design Guidelines), 
and the Building Materials Catalog for Army Inter-War Era Historic 
Housing (1919-1940) (Appendix B) (Building Materials Catalog), and also 
requires other treatment measures.

2.0 Program Comment Intent, Scope, and Definitions

2.1 Statement of Intent

    The intent of this Program Comment is to address the Army's 
National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) compliance requirements by 
establishing procedures for management of the Army's nation-wide 
inventory of over 3,200 Inter-War Era housing units that balance 
historic preservation requirements with the Army's responsibility to 
provide the thousands of military families who live in this historic 
housing with the quality of life, health, and safety they require.
    In balancing the management of its Inter-War Era housing with 
historic preservation requirements, the Program Comment includes a set 
of management actions that address health and safety risks from 
historic building materials containing hazardous substances, the costs 
and benefits associated with various building materials, compliance 
process time, the material living conditions of historic housing, and 
the state of the Army's overall Inter-War Era housing inventory.
    This Program Comment recognizes that standardized plans developed 
by the Army Quartermaster Corps were followed for the design and 
construction of the vast majority Army Inter-War Era housing, and that 
this housing is characterized by simplified architectural styles 
lacking character-defining design features often associated with the 
similar architectural styles ubiquitous in the civilian sector. In 
consideration of the standardized and simplified design of Army Inter-
War Era housing, this Program Comment applies standardized criteria and 
approaches in the Design Guidelines and Building Materials Catalog, 
including step-by-step procedures for consideration and selection of 
appropriate building materials and for other activities associated with 
Inter-War Era housing management.
    This Program Comment acknowledges that certain actions are required 
to improve the material living conditions for the military families who 
live in historic Inter-War Era housing such as: Addressing restrictive 
floorplans and

[[Page 64496]]

the need for additional bedrooms and expanded living space, expansion 
and improvement of kitchen areas, additional bathrooms and bathroom 
improvements, modernization of heating and ventilation systems, and 
modernization of plumbing and electrical systems and fixtures. This 
Program Comment also recognizes the Army's need to manage the state of 
its overall inventory of Inter-War Era housing by at times, removing 
housing from its inventory (through demolition) that is deteriorated, 
underutilized and vacant, and/or presents potentially hazardous 
materials or unsafe conditions; and by replacing or adding housing to 
its inventory through the construction of compatible designed housing 
within existing Inter-War Era neighborhoods. This Program Comment 
ensures that the Army will maintain the historic character of Inter-War 
Era housing by implementing these and other management actions in 
accordance with established criteria and procedures in the Design 
Guidelines, Building Materials Catalog, and other Program Comment 
treatment measures.
    The management actions addressed by this Program Comment directly 
improve the material living conditions and the quality of life, health 
and safety of the Army's Soldiers and families who live in Inter-War 
Era housing, while the treatment measures ensure the management actions 
are implemented in a manner that maintains the historic and 
architectural character of this housing or that minimize or mitigate 
any unavoidable adverse effects. The terms of this Program Comment make 
certain the Army will conduct Inter-War Era housing management actions 
in compliance with NHPA requirements and in balance with historic 
preservation considerations. In this manner, the intent of this Program 
Comment will be met and historic preservation will be integrated as 
part of the solution to some of the Army's most critical military 
family housing issues.

2.2 Scope

2.2.1 Summary

    The scope of the Program Comment includes all Army Inter-War Era 
housing built between 1919 and 1940, with the exception of Army Inter-
War Era housing formally designated by the National Park Service (NPS) 
as a National Historic Landmark (NHL) or as a contributing property 
within an NHL District, and Inter-War Era housing at Fort Meade, MD 
that remains subject to a Deed of Easement (see Section 2.2.5). The 
Army will treat its inventory of Inter-War Era housing as historic 
properties as defined by the NHPA, for the purposes of this Program 
Comment.

2.2.2 Category of Undertaking and Assessment of Effects

    The category of undertaking addressed by this Program Comment is 
management actions. Management actions are defined as maintenance, 
repair, rehabilitation, renovation, abatement, mothballing, demolition, 
replacement construction, new construction, and lease and conveyance. 
The Army will implement management actions using historic building 
materials, in-kind building materials, and imitative substitute 
building materials, as set forth in the Design Guidelines and Building 
Materials Catalog at Appendices A and B, respectively.
    The Army's implementation of management actions and its use of 
imitative substitute materials on Army Inter-War Era housing may have 
an adverse effect on historic properties. The Army will implement the 
treatment measures in Section 3 to avoid, reduce, and mitigate the 
adverse effects of its management actions.

2.2.3 Description of Property Types

    Standardized plans developed by the Army Quartermaster Corps were 
followed for the design and construction of the vast majority of Army 
Inter-War Era housing. Army Quartermaster Corps standardized plans 
reflected prevailing civilian architectural designs, construction 
techniques, and community planning trends of the time, with certain 
regional style variations and use of locally available materials. Army 
Inter-War Era housing falls into the categories of Eclectic and Modern 
houses and includes Colonial Revival, Spanish Colonial, Mission, Tudor, 
and Craftsman styles. Each style has its own particular character-
defining design elements that express the style. The predominating 
regional styles of Quartermaster Corps designed Inter-War Era housing 
are: Colonial Revival in the northeast, mid-Atlantic and northwest; 
Spanish Colonial in the southeast and southwest; and Colonial Revival, 
Mission, and Craftsman styles in Hawaii. Regional style variations 
among Quartermaster Corps designed Inter-War Era housing are exterior 
in nature; the interior layouts are generally similar and originally 
corresponded to military rank. The housing is manifest as single-family 
units, duplexes, quadplexes, and multi-unit apartment buildings.
    Army Quartermaster Corps housing standardization was driven by cost 
and efficiency of construction, so that Army Inter-War Era housing is 
characterized by a simplified architectural style and lacks some of the 
more costly distinctive design features associated with similar 
architectural styles in the civilian sector. In addition, many have 
been modified over time and Army Inter-War Era housing may exhibit 
features of several different architectural styles in a single housing 
unit.
    Following community planning trends of the time, the Army 
Quartermaster Corps also developed standardized plans for landscaping, 
neighborhood design and layout, circulation patterns, and the design of 
entire installations, all of which may now constitute or be part of a 
historic district or districts. The result of Army Quartermaster Corps 
standardization is that the same general housing designs, 
administrative buildings, landscapes, neighborhood designs, and overall 
installation designs are repeated, one after the other, on Army 
installations. See Section 3.1 for additional information and 
references regarding the history and property types for Inter-War Era 
and other historic Army housing.

2.2.4 Inventory of Inter-War Era Housing

    The Army's current inventory of 3,235 Inter-War Era housing units 
indicates the following locations and number of housing units: Fort 
Benning, GA--492 Inter-War Era housing units; US Army Garrison, HI--386 
units; Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA--330 units; Fort Sam Houston, TX--
296 units; Fort Sill, OK--259 units; Fort Bragg, NC -230 units; US Army 
Military Academy at West Point, NY--206 units; Fort Knox, KY--202 
units; Fort Belvoir, VA--164 units; Fort Bliss, TX--147 units; Fort 
Riley, KS -143 units; Fort Meade, MD--112 units; Aberdeen Proving 
Ground, MD--97 units; Carlisle Barracks, PA--75 units; Hawthorne Army 
Depot, NV--34 units; Fort Myer, VA--26 units; Camp Parks, CA--9 units; 
Picatinny Arsenal, NJ--8 units; Rock Island Arsenal, IL--7 units; 
McAlester Army Ammunition Plant, OK--5 units; Presidio of Monterey, 
CA--4 units; Fort Campbell, KY--2 units; Arlington National Cemetery, 
VA--1 unit. This inventory represents the best available Inter-War Era 
housing inventory information as of the date of this Program Comment.

2.2.5 Applicability and Exclusions

    This Program Comment applies to all Army Inter-War Era housing, 
with the exception of Army Inter-War Era housing formally designated by 
the Department of the Interior, National Park Service (NPS) as an NHL 
or as a

[[Page 64497]]

contributing property within an NHL District. Section 110(f) of the 
NHPA requires that Federal agencies exercise a higher standard of care 
when considering undertakings that may directly and adversely affect 
NHLs and, to the maximum extent possible, undertake such planning and 
actions as may be necessary to minimize harm to NHLs. To exercise a 
higher standard of care for these NHLs, all Army Inter-War Era housing 
formally designated as an NHL, or housing formally designated as a NHL 
contributing property within a designated NHL District are not covered 
by this Program Comment. Undertakings that may affect designated NHL 
Inter-War Era housing will be addressed following the procedures in 36 
CFR 800.3-800.7, and 36 CFR 800.10, and under the terms of applicable 
Section 106 Programmatic Agreements (PAs) or Memoranda of Agreement 
(MOAs).
    The Army reviewed its NHL documentation to confirm that there are 
no Army Inter-War Era housing units that are designated by NPS as 
individual, stand-alone NHLs. All Inter-War Era housing units that are 
designated as NHLs are contributing properties to NHL Districts. A 
total of 213 Army Inter-War Era housing units are designated by the NPS 
as contributing properties in NHL Districts. Those NHL housing units 
are located at three installations: The US Army Military Academy at 
West Point, NY; Fort Myer, VA; and Fort Shafter, HI. The specific NHL 
housing units are: West Point NHL District, US Army Military Academy, 
West Point, NY, all 206 Inter-War Era housing units; Fort Myer NHL 
District, Fort Myer, VA, six Inter-War Era housing units identified as 
Quarters 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, and 28, located on Lee Ave; and Palm 
Circle NHL District, Fort Shafter, HI, one Inter-War Era housing unit 
identified as Quarters 18, the Hospital Commanding Officer's Quarters.
    In addition to Army Inter-War Era housing already designated as NHL 
properties, any Army Inter-War Era housing that may be formally 
designated in the future by the NPS as an individual NHL or as a 
contributing property to a NHL District will not be covered by this 
Program Comment.
    This Program Comment does not apply to effects on the following 
properties that are listed, or eligible for listing, on the National 
Register of Historic Places (NRHP): Archeological sites; properties and 
landscapes of traditional religious and cultural importance to 
federally-recognized Indian tribes or Native Hawaiian Organizations; 
human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects, objects of cultural 
patrimony to federally-recognized Indian tribes and Native Hawaiian 
Organizations, and Indian Sacred Sites.
    Finally, this Program Comment does not apply to the 112 Inter-War 
Era housing units located at Fort Meade, MD. The Inter-War Era housing 
at Fort Meade is not a NHL. Rather, the Inter-War Era housing at Fort 
Meade is subject to a Deed of Easement dated 27 March 2003, between 
Mead Communities LLC (limited liability corporation) and the Maryland 
Historical Trust. Nothing in this Program Comment affects Deeds of 
Easement, which will continue to operate in accordance with applicable 
state and local laws. The Fort Meade, MD housing is the Army's only 
privatized historic housing subject to a Deed of Easement.

2.2.6 Methodology for Determining Appropriate Use of Historic, In-Kind, 
or Imitative Substitute Building Materials

    Management of this large inventory of historic housing requires the 
Army to balance historic preservation considerations with the quality 
of life, health, and safety concerns of military families. The high 
costs of historic building materials and in-kind building materials 
impact the Army's ability to fully implement improvements to housing 
for military families. To achieve this balance, the Army will use the 
full range of available building materials including historic building 
materials, in-kind building materials, and imitative substitute 
building materials in its management actions, and will follow 
preservation planning documents and criteria that are specifically 
tailored to Inter-War Era housing in determining which materials are 
used. The planning documents are the Design Guidelines and Building 
Materials Catalog described below and included herein as Appendices A 
and B. With proper planning and materials selection, as provided for 
under this Program Comment, the Army's management actions will maintain 
the historic and architectural character of its Inter-War Era historic 
housing in balance with the quality of life, health, and safety 
concerns of military families who live in the housing.
    Specified criteria are established in Section 3.2 for the selection 
of historic building materials, in-kind building materials, and 
imitative substitute building materials for use in Inter-War Era 
housing. The criteria for selection of a specific building material 
considers the need to maintain the historic and architectural character 
of the historic housing in balanced priority with the health, safety, 
and quality of life of the military families living in Inter-War Era 
housing.
    The methodology for determining appropriate building materials in 
the context of Program Comment management actions is set forth in 
Section 3.2 and in the appended planning documents. Selection of 
appropriate building materials will follow the established criteria, 
and will be based on the unique circumstances of each housing unit. The 
focus of the criteria and planning documents is on preservation of the 
historic and architectural design characteristics of the housing, 
associated buildings and structures, and landscape features.
    The Design Guidelines at Appendix A identify the character-defining 
features and design elements associated with the specific Inter-War Era 
architectural styles. Character-defining features include the overall 
housing style and design, decorative details, interior spaces and 
features, as well as associated buildings and structures, and landscape 
features. The Guidelines also provide the appropriate methods and 
approach for Inter-War Era housing management actions.
    The Building Materials Catalog at Appendix B is used in concert 
with the Design Guidelines. The Building Materials Catalog provides 
additional specificity on building materials, their selection, and use. 
The Building Materials Catalog establishes the methodology for 
selecting specific building materials to include the evaluation process 
for determining the appropriate material to select in any given 
rehabilitation or repair. The evaluation process factors in 
availability, initial cost, lifecycle costs, historic significance, 
quality of life, health, safety, and material living conditions in 
determining use of appropriate materials. Catalog entries are provided 
for major components of the house design. Design considerations for 
each catalog entry are derived from the design fundamentals of scale, 
mass, proportion, and materials, to develop guidance for materials and 
component design that factor location, type, size, finish and 
maintenance in their selection. Focus is on appropriate design, 
applicable materials, and performance characteristics. Emphasis is 
placed on retention of the design integrity of the housing, associated 
buildings and structures, and landscape features. The Design Guidelines 
and the Building Materials Catalog ensure that the Army's management 
actions will occur in a manner that maintains the historic and 
architectural character of Inter-War Era housing.

[[Page 64498]]

2.2.7 Implementation

    The Army will implement this Program Comment in lieu of conducting 
individual case-by-case reviews under 36 CFR 800.3-800.7. This Program 
Comment supersedes and replaces the requirements in Army PAs and MOAs 
for Army Inter-War era housing, associated buildings and structures, 
and landscape features. The Army will implement this Program Comment in 
lieu of all PA or MOA requirements and procedures applicable to Army 
Inter-War Era housing. The Army will also implement the Program Comment 
in lieu of any procedures, development agreements, lease and conveyance 
documents, environmental management plans, guidelines, reporting 
requirements, Integrated Cultural Resources Management Plans, and any 
and all other installation documents, standards, procedures, or 
guidelines pertaining to the preservation and management of Inter-War 
Era housing, associated buildings and structures, and landscape 
features.

2.3 Definitions

    The following definitions apply for the purposes of this Program 
Comment:
    Abatement means actions to eliminate, lessen, reduce, or remove 
hazardous and toxic materials, and unsafe conditions.
    Army Inter-War Era housing (and Inter-War Era housing) means all 
housing constructed during the period 1919-1940 that is located on an 
Army installation or operated and managed by the Army or an Army 
privatized housing partner on a joint base. For Hawaii, Army Inter-War 
Era housing includes housing constructed from 1919-1943, in order to 
include housing built from 1941-1943 that are of similar design, 
construction, and location as Inter-War Era housing in this Program 
Comment. The term Inter-War Era housing is used throughout this Program 
Comment to refer to Inter War Era housing, associated buildings and 
structures, landscape features.
    Associated buildings and structures includes detached garages, 
carports, storage buildings, and other buildings, structures, and 
objects associated with Army Inter-War Era housing.
    Associated ancillary purposes that support housing operations 
(reference Lease and conveyance) refers to the limited use of Inter-War 
era housing, buildings, and structures for purposes such as rental 
offices for privatized housing partners, community centers, and 
temporary public safety offices that service the housing areas.
    Highly deteriorated means there are major structural and/or 
mechanical system failures and the resulting costs to rehabilitate or 
renovate Inter-War Era housing exceeds the combined costs of demolition 
and new or replacement construction, on a per square foot basis.
    Historic building materials are building materials that are 50 
years old and older.
    Historic properties means buildings, sites, structures, objects, 
landscapes, and districts that are eligible for inclusion or that are 
included in the NRHP.
    In-kind building materials are new building materials that are 
identical to historic building materials in all possible respects 
including their composition, design, color, texture, and other physical 
and visual properties.
    Imitative substitute building materials (also imitative materials) 
are modern, industry standard, natural, composite, and synthetic 
building materials that simulate the appearance of and substitute for 
historic building materials.
    Inter-War Era Neighborhood means a defined geographical area, 
district, or locality on an installation that is characterized by and 
comprised predominantly of Inter-War Era housing, associated buildings 
and structures, and landscape features.
    Landscapes and Landscape features means the overall design and 
layout of the Inter-War Era housing communities including circulation 
systems and patterns, plantings and landscaping, open spaces, 
playgrounds, parking areas, signage, site furnishings, parade grounds, 
lighting, sidewalks, setbacks, other associated landscape features, and 
viewsheds into Inter-War Era historic properties and districts and out 
from Inter-War Era historic properties and districts into other 
historic properties and districts.
    Lease and conveyance means the execution of lease and conveyance 
documents for the purposes of possession, management, and operation of 
Inter-War era housing solely for the purposes of and use as housing and 
for associated ancillary purposes that support housing operations.
    Maintenance and repair means routine activities required to 
maintain buildings, building systems (such as heating and ventilation, 
plumbing, and electrical systems), building fixtures, and other 
building features or materials in an operational state, or to bring 
them back to operating condition by repair or replacement of broken, 
damaged, or deteriorated elements of building systems, fixtures, 
materials, and features.
    Major Decision refers to the Army decision-making process regarding 
proposed demolition of Inter-War Era housing.
    Major deficiency means that a required, numbered or lettered step 
in an identified procedure in this Program Comment has been entirely 
omitted, not reasonably addressed, or is substantially incomplete.
    Management actions means maintenance, repair, rehabilitation, 
renovation, abatement, mothballing, demolition, replacement 
construction, new construction, lease and conveyance actions that may 
have an adverse effect on Army Inter-War Era housing, associated 
buildings and structures, and landscape features.
    Mothballing means slowing and controlling long-term deterioration 
of housing while it is unoccupied, and protecting it from sudden loss.
    National Historic Landmarks (NHL) are historic properties that have 
been formally designated as NHLs by the Secretary of the Interior. NHLs 
possess exceptional value as commemorating or illustrating the history 
of the United States (reference the Historic Sites Act of 1935).
    New construction means construction of housing, associated 
buildings and structures, and landscape features within existing Inter-
War Era housing neighborhoods.
    Public educational materials means new and existing Inter-War Era 
housing historic contexts, Design Guidelines, and other historical 
documentation containing plans and designs of Inter-War Era housing, 
neighborhoods, historic landscape plans, and the overall historical 
development of Army installation designs.
    Privatized housing means military-owned housing that has been 
privatized under the Army's Residential Communities Initiative (RCI). 
The RCI operates on Army installations through the operation of legal 
partnerships between the Army and private sector developers. At each 
installation where RCI housing is located, the Army conveys ownership 
of existing housing and leases land to the RCI partnership. The RCI 
partnership then operates and manages the conveyed housing and leased 
lands for military housing purposes. Upon termination of the ground 
lease, ownership of all RCI partnership owned improvements (including 
all housing) that is located within the boundaries of the ground lease 
is automatically conveyed back to the Army.
    Professional assistance means assistance from an individual who 
meets the Secretary of the Interior's Professional Qualification 
Standards in the appropriate field (e.g., architectural

[[Page 64499]]

history, historic architecture, or archeology).
    Quality of Life means the general wellbeing and material living 
conditions of individuals, families, and social groups such as military 
families living in historic housing.
    Rehabilitation means repairs, additions, and other alterations and 
modifications to a building that preserve, to the greatest extent 
possible, historic building materials, historic building design, and 
other historic building features which convey its cultural, historical, 
and architectural values.
    Renovation means improvements to housing including alterations; 
modifications; additions that increase the square footage; interior 
floor plan changes; large scale replacement of out of date, damaged, 
deteriorated, or defective building systems and materials; and other 
alterations that modernize housing to improve the quality of life of 
residents.
    Replacement construction means housing, associated buildings and 
structures, and landscape features constructed within existing Inter-
War Era housing neighborhoods in the immediate area of demolished 
housing, associated buildings and structures, and landscape features.
    Treatment measure or treatment means any existing, new, or updated 
materials or actions that serve to address, reduce, minimize, or 
otherwise mitigate adverse effects on historic properties, and may 
include research reports, historical documentation, recordation, and 
other materials and activities.
    Viewshed means all of the area visible from a particular location, 
viewing point, or series of viewing points. Includes all surrounding 
points that are in the line of sight from a particular location, 
viewing point, or series of viewing points. Excludes all points and 
locations that are not visible and/or are obstructed by terrain, other 
natural features, man-made features, and points beyond the horizon.

3.0 Treatment Measures for Army Inter-War Era Historic Housing

    The Army will implement treatment measures to address, reduce, 
minimize, or otherwise mitigate adverse effects on Army Inter-War Era 
historic housing resulting from its management actions. The treatment 
measures include: Extensive existing documentation, research to further 
develop the Army Inter-War Era housing historic context, development 
and implementation of Design Guidelines, development and implementation 
of a Building Materials Catalog, an Army policy statement for Program 
Comment implementation, development of public information and use of 
social media, lifecycle tracking of building materials data, 
preservation of the Army's most significant Inter-War Era housing, and 
monitoring and reporting of treatment measures.

3.1 Existing Documentation and Recordation Applicable as Treatment 
Measures

3.1.1 Army-Wide Historic Context. Documentation, and Recordation of 
Inter-War Era Housing, Associated Buildings and Structures, Landscape 
Features

    The Army has extensive existing documentation and recordation on 
the Army-wide history and historic context of the Inter-War Era 
housing, its exterior designs and architectural styles, interior 
designs and floorplans, factors influencing design variations, and its 
associated buildings and structures, and landscape features.[ENDNOTE 1] 
This existing set of Army-wide documentation serves as a Program 
Comment treatment measure because it provides comprehensive 
documentation and recordation of Inter-War Era housing, associated 
buildings and structures, and landscape features. This documentation 
has been consolidated in a single location and is available on the 
Army's Inter-War Era Housing Program Comment website located at: 
https://denix.osd.mil/army-pchh/home/.
    Army installations are part of the country's built environment. 
Similar to civilian towns and cities, Army installations are a record 
of their time and development history, and represent the planning and 
architectural concepts associated with the times in which they were 
established and modified. The Army's existing documentation represents 
an extensive inventory and recordation of the planning, architectural 
concepts, and development history associated with Inter-War Era 
housing, associated buildings and structures, and landscape features. 
The existing documentation provides a detailed account and historic 
context for Army Inter-War Era housing, it records its place in the 
history of Army housing evolution and development of Army Quartermaster 
Corps standardized planning; includes a comprehensive inventory of 
Quartermaster Corps Inter-War Era housing designs and interior floor-
plans; provides detailed explanations of the Inter-War Era designs and 
their variations; provides descriptions of the various Inter-War Era 
housing forms, architectural styles, and their regional style 
variations; includes plans for their designed landscapes and 
neighborhoods; and provides overall historic context information 
regarding the historical development, designs, and plans of Army 
installations, landscapes, and neighborhoods over time.

3.1.2 Installation-Specific Historic Contexts and Documentation and 
Recordation of Inter-War Era Housing, Associated Buildings and 
Structures, and Landscape Features

    Individual Army installations have also documented and recorded 
Inter-War Era housing in specific installation-level documents for NHPA 
compliance purposes. Installation-level documentation includes 
installation Cultural Resource Management Plans that contain relevant 
historic contexts, an inventory of historic properties on each 
installation, electronic recordation of the location of these housing 
areas and historic districts in installation Geographic Information 
Systems and often, detailed documentation prepared in the context of 
installation NHPA Section 106 compliance activities. Several examples 
of such detailed installation-level documentation of Inter-War Era 
housing are provided on the Army's Inter-War Era Housing Program 
Comment website. Examples of this documentation include detailed 
documentation and recordation of specific Inter-War Era housing to the 
standards of the Historic American Buildings Survey and similar 
detailed documentation and recordation of specific Inter-War Era 
historic landscapes to the standards of the Historic American 
Landscapes Survey. Such installation-specific records are recognized as 
part of the overall set of Army historical information directly 
relevant to the recordation and documentation of Army Inter-War Era 
housing.

3.2 Additional Treatment Measures

    The Army will carry out the following additional treatment measures 
for Inter-War Era Housing, associated buildings and structures, and 
landscape features.

3.2.1 Army Inter-War Era Housing Historic Context

    The Army will conduct additional historic context research by the 
end of calendar year 2021, that will:
    a. Expand on existing Inter-War Era housing historic context 
information.
    b. Address the precedents on which Army Quartermaster Corps Inter-
War Era house styles are based.
    c. Examine Army Inter-War Era housing design in the context of

[[Page 64500]]

architectural design trends in the civilian sector.
    d. Further describe the architectural styles present in the Army's 
inventory of Inter-War Era housing.
    e. Examine Army Inter-War Era housing in the context of social and 
economic changes during the Inter-War Era.
    f. The Army will ensure the information is publicly available on 
the Army's Inter-War Era Housing Program Comment website.

3.2.2 Design Guidelines, Building Materials Catalog, and Building 
Materials Selection Criteria and Procedures for Army Inter-War Era 
Housing

    The Army will carry out management actions in accordance with the 
Design Guidelines, the Building Materials Catalog, and building 
materials selection criteria and procedures to ensure that the historic 
and architectural character of Inter-War Era housing is maintained.
3.2.2.1 Design Guidelines (see Appendix A)
    The scope of the Design Guidelines includes all Army Inter-War Era 
housing and its associated buildings and structures, and landscape 
features subject to this Program Comment. The purpose of the Design 
Guidelines is to ensure the historic and architectural character-
defining features of Inter-War Era housing and its associated buildings 
and structures, and landscape features are maintained in the context of 
Army management actions affecting Inter-War Era housing. The Design 
Guidelines provide specific information regarding Inter-War Era housing 
architectural styles and historic districts containing Inter-War Era 
housing, and identify the overall character-defining features and 
design elements associated with the specific Inter-War Era 
architectural styles. Character-defining features of the housing 
include the overall shape, style and design of the building, decorative 
details, interior spaces and features, as well as its associated 
buildings and structures, and landscape features.
    The Guidelines also provide methods and approach for Inter-War Era 
housing routine maintenance, emergency repairs and disasters, 
rehabilitation, renovation, new additions, new construction, 
replacement construction, and improvements to windows and doors, 
entrances, porches and details, roofs, foundations and walls, 
interiors, and interior structural systems. The Guidelines also address 
mothballing and layaway of housing and provide specific guidelines for 
demolition. The Guidelines address historic designed landscapes and 
features, historic districts containing inter-war era housing, 
circulation systems and paving patterns, and associated buildings and 
structures. The Design Guidelines also address force protection 
requirements.
3.2.2.2 Building Materials Catalog (see Appendix B)
    The Building Materials Catalog establishes a methodology for 
selecting specific building materials for use in rehabilitation or 
renovation of Inter War Era housing that will maintain the historic and 
architectural character of the housing. The Army will select materials 
specified in the Building Materials Catalog. Catalog entries are 
provided for major components of the house design. Design 
considerations for each entry are derived from the design fundamentals 
of scale, mass, proportion, and materials to develop guidance for 
materials and component design that factor location, type, size, finish 
and maintenance in their selection. Emphasis is placed on retention of 
the design integrity of the dwelling and other aspects of integrity. 
The Building Materials Catalog may be amended to include new building 
materials as they become available following the procedures in Section 
8.
3.2.2.3 Building Materials Selection Criteria
    The Army will apply these overarching criteria for the selection of 
building materials. These criteria address the need to maintain the 
historic and architectural character of Inter-War Era housing in 
balanced priority with the health, safety, and quality of life 
considerations for military families living in this housing. The 
overarching criteria for building materials selection are: When health 
and safety of military families is of concern, or when the initial or 
on-going use of historic building materials and in-kind building 
materials impacts the Army's ability to fully implement quality of life 
improvements to housing for military families, imitative substitute 
building materials will be considered for use only in a manner that 
maintains the historic and architectural character of the historic 
housing and when consistent with the results of the following building 
materials selection procedure.
3.2.2.4 Building Materials Selection Procedure
    The Army will implement the following step-by-step procedure for 
the selection of appropriate building materials for the rehabilitation 
or renovation of Inter-War Era housing. Where Inter-War Era housing has 
been privatized, Army housing partners will implement the procedure. 
The building materials selection procedure will also be applied to 
purchases of bulk or stock materials used in maintenance and repair 
actions. This will facilitate implementation of maintenance and repair 
actions and will appropriately standardize the materials used in this 
standardized design housing stock. The step-by-step procedure for 
selection of building materials is:
    a. Characterize historic building materials currently present in 
terms of: Design, material properties, condition, performance, safety, 
and presence of hazards such as lead-based paint, asbestos, and other 
hazardous materials.
    b. Determine if the health and safety of housing occupants is a 
concern due to unsafe or hazardous historic building materials.
    c. Determine if the costs associated with initial or continued use 
of historic building materials impacts the ability to fully implement 
quality of life improvements to the housing.
    d. Determine if a historic building material must be replaced due 
to deterioration, health and safety considerations, or financial 
impacts to quality of life improvements. (If historic building material 
replacement is required due to the material's deterioration, determine 
the cause of the failure to ensure that the new replacement in-kind or 
imitative substitute material will not fail for the same reasons that 
caused the historic building material to fail).
    e. If replacement of historic building materials is required, 
determine if there are material characteristics of the historic 
building materials that should be improved upon with use of in-kind 
building materials or imitative substitute building materials.
    f. Evaluate replacement in-kind building materials and imitative 
substitute building materials (i.e., replacement building materials) 
with respect to design and material properties using the Design 
Guidelines and Building Materials Catalog. Evaluate the expected 
performance, costs, and short and long-term cost/benefit considerations 
of the replacement building materials. Determine if the costs 
associated with use of in-kind building materials impacts the ability 
to fully implement planned quality of life, health, and safety 
improvements to the housing.
    g. Based on the analysis in f. above, compile a short list of 
replacement building materials from the Building Materials Catalog.

[[Page 64501]]

    h. Determine and select the appropriate replacement building 
material from the short list of materials. When an in-kind building 
material is determined to be the appropriate replacement building 
material, the in-kind building material will be selected and used. 
Exterior vinyl siding will only be selected and used after other 
replacement building materials are evaluated and determined not to be 
the appropriate replacement building material in accordance with these 
procedures.
    i. Document the evaluation and selection process.
    j. Write specifications for design and installation, and oversee 
project planning and implementation.
    Before removing interior walls that are original to the historic 
floorplan or that would result in a loss of original historic features 
such as mantels, staircases, and molding, the Army or Army housing 
partner will first consider options to retain those original historic 
walls and features. If the Army or Army housing partner decides to 
proceed with the removal of such interior walls, they will consider 
retaining original historic features. If these features and materials 
will be retained, the selection of building materials for management 
actions subsequently affecting them will proceed in accordance with the 
process outlined above in this section. When such original historic 
features are not retained, the Army or Army housing partner will 
consider salvage of such historic features for possible reuse on other 
similar housing at that location.
3.2.2.5 Ensure Management Actions Follow the Design Guidelines, 
Building Materials Catalog, Building Materials Selection Criteria, and 
Building Materials Selection Procedure
    To implement this requirement, the Army will:
    a. Ensure installations and Army privatized housing partners with 
Inter-War Era housing have access to and implement the Design 
Guidelines (at Appendix A), Building Materials Catalog (at Appendix B), 
and the Building Materials Selection Criteria and Selection Procedure 
in this Program Comment for management actions affecting Army Inter-War 
Era housing.
    b. Ensure the availability of historic preservation professional 
assistance for Design Guidelines and Building Materials Catalog 
implementation.
    c. Monitor and report on the implementation of the Design 
Guidelines, and Building Materials Catalog, Building Materials 
Selection Criteria, and Building Materials Selection Procedure.
    d. Maintain oversight of Design Guideline and Building Materials 
Catalog implementation through the Army Federal Preservation Officer 
(FPO).
    e. Make the Design Guidelines and Building Materials Catalog 
publicly available on the Army's Inter-War Era Housing Program Comment 
website.
    f. Update the Building Materials Catalog as new, applicable 
building materials become available, or as needed based on building 
materials lifecycle tracking and analysis following the process for 
amendments in Section 8 (b).

3.2.3 Public Educational Materials and Social Media Distribution

    All documentation prepared under this Program Comment regarding the 
history of Army Inter-War Era housing are considered public educational 
materials and the Army will consolidate and maintain it at a single 
publicly accessible website located at https://denix.osd.mil/army-pchh/home, ongoing from the date of issuance of the Program Comment through 
2055. Public educational materials include new and existing Inter-War 
Era housing historic contexts, Design Guidelines, Building Materials 
Catalog, and other historical documentation containing plans and 
designs of Inter-War Era housing, neighborhoods, historic landscape 
plans, the overall historical development of Army installation designs, 
lifecycle building materials information, and other Program Comment 
reports.
    The Army will use social media hosted by the Defense Environmental 
Information Exchange platform at https://twitter.com/DENIXnews, to 
provide historic preservation information to the public. Specifically, 
the Army will develop and distribute monthly social media content using 
the information developed for the Program Comment for Inter-War Era 
housing and general information pertaining to Army historic 
preservation activities and other Army historic property types through 
2025.

3.2.4 Lifecycle Data Tracking for In-Kind Building Materials and 
Imitative Substitute Building Materials Used in Army Inter-War Era 
Housing

    The Army conducted a lifecycle cost/benefit analysis focused on 
three different types of building materials that have been used on Army 
Inter-War Era housing: (1) Historic building materials that were 
rehabilitated and reused, (2) in-kind building materials, and (3) 
imitative substitute building materials. The analysis compared 
lifecycle quantitative and qualitative factors associated with 
rehabilitated historic windows on 43 Inter-War Era housing units, in-
kind wood windows on 127 Inter-War Era housing units, and vinyl windows 
used on 202 Inter-War Era housing units. The analysis also compared the 
lifecycle factors for in-kind natural stone slate roofing with 
synthetic slate roofing used on 76 Inter-War Era housing units. The 
costs used in the analysis were the actual cost estimates and 
expenditures on Army Inter-War Era housing from two installations in 
the eastern United States, incurred within the last 5 years for all 
analyzed categories of windows and roofing.
    The results of the lifecycle analysis of both windows and roofing 
indicated that, for one-half the cost of either the rehabilitated 
historic building materials or the in-kind building materials, the 
imitative substitute materials would deliver the same 100 year to 125 
year service-life expected from the historic building materials. The 
results of this cost/benefit analysis indicate that, in consideration 
of lifecycle, quantitative, and qualitative factors, the imitative 
substitute building materials analyzed would deliver a better lifecycle 
cost/benefit solution than rehabilitate historic building materials or 
in-kind building materials. The results of this analysis suggest that 
the expanded use of imitative substitute building materials for Army 
Inter-War Era housing may achieve a significant lifecycle cost/benefit.
    An estimate of the years of service for in-kind building materials 
and imitative substitute materials was required for the cost/benefit 
analysis due to the lack of systematically collected, quantifiable, 
lifecycle data regarding the longevity of these materials. Estimated 
years of service used in the cost/benefit analysis for in-kind building 
materials and imitative substitute building materials were based on the 
manufacturer's material replacement warranty period.
    In recognition that the historic preservation knowledge base 
regarding long-term performance for in-kind building materials and 
imitative substitute building materials is underdeveloped, the Army 
will conduct lifecycle tracking of in-kind building materials and 
imitative substitute materials in Inter-War Era housing as follows:
    a. The Army will track data on in-kind and imitative substitute 
building material types (identified in the Building Materials Catalog) 
on approximately 300 Inter-War Era housing units.

[[Page 64502]]

    b. All data will be from materials used in Army Inter-War Era 
housing units.
    c. Data will be collected at the individual housing unit level.
    d. The following in-kind and imitative substitute building material 
types will be tracked:

i. Vinyl replacement windows
ii. In-kind wood replacement windows
iii. PVC window trim
iv. Synthetic slate roofing
v. Fiber cement siding

    e. The following data points will be collected on each in-kind and 
imitative substitute building material type:

i. Year Building Material Installed
ii. Year Building Material Replaced
iii. Lifespan (number of years from year installed to year replaced)
iv. Materials warranty period

    f. Data will be collected and reported annually from 2020 to 2025, 
and will then be collected and reported at five-year intervals, in 
2030, 2035, 2040, 2045, 2050, and 2055, as specified in Section 5, and 
be made available to the public through the Army's Program Comment 
website.
    g. The Army will assess the lifecycle data at five year intervals 
to identify significant new information pertaining to the lifecycle of 
in-kind building materials and imitative building materials used on 
Inter-War Era housing.
    h. The Army will ensure distribution of significant new information 
pertaining to the lifecycle of in-kind building materials and imitative 
building materials used on Inter-War Era housing to installation 
housing managers and housing privatization partners responsible for the 
selection of appropriate building materials.
    i. The Army will use significant new information to update the 
Building Materials Catalog and the Inter-War Era housing lifecycle 
cost/benefit analysis, as needed.

3.2.5 Demolition Proposals, Criteria, Procedures, and Decision-Making

    Section 3.2.5, and its subsections, pertaining to demolition 
proposals, criteria, procedures, and decision-making may be removed or 
amended at any time, at the ACHP's discretion, following the procedures 
in Section 8. Upon removal, the Army will no longer conduct demolition 
of Inter-War Era housing under this Program Comment. Upon amendment, 
the Army will conduct demolition of Inter-War Era housing under the 
Program Comment amended procedures.
    The Army will apply specific overarching criteria when considering 
Inter-War Era housing for demolition. These criteria address health, 
safety, and quality of life considerations for military families living 
in this housing. The overarching criteria are: Inter-War Era housing 
will be considered for demolition when it is highly deteriorated, and/
or vacant for 12 months or longer due to underutilization, and/or if 
potentially hazardous materials or unsafe conditions are present.
3.2.5.1 Demolition Procedure
    A specific decision-making procedure will be followed to address 
demolition proposals for Inter-War Era housing. The Army or, where 
Inter-War Era housing has been privatized, Army housing partners, will 
implement the following step-by-step procedure when proposing the 
demolition of Inter-War Era housing:
    a. Determine and characterize the housing unit's current condition 
and use, including if it is in a highly deteriorated condition, and/or 
vacant for 12 months or longer due to underutilization, and/or if 
potentially hazardous materials or unsafe conditions are present.
    b. Evaluate prudent and feasible alternatives to demolition 
including: Rehabilitation, renovation, reuse, layaway and mothballing, 
or return of privatized housing to Army ownership. Develop a cost 
estimate associated with each evaluated alternative. Cost estimates 
will include the costs of abatement of potentially hazardous materials 
and unsafe conditions, costs to layaway and mothball the housing, per 
square foot, costs to rehabilitate or renovate the housing, per square 
foot, and costs to demolish the housing and to construct new or 
replacement housing. Determine if the costs to rehabilitate or renovate 
the Inter-War Era housing that is highly deteriorated exceeds the 
combined costs of demolition and new or replacement construction, on a 
per square foot basis.
    c. Determine if there are, or are not, any prudent and feasible 
alternatives to demolition based on the evaluation of alternatives.
    d. Prepare a Building Disposition Report (Report) if it is 
determined that there are no prudent and feasible alternatives to 
demolition. The Report will evaluate each prudent and feasible 
alternative to demolition and will include: The housing unit's current 
condition including if it is in a highly deteriorated condition; 
determination if it has been vacant due to underutilization for 12 
months or longer, the likelihood for re-utilization as housing in the 
next five years, and the feasibility and costs of long-term layaway and 
mothballing; the presence of potentially hazardous materials or unsafe 
conditions and cost estimates for remediation; estimates of the costs 
to rehabilitate or renovate housing that is highly deteriorated and 
estimates of the costs for demolition and new or replacement 
construction of such housing on a per square foot basis; a 
determination if the costs to rehabilitate or renovate housing that is 
highly deteriorated exceeds the combined costs of demolition and new or 
replacement construction on a per square foot basis; preparation of 
appropriate state/SHPO-specific historic property inventory form; 
interior and exterior photographic documentation of the housing by 
means of digital photography meeting the standards in 3.2.5.3; plans 
for salvage, inventory, and storage (in a manner that prevents 
deterioration) of any significant architectural elements for reuse 
elsewhere on similar housing units; measures for protection of adjacent 
historic buildings, sites, landscape features, and archeological 
resources from damage during demolition activities; the procedures 
defined in Section 4.2 to address the discovery of archeological 
resources or human remains during ground disturbing activities 
(discovery procedures in Section 4.2 may be cited and incorporated by 
reference for this purpose); and basic design concept for any new 
construction or replacement construction to ensure that it will be in 
accordance with Design Guidelines for new and replacement construction.
    e. Publish a public notice of availability for the Report in 
appropriate local media. The public notice will also elicit public 
comments regarding the action. The public notice will specify a 30-day 
comment period and a deadline date for receipt of any comments. The 
public notice must describe any steps required to obtain the Report; 
this can include a reference to a website location, a POC and mailing 
address, an email, phone number, or other equivalent mechanism for 
Report distribution.
    f. Provide the Report to the responsible SHPO, ACHP, and 
appropriate Indian tribes or NHOs for a 30 day comment period. The 30-
day SHPO, Indian tribe and NHO comment period should coincide with the 
public comment period. The Report and request to the SHPO, Indian 
tribes and NHOs for their comments will be provided by the installation 
where the housing has not been privatized, or by the privatized housing 
partner holding title to the housing where the housing has been 
privatized.

[[Page 64503]]

    g. SHPO, ACHP, Indian tribe, NHO, and interested public party 
comments should identify if they believe there is a major deficiency in 
following the Program Comment Demolition Procedure specified in Section 
3.2.5.1 a-f.
    h. Where a SHPO, ACHP, Indian tribe, NHO, or interested party 
comment indicates that there may be a major deficiency in following the 
Demolition Procedure specified in Section 3.2.5.1a-f, the installation 
or privatized housing partner (as applicable) will coordinate with the 
commenting party and take appropriate action, as necessary, to resolve 
the deficiency. The installation, or privatized housing partner where 
housing has been privatized, will notify the commenting party in 
writing regarding how the major deficiency has been or will be 
addressed.
    i. ACHP review. If any interested public party or relevant SHPO, 
Indian tribe, or NHO believes that a major deficiency has not been 
addressed in accordance with Section 3.2.5.h, they may request ACHP 
review and comment regarding the major deficiency. The ACHP will notify 
the Army FPO when it has received a request for ACHP review under this 
Section within 3 days of its receipt of the request. The Army FPO will 
consult with the ACHP regarding the major deficiency and will provide 
any additional documentation requested by the ACHP. Within 30 days 
after receipt of a request for ACHP review under this Section, the ACHP 
will either provide the Army FPO with recommendations which the Army 
will take into account in reaching a decision on the proposed 
demolition, or will notify the Army FPO that it will not comment 
pursuant to the Program Comment. The Army FPO will respond, as 
appropriate to any ACHP comments and indicate how the Army has or will 
take ACHP recommendations into account in reaching its final decision. 
The ACHP will notify the interested public party or relevant SHPO, 
Indian tribe, or NHO regarding the results of the ACHP review.
3.2.5.2 Decision-Making for Proposed Demolition of Inter-War Era 
Housing
    a. Demolition proposals for Inter-War Era housing require 
preparation of a Major Decision (MD) package and its submission to 
Headquarters, Department of the Army for final decision. The MD package 
will include: An executive overview; scope of the demolition action 
with cost and justification/rationale for demolition; financial 
assessment of the impacts on development costs for the overall housing 
project; a schedule; the Building Disposition Report; all public, SHPO, 
Indian tribe, or NHO comments and how each comment has been addressed 
or adjudicated; a summary of any major deficiency in following 
Demolition Procedure Section 3.2.5.1a-f identified in the public, SHPO, 
Indian tribe, or NHO review and actions taken to resolve the 
deficiency.
    b. Army FPO Review. The MD package shall include the Army FPO's 
concurrence that the Program Comment Demolition Procedure Section 
3.2.5.1 has been followed. If the FPO determines that a major 
deficiency in following Demolition Procedure Section 3.2.5.1 identified 
by a SHPO, Indian tribe, NHO, or interested party has not been 
adequately resolved, the MD package will be returned for further 
resolution of the deficiency and re-submission.
    c. Army Decision. MD packages with Army FPO concurrence will be 
provided to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for 
Installations, Housing and Partnerships, or an equivalent or higher 
Army authority, for the final decision to approve or disapprove the 
proposed demolition (demolition decision). The Army will provide a 
summary of each demolition decision to the ACHP within 30 days of such 
a decision, and will include a summary of all demolition decisions in 
the relevant Annual Report (see Section 5). The summaries will include 
the location of the housing proposed for demolition, reason for 
proposing demolition, alternatives considered, summary of comments by 
SHPO, Indian tribe, NHO, and other interested parties, and how such 
comments were addressed.
3.2.5.3 Digital Photographic Standards
    The Army will implement the following National Park Service 
standards for digital photography:
    a. Digital photographic documentation of housing proposed for 
demolition will use Tag Image File format (TIFF), RAW format images, or 
JPEGs converted to TIFFs for the best image resolution. RGB color 
digital TIFFs are preferred.
    b. Digital camera resolution will be set to the maximum or largest 
pixel dimension the camera allows, two megapixels (1200 x 1600 pixel 
image) to six megapixels or greater (2000 x 3000 pixel image) is 
recommended.
    c. Photographs will be clear, well-lit, well-composed, include each 
fa[ccedil]ade, and provide an accurate visual representation of the 
housing and its significant features.
    d. The number of photographs depends on the size and complexity of 
the housing, but will include as many as needed to depict the current 
condition and significant features of the property. A few photographs 
may be sufficient to document a single house; larger or multi-unit 
housing may require a number of photos.
    e. Photographs will show the principal facades and the setting in 
which the property is located. Additions, alterations, and associated 
structures will appear in the photographs. The photographs will include 
views of interiors, outbuildings, landscaping, or unusual features of 
the property.
    f. All digital photographs will be archived on site with either the 
installation or housing partner (as appropriate), as part of the 
administrative record for the project.

3.2.6 Lease and Conveyance of Inter-War Era Housing for Use as Housing

    This provision applies to ground lease and conveyance of Inter-War 
Era housing associated with the Army's privatized housing program, 
currently referred to as the Residential Communities Initiative. The 
applicability of this provision is limited solely to leasing or 
otherwise conveying Inter-War Era housing for the purposes of 
possession, management, and operation as housing and associated 
ancillary purposes that support housing operations. The Army will 
ensure that entities to which it leases or otherwise conveys Inter-War 
Era housing for the purposes of possession, management, and operation 
as housing and associated ancillary purposes follow this Program 
Comment for all management actions associated with these properties. 
This provision also applies to the reversion of leased or otherwise 
conveyed Inter-War Era housing from a management entity back to the 
Army, whereby the Army will follow this Program Comment for all 
management actions associated with these properties.

3.3 New Construction and Replacement Construction Procedures

    New construction and replacement construction activities under this 
Program Comment are limited to existing Inter-War Era neighborhoods. 
The Design Guidelines include guidelines for new construction and 
replacement construction of housing, associated buildings and 
structures, and landscape features within Inter-War Era neighborhoods. 
The Army will, in accordance with the Design Guidelines:
    a. Ensure new and replacement construction is compatible with the 
mass, form, character-defining features, and architectural style of the 
existing

[[Page 64504]]

housing, associated buildings and structures, and landscape features.
    b. Ensure new and replacement construction does not completely 
obstruct views out from or into a historic district.
    c. Maintain compatibility of the front elevation of housing with 
the scale, setback, and spacing of the surrounding historic housing.
    d. Ensure that any new and replacement construction associated with 
or affecting historic circulation patterns occurs in accordance with 
Design Guideline, Guidelines for Circulation Systems and Paving 
Patterns.

3.4 Preservation of the Army's Most Significant Inter-War Era Housing

    The Army will set aside and give special consideration to 
protecting and preserving its most significant Inter-War Era housing. 
The Army's full set of 213 Inter-War housing units designated as NHLs 
(as identified in Section 2.2.5), are set aside from this Program 
Comment for a higher standard of care and preservation by the Army. 
This Program Comment does not apply to and excludes the 213 Army Inter-
War Era housing units formally designated as a NHL or as a contributing 
property within a NHL District, or to Inter-War Era housing that may be 
designated as a NHL in the future. To implement a higher standard of 
care and preservation the Inter-War Era NHL housing, the Army will:
    a. To the maximum extent possible, undertake planning and actions 
in a manner to minimize harm to Inter-War Era NHL properties.
    b. Address the effects of its undertakings on Army Inter-War Era 
NHL housing by following Section 110(f) of the NHPA, and the procedures 
in 36 CFR 800.3-800.7 and 36 CFR 800.10, or under the terms of 
applicable Section 106 agreements.
    c. Implement the special requirements for protecting NHLs at 36 CFR 
800.10.
    d. Ensure the ACHP is invited to participate in any consultation to 
resolve adverse effects to Inter-War Era NHL housing.
    e. Notify the Secretary of the Interior of any consultation 
involving Inter-War Era NHL housing and invite the Secretary of the 
Interior to participate in consultation where there may be an adverse 
effect.
    f. The Army FPO will issue an Army-wide NHPA policy memorandum 
within 45 days from the date of issuance of this Program Comment 
indicating that the Army's formally designated Inter-War Era NHL 
Housing requires special consideration and a higher standard of care 
and preservation by the Army. The memorandum will state: All 213 Army 
Inter-War Era NHL Housing units are excluded from this Program Comment; 
undertakings that may affect formally designated Inter-War Era NHL 
housing units will be managed following the procedures in 36 CFR 800.3-
800.7, and 36 CFR 800.10, and under the terms of existing Section 106 
MOAs or PAs, as appropriate; and Army Inter-War Era housing that may be 
formally designated in the future by the NPS as a NHL will not be 
covered by this Program Comment.

4.0 No Further Historic Property Identification and Evaluation Efforts 
Required, and Historic Property Discovery Procedures

4.1 No Further Historic Property Identification and Evaluation Efforts 
Required

    The Army's Inter-War Era housing has been extensively identified, 
assessed, documented, and recorded on a nation-wide and local basis 
(see Section 3.1). The Army will not conduct any further historic 
property identification and evaluation efforts in connection with the 
management actions covered by this Program Comment. This is based on 
the: Acknowledgement that its inventory of Inter-War Era housing are 
historic properties; extensive existing information pertaining to the 
identification, assessment, documentation, and recordation of Inter-War 
Era housing on a nation-wide and local basis; extensive prior ground 
disturbance associated with Inter-War Era housing tract development and 
the resulting low probability for the presence of NRHP eligible 
archeological properties; and no indication from Federally-recognized 
Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian Organizations of concern for known 
archeological properties or properties of religious or cultural 
significance in Army Inter-War Era housing areas.
    The Army's Inter-War Era housing areas are the equivalent of urban/
suburban housing development tracts in the civilian sector. As such, 
there is significant prior ground disturbance in Army Inter-War Era 
housing areas resulting from the construction of the housing tracts 
including overall grading of the entire development sites, housing 
construction, construction of associated buildings and structures, road 
and sidewalk construction, installation of above and below ground 
utilities, landscaping, construction of recreational structures, and 
subsequent ground disturbing actions that have occurred after the 
original construction. Such areas of extensive ground disturbance 
associated with housing tract development are generally considered to 
have a low probability for the presence of NRHP eligible archeological 
properties.

4.2 Discovery Procedures for Historic Properties and Native American 
and Native Hawaiian Human Remains and Funerary Objects

    The Army will provide sufficient information to contractors and 
staff involved in implementing management actions on Inter-War Era 
housing regarding these procedures for discovery of historic 
properties, and Native American or Native Hawaiian human remains and 
funerary objects. If there is a discovery of or unanticipated effects 
to historic properties during the conduct of management actions for 
Inter-War era housing, a report of findings describing the events 
leading to and immediately following the reporting of the inadvertent 
discovery will be prepared within thirty (30) calendar days of each 
inadvertent discovery. This report shall be provided to the SHPO and, 
as appropriate, Indian tribes and NHOs.
    Procedures for discovery are also incorporated in the Design 
Guidelines (Appendix A) for Inter-War Era housing management actions 
involving ground disturbing activities. Ground disturbing activities 
may include but are not limited to housing additions, new construction, 
replacement construction, demolition, large-scale landscaping 
activities, and water and sewer line maintenance.

4.2.1 Discoveries of and Unanticipated Effects to Historic Properties

    The following procedures will be followed during the implementation 
of a management action under this Program Comment where there is a 
discovery of or unanticipated effects to historic properties.
    a. Should the Army or, where Inter-War Era housing has been 
privatized, Army housing partners, find that a management action is 
having an adverse effect that was not anticipated, make a discovery of 
archeological artifacts, archeological features or other archeological 
materials, human remains, or other previously unknown properties that, 
in the opinion of the Army agency official (Army installation 
commander, garrison commander, or their official designee), may be a 
historic property, the agency official will ensure: All work activity 
is immediately stopped within a 75 foot radius buffer zone around the 
discovered property; the discovered property is protected from looting 
and vandalism; and the relevant SHPO,

[[Page 64505]]

Indian tribes or NHOs are notified of the discovery within twenty four 
(24) hours. All management actions may continue outside the 75 foot 
buffer zone.
    b. If human remains and/or funerary objects that may be Native 
American or Native Hawaiian in origin are discovered, Section 4.2.2 
will be followed. If discovered human remains are historic but are not 
of Native American or Native Hawaiian origin, and are not part of a 
crime scene, the Army agency official, in consultation with the SHPO, 
will have an archeologist assess the area where the remains were found 
to determine the nature and extent of the remains, determine if a 
cemetery is present, and will evaluate the feasibility of preserving 
remains in place or whether they will be exhumed and re-located. The 
Army acknowledges that the respectful treatment of all human remains is 
a paramount concern and that an appropriate treatment is to protect and 
preserve human remains in situ, if possible.
    c. The Army agency official has five working days following 
notification of the discovery to consult with the SHPO and, as 
applicable, Indian tribes or NHOs to determine if the discovered 
property is a historic property eligible for listing in the NRHP. The 
Army may also assume the newly discovered property to be eligible for 
the NRHP for the purposes of Section 106 pursuant to 36 CFR 800.13(c).
    d. If the Army agency official determines, in coordination with the 
SHPO and, as applicable, Indian tribes or NHOs that the discovered 
property is not a historic property eligible for listing in the NRHP, 
all management actions and construction activities may immediately 
resume within the area of the discovery and the buffer zone upon such 
determination.
    e. If the Army agency official determines that the discovery is a 
historic property, the Army will consult with the SHPO and (as 
appropriate) Indian tribes or NHOs regarding appropriate treatment 
measures to avoid, minimize, or mitigate adverse effects that may occur 
once the management actions are resumed. The SHPO, and Indian Tribes or 
NHOs will have five working days to review and comment on the proposed 
treatment measures. The Army agency official shall take all comments 
received into account in finalizing and implementing the treatment 
plan. Treatment measures may include, but are not limited to 
archeological evaluation of the site, exploration of potential 
alternatives to avoid the site; and preparation and implementation of a 
limited data recovery plan to retrieve important information from the 
site.

4.2.2 Discovery of Native American and Native Hawaiian Human Remains 
and Funerary Objects

    The Army acknowledges that the respectful treatment of Native 
American and Native Hawaiian human remains and funerary objects is a 
paramount concern and that an appropriate treatment is to protect and 
preserve Native American or Native Hawaiian human remains and funerary 
objects in situ, if possible.
    If human remains and/or funerary objects that may be Native 
American or Native Hawaiian in origin are discovered during the conduct 
of management actions under this Program Comment, the Army agency 
official will immediately apply the provisions of the Native American 
Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), implement NAGPRA 
compliance procedures, and will notify the relevant SHPO, Indian 
tribe(s) or NHO(s), and the Army FPO of the discovery within 24 hours.

5.0 Annual Reporting and Annual Meeting

    The Army will monitor and report on its implementation of the 
treatment measures for the Program Comment for Army Inter-War Era 
Housing.

5.1 Annual Report

    On or before January 31st of each year from 2021 to 2025, the Army 
will provide an Annual Report to the ACHP and, at least two weeks prior 
to an Annual Meeting, post the Report on its Inter-War Era Housing 
Program Comment website. The Annual Report will provide the status of 
the following treatment measures:
    a. Inter-War Era Historic Context.
    b. Design Guidelines and Building Materials Catalog.
    c. Design Guidelines Professional Assistance and Monitoring 
Activities.
    d. Army FPO NHPA Policy Memorandum.
    e. Army's Inter-War Era Housing Program Comment website Activities.
    f. Public Educational/Social Media Activities.
    g. Imitative Substitute Building Materials Lifecycle Data reporting 
special provisions:
    i. Imitative Substitute Building Materials Lifecycle data will be 
reported annually from 2021 to and including 2025.
    ii. Following 2025, the lifecycle data will be reported at five-
year intervals, in 2030, 2035, 2040, 2045, 2050, and 2055, for a total 
of 35 years.
    iii. The necessity for continuation of lifecycle data collection 
and reporting will be re-evaluated by the Army in consultation with the 
ACHP at each five-year reporting interval from 2030-2055 (see Section 
6).
    h. Following 2025, the summary of each demolition decision, and any 
known future demolition proposals, will be reported to the ACHP at 
five-year intervals, in 2030, 2035, 2040, 2045, 2050, and 2055, for a 
total of 35 years. The necessity for continuation of demolition 
reporting will be re-evaluated by the Army in consultation with the 
ACHP at each five-year reporting interval from 2030-2055
    The Army's Annual Report will also include a summary review of 
decisions made for housing demolition; any known future demolition 
proposals; significant issues or misunderstandings that may have arisen 
in the course of applying the Program Comment, how those were 
addressed, and how they may be avoided in the future; and an assessment 
of the overall effectiveness of the Program Comment in meeting its 
intent and purpose.

5.2 Annual Meeting

    The Army will conduct an Annual Meeting with the ACHP and invite 
participation from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, 
National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers, and the 
National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers. The Army 
and the ACHP may also invite other parties to the Annual Meeting, as 
each deems appropriate. The purpose of the Annual Meeting is to review 
and discuss the status of the Army's implementation of the Program 
Comment treatment measures, the Army's assessment of the effectiveness 
of the Program Comment in meeting its stated intent, and how it has 
addressed issues or misunderstandings that may have arisen in the 
course of implementing the Program Comment. The Army intends to conduct 
the annual meeting in February of each year from 2021 to and including 
2025.
    The Army will post its Annual Report on the Army's Inter-War Era 
Housing Program Comment website at least two weeks prior to each Annual 
Meeting and will notify the ACHP and any ACHP identified participants. 
The Army will specifically include discussion pertaining to Design 
Guideline and Building Materials Catalog implementation, Major 
Decisions regarding demolition, any anticipated future demolitions, and 
imitative substitute building materials lifecycle data tracking. The 
Annual Meeting will also include discussion of any significant issues 
or misunderstandings

[[Page 64506]]

that have arisen in the course of applying the Program Comment and how 
those problems were addressed and may be avoided in the future. The 
Annual Meeting will also provide an opportunity for attendees to 
provide their views assessing the overall effectiveness of the Program 
Comment in meeting its intent and purpose. The Army will document the 
occurrence of the meeting and participants, discussion topics agenda, 
and will document its response to recommendations by the ACHP as an 
outcome of the Annual Meeting. Annual Meetings may take place in-
person, by phone, by videoconferencing, or any combination of such 
methods.

6.0 Schedule for Treatment Measures

    The Army may immediately carry out all management actions in 
accordance with this Program Comment, and prior to the completion of 
the treatment measures specified in Sections 3.2.1, 3.2.3, and 3.2.4. 
The Army will stop carrying out management actions under this Program 
Comment when any of the schedules provided below (a. through g.) are 
not met and will not resume until such treatment measure is finished, 
unless the schedule has been adjusted in accordance with Section 8. The 
schedule for the Army's submission of materials associated with 
treatment measures to the ACHP is as follows:
    a. Army FPO NHPA Policy Memorandum--within 45 days from the date of 
issuance of the Program Comment.
    b. Design Guidelines and Building Materials Catalog for Army Inter-
War Era Historic Housing--complete on date of issuance of the Program 
Comment.
    c. Design Guidelines Professional Assistance and Monitoring 
Activities--ongoing from the date of issuance of the Program Comment 
through 2025, and reported in each Annual Report.
    d. Inter-War Era Housing Historic Context Report--end of calendar 
year 2021.
    e. Army's Inter-War Era Housing Program Comment website 
activities--ongoing from the date of issuance of the Program Comment 
through 2025, and reported in each Annual Report.
    f. Public Educational/Social Media activities--website active from 
the date of issuance of the Program Comment through 2055, and reported 
in each Annual Report. The Army will develop and distribute monthly 
social media content using the information developed for the Program 
Comment for Inter-War Era housing and general information pertaining to 
Army historic preservation activities and other Army historic property 
types through 2025.
    g. Imitative Substitute Building Materials Lifecycle Data 
Collection and Reporting--in each Annual Report from 2021-2025. These 
data will then be independently reported to the ACHP at five-year 
intervals from 2030-2055. Imitative substitute building materials 
lifecycle data collection and reporting is contingent on the duration 
of the Program Comment, and is subject to re-evaluated by the Army in 
consultation with the ACHP at each five-year reporting interval from 
2030-2055. If the ACHP and the Army determine after 2030 that further 
reporting is not necessary, the requirement for such data collection 
and reporting will be waived in writing by the Chairman of the ACHP in 
accordance with Section 8.

7.0 Effect and Duration of the Program Comment

    By adhering to the terms of this Program Comment, the Army meets 
its responsibilities for compliance with Section 106 of the NHPA for 
management actions associated with Inter-War Era housing, associated 
buildings and structures, and landscape features. The Program Comment 
will remain in effect for 35 years from the date of issuance unless, 
prior to that time, the Army determines that such comments are no 
longer needed and notifies the ACHP in writing, or the ACHP withdraws 
the Program Comment in accordance with 36 CFR 800.14(e)(6). Following 
such withdrawal, the Army will be required to comply with Section 106 
through the process in 36 CFR 800.3-800.7, or an applicable program 
alternative under 36 CFR 800.14, for each individual undertaking 
formerly covered by this Program Comment. During the first six months 
of the 34th year after issuance of this Program Comment, the Army and 
the ACHP will meet to determine whether to consider an extension to its 
term.

8.0 Program Comment Amendment and Technical Adjustment

    The ACHP membership may formally amend this Program Comment after 
consulting with the Army, and other parties as it deems appropriate. 
However:
    a. The Chairman of the ACHP, after notice to the rest of the ACHP 
membership and the Army, may amend this Program Comment to extend its 
duration, and may waive further building materials lifecycle data 
collection and reporting requirements.
    b. The Executive Director of the ACHP, after notice to the ACHP 
membership and the Army may amend this Program Comment to: Add or 
remove materials from the Building Materials Catalog (after consulting 
with subject matter experts and ACHP members as the Executive Director 
deems appropriate); adjust due dates associated with annual reporting 
in Section 5, adjust due dates for treatment measures in Section 6; and 
to correct typographical errors.
    The ACHP will notify the Army in writing regarding all amendments 
per 8.0.b., within 30 days of their issuance. The ACHP will publish 
notice in the Federal Register regarding all other amendments within 30 
days after their issuance.

9.0 Appendices

    Appendix A Design Guidelines for Army Inter-War Era Historic 
Housing [see https://www.denix.osd.mil/army-pchh/home/].
    Appendix B Building Materials Catalog for Army Inter-War Era 
Historic Housing [see https://www.denix.osd.mil/army-pchh/home/].

Endnotes

1. A. National Historic Context for Department of Defense 
Installations, 1790-1940, Volumes I-4. DoD Legacy Resource 
Management Program Project 92-0075 (1995).
B. A Study of United States Army Family Housing Standardized Plans, 
Volumes 1-5., Grashof, B. (1986).
C. Context Study of the United States Quartermaster General 
Standardized Plans 1866-1942. Army Corps of Engineers, Seattle 
District (1997).
D. Historic Context Study of Historic Military Family Housing in 
Hawaii. DoD Legacy Resource Management Program Project 115 (2003).
E. Design Guidelines for Department of Defense Historic Buildings 
and Districts. DoD Legacy Resource Management Program Project 07-382 
(2008).

    Authority: 36 CFR 800.14(e)

    Dated: October 7, 2020.
Javier Marqu[eacute]s,
General Counsel.
[FR Doc. 2020-22572 Filed 10-9-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-K6-P