[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 211 (Wednesday, October 31, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65868-65870]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-26755]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Navy
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for
the Disposal and Reuse of Surplus Properties at Naval Station Newport,
RI and Notice of Public Scoping Meetings
AGENCY: Department of the Navy, DoD.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as implemented by the Council on
Environmental Quality regulations (40 CFR Parts 1500-1508), the
Department of the Navy (DoN) announces its intent to prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to evaluate the potential
environmental consequences of the disposal and reuse of surplus
properties at Naval Station (NAVSTA) Newport, Newport, Rhode Island,
per Public Law 101-510, the Defense Base Closure and Realignment (BRAC)
Act of 1990, as amended in 2005 (BRAC Law). The surplus properties
include: the former Naval
[[Page 65869]]
Hospital, the former Navy Lodge, Tank Farms 1 and 2, and the Defense
Highway/Stringham Road Corridor. Potential impacts associated with
reuse of the surplus properties at NAVSTA Newport, including changes in
land use and traffic patterns, will be evaluated and will contribute to
the alternatives considered.
DATES: The DoN will conduct public scoping meetings in the Town of
Middletown and the City of Newport, Newport County, Rhode Island, to
receive comments on the environmental concerns that should be addressed
in the EIS. Public scoping open houses will be as follows:
1. Open House: Wednesday, November 14, 2012 4:00pm-8:00pm, Joseph
H. Gaudet Middle School Cafeteria located at 1113 Aquidneck Avenue,
Middletown, Rhode Island.
2. Open House: Thursday, November 15, 2012 1:00pm-5:00pm, Newport
Public Library Program Room located at 300 Spring Street, Newport,
Rhode Island.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Director, BRAC Program Management
Office Northeast, Attn: Newport BRAC EIS, 4911 South Broad Street,
Building 679, Philadelphia, PA 19112-1303, telephone 215-897-4900, fax
215-897-4902, email: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The BRAC Commission was established by
Public Law 101-510, the BRAC Law, to recommend military installations
for realignment and closure. Recommendations of the 2005 BRAC
Commission were included in a report presented to the President on
September 8, 2005. The President approved and forwarded this report to
Congress on September 16, 2005, which became effective as public law on
November 9, 2005, and must be implemented in accordance with the
requirements of the BRAC Law.
As a result of implementation of BRAC Law, on January 5, 2009,
certain land and facilities at NAVSTA Newport were declared excess to
the needs of the DoN and made available to other Department of Defense
components and other Federal agencies. The DoN evaluated all Federal
requests and made a decision on property required by the Federal
Government. The DoN declared approximately 225 acres of property at
NAVSTA Newport as surplus to the needs of the Federal Government on
February 9, 2010.
The proposed action for this EIS is the disposal and reuse of
surplus property at NAVSTA Newport. Upon completion of the disposal,
the surplus property will be redeveloped in a manner consistent with
the Aquidneck Island Reuse Planning Authority's (AIRPA) Redevelopment
Plan. The EIS will consider the alternatives that are reasonable to
accomplish the proposed action. Alternatives to be considered include:
(1) Disposal of the surplus property by the DoN and reuse in accordance
with the AIRPA Redevelopment Plan; (2) Disposal of the surplus property
by the DoN with a high-density reuse scenario; and (3) No Action, in
which the DoN would retain ownership in caretaker status and no reuse
or redevelopment of the surplus property would occur.
Alternative 1 would allow for the disposal and reuse of surplus
property at NAVSTA Newport. Reuse would be conducted in accordance with
the AIRPA Redevelopment Plan. The Plan provides a mix of land uses
based on existing conditions on the surplus property and in the
community, guiding principles for development established by AIRPA, and
public participation. It is anticipated that full build-out of the Plan
would be implemented over a 20-year period. The Redevelopment Plan
calls for the development of the following at each surplus parcel:
Naval Hospital--This waterfront parcel consists of 7 acres
of land and facilities plus 3 acres of submerged land. Existing
structures would be demolished prior to redevelopment of the site.
Approximately 3.8 acres (54%) of the 7 acres of land-based property
would be redeveloped, with a mix of hotel and residential uses in
addition to a waterfront park with pedestrian paths and a pier. The
remaining 3.2 acres of upland (46%) and 3 acres of submerged land would
be maintained as open space and natural areas associated with the
waterfront park.
Navy Lodge--This parcel consists of 3 acres of land with
no facilities on the parcel. Approximately 1.8 acres (60%) would be
redeveloped with two, one-story retail buildings and associated
parking. Approximately 1.2 acres (40%) would be maintained as open
space.
Tank Farms 1 and 2--This parcel consists of 145 acres of
land and facilities. Existing structures would be demolished prior to
redevelopment of the site. Approximately 31.1 acres (21%) of the
overall combined property would be redeveloped with a mix of uses
including office space, light industrial, boat storage, multi-modal
parking, and a solar array. About 113.9 acres (79%) would remain as
passive land use or open space.
Defense Highway/Stringham Road Corridor--This parcel
consists of 67 acres of land, including 4.6 miles of two-lane roads and
15 acres of adjacent open land. The Redevelopment Plan calls for
retaining use of the two-lane roads, with the addition of an adjacent
multi-use pedestrian pathway in a greenbelt. The remaining land would
be used for recreation/open space areas including a shoreline park.
Alternative 2 would also allow for disposal and reuse of the
surplus property at NAVSTA Newport. This alternative features a higher
density of uses at each parcel and similar to Alternative 1, it is
anticipated that full build-out of the high-density scenario would be
implemented over a 20-year period. Under Alternative 2, redevelopment
at each surplus parcel would include the following:
Naval Hospital--The residential use proposed under
Alternative 1 would be replaced with commercial uses and a conference
center would be added to the proposed hotel. The remainder of the site
would be developed as described under Alternative 1. This higher
density alternative would result in development of approximately 4.1
acres (58%) of the 7-acre land-based portion of the site.
Navy Lodge--The higher density alternative calls for the
development of two, two-story retail buildings and an increase in
parking compared with Alternative 1. Alternative 2 would result in
development of approximately 2.1 acres (70%) of the overall site.
Tank Farms 1 and 2--Redevelopment would occur with the
same mix of uses as under Alternative 1 however, the amount of office
space and light industrial would be increased resulting in development
of 34.1 acres (24%) of the overall site.
Defense Highway/Stringham Road Corridor--The higher
density alternative calls for greater expansion of the proposed
shoreline park.
Alternative 3 is required by NEPA and is the No Action Alternative.
Under this alternative, the property would be retained by the U.S.
government in caretaker status. No reuse or redevelopment would occur
at the surplus property.
The EIS will address potential direct, indirect, short-term, long-
term, and cumulative impacts on the human and natural environments,
including potential impacts on topography, geology and soils, water
resources, biological resources, air quality, noise, infrastructure and
utilities, traffic, cultural resources, land use, socioeconomics,
environmental justice, and waste management. Known areas of concern
associated with the BRAC action include impacts on cultural resources,
impacts on local traffic patterns resulting from reuse scenarios,
[[Page 65870]]
and the clean-up of installation remediation sites.
The DoN is initiating the scoping process to identify community
concerns and issues that should be addressed in the EIS. Agencies and
the public are encouraged to provide written comments at scheduled
public scoping meetings. Comments should clearly describe specific
issues or topics that the EIS should address. Written comments must be
postmarked or emailed by midnight December 2, 2012, and should be sent
to: Director, BRAC Program Management Office Northeast, Attn: Newport
BRAC EIS, 4911 South Broad Street, Building 679, Philadelphia, PA
19112-1303, telephone 215-897-4900, fax 215-897-4902, email:
[email protected].
Requests for special assistance, sign language interpretation for
the hearing impaired, language interpreters, or other auxiliary aids
for scheduled public scoping meetings must be sent by mail or email by
November 5, 2012, to Ms. Katie Dixon, Ecology and Environment, Inc.,
368 Pleasant View Drive, Lancaster, NY 14086, telephone 716-684-8060,
email: [email protected].
Dated: October 25, 2012.
C. K. Chiappetta,
Lieutenant Commander, Office of the Judge Advocate General, U.S. Navy,
Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2012-26755 Filed 10-30-12; 8:45 am]
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