SECTION 4
Affected Environment
St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
1 4. Affected Environment
2 This section provides a description of the current natural, social, economic, and cultural 3 environments for the St. Elizabeths East Campus. Study areas can vary depending upon the 4 resource and the potential area of impact by a proposed action on a resource. Certain resources, 5 such as cultural, socioeconomic, noise, and air quality, require analysis of direct impacts on the 6 area where the Proposed Action would occur, and in adjacent larger areas where indirect effects 7 could occur. For example, the cultural resources analysis occurs within primary (direct effects) 8 and secondary (indirect effects) areas of potential effect (APEs) and socioeconomic resources 9 analyzes impacts on census tracts neighboring St. Elizabeths and on the NCR, and 10 transportation analyzes impacts throughout the Transportation Improvement Study Areas. For 11 other resources where the potential area of impact would be smaller (i.e., natural resources and 12 environmental contamination), it is more appropriate to analyze a smaller study area. For these 13 resource areas, the North Parcel Study Area and the Transportation Improvement Study Areas 14 were used (shown on Figure 1-2). Each resource area describes the extent of the study areas in 15 their sections.
16 The purpose of this chapter is to provide sufficient information about existing conditions to 17 evaluate the potential impact on the human environment from the proposed action.
18 4.1 Issues Identified and those Eliminated from Detailed Study
19 4.1.1 Coastal Zone Management
20 The Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 relies on a network of state agencies and local 21 governments to administer the laws, regulations, and policies that protect coastal resources. The 22 District of Columbia has no designated Coastal Zone, and no Coastal Zone Management Plan 23 under the Coastal Zone Management Act has been developed; therefore, the discussion on 24 coastal zone management was eliminated from detailed study in this EIS, as no coastal zone 25 would be impacted by the Proposed Action.
26 4.1.2 Floodplain Management
27 EO 11988, Floodplain Management, requires Federal agencies to evaluate the potential effects of 28 any actions that could occur within a floodplain, and to ensure that development plans consider 29 flood hazards and floodplain management requirements. Generally, the 100-year floodplain is 30 analyzed, which is defined as the area subject to a 1 percent or greater chance of flooding in any 31 given year. GSA’s Floodplain Management Desk Guide provides an eight-step process to assess
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1 and address floodplain effects, including determining whether an action would occur in a 2 floodplain, practicable alternatives to siting within the floodplain, impacts of an action on 3 floodplain management, and public review of the proposed action.
4 According to the FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) for the District of Columbia 5 (Panel 1100010025B, effective starting November 15, 1985), the St. Elizabeths East Campus and 6 Shepherd Parkway are within Flood Zone C, which represents areas of minimal flooding, and is 7 not within the 100-year floodplain. Recent upgrades to the FIRMs that went into effect in 8 September 2010 are consistent with these findings. For this reason, there would be no impacts 9 on floodplains under the Proposed Action and floodplain management has been dismissed from 10 further detailed analysis.
11 4.2 Cultural Resources
12 St. Elizabeths Hospital, both the East and West campuses, was listed in the NRHP in 1979 as a 13 historic district that is significant under Criterion A for its association with the development of 14 methods to protect and care for the mentally ill in the United States. The NRHP designation 15 also cites St. Elizabeths’ significance under Criterion C for its collection of high-style 16 architecture representing more than a century of the development of institutional architecture.
17 St. Elizabeths was designated an NHL by the Secretary of the Interior on December 14, 1990. 18 Designation as an NHL recognizes the national significance of the site and its exceptional value 19 in illustrating the history of the United States. St. Elizabeths represents important 19th- and 20 20th-century social and humanitarian movements associated with the advancement of mental 21 health care. It is associated with nationally significant leaders in the treatment of mental illness, 22 such as Dorothea Dix and Dr. Charles H. Nichols. St. Elizabeths is also significant for its 23 collection of Collegiate Gothic, Italianate, and Renaissance Revival architecture designed by 24 Architect of the Capitol Thomas U. Walter and by the Boston firm Shepley, Rutan, & Coolidge. 25 The period of significance for the historic district is 1852 though 1940.
26 St. Elizabeths Hospital Historic District was added to the District of Columbia Inventory of 27 Historic Sites on May 26, 2005. Other historic districts in the vicinity include Congress Heights 28 (surveyed but not evaluated for the National Register; considered potentially eligible by the 29 DCHPO), Anacostia, Bolling AFB (eligible for the National Register), and the Washington Navy 30 Yard.
31 Regulations for implementation of the NHPA, as amended, require definition of an APE for 32 Federal undertakings affecting historic resources. Per 36 CFR Part 800, Protection of Historic
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1 Properties, the APE is defined as “the geographic area or areas within which an undertaking may 2 directly or indirectly cause changes in the character or use of historic properties, if such 3 properties exist. The area of potential effects is influenced by the scale and nature of the 4 undertaking and may be different for different kinds of effects caused by the undertaking.”
5 Pursuant to Section 106 of the NHPA, consultation among GSA, DHS, DCHPO, ACHP, 6 NCPC, and other parties established primary (physical and visual effects) and secondary (visual 7 effects only) APEs for the 2008 Master Plan (see Figure 4.2-1). The primary and secondary 8 APEs developed for the Master Plan Amendment have been revised from those that appeared in 9 the 2008 Master Plan. The area of direct impact for the Master Plan Amendment was revised as 10 the Proposed Action evolved and covers broader areas of the East Campus and MLK Avenue 11 (including a portion of MLK Avenue in the Congress Heights neighborhood) than envisioned 12 by the 2008 Master Plan (see Figure 4.2-2). The changes also increased the areas affected 13 within and adjacent to the Shepherd Parkway (see Figure 1-2).
14 The primary APE for the 2008 Master plan included the entire West Campus. The Master Plan 15 Amendment, however, has the potential to impact contributing resources on the West Campus 16 only along MLK Avenue near Buildings 72, 73, 74, 75, and 76, and along a portion of the 17 western boundary of the campus near I-295. Nonetheless, the primary APE on the West 18 Campus for the Master Plan Amendment continues to include the entire West Campus (see 19 Figure 4.2-2). The potentially affected resources in the primary APE include those identified by 20 the St. Elizabeths Hospital West Campus Cultural Landscape Report and Landscape 21 Preservation Plan.
22 The portion of the primary APE that includes the North Parcel extends from the Stickfoot 23 Branch ravine on the east to MLK Avenue on the west and from the southern entry road of the 24 UCC (Pine Street) south to Pecan Street. Transportation improvements for the Master Plan 25 Amendment would directly impact a larger area of MLK Avenue than originally planned. The 26 APE now includes the length of MLK Avenue from Pomeroy Street at the northern edge of the 27 St. Elizabeths Campus to where MLK Avenue intersects Alabama Avenue. In the Shepherd 28 Parkway, transportation improvements for the Master Plan Amendment directly impact a larger 29 area of the parkway than originally proposed; therefore, the primary APE has been expanded to 30 the south of the intersection of I-295 and South Capitol Street. Henceforth, this expanded APE 31 will be referred to as the primary APE and may be described as roughly inclusive of the 32 following land areas:
33 The entirety of the West Campus
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1 Approximately 32 acres of the East Campus bounded by MLK Avenue to the west, the 2 southern border of the UCC parking to the north, the wooded ravine toward the 3 Stickfoot branch to the east, and the north elevations of Blackburn Laboratory, R 4 Building, Smith Center, and Glenside
5 An approximately 180-foot wide section of land inclusive of, and east of, MLK Avenue 6 from just south of Pomeroy Avenue to the southern border of the East Campus
7 An approximately 360-foot wide section of land inclusive of, and east and west of, MLK 8 Avenue from the southern border of the West Campus to Alabama Avenue
9 The area of the proposed West Campus Access Road north of the northern boundary of 10 the West Campus to the intersection of the West Campus Access Road with Firth 11 Sterling Avenue and associated area along Firth Sterling necessary for those 12 improvements
13 South Capitol Street from a point just south of Thomos Road on the north to its 14 intersection with Malcolm X Avenue on the south
15 A linear section of Shepherd Parkway along I-295 from the southern boundary of the 16 West Campus to south of South Capitol Street
17 The interchange of I-295 and Malcolm X Avenue
18 East from the interchange along Malcolm X Avenue to a point south of 2nd Street.
19 During early consultation for the DHS Consolidation Master Plan, the Section 106 consulting 20 parties agreed to use the contributing resources listed in the St. Elizabeths NHL documentation 21 when evaluating impacts of the planned development. This practice will be followed for the 22 evaluation of impacts of the Master Plan Amendment as well. The boundaries of the North 23 Parcel APE on St. Elizabeths’ East Campus include the following four contributing buildings 24 identified by the NHL documentation but not included in the primary APE for the 2008 Master 25 Plan:
26 Building 79 (Staff Residence 8) 27 Building 82 (Dry Barn) 28 Building 83 (Horse Barn) 29 Building 86 (Staff Residence 9).
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1 2 Source: GSA 2008a
3 Figure 4.2-1. 2008 Master Plan APEs
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North Parcel Study Area St. Elizabeths East Campus St. Elizabeths West Campus Primary APE Transportation Improvement Study Areas
0 550 1,100 2,200 Feet Meters Anacostia 03150 00600 Projection: Transverse Mercator UTM Zone 18N North American Datum of 1983
Firth Sterling Avenue
Proposed West Campus Access Road
S u St. Elizabeths it la n West Campus d Pa rkway
MLK Avenue
I‐295/Malcom X Avenue Interchange & 295 Shepherd Parkway Study Area St. Elizabeths East Campus South
Capitol Congress Heights
Shepherd Street Avenue Parkway Alabama 13th
St.
1
2 Figure 4.2-2. Primary APE for the St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment 3 December 2010 Draft EIS 4-6 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
1 Buildings 79 and 86 were moved to the location of what is now called the North Parcel in 2 anticipation of the construction of the now existing District of Columbia’s UCC on the northern 3 portion of the East Campus. The APE also includes four buildings on the East Campus that do 4 not contribute to the significance of the NHL:
5 Garage/Motor pool Building (Building 81) 6 Veterans Shelter (Building 81A) 7 Gatehouse 3 (Building 87) 8 Dix Pavilion (Building 120).
9 The significance of the landscape features of the East Campus were not evaluated in the NHL 10 documentation for St. Elizabeths or other studies. To fulfill its obligation under Section 110 of 11 the NHPA to evaluate the historic significance of the properties under its jurisdiction, GSA 12 assessed the cultural landscape of the North Parcel as part of the Master Plan Amendment 13 process. This study identified 21 contributing landscape features in the primary APE, including 14 spatial organization, topography, vegetation, circulation, structures, and small-scale features.
15 Since the approval of the 2008 Master Plan, the segment of MLK Avenue that runs the length of 16 the East and West campuses has been determined to contribute to the overall campus 17 circulation system of the St. Elizabeths Hospital Historic District. Research on MLK Avenue 18 revealed that this portion of the avenue was an integral component of the campus’ historic 19 circulation system, which is a contributing feature of the historic district. A revision of the 20 traffic analysis resulted in a proposal to widen MLK Avenue from its current 60-foot ROW to 21 86 feet. This change resulted in the addition of two contributing buildings to be included in the 22 evaluation of effects:
23 Building 96 (Comfort Station) 24 Building 97 (Gatehouse No. 4).
25 The portion of MLK Avenue from the southern boundary of St. Elizabeths to Alabama Avenue, 26 which is within the Congress Heights neighborhood, has not been evaluated for significance. A 27 survey of Congress Heights in 1987–1988 identified buildings that might be individually eligible 28 for the National Register or contribute to a historic district. While the Congress Heights survey 29 did not recommend the nomination of Congress Heights as a geographically defined historic 30 district, it made two recommendations: (1) assess the Congress Heights School, which is within 31 the secondary APE for the Master Plan Amendment, for listing in the District of Columbia
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1 Inventory of Historic Sites and the NRHP, and (2) consider certain residential buildings for 2 inclusion in multiple-property nominations related to their typology (Overbeck 1988).
3 However, this survey was not conducted to current National Register standards. Contributing 4 and noncontributing buildings were not defined, for instance, nor were landscape characteristics 5 taken into consideration. The DCHPO treats the district, as surveyed, as potentially eligible for 6 the National Register. For the purposes of this EIS, buildings labeled as historic (with and 7 without changes since construction) on a map of the survey area are considered contributing. 8 The primary APE for Master Plan Amendment actions in Congress Heights includes the 9 buildings and landscape features immediately adjacent to MLK Avenue between the south 10 boundary of the St. Elizabeths Hospital and MLK Avenue’s intersection with Alabama Avenue.
11 Historic resources in the primary APE for the Master Plan Amendment are described in detail in 12 Section 4.2.3.
13 The secondary APE for the Master Plan Amendment, which addresses only visual effects of the 14 Proposed Action, remains the same as it was for the 2008 Master Plan. Due to the prominence 15 of St. Elizabeths’ location on high ground above the Anacostia River, on the edge of the 16 topographic bowl surrounding the District of Columbia, visual effects of the construction 17 envisioned by the 2008 Master Plan covered a broad area on the West Campus. Fieldwork and 18 photographic analysis confirmed that the secondary APE established for the 2008 Master Plan 19 remains appropriate for the Master Plan Amendment. Photographic studies for both master 20 plans show that the Dix Pavilion, which is in the North Parcel, is visible from certain locations 21 within the secondary APE. It is more visible from the east than from sites within the 22 topographic bowl to the west. The secondary APE encompasses the remainder of the St. 23 Elizabeths East and West campuses and Congress Heights, parts of the Civil War Fort Sites and 24 Fort Circle Parks System (including Shepherd Parkway and Fort Stanton), the Anacostia Historic 25 District, Anacostia Park, Congress Heights , the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site, the 26 Congress Heights Fire Station, Suitland Parkway, East Potomac Park, Fort McNair, the 27 Washington Navy Yard Historic District, George Washington Memorial Parkway (GWMP), 28 Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, and Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling. All of these are 29 either listed in, are eligible for, or potentially eligible for, the NRHP. In addition to the St. 30 Elizabeths Hospital Historic District, the Washington Navy Yard Historic District is an NHL. 31 One change in the secondary APE since the 2008 Master Plan is the deletion of the Anacostia 32 Freeway from the list of historic properties. The DCHPO does not consider the freeway eligible 33 for the National Register.
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1 Historic resources in the secondary APE for the Master Plan Amendment are described in 2 Section 4.2.4, which is followed by the discussion of the archaeological resources.
3 4.2.1 Prehistoric Context
4 A Phase 1a archaeological survey report for the North Parcel (GSA 2008f) discusses the 5 prehistoric and historic contexts of the District of Columbia. However, after the document was 6 submitted, local pedologist Dr. Daniel Wagner directed archaeologists’ attention to the 7 possibility of buried Paleo-Indian-age soils in the region. Fieldwork for a Phase 1b study 8 completed in October 2009 for the North Parcel included testing for such buried soils and 9 evaluating the likelihood that such soils in the project area could include archaeological 10 resources. The Phase 1a report includes a detailed discussion of the historic context of the 11 vicinity and the land use history of the North Parcel, which is incorporated by reference and not 12 repeated in this document. The Phase 1b report presents a discussion of the prehistory of the 13 District of Columbia. The summary in the following paragraphs focuses on information useful 14 in understanding the results of the Phase 1b testing (GSA 2009i).
15 4.2.1.1 Paleo-Indian 9500 to 8000 B.C.
16 The earliest documented inhabitants of the middle Atlantic region were Paleo-Indian hunters 17 who arrived around 9500 B.C. Dramatic climate change during the Late Pleistocene/Early 18 Holocene was characterized by cooler and drier conditions with less marked seasonal variation. 19 The diagnostic Paleo-Indian artifact is the basally fluted, lanceolate Clovis point. Later projectile 20 points that are assigned to the Paleo-Indian period include the Dalton and Hardaway types. 21 Chert, chalcedony, and jasper were the preferred lithic materials for the manufacture of 22 Paleo-Indian stone tools. These materials played a major role in Paleo-Indian settlement 23 patterns, as Paleo-Indian groups exploited these materials and lithic source locations determined 24 their annual settlement round (Gardner 1989).
25 Gardner (1989) identified five types of Paleo-Indian sites: the quarry, a reduction station, base 26 camp, maintenance camp, and non-quarry-associated base camp. Raw material was extracted 27 from the quarry and taken to a nearby reduction station where it was reduced into more easily 28 transported chunks. Maintenance camps were necessary for the procurement of food and other 29 resources. Base camps, central sites within this system, are defined by the presence of the 30 complete toolkit that was necessary for independent operation. The outlying 31 non-quarry-associated base camp is the fifth type of site in the system. These sites could have 32 been kill sites or bases for resource exploitation. Subsistence focused on hunting deer and elk, 33 complemented by foraging for plant foods, fishing, and shellfish gathering (Dent 1995).
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1 4.2.1.2 Early Archaic 8000 to 6500 B.C.
2 Climate change continued into the Early Archaic archaeological period. Warmer temperatures, 3 increased precipitation, and more marked seasonality were the characteristic conditions by 4 7000 B.C. The shift from open conifer-dominated parkland to oak-hickory forest resulted in the 5 reduction of edge habitats and decreased the range and population of deer. Diagnostic projectile 6 points of the first part of the Early Archaic (8000 to 7300 B.C.) included corner-notched types 7 (i.e., Palmer, Amos, Kirk) or side-notched types (i.e., Thebes, Bolen, Fort Nottoway) (Egloff and 8 McAvoy 1990). The side-notched points that became prevalent by 7300 B.C. include the 9 Warren, Big Sandy, and Kessell types, and Kirk Stemmed points. Early Archaic groups also 10 began to use quartz, quartzite, and rhyolite. The remainder of the Early Archaic toolkit remains 11 essentially the same as the Paleo-Indian, with the addition of ground stone tools and chipped- 12 stone axes (Gardner 1989, Geier 1990, Dent 1995).
13 Settlement patterns began to change around 7500 B.C., as groups began to use less of the 14 high-quality lithic materials in favor of more expedient materials and to exploit new areas. The 15 increase in deciduous trees made forests more attractive to Early Archaic groups. Population 16 increases also seemed to be a factor in the increase in the number of sites. Subsistence strategies 17 included exploitation of the wide variety of resources in the newly emerging Holocene ecology, 18 including hickory nut, butternut, and, possibly, acorns and tuberous plants (Dent 1995).
19 4.2.1.3 Middle Archaic 6500 to 3000 B.C.
20 The Middle Archaic period corresponds to the beginning of the modern climate period 21 characterized by accelerated warming, including an early, moist sub-episode (6500 to 4500 B.C.); 22 and a late, warmer, and drier sub-episode (4500 to 3000 B.C.). These climate changes resulted in 23 an increase in deciduous vegetation, marked seasonality of plant resources, a decrease in the deer 24 population, and an increase in the numbers of other game animals, such as turkey. The 25 oak-hickory forests yielded mast products (acorns and nuts), which provided a nutritious and 26 storable food source. Diagnostic projectile points of the Middle Archaic include LeCroy; Stanly; 27 Morrow Mountain,; Guilford; Halifax; and other bifurcate/notched-base, contracting-stem, and 28 side-notched variants. Additions to the general toolkit included grinding and milling stones, 29 chipped and ground-stone axes, drills, and other woodworking tools, such as adzes and celts 30 (Dent 1995).
31 The procurement of high-quality lithic material was no longer important and most artifacts were 32 manufactured from local materials, especially quartz. More sites appeared in upland settings 33 during the Middle Archaic and groups often placed base camps near interior wetland areas
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1 (Gardner 1987, Dent 1995). Major floodplains were still used for large base camps, suggesting a 2 fusion-fission settlement system, meaning that smaller bands united at large floodplain base 3 camps when certain resources were available and divided to take advantage of upland settings. 4 Subsistence strategies focused on mast products, utilization of various plant species, and 5 exploitation of large and small temperate animal species, such as deer and turkey (Dent 1995).
6 4.2.1.4 Late Archaic 3000 to 1200 B.C.
7 The Late Archaic period is marked by major environmental and cultural changes. Major 8 estuarine systems in the region developed as sea levels rose, and these estuaries offered resources 9 for the groups inhabiting the area, fostering increased sedentism. Diagnostic artifacts include 10 broadspear variants, such as the Savannah River type; descendent forms, such as the notched 11 broadspears (i.e., Perkiomen, Dry Brook, and Orient); and narrow-bladed, stemmed forms, such 12 as the Holmes type. The Susquehanna style was restricted to the Potomac River Valley above 13 the Fall Line and through the Shenandoah Valley, while the Savannah River and Holmes points 14 were restricted to the tidewater area and south of the Potomac through the Piedmont. 15 Susquehanna and related forms, such as Dry Brook and Orient Fishtail types, were made of 16 rhyolite, while Savannah River and Holmes spearpoints were generally made from quartzite.
17 A new item in the artifact inventory was the stone bowl manufactured from steatite (soapstone). 18 These large flat-bottomed vessels were often carved directly from steatite outcrops in the 19 western Fall Line and Piedmont areas. Both Susquehanna and Savannah River cultures used 20 these bowls for cooking directly over a fire or for the stone-boiling method of cooking (Sassman 21 1993, Klein 1997).
22 Settlement focused on floodplain environments of major rivers and creeks. Sedentism is 23 documented in the archaeological record by steatite bowls and small subsurface features in Late 24 Archaic sites. Large sites (0.5 to 5 acres) probably represent macroband encampments in the 25 Fall Line of the Potomac River that formed to exploit seasonal fish spawning runs. Small sites 26 (about 5,000 square feet) representing single-band camps are common in the Piedmont, 27 although evidence of microband camps has also been found. Late Archaic subsistence was 28 based on adaptations to resources in different areas of the region, including Susquehanna 29 groups, to a sylvan adaptation above the Fall Line; and Savannah River groups, to riverine and 30 estuarine resources of the Fall Line and Coastal Plain (Mouer 1991).
31 4.2.1.5 Early Woodland 1200 to 500 B.C.
32 The Early Woodland period in the middle Atlantic region is marked by the introduction of 33 ceramic technology. Marcey Creek ware is the earliest pottery in the region (1200 to 900 B.C.).
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1 These clay vessels were tempered with steatite and slab-constructed with flat-bottoms and lug 2 handles, imitating the style and form of the earlier steatite vessels. Several types of 3 flat-bottomed vessels resembling Marcey Creek ware, but tempered with schist, muscovite, grit, 4 or sand instead of steatite, were produced by 1000 B.C. throughout the region. Selden Island 5 ceramics (around 900 B.C.), tempered with fine bits of steatite and cord-marked, were coiled 6 conoidal vessels. Accokeek ceramics were thin-walled, cord-marked, sand- and grit-tempered, 7 conical- or round-bottomed vessels. The development of sand and grit-tempered ceramics 8 around 800 B.C. represents a true cultural horizon as defined by Willey and Phillips (1958). The 9 earlier steatite-tempered wares of the Early Woodland period have distributions limited to areas 10 within the Fall Line and Piedmont, where steatite naturally occurs. The use of sand and grit 11 temper opened ceramic technology to areas lacking steatite. Small Savannah River points, Dry 12 Brook points, Orient Fishtail points, and Calvert points are found in association with Early 13 Woodland ceramics, demonstrating the in situ transformation of Late Archaic into Early 14 Woodland cultures.
15 The majority of Marcey Creek sites are short-term camps of small bands in riverine settings in 16 the Piedmont and Fall Line. Some large sites include evidence of dwellings and storage pits that 17 yielded carbonized seeds of amaranth, polygonum, mustard, and grape (all wild plants). The 18 large sites represented long-term villages, typically on large floodplains. Smaller sites are foray 19 camps used while harvesting nuts and hunting deer and turkey, usually in upland settings. Sites 20 along the Potomac River yielded evidence of shellfish and fish.
21 4.2.1.6 Middle Woodland 500 B.C. to A.D. 900
22 The Middle Woodland is divided into Middle Woodland I (500 B.C. to A.D. 200), characterized 23 by sand-tempered, net-marked Popes Creek ceramics; and Middle Woodland II (A.D. 200 to 24 900), characterized by shell-tempered, cord-marked or net-impressed Mockley ceramics.
25 Calvert and Rossville projectile points have been found in association with Popes Creek 26 ceramics (Dent 1995), and Selby Bay-Fox Creek and Potts points are associated with Mockley 27 ceramics (Stewart 1992). Calvert, Rossville, and Potts points are typically quartz or quartzite, 28 and the Selby Bay-Fox Creek points are typically nonlocal lithic material, particularly rhyolite 29 from the Blue Ridge Province of western Maryland and south-central Pennsylvania. The 30 distribution of rhyolitic projectile points at sites far from any primary source indicates 31 well-established regional exchange networks.
32 The Early Woodland subsistence-settlement system persisted in the Middle Woodland. 33 Large-scale exploitation of shellfish, especially oysters, became an important part of the Middle
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1 Woodland subsistence economy. Freshwater species were exploited up rivers where oysters 2 were not available. Large shell middens at Middle Woodland sites suggest these sites were 3 macroband centers that drew large populations for long durations.
4 4.2.1.7 Late Woodland A.D. 900 to Contact
5 Around A.D. 900, maize horticulture was adopted by Middle Atlantic groups, introducing major 6 changes in the Late Woodland subsistence-settlement systems. Hunting, gathering, and fishing 7 were still important subsistence activities, but stored surplus crops supported small permanent 8 hamlets and villages after A.D. 1300. Around A.D 1300 to 1400, throughout the Middle 9 Atlantic region, population density increased, nucleated settlements and stockaded villages were 10 established, and there is evidence of population movement and displacement. Large settlements 11 were located on major floodplains where it was easy to clear land for crops.
12 The introduction of maize and the availability of food surpluses, population growth, and 13 permanent villages were all factors that contributed to the development of complex 14 sociopolitical structures. The middle Late Woodland period is characterized by ranked societies 15 that developed into the complex tribes and chiefdoms encountered by the Europeans in the late 16 16th and early 17th centuries (Turner 1976, Turner 1992). These tribes and chiefdoms 17 controlled discrete territories, restricting the movement of any group into another’s area. It 18 appears that the Fall Line of the major rivers was mostly uninhabited and might have acted as a 19 cultural boundary or buffer zone between groups from the west and east. These areas might 20 have also represented neutral zones where different groups would conduct trade.
21 Diagnostic ceramics in the region are crushed-rock-tempered, and cord-marked ceramics, 22 including Albemarle and Shepard wares. Later in the period, the vessels had decorated, collared 23 rims. In the Potomac Piedmont, circa A.D. 1350 to 1400, the crushed-rock wares were replaced 24 by a limestone-tempered (Page) and shell-tempered (Keyser) wares. Below the Fall Line, a 25 crushed-rock-tempered derivative, Potomac Creek ware, is associated with groups inhabiting the 26 Inner Potomac Coastal Plain. Diagnostic Late Woodland triangular projectile points, indicating 27 the use of the bow and arrow, include Madison, Clarksville, and Lavanna types.
28 4.2.2 Historic Context
29 4.2.2.1 Contact
30 When Captain John Smith traveled up the Potomac River during late June 1608, he documented 31 several Native American settlements associated with the Nacotchtank Indians in the vicinity of 32 the St. Elizabeths Campus. This group included five towns with an estimated population of
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1 340 people spread along the Anacostia and Potomac rivers from Benning Road on the north to 2 Broad Creek on the south. The modern place name “Anacostia” is a Latinized version of the 3 Indian group’s name. Three of these towns were in the vicinity of present-day St. Elizabeths. 4 One town was south of the North Parcel, on the eastern side of the Potomac River, upstream 5 from the mouth of Broad Creek; another town was northeast of the St. Elizabeths Campus, on 6 the southern bank of the Anacostia River near the present-day Benning Neighborhood; and the 7 town of Nacotchtank was near the mouth of the Anacostia River in the vicinity of Joint Base 8 Anacostia-Bolling. Smith and his party of 14 were cordially received when they landed at 9 Nacotchtank, which he described as a dispersed community composed of dwellings separated by 10 fields (Engineering Science, Inc. 1989).
11 Nacotchtank was probably similar to the Accokeek Creek Site, located near Accokeek, Maryland. 12 The village was surrounded by stockades. Storage pits contained freshwater clams, crabs, turtles, 13 and fish, and recovered animal bones included elk, bear, wolf, beaver, wild turkey, squirrel, fox, 14 bobcat, raccoon, skunk, duck, heron, eagle, hawk, trumpeter swan, buzzard, and deer, which 15 made up 80 percent of the identifiable mammal bones (Humphrey and Chambers 1985). Dogs 16 were the only domesticated animal. The village residents interred their dead in large communal 17 ossuary burials, where the bundled bones of individuals were periodically placed with others in a 18 large pit during a community ceremony. Recent analysis of ossuary remains from the area have 19 determined that life expectancy of the individuals interred was 23 years and the infant mortality 20 rate was 35 percent before the age of five (Humphrey and Chambers 1985).
21 In 1622, a party of Englishmen led by Ralph Hamor traveled up the Potomac to acquire corn. 22 They first stopped at the village of Patawomeck, at the mouth of Potomac Creek. Although the 23 Patawomecks had no corn to trade, they informed the English that the Nacotchtanks, who were 24 their enemies, had an abundance of corn. The English, along with 50 Patawomeck warriors, 25 raided the village, killing as many as 18 residents (Engineering Science, Inc. 1989). The next year 26 the English again sailed up the Potomac to acquire corn. Twenty men landed at Nacotchtank, 27 but relations turned sour, perhaps due to the English involvement in the local Indian politics the 28 year before, and most of the men were killed. The only survivor was Henry Fleet, who was held 29 captive for 5 years until he was ransomed by the English in 1628.
30 Fleet and others persisted with attempts to trade furs with the Nacotchtank, who appeared to 31 have trading ties with Iroquoian groups and had established a strong position in the area (Potter 32 1993). Nacotchtank might have become a palisaded village at this time. European reports of an 33 Anacostin Fort in the vicinity of the current eastern terminus of the John Phillip Sousa Bridge 34 are mentioned in later historic documents when the English began to settle in the area during
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1 the early 17th century (Engineering Science, Inc. 1989). The village appears to have been a 2 major trading center. The Nacotchtanks were apparently sufficiently powerful to control the 3 upriver trade, and Fleet reports that at times hundreds of Indians would congregate in the 4 vicinity of the District of Columbia with their wares (Humphrey and Chambers 1985). The 5 Nacotchtanks and other groups appear to have remained in the area into the beginning of the 6 18th century. Most were pushed westward when pressured by European settlement and the 7 spread of smallpox. Physical evidence of the remains of the Anacostin Fort endured until the 8 1740s when the first land tracts in the area were patented (Engineering Science, Inc. 1989).
9 4.2.2.2 Early Settlement and Development of the District of Columbia
10 The land on which St. Elizabeths Campus is located was once part of Prince George’s County, 11 Maryland. Settlement of Maryland began to the south at St. Mary’s City and spread northward 12 along the Potomac River during the 17th century. Prince George’s County was formed in 1696 13 from parts of Charles, Calvert, and Anne Arundel counties (Van Horn 1996).
14 Land was granted in tracts of about 1,000 acres. An agrarian economy developed, with tobacco 15 as the cash crop. The fortunes of planters fluctuated with the price of tobacco in foreign 16 markets, and many planters in southern Maryland and in Tidewater Virginia began to diversify 17 their agricultural crops during the 18th century. Prince George’s County planters remained 18 dependent on tobacco production, resulting in larger farms and plantations and a larger 19 population of slaves. By the third quarter of the 18th century, slaves in the county accounted for 20 about 40 percent of the population (MDOT 1986). Many large landowners leased parts of their 21 property to tenants.
22 The American Revolution had little effect on Prince George’s County; neither the British nor the 23 Americans thought it was an important area. After the American Revolution, George 24 Washington recommended that the capital city and the government be established in the area 25 between the Potomac River and the Anacostia River (GSA 2008f). Following congressional 26 approval, Maryland and Virginia each ceded property to the District of Columbia. Maryland 27 ceded 69 square miles, most of it in Prince George’s County. The St. Elizabeths parcel was part 28 of the land ceded to the Federal government for the District of Columbia in 1799.
29 Dependence on tobacco production continued through the first half of the 19th century. 30 Fluctuation in tobacco prices, soil nutrient depletion, and population pressures led to a period of 31 economic stagnation in the first half of the 19th century. The area including Prince George’s 32 County experienced some economic revival by the Civil War. Market and orchard produce
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1 increased, especially in areas close to the District of Columbia (MDOT 1986). However, 2 tobacco production continued to play an important role in the local economy.
3 On the eve of the Civil War, the Anacostia area was still thinly settled agricultural lands or 4 woods. St. Elizabeths Hospital was established in 1852, but the main buildings of the hospital 5 were located west of the North Parcel, which was still forested. The project vicinity might have 6 been maintained as woodlots for St. Elizabeths or the farms to the southeast.
7 The Civil War and reconstruction altered the social and economic structure of much of the 8 United States, including Maryland and the District of Columbia. There was a significant decline 9 in tobacco production in the area, principally because of the disruption of the labor force. The 10 agricultural economy changed to one based on crop diversification and supplying produce to 11 urban areas. By the late 19th century, the project area became agricultural land associated with 12 St. Elizabeths Hospital.
13 The transformation from an agrarian landscape to an urban landscape progressed with the 14 growth of the District of Columbia and Federal land holdings. Improved roads and railroads 15 opened the District of Columbia to development.
16 4.2.2.3 The Development of St. Elizabeths Hospital
17 The land that included the hospital property was patented by John Charman along the Anacostia 18 River in 1663 (Hienton 1972) and named St. Elizabeths. There was another land grant nearby 19 that was similarly named St. Elisabeth, but different from the one on which the hospital was 20 built. This grant was to the south along the Potomac River and was patented, also by John 21 Charman, in 1662. It became part of Oxon Hill and was owned by the Addison family from 22 1692 to 1820 (Meder et al. 1983).
23 Charman sold the St. Elizabeths property to Colonel Benjamin Rozer (also spelled Rozier), who 24 sold and subsequently repurchased the land. It passed to Notley Rozer at his father’s death in 25 1681. Notley Rozer held the property until his death in 1727, after which it was bought by 26 Walter Hoxon. The Hoxon family kept the land until 1799. It is not likely that the Hoxon 27 family lived on the St. Elizabeths property, as tax records show that it was occupied by Thomas 28 Middleton, who likely leased and farmed the property. At the beginning of the 19th century, 29 various members of the Barry family owned the St. Elizabeths parcel. It was sold several times 30 before the Federal government purchased the parcel in 1869.
31 The Civil and Diplomatic Appropriation Act authorized St. Elizabeths in 1852 as the 32 Government Hospital for the Insane. The hospital’s purpose, according to Dorothea Lynde
December 2010 Draft EIS 4-16 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
1 Dix, who helped write and assisted in the passage of the bill, was to provide the most humane 2 care and enlightened curative treatment for the insane of the U.S. Army and Navy and the 3 District of Columbia (Devrouax and Purnell Architects 1993, Millikan et al. 1990). Dix, a noted 4 mental health advocate, educator, and philanthropist, and Dr. Charles H. Nichols, St. Elizabeths’ 5 first superintendent, chose the site for the hospital, a high bluff overlooking the Anacostia and 6 Potomac rivers with panoramic views of the District of Columbia. The site satisfied criteria 7 established for the treatment of the mentally ill in the mid-19th century, which emphasized the 8 therapeutic benefit of a natural setting. Contemplation of nature was considered of primary 9 importance in reawakening reason and returning patients to mental health. Institutional 10 planning during that time also sought a large degree of self-sufficiency, including a site that had 11 building materials, fuel, agricultural land, access to transportation, and a water supply. The 12 chosen site for St. Elizabeths supplied all these needs (GSA 2009b).
13 The earliest hospital buildings on the site stood on the plateau above the river and were designed 14 by Superintendent Nichols, together with Thomas U. Walter, who at the time was the Architect 15 of the Capitol. Nichols is also credited with the landscape treatment (or “ground plan”) of the 16 oldest section of the hospital grounds, around the Center Building and down the slopes to the 17 river. A wharf where supplies could be delivered stood at the river’s edge on the hospital’s 18 western boundary and was linked to the plateau by a road, the remnant of which is now known 19 as Sweetgum Lane. A pumphouse near the river delivered water to the buildings on the plateau 20 as early as 1862. Nichols’ plan included a masonry wall around the entire property, including the 21 eastern side bordered by a public road (now MLK Avenue), and walks and carriage drives within 22 the green landscape from which patients could view the natural and landscaped beauty of the 23 site. Crops, vines, and fruit trees were also planted on the slope, within view of the patients. 24 The masonry wall, construction of which began in 1858, was completed on three sides of the 25 hospital by 1869. The portion of the masonry wall along the western boundary of the West 26 Campus was completed after 1876. The portion of the wall along MLK Avenue likely included 27 two gates: the current Gate 1 and a second gate farther to the south, most likely in 28 approximately the location of the current underpass below MLK Avenue. During the Civil War, 29 St. Elizabeths served as a hospital for Union soldiers, and a cemetery already established on the 30 slope northwest of the Center Building was used for military burials and remained in use until 31 1874 (Heritage Landscapes and Robinson & Associates 2009).
32 By the early 1870s, St. Elizabeths Hospital had reached capacity, a condition which necessitated 33 the construction of additional buildings and the purchase of additional land. The Federal 34 government’s acquisition in November 1869 of the parcel known as Shepherd Farm 35 encompassing what is now the East Campus was an attempt to adhere to the hospital’s founding
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1 criteria of enlightened treatment and self-sufficiency as the hospital’s population grew (GSA 2 2008a). As early as 1867, Nichols requested funds to purchase the property, considering its 3 acquisition essential to the full development of the hospital and the proper care of its patients. 4 Lying across the public road east of the hospital’s original site, Shepherd Farm provided for the 5 continuation and expansion of St. Elizabeths’ agricultural program, providing food and labor for 6 its patients (GSA 2009b). At this time, the public road was an important thoroughfare 7 connecting the city of Washington with southern Maryland. Because it was the historic route to 8 Piscataway in Maryland, the road was locally known as “Piscataway Road.” The hospital’s 9 location along the road, which served as the early campus’ eastern border, facilitated daily 10 operations and the transportation of patients, visitors, and supplies to and from the city. The 11 section of the road adjacent to the hospital became known as “Asylum Road,” though hospital 12 records consistently refer to it simply as the public road. In 1864, the road was improved to 13 facilitate military operations at nearby Forts Carroll and Greble with funding from the District of 14 Columbia and the Federal government. It was during these improvements that the road reached 15 its current alignment and ROW width (60 feet) at St. Elizabeths. In 1872, it was renamed 16 Nichols Avenue by the District’s Board of Public Works in honor of the hospital’s first 17 superintendent (GSA 2009b).
18 Prior to its purchase by the Federal government, Shepherd Farm was owned by Nichols, along 19 with Alexander and Mary Shepherd. Alexander Shepherd was a member of the District of 20 Columbia’s Levy Court beginning in 1867, headed the city’s Board of Public Works from 1871 21 to 1873, and served as the District of Columbia’s last territorial governor from 1873 to 1874 22 (GSA 2008a).
23 The 1861 Boschke map provides an indication of the use of the East Campus area prior to its 24 purchase and incorporation into St. Elizabeths Hospital. Minimally, five structures are depicted 25 within the East Campus area; three are identified as belonging to T. Williams. The relatively flat 26 area along the public road had been cleared of vegetation, while the stream valley to the east is 27 depicted as forested. The 1873 Eastman map depicts three structures in the vicinity of St. 28 Elizabeths East Campus. One is along Nichols Avenue near the head of a ravine. This building 29 includes direct access to the avenue. A second structure is north of the building facing Nichols 30 Avenue. The ravine descends from the eastern side of this second structure. A third building is 31 south of the structure on Nichols Avenue (Boschke 1861).
32 The 1878 Hopkins map of the area illustrates six structures within the East Campus and its 33 vicinity. The three structures depicted on the 1861 Boschke map as belonging to T. Williams
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1 remain, along with an additional structure, and two structures are along Nichols Avenue. One 2 of the Nichols Avenue structures also appears to be on the 1861 Boschke map (Boschke 1861).
3 After its acquisition by the Federal government, Shepherd Farm was used as grazing land for 4 milk cows and beef cattle supplying the daily needs of the hospital. In preparation for this use, 5 the land was cleared, drained, and fertilized, and much of the work was accomplished by hospital 6 patients as part of their therapy. Cattle feed and other crops were cultivated on the cleared land. 7 The farm was surveyed in the early 1870s, with stone monuments marking the boundary lines, 8 and the wood rail fence enclosing the property was replaced in 1872. While Superintendent 9 Nichols wrote in his 1871 annual report that Shepherd Farm did not have a barn or shed 10 “worthy of the name,” some structures that previously stood on the property survived into the 11 hospital’s jurisdiction over the property, as made clear in maps from the 1870s. Hospital reports 12 also indicate that a Civil War fort was located on Shepherd Farm, although it was razed as the 13 property was improved. Its location is uncertain but appears on historic maps on the southern 14 boundary of the East Campus approximately on Alabama Avenue. By 1874, 50 acres of the 15 farm had been cleared of stumps and roots and cultivated. Funds had also been expended for 16 the construction of a stock and hay barn and for purchase of materials for hay barracks, grazing 17 sheds, and a tool and poultry house. Crops cultivated included asparagus, rhubarb, and small 18 fruits. A windmill to supply water to employees living in the agricultural area was constructed 19 on the East Campus in 1875 (GSA 2009b).
20 Farming operations continued to expand on the East Campus during the tenure of 21 Superintendent William Whitney Godding, who succeeded Nichols in 1877. In the first half of 22 the 1880s, Godding, also a firm believer in the therapeutic value of patient employment, oversaw 23 the construction of a new piggery (which allowed similar structures on the West Campus to be 24 removed), a two-story “dry barn” that housed dairy cattle and stored crops, and perhaps two 25 additional cottages. By this time, the spatial organization of the North Parcel began to take 26 shape. The level plateau provided a construction site, cropland, and agricultural buildings that 27 were grouped along an unpaved farm road that provided access to Nichols Avenue. Employee 28 residences were separated from the agricultural buildings and faced the road. Within the 29 residential landscape stood detached structures and small-scale features, such as benches and 30 half-barrel planters (GSA 2009b).
31 A large-scale expansion and modernization of St. Elizabeths Hospital facilities coincided with 32 the turn of the century. Planning for the expansion began as early as 1900 to 1901, under 33 Superintendent Alonzo Richardson, but the majority of the construction took place under the 34 supervision of Superintendant William Alanson White, who succeeded Richardson in 1903.
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1 Nine large hospital buildings were constructed on the southern portion of the West Campus, 2 including four near the hospital’s historic masonry wall (Buildings 72, 73, 74, and 75). All the 3 buildings of the expansion were designed in the Renaissance Revival style by the Boston 4 architecture firm Shepley, Rutan, & Coolidge. Most of the land in this area had been used for 5 agricultural activities, although four hospital buildings (no longer extant) had been constructed 6 on the western side of the property by 1899. As a result of the construction of the new 7 buildings along Nichols Avenue, the Hospital’s southern entrance was shifted to the current 8 location of Gate 2, and a gatehouse was constructed there in 1926. Construction of the new 9 buildings and gate altered the circulation pattern in the southern portion of the West Campus to 10 its current alignment. The area was landscaped with curving drives and sidewalks around a 11 central lawn, with specimen trees and ornamental plantings (Heritage Landscapes and Robinson 12 & Associates 2009).
13 Changes also occurred on St. Elizabeths western boundary in the early 20th century that were 14 intended to modernize hospital facilities. In 1901, a railroad spur crossed the western boundary 15 to connect the hospital’s power plant to the Baltimore and Ohio (B&O) Railroad trestle 16 following the Anacostia River shoreline to facilitate the delivery of coal. A portion of the 17 railroad spur (from a point near the West Campus cemetery to the power plant) followed the 18 path of an earlier carriage trail. Mud flats of the Anacostia River were filled by 1911, including 19 those on St. Elizabeths’ western boundary, but when the work was finished, the new Bolling Air 20 Field (now Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling) was created on the reclaimed land, severing the 21 hospital’s connection to the water (Heritage Landscapes and Robinson & Associates 2009).
22 Four hospital buildings were also constructed on the East Campus during the building campaign 23 under Superintendent White. These were the first therapeutic buildings constructed east of 24 Nichols Avenue (Buildings 89, 94, 95, and 100). As with the West Campus buildings, those on 25 the eastern side of Nichols Avenue were designed by Shepley, Rutan, & Coolidge. The East 26 Campus buildings stood south of older agricultural buildings, separated from those buildings by 27 a wooded ravine. The East Campus buildings were connected to the West Campus by an 28 underpass below Nichols Avenue at the southern end of the hospital. Prior to construction of 29 these buildings in 1901, Shepley, Rutan, & Coolidge designed a two-story, brick and wood horse 30 stable (Building 83) on the East Campus. The stable stands at the head of the farm road that 31 linked the agricultural complex to Nichols Avenue. Despite the presence of the hospital 32 buildings to the south, the agricultural character of the North Parcel and land east of the hospital 33 buildings remained intact (GSA 2008a).
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1 In the early years of the 20th century, some deteriorating agricultural facilities, such as hen 2 houses and the piggery, were relocated away from the North Parcel, but two new cow barns 3 were constructed in their place around 1917. At this same time, the circulation system 4 associated with the agricultural buildings was improved, and a new iron picket fence along 5 Nichols Avenue was erected. The fence included four double gates with concrete piers and 6 seven single gates, and it was later extended along the northern boundary of the East Campus to 7 the ravine. One of the double gates allowed for access to the farm road in the North Parcel 8 (now Magnolia Street). In 1921, a Garage/Motor Pool (Building 81) was constructed on the 9 northern side of the farm road just inside the gate to the East Campus.
10 In the years following World War I, the East Campus became the site of continued hospital 11 development, while space devoted to crops and grazing diminished. The 1891 purchase of a 12 400-acre farm at the mouth of Oxon Creek allowed for this change in land use. Hospital 13 construction on the East Campus first occurred near the existing therapeutic buildings, creating 14 a quadrangle there by the late 1930s. This construction included the Blackburn Laboratory 15 (Building 88) and the Medical and Surgical Building (Building 90), which resulted in a shift of 16 scientific study at St. Elizabeths from the West Campus to the East Campus. The last major 17 construction project during St. Elizabeths’ period of significance (1852 through 1940) included 18 the continuous treatment buildings on the southern portion of the East Campus, which were 19 built between 1932 and 1940.
20 After World War II, agricultural production generally ceased at St. Elizabeths. In 1948, the 21 hospital disposed of its entire herd of cattle due to the availability of inexpensive commercial 22 milk. The cow barns were subsequently demolished and staff the residences moved. The 23 ten-story Dix Pavilion (Building 120) was constructed in 1956, partially on the site previously 24 occupied by the cow barns. Construction of the Dix Pavilion essentially completed the 25 transition of the East Campus from its longstanding agricultural use to therapeutic functions. 26 Construction of the Dix Pavilion included clearing trees and partially filling the ravine that had 27 historically separated the East Campus’ agricultural functions to the north from therapeutic 28 buildings to the south (GSA 2009b).
29 St. Elizabeths lost about 15 acres of its property along the western boundary with the 30 construction of I-295 (Anacostia Freeway) between 1961 and 1966. The interstate also 31 necessitated moving the hospital’s pumping station to its current location, which was 32 accomplished by 1965, and much of the existing tree cover along the interstate was cut down. 33 The new highway resulted in the removal of the railroad spur that had linked the hospital’s 34 power plant to the railroad. The rail bed remained and was converted into a roadway. Also
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1 during this time, the orchard and vineyard on the slope south of Sweetgum Lane, in use since 2 the hospital’s founding, was abandoned. Successional woodland growth has since covered the 3 former orchard area and the hospital property bordering the interstate (Heritage Landscapes and 4 Robinson & Associates 2009).
5 In 1987, the Federal government transferred jurisdiction over the buildings on the East Campus, 6 along with a few on the West Campus, to the District of Columbia. By the 1990s, all patients 7 had been transferred from Federal facilities to the District of Columbia’s St. Elizabeths Hospital, 8 and the West Campus was abandoned. In recent years, the pace of construction on the East 9 Campus has increased, with the UCC and new St. Elizabeths Hospital facilities complete. 10 Construction in the North Parcel study area since the transfer in 1987 has included the Veterans 11 Shelter (Building 81A) and the relocation of two contributing buildings, Staff Residences 8 and 9 12 (Building 79 and 86), from the site of the UCC (GSA 2009b). In October 2009, the St. 13 Elizabeths Hospital closed the East Campus entrance on MLK Avenue and relocated the main 14 entrance to Alabama Avenue.
15 4.2.2.4 Shepherd Parkway
16 The Shepherd Parkway Study Area, a portion of the 205.5-acre Shepherd Parkway (U.S. 17 Reservation No. 421) (NPS 2000), is defined as the area being considered for the I-295/Malcolm 18 X Avenue interchange and proposed West Campus Access Road, and is an irregularly shaped 19 parcel south of the St. Elizabeths West Campus and east of I-295. Shepherd Parkway is within 20 the District of Columbia’s Civil War Fort Sites and Fort Circle Park System, which was listed in 21 the District of Columbia Inventory of Historic Sites on November 8, 1964, and in the NRHP on 22 July 15, 1974 (revised September 13, 1978). The Civil War Fort Sites and Fort Circle Park 23 System are significant for several reasons, including containing the remains of multiple Civil War 24 defense sites. Additionally, the Civil War Fort Sites and Fort Circle Park System consist of a 25 greenbelt of public space, originally conceived of as Fort Drive, that represents an early planning 26 effort for public recreation in the District of Columbia, and as preservation of natural resources, 27 which are generally unusual in an urban setting (GSA 2009j).
28 Early History
29 The early history of the Shepherd Parkway Study Area reflects Maryland’s 17th-century 30 settlement patterns. Landowners were primarily influential planters whose agricultural activities 31 were dominated by the cultivation of tobacco. The populace was organized around large land 32 grants of 1,000 acres or more where tenancy often consisted of long-term leases. The area that 33 would become the Shepherd Parkway Study Area was originally part of several land patents,
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1 including South Kirby, Gisbrough (later Giesborough), Penncotts Invention, and Berry. In 2 1688, a manor house was constructed on the Giesborough property along the banks of the 3 Anacostia River. The surrounding area, which remained isolated with sparse settlement 4 throughout the 18th century, would later be included within the tract granted to the Federal 5 government by Maryland for the creation of the District of Columbia (GSA 2009h).
6 Civil War Defenses of Washington
7 At the onset of the Civil War, the District of Columbia was virtually defenseless. To protect the 8 city and its supply routes and repel the advances of Confederate troops, the Union Army 9 constructed a perimeter defense system around the capital. By 1865, 68 forts and 93 batteries 10 had been strategically positioned along the heights encircling the city, and 32 miles of military 11 roads were laid out between the forts.
12 The Civil War defenses built east of the Anacostia were situated along a 6-mile-long ridge 13 paralleling the east bank of the river. This chain of fortifications was designed to protect the 14 Washington Arsenal, the Washington Navy Yard, the U.S. Capitol Building, and bridges and 15 transportation routes. During the war, the Union Army occupied the Giesborough estate, 16 owned by George W. Young at that time, and used it as a cavalry depot and dismount camp, 17 called Camp Stoneman. Young’s manor house was used as the depot headquarters. Temporary 18 structures constructed to support the depot included stables, corrals, and quarters for the 19 cavalrymen stationed at the dismount camp. Fort Snyder, Fort Carroll, Battery Carroll, and Fort 20 Greble were near the Giesborough estate and provided vital protection for the depot and other 21 distant points. Military roads linked the forts to each other and to the cavalry depot.
22 Following the war, the Army disarmed and dismantled its camps and fortifications and restored 23 occupied properties to their former owners. After reclaiming his property, George W. Young 24 attempted to sell the 625-acre parcel fronting the river. Young also filed an (unsuccessful) war 25 claim against the Federal government seeking compensation for the use of his property and for 26 the loss of timber.
27 Young was not able to sell the Giesborough estate before he died in 1867. Following the death 28 of his widow in 1878, the property was divided among his heirs. By this date, the lands south of 29 St. Elizabeths Hospital and west of Gisboro Road (now MLK Avenue) remained rural. 30 Landscape features included the B&O Railroad line, a rail station, and several roads (GSA 31 2009h).
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1 Fort Drive and Shepherd Parkway Planning and Development
2 By the end of the 19th century, individuals and organizations began to advocate for the 3 preservation of the city’s remaining Civil War forts. Associated with this effort was a plan to 4 connect the proposed battlefield parks by a formal drive that would form a circuit along the 5 heights encircling the District of Columbia. The Fort Drive concept was first formally proposed 6 by the city Engineer Commissioner in 1896. Shortly afterwards, the drive appeared in the 7 District of Columbia Highway Plan of 1898.
8 The Fort Drive concept was supported by the McMillan Commission (Senate Park Commission) 9 in its plan to improve the park system of the District of Columbia (1901–1902), which 10 recommended that the city’s Civil War forts be linked by a permanent parkway system. The plan 11 proposed the acquisition of 17 forts and batteries and the streets and avenues that would be 12 widened to link them, creating Fort Drive. As envisioned in the McMillan Commission plan, 13 Fort Drive terminated at the St. Elizabeths Campus. The links to Fort Greble and Fort Carroll 14 south of the hospital would be made by a parkway that ran along the ridgeline connecting the 15 grounds of the St. Elizabeths Campus to Bald Eagle Point, 2.7 miles to the south. The McMillan 16 Commission plan refers to this stretch of land as both Giesboro Parkway and Shepherd 17 Parkway.
18 While the War Department retained some fort areas from the Civil War period, much of the 19 land on which the defenses of the District of Columbia were constructed was returned to the 20 original owners following the war. Thus, a significant obstacle in developing Fort Drive in the 21 early 20th century was identifying the required acreage and financing its purchase. A real estate 22 map published in 1921 indicates that the land that would compose the Shepherd Parkway Study 23 Area was owned by several entities, including the Richard T. Wilson Estate, Nathaniel L. Gaines, 24 Isadore T. Young, and Jos. N. Young.
25 The Fort Drive plan continued to be viewed by many as the best approach to preserving the 26 city’s deteriorating Civil War sites, and the Washington Board of Trade and the Committee of 27 100 on the Federal City were advocates. However, the recommendations in the McMillan 28 Commission plan regarding Fort Drive were not pursued until the implementing legislation was 29 enacted in the 1920s and early 1930s.
30 The first true milestone in the development of Fort Drive was reached in 1924 when Congress 31 passed legislation to create the National Capital Park Commission. This agency was tasked with 32 developing a park, parkway, and playground system for the capital and acquiring lands in the 33 District of Columbia, Virginia, and Maryland. Having the authority to implement the
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1 recommendations of the McMillan Commission plan, the National Capital Park Commission 2 would play a critical role in developing Fort Drive. In 1926, Congress reestablished the National 3 Capital Park Commission as the National Capital Park and Planning Commission (NCPPC), 4 which envisioned Fort Drive as a true parkway rather than a series of widened city streets.
5 A second milestone in the history of Fort Drive was reached in May 1930; Congress passed the 6 Capper-Cramton Act (as amended), which appropriated $16 million to procure land within the 7 District of Columbia suitable for park, parkway, and playground systems. The Capper-Cramton 8 Act played an important role in securing the ROW for Fort Drive and in acquiring land for its 9 development. Each year after the passage of the Act, the NCPPC secured appropriations from 10 Congress to purchase land. The Office of Public Buildings and Public Parks, under the general 11 supervision of the USACE, administered the District of Columbia’s parks until 1933, when 12 responsibility was transferred to the NPS. Thus, the NPS assumed responsibility of the parcels 13 acquired for Fort Drive and Shepherd Parkway at this time.
14 One of the earliest land acquisitions for the development of Fort Drive was a 42-acre parcel of 15 Shepherd Parkway purchased in April 1927. Shepherd Parkway formed the southern extension 16 of the proposed Fort Drive, connecting it with Forts Greble and Carroll. By the end of that 17 year, subsequent acquisitions by the NCPPC brought the total area of Shepherd Parkway to 18 approximately 127 acres. The acquisition of Shepherd Parkway continued over the next 4 years, 19 with approximately 177 acres added by the end of 1931.
20 By October 1937, the NCPPC held all but one of the 23.5 miles needed for the long-anticipated 21 Fort Drive. Planning to complete the project within 5 years, the NCPPC requested Public 22 Works Funds in 1938 to start construction, but was denied. Plans the following year to use 23 Works Progress Administration labor to construct Shepherd Parkway near Bolling Air Field also 24 went unrealized. The last major land acquisition necessary to complete Shepherd Parkway was 25 made in 1940. By this date, 95 percent of the land needed for the completion of Fort Drive had 26 been acquired for a total of about $2.7 million, with the value of the Shepherd Parkway land 27 totaling nearly $358,000.
28 Although the Congress Heights neighborhood, east of the Shepherd Parkway Study Area, began 29 to be settled in the 1890s, much of the southeast quadrant of the District of Columbia remained 30 undeveloped and rural well into the 20th century. By 1907, there were areas of residential 31 development along Nichols Avenue (formerly Gisboro Road and later MLK Avenue) and also 32 southeast of the planned Philadelphia Street (later Portland Street and now Malcolm X Avenue). 33 The neighborhood experienced a period of rapid growth in the 1920s and 1930s; however, and it
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1 was during this period that the buildable land of the upland plateau south of St. Elizabeths and 2 west of Nichols Avenue was developed. South Capitol Street was also established at this time.
3 During the late 1930s and 1940s, as the last remaining parcels were purchased and plans were 4 being made to begin construction of Fort Drive, some land previously acquired for Shepherd 5 Parkway was lost to residential growth and municipal development. Portions of the parkway 6 were transferred to the District of Columbia for street openings, highway widening, and alleyway 7 creation. Construction of I-295 began in 1957, taking additional parkway land.
8 By the mid-20th century, no progress had been made on the construction of Fort Drive and 9 Shepherd Parkway, and the consensus among transportation planners was that the Fort Drive 10 concept was costly and impractical. Rather than a pleasure drive offering views and historic 11 sites, the city required a larger and more comprehensive ring road to meet existing transportation 12 needs. Thus, the Fort Drive concept evolved into a beltway model that would help ameliorate 13 the city’s traffic congestion. A 1959 transportation plan sponsored by the NCPC, the successor 14 agency to the NCPPC, concluded that some of the ROW acquired for Fort Drive could be 15 incorporated into the planned circumferential highway system (GSA 2009j).
16 Recent History
17 As a result of changed urban conditions, ROW limitations, altered traffic patterns, and 18 community opposition, the NCPC and NPS dropped the Fort Drive concept in 1962. A study 19 commissioned by the NCPC in 1965 to evaluate alternative options for the land acquired for 20 Fort Drive proposed that it be repurposed as a recreational facility composed of a ring of green 21 space renamed the “Fort Park System.”
22 A 1968 NPS master plan for the Fort Park System, now called the “Fort Circle Parks,” provided 23 guidance for its use, management, and development. Recognizing the historical resources, 24 natural wooded areas, and varied terrain of the parks, it proposed a program of historic 25 interpretation, nature education, recreation, and greenbelt conservation. The 1968 master plan, 26 approved in 1974, was only partially implemented.
27 Today the Fort Circle Parks greenbelt, which encompasses the Shepherd Parkway Study Area, is 28 a significant open-space element in the nation’s capital. Planning documents published by the 29 NPS, NCPC, and other agencies guide the treatment and use of Shepherd Parkway and the Fort 30 Circle Parks. The policies outlined in the NCPC Comprehensive Plan for the National Capital (NCPC 31 2004), advocated for a trail system within the Fort Circle Parks system. The Fort Circle Parks 32 Final Management Plan prepared by the NPS in 2004 also proposed the development of a new trail 33 system to link the fort sites and connect the green corridor. The plan specifies, however, that
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1 the trail section within Shepherd Parkway would make use of existing sidewalks in the area to 2 minimize impacts on the narrow wooded corridor and avoid important wildlife habitat 3 (GSA 2009j).
4 4.2.2.5 Congress Heights
5 The Congress Heights neighborhood is immediately south of St. Elizabeths Hospital. In 1987– 6 1988, a survey of the neighborhood was conducted for what was then known as the District of 7 Columbia State Historic Preservation Division (now DCHPO). The survey boundaries were the 8 Anacostia Freeway (I- 295); the southern boundary of St. Elizabeths Hospital; Alabama Avenue 9 between the southern boundary and 13th Street, SE; Mississippi Avenue between 13th Street 10 and Wheeler Road, SE; Atlantic Street to South Capitol Street; and South Capitol Street between 11 Atlantic Street and the Anacostia Freeway. Single-family and semi-detached residences, garden 12 apartments, churches, schools, and commercial structures dating from the late 19th to late 20th 13 century compose the community, and its potential period of significance was identified as 14 stretching from prehistory to 1945. The segment of MLK Avenue that extends from the 15 southern boundary of St. Elizabeths to Alabama Avenue, which is subject to improvements 16 under the Proposed Action, traverses a six-block section of the 12-square-mile neighborhood.
17 Congress Heights takes its name from a subdivision proposed by real estate developer and 18 speculator Arthur E. Randle in 1890. Prior to that time, most of the land in the vicinity was 19 farmed, as was the case elsewhere east of the Anacostia outside of Uniontown. Randle sought 20 to increase the attractiveness of his property with improvements to its infrastructure, including 21 an electric railway line that ran along what was then Nichols Avenue (now MLK Avenue) from 22 Congress Heights across the Navy Yard Bridge to downtown Washington, D.C. Randle also 23 obtained an appropriation from Congress to build a new public school (the original portion of 24 the existing Congress Heights School), and add street lighting, postal service, and police 25 presence. In the wake of these improvements, four other real estate speculators platted 26 subdivisions prior to 1900, and Randle planned a second subdivision. All incorporated 27 “Congress Heights” into their names.
28 Development proceeded slowly, however, and much of the area south of St. Elizabeths 29 remained either as farmland or woodland until the years just before and after World War I. In 30 1907, only two brick structures stood in Congress Heights: the 1897 school and the 1903 31 firehouse (now Engine Company No. 25). The remaining buildings were constructed of wood. 32 By the time of the 1924 Baist Real Estate map, brick buildings were more numerous. Earlier 33 subdivisions had been divided into smaller parcels for denser development, and several of the
Draft EIS December 2010 4-27 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
1 remaining farms had also been platted. Local employers included Washington Steel and 2 Ordnance Company, on the site of what eventually became Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, the 3 Washington Navy Yard, and St. Elizabeths.
4 Although the Depression of the 1930s affected Congress Heights, the area continued to grow 5 primarily from the expansion of military facilities in the neighborhood between the world wars. 6 Bolling Air Field, first developed along the Anacostia River northwest of St. Elizabeths in 1918, 7 was established at its current location west of St. Elizabeths in the 1930s. The Naval Research 8 Laboratory was then developed at the former location of Bolling Field. After World War II, 9 Bolling Air Field became known as Bolling Air Force Base and the Naval Research Lab became 10 the Anacostia Naval Station. Both are now part of Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling. At Bolling Air 11 Field, the number of military employees jumped from 450 in 1939 to 5,000 in 1942. By World 12 War II, Nichols Avenue (now MLK Avenue) had become Congress Heights’ main street, with 13 businesses and churches lining its sides. The 1987–1988 survey identified 1945 as the end of 14 period of significance for the historic district, due to the influence of the military installations on 15 its pattern of development (Overbeck 1988).
16 4.2.3 Historic Resources in the Primary APE
17 4.2.3.1 Buildings
18 The APE for the Master Plan Amendment has been divided into a primary APE and a 19 secondary APE. The primary APE is the area in which the Proposed Action has the potential to 20 directly affect historic resources. The secondary APE is the area in which the Proposed Action 21 has the potential to indirectly affect historic resources (see Figures 4.2-1 and 4.2-2). Following 22 the 2008 Master Plan precedent, the NHL registration form’s list of buildings that contribute to 23 the NHL for St. Elizabeths Hospital has been used to identify significant buildings directly 24 affected by the Master Plan Amendment. All contributing buildings on the West Campus are 25 within the primary APE, but only a few of them could be directly affected by the Proposed 26 Action on the North Parcel. The discussion of contributing buildings on the East Campus is 27 followed by a discussion of the West Campus buildings directly affected by the Proposed 28 Action. Figure 4.2-3 shows the locations of the buildings, and Table 4.2-1 lists the 29 contributing buildings on the East Campus North Parcel.
30 The primary APE encompasses only a portion of the Congress Height Historic District, which 31 the DCHPO considers potentially eligible for the National Register. The portion of the district 32 in the primary APE includes contributing buildings on either side of MLK Avenue between the 33 southern boundary of the St. Elizabeths Hospital and MLK Avenue’s intersection with Alabama
December 2010 Draft EIS 4-28 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
St. Elizabeths East Campus
St. Elizabeths West Campus
Primary APE
Contributing Historic Buildings Transportation Improvement Study Areas
03162.5 25650 Feet Meters St. Elizabeths 0737.5 5150 Projection: Transverse Mercator West Campus UTM Zone 18N North American Datum of 1983
Su itl a nd P ark wa y Staff Residence 4 (Building 76) Dry Barn Staff Residence 8 (Building 82) (Building 79)
Horse Barn (Building 83) B Building (Building 75)
A Building (Building 74) Staff Residence 9
M (Building 86)
L
K
A
v e
C Building n u
(Building 73) e
M Building (Building 72)
St. Elizabeths East Campus
Comfort Station (Building 96)
Gate House No. 4 (Building 97)
1
2 Figure 4.2-3. Historic Buildings in and near the Primary APE for the North Parcel
Draft EIS December 2010 4-29 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
1 Table 4.2-1. Contributing Buildings in the North Parcel and on the East Campus along MLK 2 Avenue
Description Historical Structure Bldg. Name # Stories Date NHL Significance Walls Floor Roof
Staff Late wood 79 2 X None Known wood wood Residence 8 1800s frame brick bearing/ concrete/ 82 Dry Barn 2 1884 X Architecture, rarity wood wood wood frame brick bearing/ 83 Horse Barn 2 1901 X Architecture, rarity wood wood wood frame Staff wood 86 2 1895 X None Known wood wood Residence 9 frame Comfort brick 96 1 1922 X None Known concrete wood Station bearing Gatehouse brick 97 1 1926 X None Known concrete wood No. 4 bearing
3 Avenue. Congress Heights buildings in the primary APE are discussed after those on the West 4 Campus below and are listed in Table 4.2-2.
5 Contributing East Campus Buildings Potentially Impacted by the Proposed Action
6 Building 79 (Staff Residence 8). Staff Residence 8 is on the western side of the North Parcel 7 along MLK Avenue. The building sits in an asphalt-paved parking area south of the entrance to 8 the old farm road and west of Sycamore Drive. Originally constructed in the late 19th century, 9 the residence was moved to the North Parcel before construction of the UCC. The two-story 10 structure is clad in siding with shutters on the north- and south-facing windows and the 11 second-story windows on the west-facing elevation. A covered porch extends the length of the 12 house on the west elevation with a smaller covered porch on the east façade. The wood-frame 13 structure has wood windows and a shingle roof and sits on a concrete masonry unit foundation 14 with brick piers supporting the columns of the west porch. This simple building has been 15 altered from its original construction.
16 Building 82 (Dry Barn). The Dry Barn is a two-story, rectangular, timber-frame structure with 17 a brick foundation and basement. Constructed in 1884, the barn was built as part of the 18 complex of agriculture buildings on the East Campus. The Dry Barn housed dairy cows and 19 dairy operations and provided storage for hay. The exterior is composed of board-and-batten
December 2010 Draft EIS 4-30 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
1 Table 4.2-2. Contributing and Noncontributing Buildings along MLK Avenue between the St. 2 Elizabeths Campus and Alabama Avenue
ID# Street Address 1987-88 Survey Category Current Status West Side (North to South) 1 2705 MLK Avenue* Nonhistoric Noncontributing Historic with important changes and historic 2 2713 MLK Avenue Contributing with few changes Noncontributing 3 2735 MLK Avenue Nonhistoric and historic with few changes (demolished and replaced) 4 2737 MLK Avenue Nonhistoric and historic with few changes Contributing 5 2737½ MLK Avenue Nonhistoric and historic with few changes Contributing 6 2739 MLK Avenue Nonhistoric and historic with few changes Contributing 7 2741 MLK Avenue Nonhistoric and historic with few changes Contributing 8 2743 MLK Avenue Nonhistoric and historic with few changes Contributing 9 2747 MLK Avenue Nonhistoric and historic with few changes Contributing 10 2755 MLK Avenue Historic with few changes Contributing 11 2759 MLK Avenue Nonhistoric Noncontributing 12 2765 MLK Avenue Nonhistoric Noncontributing 13 568–570 Lebaum Street Historic with few changes Contributing Historic with important changes and historic Noncontributing 14 2905 MLK Avenue with few changes (demolished and replaced) Historic with important changes and historic Noncontributing 15 2907 MLK Avenue with few changes (demolished and replaced) 2921–2923 MLK (2923) Historic with important changes and historic 16 Contributing Avenue with few changes Historic with important changes and historic 17 2925–2927 MLK Avenue Contributing with few changes Historic with important changes and historic 18 2929–2931 MLK Avenue Contributing with few changes 19 3011 MLK Avenue Nonhistoric Noncontributing 20 3023–3027 MLK Avenue Nonhistoric and historic with few changes Contributing Noncontributing 21 222 Raleigh Street Historic with few changes (demolished and replaced) Noncontributing 22 224 Raleigh Street Historic with few changes (demolished and replaced) 23 3101 MLK Avenue N/A Noncontributing Historic with significant role in community Noncontributing 24 3103 MLK Avenue* history (demolished and replaced) Historic with important changes and historic 25 3105 MLK Avenue Contributing with few changes 26 3109 MLK Avenue Nonhistoric and historic with few changes Contributing 27 3111 MLK Avenue Nonhistoric and historic with few changes Contributing Historic with important changes and historic 28 3113 MLK Avenue Contributing with few changes 29 3115 MLK Avenue Historic with few changes Contributing
Draft EIS December 2010 4-31 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
ID# Street Address 1987-88 Survey Category Current Status West Side (North to South) (continued) 30 3117 MLK Avenue Nonhistoric and historic with few changes Contributing 31 3119 MLK Avenue Nonhistoric and historic with few changes Contributing Historic with important changes and historic 32 3121 MLK Avenue Contributing with few changes 33 3123 MLK Avenue Historic with few changes Contributing Historic with important changes and historic 34 3125 MLK Avenue Contributing with few changes Historic with important changes and historic 35 3127 MLK Avenue Contributing with few changes East Side (North to South) 36 657 Lebaum Street Historic with few changes and non-historic Contributing 37 2904 MLK Avenue Nonhistoric Noncontributing Historic with important changes and historic 38 2906 MLK Avenue Contributing with few changes Historic with important changes and historic 39 2908–2910 MLK Avenue Contributing with few changes Historic with important changes and historic 40 2912 MLK Avenue Contributing with few changes Historic with important changes and historic 41 2916 MLK Avenue Contributing with few changes Historic with important changes and historic 42 2918 MLK Avenue Contributing with few changes Historic with important changes and historic 43 2920–2922 MLK Avenue Contributing with few changes Historic with important changes and historic 44 2924 MLK Avenue Contributing with few changes 45 601 Malcolm X Avenue N/A Noncontributing 46 3008 MLK Avenue Historic with few changes Contributing Historic with important changes and historic 47 3010 MLK Avenue Contributing with few changes 48 3012 MLK Avenue Historic with few changes Contributing Historic with important changes and historic 49 3014 MLK Avenue Contributing with few changes Historic with important changes and historic 50 3016 MLK Avenue Contributing with few changes Historic with important changes and historic 51 601 Raleigh Place (603) Contributing with few changes Historic with significant role in community 52 Congress Heights School Contributing history Contributing Buildings 39 Noncontributing Buildings 13 Total 52 Notes: Addresses marked with an asterisk (*) are uncertain. The 1987–1988 survey identified buildings of mixed character (nonhistoric and historic, historic with important changes and historic with few changes). For the purposes of this EIS, all buildings identified as fully or partially historic are considered contributing.
December 2010 Draft EIS 4-32 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
1 vertical wood siding with a gable roof with clipped ends. Around 1917, a slab-on-grade concrete 2 floor was installed and the wood posts at the lower level were encased in concrete. The upper 3 level contains wood floorboards on wood framing. A one-story, shed-roofed portion of the 4 building is on the west side with a crawl space below.
5 Building 83 (Horse Barn). Built in 1901 as part of the major St. Elizabeths expansion 6 undertaken by Superintendent Alfonso Richardson, the Horse Barn was designed by the Boston 7 firm Shepley, Rutan, & Coolidge. According to the Historic American Building Survey 8 completed in 2005, the building measured 100 feet by 212 feet and consists of three wings that 9 enclose a cobblestone courtyard. The Horse Barn sits at the north border of the North Parcel 10 and at the east end of the old farm road. The building has two stories with a hipped roof and a 11 broad roof overhang. The first floor consists of load-bearing brick masonry walls with stone 12 lintel, spring block, and keystone details. The second floor and roof were constructed out of 13 wood framing. The upper floor is sheathed in wood shingles, and the original clay tile roof has 14 been replaced with asbestos cement shingles.
15 According to original construction drawings of the first floor, the east wing originally contained 16 65 stalls to house horses and other farm animals, the north wing was used for carts and wagon 17 storage, and the south wing housed carriages. The upper level of the east wing contained a 18 hayloft, and the second floor of the north and south wings were used by farm and stable hands.
19 Many alterations to the Horse Barn have taken place over the years, with layout changes and the 20 addition of bathrooms in 1915; removal of the original gable dormers and ventilators; and the 21 demolition of a portion of the west wall, including the original entrance archway.
22 Building 86 (Staff Residence 9). Like Building 79, Staff Residence 9 was moved to the North 23 Parcel before construction of the UCC. Constructed around 1895, the two-story, wood-frame 24 structure is in the northwestern portion of the North Parcel along the old farm road now known 25 as Magnolia Street. Although set back from the road, the cottage fronts Sycamore Drive. A 26 covered front porch extends the length of the west (front) elevation. The building is clad in 27 shingles, but the shutters evident in historic photographs have all been removed. Altered from 28 its original construction, Staff Residence 9 now sits on a concrete masonry foundation.
29 Building 96 (Comfort Station). The Comfort Station is a small red brick building adjacent to 30 Gatehouse No. 4. Constructed in 1922, it is one of several comfort stations throughout the 31 grounds. The original window and door openings have been infilled with brick.
Draft EIS December 2010 4-33 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
1 Building 97 (Gatehouse No. 4). Gatehouse No. 4 is one of several support structures 2 constructed in the early 20th century. The one-story red brick building was constructed with 3 Gatehouse No. 2 in 1926. It has a rectangular hipped roof with asbestos shingles.
4 Contributing West Campus Buildings Potentially Impacted by the Proposed Action
5 Building 72 (M Building). Building 72 exemplifies the importance of the original patient 6 population in the siting and design of buildings at St. Elizabeths. Because it housed female 7 epileptics, a patient population needing close supervision, the building was located near the 8 nurses’ home (Building 69) and adjacent to C Building, the acute psychopathic hospital for 9 female patients. Piazzas and terraces dominate the design of the building, surrounding the three 10 sitting rooms at the front of the building. Constructed in 1902 of brick, load-bearing walls with 11 a concrete and steel floor and wood-frame roof, Building 72 includes a great room just inside the 12 entrance that extends the width of the building and is decorated with plaster pilasters and 13 capitals and a coffered ceiling.
14 Building 73 (C Building) and Building 75 (B Building). Building 73 and Building 75 were 15 constructed in 1902 as identical psychopathic pavilions flanking the central administration 16 building (Building 74). Designed as receiving hospitals for female and male patients, 17 respectively, each has sitting rooms, a dining hall, a surgical amphitheater, a combination of 18 single and dormitory rooms, and hydrotherapy facilities. Like the other St. Elizabeths buildings 19 designed by Shepley, Rutan, & Coolidge, the two-story buildings are constructed of brick, 20 load-bearing walls with a tile roof and stone trim. Historic photos show that the piazzas at each 21 end of the building were open, with Chippendale railings between columns in antis. These 22 features have been replaced with brick piers and metal screens.
23 Building 74 (A Building). As the administration building, Building 74 is the focal point of the 24 buildings of the expansion begun under Superintendent Alonzo Richardson. Originally 25 connected to Buildings 73 and 75 by tunnels and colonnades when it was constructed in 1904, 26 Building 74 formed the focus of a complex devoted to medical treatment of acute cases. The 27 portico (three stories, with six Doric columns) is typical of hierarchical entry features denoting 28 administration, as opposed to residential, uses. As the dominant building of the Richardson 29 expansion, Building 74 has more interior and exterior decorative trim than its neighboring 30 therapeutic buildings, and is crowned by a cupola. The wood colonnades that linked Building 74 31 with Buildings 73 and 75 were removed when wings were added circa 1960.
32 Building 76 (Staff Residence 4). Building 76 is the most intact of the five nearly identical staff 33 residences constructed on the West Campus in the 1920s. A two-story structure with a hipped
December 2010 Draft EIS 4-34 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
1 roof and a porch that is now enclosed, Building 76 has its original central brick fireplace, wood 2 stair and trim, and clay tile bearing walls. The staff residences housed chief physicians for 3 St. Elizabeths’ various departments.
4 Contributing Congress Heights Buildings Potentially Impacted by the Proposed Action
5 For the purposes of this EIS and the Section 106 process for this undertaking, buildings 6 characterized on the 1987–1988 survey map of Congress Heights as historic, or as historic with 7 changes since 1945, are considered contributing buildings to the Congress Heights Historic 8 District, and are deemed potentially eligible for the National Register by the DCHPO. A 9 windshield survey of the stretch of MLK Avenue from the south boundary of the St. Elizabeths 10 Campus to Alabama Avenue was conducted in 2010. This survey confirmed that extant 11 buildings labeled in the 1987–1988 survey as historic, or historic with changes since 1945, retain 12 sufficient integrity to justify their inclusion as contributing buildings.
13 There are 52 extant buildings within the primary APE along the stretch of MLK Avenue 14 affected by the improvements. Thirty-nine of these buildings are considered to be contributing 15 to the historic district. With the exception of Congress Heights School, most of the buildings in 16 the primary APE consist of one- and two-story commercial structures. Although a few 17 residential buildings are located on MLK Avenue, most houses and apartments in Congress 18 Heights are farther away from MLK Avenue, which has functioned since the period of 19 significance as the community’s main commercial thoroughfare. Table 4.2-2 lists contributing 20 and noncontributing buildings in the primary APE in Congress Heights.
21 The 1987–1988 survey of Congress Heights recommended that Congress Heights School be 22 assessed for listing in the District of Columbia Inventory of Historic Sites and the NRHP. The 23 school was included in a subsequent survey, “Public School Buildings of the District of 24 Columbia, 1804-1930,” prepared by Antoinette J. Lee (1989). A multiple-property nomination 25 for Public School Buildings of Washington, D.C., 1862–1960, based on this survey, was 26 accepted by the District of Columbia Inventory of Historic Sites on May 23, 2002, and by the 27 NRHP on July 21, 2003 (Lee 1989, Beauchamp 2003). The Congress Heights School has not yet 28 been nominated as part of this documentation, but the DCHPO considers the school eligible for 29 listing (DCHPO 2010).
30 4.2.3.2 Landscape Features
31 The portions of St. Elizabeths Hospital affected by the Master Plan Amendment are included in 32 the NRHP, the District of Columbia Inventory, and NHL documentation, and in a 1989 MOA 33 guiding preservation issues associated with the transfer of hospital facilities from the Federal
Draft EIS December 2010 4-35 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
1 government to the District of Columbia. With few exceptions, documentation for these 2 designations does not identify individual historic landscape features at St. Elizabeths, but the 3 landscape is significant as the historic setting for hospital buildings. The 1989 MOA cites as 4 significant “all landscaping and greenspace” associated with contributing buildings on the St. 5 Elizabeths Campus (Devrouax and Purnell Architects 1993). In addition, Shepherd Parkway, 6 which is affected by the Proposed Action, is a National Register property (Civil War Defenses of 7 Washington) without a detailed listing of contributing features. Cultural landscape assessments 8 for the North Parcel and for the affected portion of Shepherd Parkway, compiled during the 9 Master Plan Amendment process, have been used in the Draft EIS to identify contributing 10 landscape resources in those areas. The St. Elizabeths Hospital West Campus Cultural Landscape 11 Report, the St. Elizabeths West Campus Landscape Preservation Plan, and the MLK Avenue 12 Determination of Eligibility have been used to identify contributing landscape features on the 13 West Campus.
14 East Campus Landscape Features
15 The Cultural Landscape Assessment (CLA) identified 31 character-defining landscape features 16 that contribute to the significance of the North Parcel. These features are listed in Table 4.2-3.
17 Seven landscape units have been identified in the North Parcel APE: the Farm Unit, Dix Unit, 18 Shelter Unit, Woodland Unit, MLK Avenue Unit (MLK Unit), Maple Unit, and UCC Unit (see 19 Figure 4.2-4). The Campus Connection Unit on the West Campus is part of West Campus 20 Landscape Units 2, 3, and 5 that are potentially affected by the North Parcel development and 21 are discussed under West Campus Landscape Features below.
22 Most of the entire North Parcel study area was part of the Shepherd Farm tract purchased by 23 St. Elizabeths in 1869. The landscape units of the North Parcel study area evolved on the same 24 plateau on which most of the significant buildings of the West Campus were built, on the other 25 side of what was then Nichols Avenue, now MLK Avenue. At the time of purchase, the area 26 was an upland plateau with wooded slopes and ravines, which was then cleared, drained, and 27 prepared for use as grazing and cropland. The area was used exclusively for agriculture until the 28 early 1900s hospital expansion to the east. The agricultural functions dwindled gradually as the 29 hospital continued to expand in the 20th century. The most dramatic change to the landscape 30 was in the 1950s with the construction of the Dix Pavilion, which entailed filling the ravine that 31 bisected the site between the Blackburn Laboratory and the farm building cluster, described in 32 the following paragraphs.
December 2010 Draft EIS 4-36 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
1
2 Figure 4.2-4. Landscape Units for the East Campus North Parcel
3 Farm Unit. The Farm Unit contains the oldest group of buildings associated with the North 4 Parcel study area, including the only remaining agricultural features and features associated with 5 early 1900s to 1920s hospital expansion. The Farm Unit is characterized by its landform, 6 historic association with the Shepherd Farm, St. Elizabeths agricultural functions, and current 7 uses.
8 The Farm Unit is organized atop an eastern portion of the plateau that was historically divided 9 from other portions of the hospital complex by Nichols Avenue (now MLK Avenue) and a 10 ravine draining to Stickfoot Branch to its east and south. As the location of the former 11 agricultural complex, buildings within the Farm Unit are clustered around the old farm road 12 which was oriented perpendicular to what was then Nichols Avenue. Views within the Farm 13 Unit are constricted by building masses and the vegetation on slopes to the east and south.
14 The plateau on which the Farm Unit is located is level and slopes gently from MLK Avenue 15 toward the Horse Barn. A remnant of the riparian slope that once existed to the south of the 16 agricultural complex is visible on the southern side of the Horse Barn. Topographical 17 modifications to the Farm Unit are visible at both the north and south entrances to its main 18 floor. On the south entrance, a constructed earthen ramp, contemporary to the barn, leads to its
Draft EIS December 2010 4-37 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
1 Table 4.2-3. NHL Character-Defining Landscape Features in the Primary APE for the North 2 Parcel
Landscape Character- Location Defining Features Spatial Organization and Land Patterns Axial orientation to Nichols Avenue, later MLK Farm Unit Avenue Cluster arrangement of buildings Farm Unit Topography Plateau/riparian slopes Farm, Woodland Units
Earthen ramps to dry barn, retained slopes Farm Unit
Plateau between MLK Avenue and Dix Pavilion Dix Unit Stickfoot Branch valley Woodland Unit Vegetation Street-tree planting pattern MLK Unit Large catalpa tree Farm Unit Historically wooded pattern Woodland Unit Mature trees on interior of iron fence on East MLK Unit Campus south of the North Parcel Circulation Old farm road/Magnolia Street alignment Farm, UCC Units Ramp entrances to Dry Barn Farm Unit Cobblestone courtyard entrance in Horse Barn Farm Unit Pecan Lane Maple Unit Sidewalks along the fence on East Campus south MLK Unit of the North Parcel Buildings Horse Barn (Stable; Building 83) Farm Unit Relocated Staff Residence 8 (Building 79) Farm Unit Relocated Staff Residence 9 (Building 86) Farm Unit Dry Barn (Building 82) Farm Unit Comfort Station (Building 96) MLK Unit Gatehouse No. 4) (Building 97) MLK Unit Structures and Small-scale Features Iron fence along MLK Avenue Farm, Dix, MLK Units Retaining walls at Dry Barn ramps Farm Unit Scalehouse Farm Unit Protective fence and concrete opening for Redwood MLK Unit Street underpass Iron gate and Concrete Gateposts at Magnolia Farm Unit Street and MLK Avenue Iron gate and Concrete Gateposts at Sycamore MLK Unit Drive and MLK Avenue
December 2010 Draft EIS 4-38 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
1 second story. The ramp ends about 15 feet from the barn and is held in place by a retaining 2 wall on its western edge. To the east of the Dry Barn and north of the Horse Barn is a level area 3 once used as a bull pen, currently an equipment and materials storage area. The area east of the 4 bull pen, adjacent to the Woodland Unit, was used as a staging area during the recent 5 construction of the UCC complex. It is disturbed, and mounds of soil remain in the area. Other 6 topographic modifications include minor grading, which likely occurred when the old farm road 7 (now Magnolia Street) associated with the farm complex was paved circa 1917.
8 The Farm Unit is a relatively level area with brushy, weedy vegetation that includes both grasses 9 and small trees. This vegetation seems to be typical of the kind of vegetation that would have 10 been found in parts of this area that were not under cultivation during the period of significance. 11 Historic photographs show weedy grasses growing along borders of dirt roads and at the base of 12 fence lines. Historic aerial photographs also indicate that the slope east of the Horse Barn was 13 covered with large trees, which are not extant. This slope and the area north of the Dry Barn are 14 currently covered with a stand of successional trees and weedy growth.
15 Aside from the weedy vegetation throughout the Farm Unit, there is a large catalpa tree on the 16 farm road that might be historic. It appears in photographs of the Garage/Motor Pool in the 17 1920s, but it is possible that it predates the construction of the Garage/Motor Pool. There are 18 several other large trees east and north of the Horse Barn along a former fenceline. Three pin 19 oaks (Quercus palustris) south of the Garage/Motor Pool appear to be contemporary with the Dix 20 Pavilion plantings. Additionally, weedy turf grows in the staging area east of the former bull 21 pens. The primary circulation feature in the Farm Unit is Magnolia Street, which was once the 22 old farm road that served the agricultural complex. The road originally ran from what was then 23 Nichols Avenue (now MLK Avenue) to the cobblestone entry of the Horse Barn, with small 24 access drives leading to the other agricultural buildings. Today, the paved part of the road runs 25 east from MLK Avenue past the Garage/Motor Pool, then turns north and leads down a slope 26 past the Dry Barn into the UCC Unit. A chain-link fence now divides the road between the two 27 units. A wide, unpaved area connects the paved portion to the Horse Barn and ramp to the 28 main floor of the Dry Barn. The section of the road that runs north past the Dry Barn once 29 connected the agricultural complex to the residential staff cottages to the north. Historic 30 photographs suggest, however, that this connection was not made until the 1950s.
31 Today, the road runs east from MLK Avenue past the Garage/Motor pool, then turns north and 32 leads down a slope past the Dry Barn into the UCC Unit. This part of the road once connected 33 the agricultural complex to the residential staff cottages to the north. The northern branch dates
Draft EIS December 2010 4-39 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
1 after 1945 and before 1955, based on the available maps. A chain-link fence divides the road 2 between the two units.
3 The Nichols Avenue entrance is now closed; this part of the North Parcel study area is accessed 4 via Sycamore Drive, which runs in front of Dix Pavilion and connects to Magnolia Street with a 5 concrete apron. The old farm road was unpaved until circa 1917. Curbs were also added to the 6 road at this time. The type of paving and curb material installed at this time is unknown, and the 7 addition of paving and curbs is not considered contributing, due to its association with the 8 Garage/Motor Pool.
9 Parking and outdoor storage areas are located throughout the Farm Unit. Asphalt-paved 10 parking areas are available on the south, east, and north sides of the Garage/Motor Pool and 11 between the guardhouse and the entrance from Sycamore Drive. The parking areas south and 12 east of the Garage/Motor Pool are visible in a 1920s photograph. The courtyard of the Horse 13 Barn, paved in concrete, with cobblestones at the entrance, is now used for storage of 14 equipment and supplies. The large concrete-paved area is east of the Dry Barn and north of the 15 Horse Barn, was formerly the bull pen area, with concrete troughs and frame shelters. The 16 shelters and troughs have since been removed. This concrete-paved area, along with two other 17 gravel-paved areas, is used for equipment storage. Two unpaved areas are north of the 18 Garage/Motor Pool and between the Horse Barn and the Dry Barn.
19 The Farm Unit contains five of the ten buildings in the North Parcel study area: four 20 contributing buildings and one noncontributing building. These buildings are described in 21 Section 4.2.3.1.
22 Many of the structures and small-scale features that appear in historic photographs of the Farm 23 Unit are missing or have been replaced. Conspicuously absent are the wooden picket fences 24 around the barns and other agricultural structures that feature prominently in photographs from 25 the late 1890s and early 1900s. It is not known when these fences were removed, and many 26 have been replaced with galvanized chain-link fencing.
27 Historically significant structures and small-scale features within the Farm Unit from the period 28 of significance include the stone-and-mortar retaining walls associated with the Dry Barn; the 29 frame scalehouse associated with the agricultural functions of the site; and the iron fence and 30 gate with concrete piers at the former Magnolia Street entrance to MLK Avenue.
31 The earthen ramp and concrete bridges leading to the Dry Barn are all historically significant, 32 although the material of the bridges has changed over time. The earthen ramp was likely 33 installed at the same time as the Dry Barn in 1884. The ramp is held in place by a retaining wall
December 2010 Draft EIS 4-40 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
1 and connects to the barn via the short concrete bridge. Historic photographs show this bridge 2 was constructed of wooden planks with wood railings. It is unknown when the wooden bridge 3 was replaced with concrete, though it might have been about 1917, when concrete floors and 4 columns were installed in the middle and lower floors of the barn (GSA 2009b). Concrete slabs 5 at the ground-level entrances might also have been installed at this time. The wing walls on the 6 north side of the barn are constructed of several different types of stone and have been patched 7 with brick in several places. A wood, steel, and concrete frame scalehouse is along Magnolia 8 Street west of the Horse Barn. This structure appears to have been a component of the barn 9 complex constructed circa 1917, as it is visible in a 1928 aerial photograph just north of the cow 10 barns. These barns were demolished in the 1950s to make room for the Dix Pavilion. The 11 structure is currently covered with climbing vines and has a moderate amount of detritus in and 12 around it.
13 East of the Dry Barn are the remains of a poured-concrete and concrete-block structure, which 14 might have been a bull barn. A 1947 USACE topographic survey identifies a long, one-story 15 structure in approximately this location as the bull barn, though it describes it as a frame 16 structure.
17 The fence and gate at the Magnolia Street entrance to MLK Avenue were installed in 1917, using 18 hospital staff and patient labor, to replace the dilapidated wooden fence that ran along the 19 eastern edge of what was then Nichols Avenue (GSA 2009b). Some of the original iron picket 20 fence is still extant, though portions of it were repaired or replaced during 1944 to 1945. Both 21 the extant and replacement portions of the fence are rusty and have flaking paint, though the 22 original sections are in considerably worse condition. The concrete piers are in fair condition, 23 with much chipping, staining, and biological growth; cast-iron lanterns affixed to the tops of the 24 piers are in poor condition, with broken tops and rusty, flaking paint. Historic records indicate 25 that a similar fence was installed along the north boundary line of the farm and in the woods 26 behind the stables to keep cattle from wandering into the ravine. No evidence of this fence was 27 observed in the field.
28 Dix Unit. The Dix Unit was developed in the location of a small, wooded stream that drained 29 to Stickfoot Branch to the east. This stream valley provided a natural division between the 30 farmstead and the institutional buildings to the south of the farm. Following World War II, the 31 agricultural production at St. Elizabeths waned, and plans were made to expand the hospital 32 complex within the East Campus. Construction of the Dix Pavilion coincided with the 33 demolition of many of the agricultural buildings and necessitated the partial filling and leveling 34 of the ravine, and the clearing of many trees. Most of the circulation and vegetation patterns in
Draft EIS December 2010 4-41 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
1 the North Parcel study area date to this period of development. The historically significant 2 landscape features in this unit include Pecan Lane, which runs along the south edge of the Dix 3 Unit, a few paved features associated with the Blackburn Laboratory, and portions of the iron 4 fence along MLK Avenue.
5 Maple Unit. The Maple Unit was developed on the southern part of the Shepherd Farm 6 plateau. Prior to the construction of the Maple Square group of buildings in the 1920s and 7 1930s, the area was a relatively level piece of land planted in feed corn and bordered by a 8 wooded ravine. The portion of Maple Square bordering the North Parcel study area is primarily 9 composed of portions of Pecan Lane and the large parking area north of the quadrangle. A fair 10 majority of the Maple Unit is paved with asphalt. The Maple Unit also includes several areas of 11 vegetation, the largest of which is a slope covered with early successional vegetation and a few 12 larger trees. Contributing historic landscape features include the alignment of Pecan Lane and 13 sidewalks associated with Maple Square.
14 Shelter Unit. The Shelter Unit was developed to the east of Dix Pavilion on a surface that was 15 created by filling in the natural ravine. The Shelter Unit is defined by the remains of creek 16 topography to the north, east, and south and the added fill to the west, which created a 17 depression with a flat floor. Most of the Shelter Unit is composed of the Veterans Shelter and 18 its relatively large associated parking lot; the rest is the steep slope, mostly covered in weedy 19 successional growth that divides the Shelter Unit from the Maple Unit. There are no 20 contributing historic landscape features in this landscape unit.
21 Woodland Unit. The Woodland Unit is characterized by the steep landform that slopes sharply 22 towards Stickfoot Branch. Numerous historic maps and photographs show the Woodland Unit 23 to be continuously wooded and undeveloped throughout most of the hospital’s history. This 24 riparian ravine was modified through filling for the construction of the Dix Pavilion parking lot 25 in the 1950s. Historic aerials pre-dating construction of the Metrorail’s Green Line show the 26 stream valley and bottomland were contoured, presumably for storm water management. The 27 area was later partially covered with fly ash deposits, and the Green Line was tunneled through 28 this unit. The area also appears to have been used as a waste disposal area for discarded hospital 29 equipment. Young successional vegetation now covers the slope. The historically significant 30 features of the Woodland Unit are the sloping topography and woodland vegetation.
31 UCC Unit. The UCC Unit, to the north of the Farm Unit, contains the recently constructed 32 roadways and landscaped grounds of the UCC. Developed on the same plateau as much of the 33 North Parcel study area, the UCC Unit is composed of the area directly south of the recently 34 constructed UCC building. Once the location of several St. Elizabeths Hospital staff residences,
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1 the site has since been cleared, regraded, and replanted following construction of the UCC. The 2 UCC Unit is generally characterized by its historic association with the Shepherd Farm and 3 St. Elizabeths agricultural functions and current uses. None of the features in the UCC Unit 4 dates to the period of significance. A small portion of Magnolia Street, formerly connecting the 5 agricultural and residential clusters of the farm complex, was not constructed until the 1950s.
6 MLK Avenue Unit. The MLK Unit includes MLK Avenue and the associated sidewalks, street 7 trees, and West Campus stone boundary wall. The road, formerly known as Nichols Avenue, is 8 an important circulation feature not only to the St. Elizabeths Campus, but to the surrounding 9 Anacostia neighborhood and to the development and settlement of this part of the District of 10 Columbia. The segment of MLK Avenue that runs the length of the East and West campuses 11 has been determined to contribute to the overall campus circulation system of the St. Elizabeths 12 Hospital Historic District. This portion of the avenue is determined to have been an integral 13 component of the campus’ historic circulation system, and therefore has been deemed a 14 contributing feature of the historic district. The MLK Avenue Unit is characterized by the road 15 corridor and its relationship to the St. Elizabeths Campus and its role as a circulation route for 16 the Anacostia neighborhood. Character-defining elements of this segment of MLK Avenue 17 include its alignment, width, sidewalks, and verge, which connect to portions of the St. 18 Elizabeths Campus access road circulation system.
19 Historic site plans and maps note the location of vegetation adjacent to the road as early as 1873, 20 and plantings are shown along the sidewalk in aerial photographs from the 1920s. Today, 21 vegetation along the MLK Unit includes street trees (willow oaks) and turf grass within a verge 22 between the sidewalk and the roadway on either side of MLK Avenue. A mixture of mature and 23 juvenile willow oaks lines the street approximately 25 feet apart. The trees range in age from a 24 few years to approximately 40 years old. Older trees of more variety occur just inside the fence 25 along MLK Avenue to the south of the North Parcel.
26 The road that eventually became MLK Avenue has been an important circulation route for at 27 least two centuries, and was probably a Native American trail. MLK Avenue continues to be an 28 important circulation feature for the St. Elizabeths Campus and the surrounding Anacostia 29 neighborhood, and is also an important feature in development and settlement of this part of the 30 District of Columbia. The current grade, alignment, and width of the road likely date to the 31 1860s, when it was regraded and widened in response to transportation needs during the Civil 32 War.
33 Today, MLK Avenue is the main traffic corridor for the Anacostia neighborhood. A four-lane 34 roadway with granite curbs, the roadway is flanked on either side by concrete sidewalks that
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1 provide for pedestrian circulation. At the end of the period of significance, MLK Avenue was 2 paved in concrete; it has since been repaved mostly in asphalt, though some portions still have 3 concrete pavement. The total width of the ROW is 60 feet, with the road being 40 feet with 4 10-foot margins on either side where the sidewalks are located. This corresponds with the 5 historic width of the road, which was stated to be 60 feet in 1864.
6 MLK Avenue serves as an access to the East Campus with gates at Magnolia Street (currently 7 closed) and Sycamore Drive. Gatehouse No. 4 is at the Sycamore Drive entrance.
8 Sidewalks have bordered MLK Avenue since at least 1904, although the paving material at that 9 time is unknown. The modern sidewalk is approximately 4 feet wide on the east side and 10 approximately 5 feet wide on the west side of the road. The sidewalk widens towards the 11 southern end of the MLK Avenue Unit in areas where the grass verge between the sidewalk and 12 the street has been covered with concrete.
13 West Campus Landscape Features
14 During the development of the 2008 Master Plan, a cultural landscape assessment and a Cultural 15 Landscape Report (CLR) were prepared for the West Campus. That documentation has been 16 updated and further refined into a Landscape Preservation Plan (LPP) to guide DHS 17 consolidation projects on the West Campus. Historic American Landscape Survey (HALS) 18 documentation has also been prepared for the West Campus. The methods and context 19 developed for the CLR and HALS and the updated list of character-defining features from the 20 95 percent draft of the LPP will be used in the EIS to evaluate impacts on West Campus 21 landscape elements that could result from the Master Plan Amendment. Only resources that 22 could be affected by the Proposed Action are described in the following paragraphs. The 23 potentially affected area is shown on Figure 4.2-4 as the Campus Connection Unit. The 24 Landscape Preservation Plan map is provided as Figure D-2 in Appendix D.
25 The CLR and LPP divide the campus into five units as a means of clarifying the spatial 26 organization, historical evolution, and function of the hospital landscape. Each landscape unit 27 has a distinct, identifiable character based on topography, vegetation, building type, function, 28 and chronology. The Proposed Action could affect small portions of three of the five units: 29 Landscape Unit 2: Therapeutic, Ornamental Landscape around Pavilions and Secondary 30 Entrances; Landscape Unit 3: Agricultural Landscape of Greenhouses, Fields, and North Slope; 31 and Landscape Unit 5: Cemetery and West Slope.
32 Landscape Unit 2. Landscape Unit 2 is the southernmost portion of the main plateau of the 33 West Campus. A restricted area within Landscape Unit 2 is defined in the following paragraphs
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1 and identifies the specific landscape features that could be affected by development of the North 2 Parcel.
3 Characterized by an open lawn planted with specimen trees and a network of curvilinear roads 4 and walks, Unit 2 encompasses the expansion of hospital facilities begun under Superintendent 5 Alonzo Richardson at the beginning of the 20th century. Construction proposed in the Master 6 Plan Amendment would be confined to the eastern margin of Landscape Unit 2, between 7 Buildings 72 and 76 and the hospital’s historic masonry wall. It is in this area that the material of 8 St. Elizabeths’ perimeter wall changes from brick to stone. Building 76 (Staff Residence 4) 9 marks the northern boundary of the work proposed in the Master Plan Amendment, and 10 Building 72 marks the southern boundary.
11 Developed in the early 1900s on the same plateau as much of the North Parcel Study Area, the 12 area between the stone boundary wall along MLK Avenue and Persimmon Street was long 13 maintained as a tree-dotted lawn. The space is now almost entirely an asphalt parking lot. Early 14 in the period of significance, the area between Buildings 72, 73, 74, 75, and 76 was occupied by 15 several parcels of residences with privately farmed land. As the hospital campus grew, the area 16 was integrated into the West Campus landscape. On the 1873 topographic map, the area 17 appears to be mostly open, with trees planted along Nichols Avenue.
18 After the construction of Persimmon Street and Buildings 72, 73, 74, and 75 in 1902, the area 19 between Persimmon Street and the boundary wall was a vegetated lawn. Historic aerial 20 photographs show the area to have turf lawn under both deciduous and coniferous trees. 21 Building 76 was constructed in 1924, and parking areas were constructed on a portion of the site 22 between 1937 and 1955. Today, most of this area is paved. A row of three honey locust trees 23 planted on a tree island east of Building 75 is the only vegetation within the parking lot.
24 Vegetation in Landscape Unit 2 is otherwise currently concentrated at the northern end of the 25 parking lot and in the interstitial spaces of Buildings 72, 73, 74, 75, and 76. The lawn at the 26 northern end of the pavement, between Pine Street and Persimmon Street, is set with a variety 27 of deciduous trees on a grassy lawn. Mature specimen trees around the buildings likely date to 28 the period of significance.
29 Persimmon Street runs along the length of the parking lot and was constructed in 1902 in 30 conjunction with the three buildings. There is currently no distinction between Persimmon 31 Street and the parking area. It is paved and was originally surfaced with macadam in 1907, with 32 a cobblestone gutter and adjacent concrete sidewalk, then repaved with concrete around 1929. 33 The street includes three semi-circular pull-off drives leading to the center wings of Buildings 73,
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1 74, and 75, similar to the drive in front of Dix Pavilion. Concrete curbs divide the road from the 2 grassy lawn on the northern part of this area.
3 In addition to the historic wall, contributing landscape resources include circulation (Persimmon 4 Street and building turnarounds), structures (drainage grates and catch basins), vegetation 5 (specimen trees), spatial organization, and views toward the site along MLK Avenue and from 6 Pine Street (Heritage Landscapes 2010). Contributing features potentially affected by the 7 Proposed Action are listed in Table 4.2-4. Distinct from but associated with Landscape Unit 2 8 is a segment of MLK Avenue that has been determined by the DCHPO to contribute to the 9 significance of the circulation system of the St. Elizabeths Hospital NHL district (Robinson and 10 Associates 2009).
11 Landscape Unit 3. Landscape Unit 3 begins near the traditional main entrance of the West 12 Campus (Gate 1) and abuts Landscape Unit 1 on the north. The majority of Landscape Unit 3 13 stands north of the plateau where St. Elizabeths’ Hospital facilities were constructed and is 14 characterized by slopes toward the Anacostia River and heavy vegetation. The portion of 15 Landscape Unit 3 potentially affected by the Master Plan Amendment lies along the hospital’s 16 western border near I-295, between the pumping station on the north and the new entrance to 17 the campus (Gate 4) on the south (in Landscape Unit 5). Historically, Landscape Unit 3 was 18 used for agriculture. However, portions of the landscape that were planted with orchards and 19 vineyards during the hospital’s period of significance (on either side of Sweetgum Lane as it 20 descends the slope) were abandoned after World War II and are now covered by succession 21 woodland. A section of woodland undisturbed since the end of the period of significance 22 follows Sweetgum Lane. Landscape Unit 3, when its western boundary was the Anacostia River, 23 also provided opportunities for St. Elizabeths to connect with the District of Columbia and 24 regional transportation systems. Access to the hospital’s wharf (no longer extant) was gained 25 through Landscape Unit 3, generally along the route of what is now Sweetgum Lane. At the 26 beginning of the 20th century, a railroad spur ran from the B&O railroad line near the Anacostia 27 River to St. Elizabeths’ power plant. A portion of one of the carriage trail paths that formerly 28 ran through the agricultural fields now runs parallel to I-295 in Landscape Unit 3 and joins the 29 rail spur alignment near the West Campus Cemetery. The area of potential impact is included 30 within the LPP’s secondary, intermittent viewshed below the west side of the plateau, a viewshed 31 that includes the perception of river access from the hospital, the visual zone from a promenade 32 known as the Point on the West Campus across agricultural fields and orchards, views across 33 wooded areas, and views from points across the river to the wooded slopes of the St. Elizabeths 34 plateau.
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1 Table 4.2-4. St. Elizabeths West Campus LPP Character-Defining Landscape Features 2 Potentially Impacted by the Proposed Action
Cultural LPP Landscape Landscape Character-Defining Feature Status No. Unit *
Natural Systems and Features Expanded, N2 3 Woodland cover on north slope Regenerated Expanded, N4 5 Woodland cover on west slope Regenerated Spatial Organization and Land Patterns Landscape Unit 2: Therapeutic, ornamental landscape around O7 2 Modified pavilions and secondary entrances Landscape Unit 3: Agricultural landscape of greenhouses, fields, O9 3 Degraded and north slope O14 5 Landscape Unit 5; West Campus Cemetery and West Slope Modified Views and Visual Relationships V1 1, 2, 3 Views of walls and West Campus gates along MLK Avenue Retained V13 1, 3, 5 Perception of river access Retained V15 3, 5 Views across wooded areas Expanded Views from points across the Potomac and Anacostia rivers to V16 3, 5 the Topographic Bowl of the wooded Anacostia River bank and Expanded St. Elizabeths Hospital Slot views to the downtown Washington, D.C., Monumental Core V19 5 Retained from the West Campus Cemetery Topography and Drainage D1 1, 2 Prehistoric Anacostia River bank plateau Retained Slopes and ravines separating the historic campus from related D2 2, 3, 4, 5 Degraded service and agricultural landscapes D11 5 Intermittent stream along southwest property line Modified Vegetation T1 1, 2 Trees in an arboretum-style planting over turf Degraded Woodland (oak, beech, maple, elm species) along west slopes Expanded, T24 2, 3, 4, 5 toward Anacostia River along the northwest, west, and Regenerated southwest boundaries Circulation C12 1, 2 Narrow radii historic drop-off loops at building entrances Degraded Paved Road East of A, B, C, and M Buildings (Buildings 74, 75, C23 2 Modified 73, and 72) Paved Road South of C24 2 Modified Staff Residence 4 Unpaved carriage trail near C27 4, 5 Degraded western property line
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Cultural LPP Landscape Landscape Character-Defining Feature Status No. Unit *
Landscape Structures S14 1, 2 Historic iron drainage grates/catch basins; single and paired Degraded Brick wall at perimeter of hospital from south of Gatehouse 2 to S15 2 Administration (A) Building Degraded (Building 74) Stone wall at perimeter of hospital from A Building to Q Building S16 2 Degraded (Building 68) Note: * This table is derived from the 95% Draft St. Elizabeths West Campus Landscape Preservation Plan (Heritage Landscapes 2010). The Cultural Landscape Unit feature numbers are keyed to the landscape unit descriptions used throughout that document. Cultural Landscape Unit Key: 1 = Therapeutic and ornamental landscape with overlook 2 = Therapeutic and ornamental landscape around pavilions 3 = Agricultural landscape fields and greenhouses 4 = Service landscape and ravine 5 = Historic cemetery and woodland slopes
1 Landscape Unit 5. Landscape Unit 5 is a long, narrow, curving parcel lies along the slopes of 2 the western and southern sides of the property. The West Campus Cemetery is located in its 3 northern corner and its surrounding woodland is potentially affected by the Master Plan 4 Amendment. The LPP identified the woodland in and around the cemetery as undisturbed since 5 1937. Some of the other woodland in Landscape Unit 5 was cleared during the 1960s and 1970s 6 and has since grown back. In Landscape Unit 5, the carriage drive that was used as the bed of a 7 railroad spur followed an alignment south of the cemetery to the St. Elizabeths power plant. 8 When I-295 was constructed and the railroad spur was removed, the rail bed returned to use as a 9 roadway. Contributing views include external views from across the rivers and internal views 10 across the wooded landscape (Heritage Landscapes 2010).
11 Congress Heights Landscape Features
12 The MLK Avenue ROW is wider in Congress Heights than in the stretch of MLK Avenue that 13 runs between the East and West campuses (widening from 60 feet within the St. Elizabeths 14 Campus to 110). The ROW consists of a roadway (four travel lanes and street parking in some 15 locations), curbs, verge, and sidewalks. Vegetation, small-scale features, and structures that stand 16 within the ROW include street trees, street lights, utility poles, bus shelters, fences, fire plugs, 17 police/fire call boxes, trash cans, and freestanding signs.
18 With the exception of Congress Heights School, which stands surrounded by lawn on a 19 triangular parcel at the intersection of MLK Avenue, Alabama Avenue, and Randle Place, the 20 streetscape between the building façades and the ROW generally consists of concrete paving 21 with some onsite parking. Some of the structures, however, were originally constructed as
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1 residences, and a small number retain lawns and walks between the building and the ROW. A 2 few of these former residential buildings stand on the west side of MLK Avenue opposite 3 Congress Heights School. In addition, the property bounded by Malcolm X Avenue, MLK 4 Avenue, and Parkland Place within the primary APE is part of Shepherd Parkway, which is a 5 contributing feature of the Civil War Fort Sites and Fort Circle Park System. This segment of 6 Shepherd Parkway consists of brick paving, grass, shrubs, and trees.
7 The 1987–1988 Congress Heights survey did not evaluate the significance of landscape 8 characteristics (natural systems and features, topography and drainage, land use and cultural 9 traditions, circulation, vegetation, small-scale features, structures, constructed water features, 10 spatial organization, and views and visual relationships) for significance. A few police/fire call 11 boxes that likely date to the period of significance are also found in the ROW. Other small-scale 12 features, structures, and vegetation likely post-date 1945. The significance of additional 13 categories of landscape features, including vegetation, circulation, spatial organization, and views 14 and visual relationships, has not yet been evaluated nor has the date of their establishment been 15 ascertained.
16 Shepherd Parkway Landscape Features
17 Three landscape units have been delineated within the Shepherd Parkway APE: the Anacostia 18 Unit on its northern end of the Parkway, the Southern Woodland Unit from Malcolm X Avenue 19 to South Capitol Street, and the I-295 Unit south to the southern end (see Figure 4.2-5).
20 Few historic landscape features were identified within the Shepherd Parkway Study Area. This 21 might be due to the construction of I-295 in the 1960s. Historic maps and local lore suggest 22 that there might be road traces in the Southern Woodland Unit, but these were not identified in 23 the field. The only landscape features identified as historic include the overall sloping 24 topography of all the landscape units, the groves of large trees documented in the Southern 25 Woodland and I-295 Units, and the single 65-inch caliper willow oak in the interchange 26 cloverleaf within the Anacostia Unit.
27 Anacostia Unit. The Anacostia Unit is composed of a 200-foot-wide band along I-295, the 28 area around the I-295/Malcolm X Avenue interchange, and a 10-foot-wide strip on either side 29 of Malcolm X Avenue. This area was located within the Giesborough land patent and was part 30 of its cleared agricultural landscape; however, it was heavily impacted by activities related to the 31 construction of I-295 in the 1960s. The only landscape features in the Anacostia Unit identified 32 as historic are the overall sloping character of the topography, the alignment of Malcolm X 33 Avenue (formerly Portland Street), and a 65-inch caliper willow oak located within the north 34 lobe of the interchange cloverleaf.
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1
2 Figure 4.2-5. Landscape Units for the Shepherd Parkway Transportation Improvement 3 Alternatives
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1 Southern Woodland Unit. The Southern Woodland Unit is the portion of the Shepherd 2 Parkway study area that lies to the southeast of the I-295/Malcolm X Avenue interchange and 3 extends along I-295 in a 200-foot-wide band to the northbound on-ramp from South Capitol 4 Street. This area was located within the Giesborough land patent and was part of its cleared 5 agricultural landscape. It was later subdivided, but never actually developed due to its steep 6 slopes. No historic built elements were identified in the field. Historic landscape features 7 include the area’s riparian slopes, the grove of large trees on its upper slopes, and two road 8 traces that were identified in historic maps but not located in the field.
9 I-295 Unit. The I-295 Unit is the portion of the Shepherd Parkway study area that extends 10 from South Capitol Street to a point aligned with the western end of Atlantic Street, SW. The 11 I-295 Unit is 200 feet wide at South Capitol Street, but within approximately 800 feet, narrows 12 to around 50 feet and continues to Atlantic Street, SW. This area was also within the 13 Giesborough land patent and contained both cleared agricultural landscape and wooded areas. 14 No historic landscape features were identified in the field. Although the I-295 Unit passes close 15 to the Battery Carroll and Fort Greble sites, it is unlikely that any historic features remain from 16 the period of significance because the area was disturbed by the construction of I-295 in the 17 1960s. Table 4.2-5 lists landscape features identified in the Shepherd Parkway CLA.
18 Table 4.2-5. Shepherd Parkway CLA Character-Defining Features
Landscape Character- Location Current Status Defining Features
Topography Anacostia, Southern Riparian slopes Contributing Woodland Units Vegetation 65-inch caliper willow oak Anacostia Unit Contributing Large grove of oaks, poplars, maples, and other species on Southern Woodland Unit Contributing upper slopes Circulation Alignment of Malcolm X Avenue (formerly Portland Street) Anacostia Unit Contributing
19 4.2.4 Historic Resources in the Secondary APE
20 The secondary APE, the area in which the Proposed Action has the potential to indirectly affect 21 historic resources, has been adapted from the 2008 Final Master Plan EIS. The potential
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1 impacts on resources in the secondary APE would be visual or auditory. The following historic 2 resources are within the secondary APE.
3 St. Elizabeths East Campus. Excluding the agricultural buildings in the North Parcel, which 4 are included in the primary APE, the major buildings on the East Campus were constructed 5 along a formal campus plan with the buildings grouped around open quadrangles. This area is 6 now home to buildings for therapy, which are included in the secondary APE. The East 7 Campus is included in the boundaries of the St. Elizabeths Hospital Historic District as 8 documented in NHL, NRHP, and the District of Columbia Inventory of Historic Sites 9 nominations. The East Campus resources satisfy the same significance criteria, as do those on 10 the West Campus.
11 Congress Heights Firehouse and the Congress Heights Historic District. The Congress 12 Heights Firehouse, at 3203 MLK Avenue, has been a neighborhood landmark since its 13 construction in 1903. It stands in the block immediately south of Alabama Avenue and, 14 therefore, south of the primary APE. The firehouse was Washington’s largest firehouse at the 15 time of its construction. The red brick Italianate design incorporated operational and 16 construction innovations such as an observation tower and a steel-truss roof. It was listed in the 17 District of Columbia Inventory of Historic Sites on July 22, 2004.
18 While a small section of the potentially eligible Congress Heights Historic District stands in the 19 primary APE, the remaining area of the district is included in the secondary APE for the Master 20 Plan Amendment. The district’s boundaries are the Anacostia Freeway (I- 295), the southern 21 boundary of Saint Elizabeths Hospital, Alabama Avenue between the southern boundary and 22 13th Street, Mississippi Avenue between 13th Street and Wheeler Road, Atlantic Street to South 23 Capitol Street, and South Capitol Street between Atlantic Street and the Anacostia Freeway. 24 Single-family and semi-detached residences, garden apartments, churches, schools, and 25 commercial structures dating from the late 19th to late 20th century compose the community, 26 and its potential period of significance was identified by the 1987–1988 survey as stretching 27 from prehistory to 1945.
28 Civil War Fort Sites and Fort Circle Park System. Early in the Civil War, the need for the 29 defense of Washington against Confederate attack resulted in the construction of fortifications 30 on the ring of hills surrounding the city. These fortifications included five positions within the 31 secondary APE at St. Elizabeths: Fort Carroll, Fort Greble, Battery Ricketts, Fort Dupont, and 32 Fort Stanton. The lands on which many of the forts stood and the connecting green spaces 33 were acquired by the Federal government primarily in the 1930s and 1940s. In 1933, the sites 34 and connecting parkland became part of the NPS. The Civil War Fort Sites and Fort Circle Park
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1 System, including all of the above-named resources, were listed in the District of Columbia 2 Inventory of Historic Sites on November 8, 1964. Fort Circle Parks was added to the NRHP on 3 July 15, 1974, and revised documentation was accepted by the NRHP on September 13, 1978.
4 The Anacostia Historic District. This neighborhood of more than 500 buildings dating from 5 the mid-19th century to the first quarter of the 20th century was one of the District of 6 Columbia’s first suburbs. Incorporated in 1854 as Uniontown on the heights overlooking the 7 Anacostia River, the neighborhood was home to working-class families, many employed by the
8 Washington Navy Yard. The district includes 19th-century frame houses with Italianate 9 details, brick row houses, and early 20th-century commercial buildings. The district was listed 10 on the District of Columbia Inventory of Historic Sites on November 27, 1973, and that 11 designation expanded to include additional features on February 3, 1978. It was listed in the 12 NRHP on October 11, 1978.
13 Frederick Douglass National Historic Site (Cedar Hill). Frederick Douglass, born into 14 slavery in Maryland, escaped bondage to become instrumental in the abolitionist movement 15 prior to the Civil War and in the struggle for African-American equality after Emancipation. He 16 purchased a home at 14th and W Streets, SE, in 1877 and called it Cedar Hill. He lived in the 17 Italianate house, constructed between 1855 and 1859, for the remainder of his life. The 18 Douglass home was listed in the District of Columbia Inventory of Historic Sites on November 19 8, 1964, and in the NRHP on October 15, 1966. The NRHP documentation was expanded to 20 include additional features on March 24, 1969. Cedar Hill is within the Anacostia Historic 21 District.
22 Suitland Parkway. Suitland Parkway, which links Andrews AFB with the District of Columbia, 23 was authorized in 1937 and constructed between 1943 and 1944. Suitland Parkway exemplifies 24 the kind of defense highway advocated by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The design 25 combines parkway principles with high-speed freeway engineering. Suitland Parkway is the 26 customary entryway into the District of Columbia that is used by foreign dignitaries flying into 27 Andrews AFB. It was listed in the NRHP on June 2, 1995.
28 Washington Navy Yard Historic District. Development of the Navy Yard began in 1799 on 29 a parcel of land reserved for public use in Pierre Charles L’Enfant’s 1791 plan for the city of 30 Washington. Four buildings survived the burning of the city by the British in 1814. Standing 31 along the Anacostia River north of St. Elizabeths West Campus, it was the city’s first naval yard 32 and its first homeport. Facilities were expanded throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries to 33 accommodate advances in naval gunnery and an increased American naval presence throughout
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1 the world. The Navy Yard was listed in the District of Columbia Inventory of Historic Sites on 2 November 8, 1964, and the NRHP on June 19, 1973. It was designated as an NHL on May 11, 3 1976. Four buildings (Quarters B, Quarters A, the Main Gate, and the Commandant’s Office) 4 were individually listed in the District of Columbia Inventory of Historic Sites on November 8, 5 1964, and the NRHP on August 14, 1973.
6 Washington Navy Yard Annex Historic District. This portion of the Navy Yard was 7 associated with the development of ordnance technology during World Wars I and II. Nine 8 contributing resources, mainly industrial buildings sited in supply yards, occupy the 55-acre 9 complex. The manufacturing buildings exhibit steel frame and concrete post-and-beam 10 construction. Foundry buildings use steel roof trusses to provide uninterrupted interior spaces 11 for assembly-line manufacture with overhead cranes. The Washington Navy Yard Historic 12 District NRHP listing was expanded on January 3, 2008, to include the Washington Navy Yard 13 Annex Historic District.
14 Fort McNair. The site of Fort Lesley J. McNair, northwest of St. Elizabeths West Campus, 15 dates to L’Enfant’s plan for the City of Washington, which placed a military post in that strategic 16 location. The fort is the oldest in the United States in continuous use. Fort McNair became one 17 of the first arsenals in the rapidly expanding nation before being designated a military post. 18 Today, most of the fort’s historic resources derive their significance from the 1902 Beaux-Arts 19 plan and redesign by the prominent New York architecture firm of McKim, Mead & White. 20 The fort was listed in the District of Columbia Inventory of Historic Sites on November 8, 21 1964. It was determined eligible for listing in the NRHP on December 12, 1978. Fort McNair’s 22 Roosevelt Hall (the Army War College) was individually listed in the District of Columbia 23 Inventory of Historic Sites on November 8, 1964, and in the NRHP on November 28, 1972. It 24 was designated as an NHL on November 28, 1972.
25 East Potomac Park. The land on which East and West Potomac Parks were established was 26 reclaimed by the USACE in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. By an act of Congress in 27 1897, the land was reserved for recreational use. East Potomac Park was planned as a model 28 public playground for active recreational uses and its development plan dates to 1916. In 29 addition to its open spaces, East Potomac Park’s contributing features include the Potomac 30 Railroad Bridge (1901), the U.S. Engineers Storehouse (1913), a field house, golf course, 31 miniature golf course (1917 to 1931), and a swimming pool (1936). East and West Potomac 32 Parks were listed in the District of Columbia Inventory of Historic Sites on November 8, 1964, 33 and in the NRHP on November 30, 1973. The NRHP documentation was revised on 34 November 11, 2001.
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1 George Washington Memorial Parkway. The GWMP was developed as a memorial to the 2 first president of the United States. From its inception, the parkway was designed as both a 3 transportation route and a means to preserve and enhance the natural scenic qualities and 4 cultural attributes along the Potomac River. The southern section of the GWMP (constructed 5 originally as the Mount Vernon Memorial Highway) was listed in the District of Columbia 6 Inventory of Historic Sites on November 8, 1964, in the Virginia Landmarks Register on March 7 17, 1981, and in the NRHP on May 18, 1991. The northern section of the GWMP was listed in 8 the Virginia Landmarks Register on October 9, 1991, and in the NRHP on June 2, 1995.
9 Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The Ronald Reagan Washington National 10 Airport, in Arlington County, Virginia, was the first commercial airport in the country 11 constructed by the Federal government for civilian flight. The 1941 terminal building 12 exemplifies the stripped classicism of the period and was designed by Howard Lovewell Cheney, 13 Charles M. Goodman, and Harbin S. Chandler, Jr. The South Hangar Line (1941–1948) 14 represents technological advances in hangar design. The National Airport, which is located west 15 of St. Elizabeths across the Potomac River, was listed in the Virginia Landmarks Register on 16 June 27, 1995, and was added to the NRHP on September 12, 1997.
17 Bolling AFB Historic District. The first Bolling Air Field was established north of the current 18 Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling. Construction on the present installation began in 1932. Transfer 19 of personnel from the old airfield was completed by 1940. The General Headquarters of the 20 Army Air Forces moved into the facility in 1941. When the U.S. Air Force was established in 21 1947, Bolling AFB became Headquarters Command of the U.S. Air Force. The Bolling AFB 22 Historic District was determined to be eligible for listing in the NRHP. The eligible historic 23 district includes 75 buildings constructed between 1933 and 1945, including officers’ quarters, 24 barracks, hangars, and service buildings. Bolling AFB is now part of Joint Base 25 Anacostia-Bolling.
26 Anacostia Park. Established between 1902 and 1919, Anacostia Park is one of Washington’s 27 largest and most important recreation areas. Encompassing more than 1,200 acres, the park 28 includes Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens, Kenilworth Marsh, the Anacostia Park Pavilion, 29 Langston Golf Course, and hundreds of acres of ball fields, picnic sites, and basketball and 30 tennis courts. Three concession-operated marinas, four boat clubs, and a public boat ramp 31 provide access to the tidal Anacostia River for recreational boating. Anacostia Park was listed in 32 the District of Columbia Inventory of Historic Sites on November 8, 1964, but was omitted 33 from the list of March 7, 1968. It was listed as NRHP-eligible in the 2009 District of Columbia 34 Inventory of Historic Sites.
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1 4.2.5 Archaeological Resources
2 An archaeological investigation for the East Campus was conducted in two stages to respond to 3 changes in the North Parcel APE during planning of DHS development on the East Campus. 4 The initial APE was as defined in the 2008 Master Plan. As development concepts evolved, the 5 APE was expanded to the north, south, and west. The APE was reduced on the east, removing 6 most of the area on the eastern side of the Stickfoot Branch ravine.
7 4.2.5.1 Previous Investigations in or near the St. Elizabeths East Campus North 8 Parcel Study Area
9 Previous investigations in the NCR (MWAA 2005) demonstrated that throughout the entire 10 Archaic period and during the Early Woodland period, a stable pattern of land use persisted in 11 the uplands, where small groups regularly occupied temporary campsites during seasonally 12 determined periods of dispersed settlement. The camps functioned as a base of operations for 13 exploiting resources from the surrounding area. A gradual shift away from small, temporary 14 camps to large settlements on broad well-drained floodplains culminates during the Middle and 15 Late Woodland periods with the advent of agriculture. It was at this time that land-use patterns 16 began to change and upland areas were inhabited by special-task groups occupying small 17 exploitive foray campsites to procure a specific resource.
18 Table 4.2-6 lists previously recorded archaeological sites within approximately 1 mile of the 19 North Parcel Study Area. The table presents details on identified archaeological sites that are in 20 or near the North Parcel Study Area.
21 Previous investigations in the vicinity of the North Parcel Study Area and the locations of 22 previously identified prehistoric sites provide information for predictions of prehistoric site 23 locations in the North Parcel Study Area. The project area is situated within an upland setting. 24 The prehistoric occupation in this topographic setting would likely consist of small, temporary 25 campsites. These site types are most often associated with seasonal resource procurement. 26 These sites contain a low density of artifacts, are located near a permanent water source, and 27 contain few, if any, features.
28 Additional seasonal resources or winter camps sites might be in the narrow bottomlands 29 associated with the Stickfoot Branch ravine. However, the construction of the Dix Pavilion and 30 its parking lot filled much of a tributary to the steep-sided ravine. The fill extended into the 31 Stickfoot Branch ravine, covering some of the alluvial bottomlands. The streambed was also 32 moved and the valley floor was contoured, presumably as part of a storm water control system. 33 This might have been necessary because of the large increase in paved area in the latter half of 34 December 2010 Draft EIS 4-56 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
1 Table 4.2-6. Archaeological Sites in the Vicinity of the North Parcel Study Area
Site Site Name Site Type Description Number Late Archaic and Woodland 51SE4 The Jenkins Farm Site Prehistoric/Historic camp/19th-century farm 51SE11 BP25 Contact Camp 51SE12 BP26 Prehistoric/Historic Camp 51SE24 – Prehistoric Undetermined Archaic-Woodland village/ 19th- The Howard Road/Barrys Farm 51SE34 Prehistoric/Historic and 20th-century residential Site neighborhood 51SE36 2720 Wade Road Historic Early 20th-century residence 51SE46 St. Elizabeths Hospital Campus Historic 19th- and 20th-century hospital Camp/18th- and 19th-century 51SE48 The Point Site Prehistoric/Historic tenant house The Pumphouse Ravine Hospital 51SE49 Historic 20th-century trash dump Dump Site 51SE53 Shepherd Parkway Site 1 Prehistoric Camp 51SE54 Shepherd Parkway Site 2 Prehistoric Camp 19th- and 20th-century 51SE55 Shepherd Parkway Site 3 Historic, Prehistoric residence 19th- and 20th-century 51SE56 Shepherd Parkway Site 4 Historic residence 51SE065 Shepherd Parkway Site 7 Historic Civil War road 51SW2 – Prehistoric Camp Prehistoric camp, Civil War, 51SW19 Shepherd Parkway Site 5 Prehistoric, Historic 20th-century Industrial 51SW20 Shepherd Parkway Site 6 Historic 19th-century domestic H035 – Historic – H036 – Historic – H21 – Historic Civil War cemetery H32 – Historic Civil War Fort Snyder P09 – Prehistoric/Historic Woodland camp
2 the 20th century. The Metrorail Green Line was constructed in the valley in the 1960s. 3 Construction plans show that the area was tunneled, not trenched, so Metrorail disturbance was 4 limited to tunnel entrance and exit locations.
5 The North Parcel Study Area also has the potential to contain deeply buried archaeological 6 resources dating to the Paleo-Indian period. Beltsville, Chillum, and Matapeake soils are found
Draft EIS December 2010 4-57 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
1 within the western portion of the study area and were formed in wind-deposited soils dating to 2 approximately 12,800 to 11,500 years ago. These soils might have covered earlier Pleistocene 3 surfaces available to Paleo-Indian groups.
4 Phase 1a investigations in the North Parcel Study Area identified a prehistoric high-potential 5 area within the eastern portion of the original project area, east of Stickfoot Branch, within a 6 small area that does not contain fly ash or other landfill materials (GSA 2008f). This 7 approximately 0.46-acre area was identified as having a high potential for prehistoric resources 8 because of its proximity to the stream. This area was surveyed and no resources were found, 9 and this area was no longer included in the APE after it was reconfigured.
10 Additional research showed that much of the eastern part of the North Parcel Study Area was 11 covered with possibly hazardous fly ash and that other areas were disturbed by utility 12 installations. Some areas were free of fly ash and appeared relatively undisturbed.
13 The Phase 1a investigation concluded that there was a high potential for evidence of historic 14 sites in the North Parcel Study Area (GSA 2008f). Historic maps indicate that several 15 structures were present within the study area during the 19th century. The 1861 Boschke 16 map, which provides the earliest indication of historic settlement within the North Parcel 17 Study Area, shows a structure within the southwestern portion of the study area (Boschke 18 1861). The 1888 U.S. Coastal and Geodetic Survey (USCGS) map, which post-dates the 19 acquisition of the East Campus by St. Elizabeths Hospital, appears to show the same 20 structure associated with a smaller outbuilding. The map shows four additional structures to 21 the north. Two buildings facing Nichols Avenue appear to be employee cottages that 22 continue to show on maps in these locations until the Dix Pavilion was built in the 1950s. 23 Two other long, narrow buildings housed piggeries. A large rectangular building west of the 24 piggeries appears to be a barn in approximately the same location as the modern 25 Garage/Motor Pool. The Dry Barn appears to the north of these other farm buildings. 26 This map documents the shifting of agricultural areas from the western side of the hospital 27 to the east; agriculture was likely the primary function of the land in the North Parcel Study 28 Area at this time (USCGS 1888). If historic archaeological resources were associated with 29 these structures, they could provide information on the earlier 19th-century occupants of the 30 study area prior to acquisition by the hospital, in addition to later 19th-century hospital- 31 related activities.
32 By the early 20th century, land in the North Parcel Study Area began to be used for more 33 patient-related purposes; therefore, historic archaeological resources associated with the 34 expansion of St. Elizabeths Hospital during this time might also be present within the North
December 2010 Draft EIS 4-58 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
1 Parcel Study Area. By the 1920s, additional structures were built, including the Horse Barn and 2 the Garage/Motor Pool in the northwestern portion of the North Parcel Study Area and the 3 Blackburn Laboratory outside of the southwestern portion. A 1927 Sanborn map and a 1947 4 topographic survey also show a large H-shaped dairy barn that replaced the piggeries to the 5 southwest of the Horse Barn. The three smaller cottage-sized structures in the western portion 6 of the North Parcel that front what is currently MLK Avenue were present on these maps. 7 These structures are no longer standing. In 1954, Dix Pavilion was constructed at the head of 8 the large ravine, altering much of the original landscape within the North Parcel Study Area. 9 This construction, along with installation of many subsurface utilities, could have affected or 10 destroyed archaeological resources.
11 4.2.5.2 Phase 1b Investigations in the North Parcel Study Area
12 Methods
13 GSA proposes to develop the North Parcel for a new FEMA facility. Development of this 14 parcel would include ground disturbance within the St. Elizabeths Hospital NHL and 15 archaeological Site 51SE46. The Phase 1a study conducted on the North Parcel of the 16 St. Elizabeths East Campus recommended a systematic shovel test (ST) survey (GSA 2008f). 17 The goal of this Phase 1b study was to identify significant archaeological resources and assess 18 likely effects within the North Parcel APE; and to comply with the provisions of a PA executed 19 in 2008 by GSA, DHS, DCHPO, ACHP, NCPC, and FHWA (GSA 2008c).
20 To determine the presence or absence of archaeological deposits, field investigations included a 21 variety of techniques including pedestrian survey, systematic excavation of STs, judgmental STs, 22 and detailed mapping (GSA 2009i).
23 The pedestrian survey included an initial walkover of the North Parcel to locate areas containing 24 evidence of modern disturbance, such as episodes of grading and filling associated with 25 construction, underground utilities, and landscaping features.
26 A systematic ST survey of lawn-covered areas around existing buildings and impervious surface 27 areas (parking lots and sidewalks) was conducted, avoiding areas known to be covered by fly ash. 28 To test for buried soils dating to the time of Paleo-Indian occupation, the team excavated deep 29 shovel tests, augmented by coring with a hand-operated soil auger. Local pedologist Dr. Daniel 30 Wagner was consulted in the identification of the soil cores.
31 The field team excavated STs at 25-foot intervals across portions of the North Parcel Study Area 32 that did not contain fly ash and other landfill materials as documented in the Phase I
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1 Environmental Site Assessment (GSA 2008d). Therefore, STs were restricted to the western 2 portion of the North Parcel Study Area and the southeastern corner south of Pecan Street. 3 Shovel testing was conducted across this area but avoided areas containing large trees or obvious 4 modern disturbance, such as marked or mapped underground utilities, concrete paths, asphalt 5 roads and parking areas, and gravel lots. Heavily landscaped areas were also mainly avoided; 6 however, several judgmental STs were excavated in landscaped areas adjacent to buildings to 7 document subsurface conditions.
8 To determine whether buried soils are present that could date to the time of Paleo-Indian 9 occupation of the area, the team excavated a number of deep exploratory STs in areas within 10 the western portion of the North Parcel Study Area that include Beltsville, Chillum, or 11 Matapeake soils.
12 Results
13 Phase 1 archaeological investigations included a pedestrian survey and shovel testing. The 14 pedestrian survey included an initial walkover of the North Parcel Study Area to locate areas 15 containing evidence of modern disturbance, such as episodes of grading and filling associated 16 with construction, underground utilities, and landscaping features. The western portion of the 17 North Parcel Study Area is generally flat but contains a low area in the southwestern corner at 18 the head of an upland swale where Building 80 is situated. Much of the western portion of the 19 study area is covered by impervious surfaces, except for areas adjacent to MLK Avenue and 20 heavily landscaped areas around Dix Pavilion. In addition, there are many subsurface utilities, 21 including some that were unmarked and were identified during excavations. The northwestern 22 portion of the North Parcel Study Area consists mainly of gravel lots associated with the 23 Garage/Motor Pool, Dry Barn, and Horse Barn. Large piles of fill materials mixed with debris 24 were present to the north and east of the Horse Barn (GSA 2009i).
25 The eastern portion of the North Parcel, east of the ravine, which includes the prehistoric 26 high-potential area identified during the Phase 1a archaeological investigations, is wooded and 27 consists of a steep 15 to 40 percent slope. An abandoned gravel access road runs along the side 28 of the slope. This portion of the North Parcel has a low potential for archaeological resources 29 and is outside the revised APE; therefore, no STs were conducted.
30 Summary and Recommendations
31 A total of 62 STs were conducted within the North Parcel Study Area. No intact historic 32 ground surfaces were identified and all soils above the B horizon (subsoil) consisted of earthen 33 fill materials. Shovel testing showed that large portions of the North Parcel have been disturbed
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1 during 20th-century development of the St. Elizabeths East Campus, including the construction 2 of Dix Pavilion and the installation of numerous subsurface utilities. Although a limited amount 3 of the Paleo-Indian-age horizon was tested, the North Parcel Study Area is unlikely to contain 4 significant archaeological resources associated with Paleo-Indian occupation. Because of the 5 lack of intact deposits above the wind-deposited soils, the large amount of modern disturbance 6 within the North Parcel, and the low potential for significant Paleo-Indian resources, no further 7 work is warranted in the areas tested.
8 Additional work is warranted to investigate the presence of archaeological features or deposits 9 associated with the staff cottages that are under the paved areas in front of the Dix Pavilion. 10 Depending on the depth of disturbance, additional work could be warranted on the eastern edge 11 of the North Parcel under the rear parking lot, which covers a portion of the Stickfoot Branch 12 ravine. Areas currently covered with fly ash north and east of the Dry Barn and Horse Barn are 13 unlikely to contain any important historic archaeological resources according to the historic 14 maps. Based on current results, they also have a low probability for containing prehistoric 15 resources. Shovel testing resulted in the recovery of two prehistoric artifacts and 1,372 historic 16 artifacts from 41 STs. Prehistoric artifacts consisted of one quartz and one chert flake. Historic 17 artifacts are presented in Table 4.2-7. The majority of the historic artifacts recovered consisted 18 of brick and brick fragments, sand mortar fragments, and slag. All artifacts were recovered from 19 fill deposits (GSA 2009i).
20 4.2.5.3 Additional Investigations of Small Holdings on the West Campus
21 Investigations of the small holdings along the western side of MLK Avenue were also 22 conducted. Historic maps document that between 1855 and 1878, three houses or small 23 farmsteads were located in what is now a parking lot between Buildings 72, 73, 74, and 75 and 24 the campus wall. The anticipation of the installation of a perimeter fence across the area as part 25 of the proposed project prompted a geophysical survey, which identified three geophysical 26 anomalies that correlate with the location of the structures as seen on the historic maps.
27 Monitoring excavation of post holes for the perimeter fence is recommended. Archaeological 28 identification investigation of the anomalies if subsurface disturbance is planned (GSA 2009d).
29 Additional archaeological testing in geophysical anomalies on the West Campus that might be 30 evidence of small holdings is planned to be completed as part of the DHS St. Elizabeths 31 development project.
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1 Table 4.2-7. Historic Artifacts Recovered from Fill Deposits in the Western Portion of the North 2 Parcel
Ceramics Glass Metal Other 1 whiteware sherd with 1 aqua blown-in-mold bottle 3 metal cooking 376 brick fragments blue transfer print fragment vessel fragments 1 whiteware sherd with 1 clear blown-in-mold bottle 1 aluminum foil 45 sand, mortar, decal, underglaze fragment fragment concrete 2 coke-bottle green blown-in-mold 1 building stone 9 plain whiteware sherds 1 crown bottle cap bottle fragments fragment 1 polychrome hand- 2 amber machine-made bottle 2 roofing slate 1 ferrous button painted whiteware sherd fragments fragments 1 shell-edged whiteware 1 amethyst machine-made bottle 1 1984 5-cent piece 4 pieces of daub sherd fragment 8 clear machine-made bottle 495 coal ash (slag) 1 plain yellowware sherd 1 medicine tube fragments fragments 3 hard-paste porcelain 3 milk bottle machine-made bottle 1 hand-wrought 40 wood charcoal sherds fragment rosehead nail fragments 21 amber unidentified bottle 3 plain ironstone sherds 3 cut nail 1 plastic button fragments 1 ironstone sherd with blue 2 amethyst unidentified bottle 11 unidentified 35 wire nails transfer print fragments plastic fragment 1 ironstone sherd with 13 aqua unidentified bottle 25 unidentified nails 1 bottle cork brown transfer print fragments 1 hand-painted ironstone 76 clear unidentified bottle 1 screw 1 bone fragment sherd fragments 11 terracotta flower pot 7 green unidentified bottle 7 oyster shell 2 spikes fragments fragments fragments 4 unidentified ceramic 2 olive green unidentified bottle 1 non-electrical wire sherd fragments 10 ceramic drainage pipe 3 amber decorated/embossed 8 unidentified metal fragments glass fragments object 1 amethyst decorated/embossed 4 electrical part 17 ceramic tile fragments glass fragment 1 machine-made 6 clear decorated/embossed glass marble fragments 19 slag 1 pull tab 1 plastic unidentified 6 terracotta field drainage 1 electrical fuse 1 roofing nail tile fragments 3 unidentified flat glass fragments 4 clear lamp chimney fragments 49 window fragments 71 total 206 total 86 total 1,009 total
3 4.2.5.4 Previous Investigations in the Shepherd Parkway
4 Previous archaeological investigations in Shepherd Parkway included Phase 1a and Phase 1b 5 surveys and a Phase 2 evaluation of the sites found during the Phase 1b survey.
6 A 2009 Phase 1a archaeological evaluation conducted for the Shepherd Parkway (GSA 2009d) 7 concluded that portions of Shepherd Parkway CLA units have a high probability for prehistoric
December 2010 Draft EIS 4-62 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
1 and historic archaeological resources. The units include landform types occupied by Native 2 Americans in other areas along the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers. Historic resources might 3 include antebellum resources associated with Giesborough Manor plantation, the U.S. Cavalry 4 Depot and Camp Stoneman, and post-war tenant farmers.
5 The subsequent Phase 1b investigation conducted for the Shepherd Parkway included a 6 pedestrian survey of steeply sloped and disturbed areas. This method identified one 7 archaeological site, seven isolated artifact locations, areas that warranted subsurface testing, and 8 areas disturbed by construction of I-295. The geoarchaeological survey confirmed the depth of 9 disturbance in several areas and ruled out the possibility of buried deposits. The predicted 10 locations of Civil War gun emplacements by correlating an 1888 map with the modern map were 11 also investigated. Significant site disturbance and dense surface vegetation precluded metal 12 detection survey (GSA 2009d).
13 STs in the 14 areas predicted to have a moderate or high potential for archaeological resources 14 were also conducted. The testing identified four archaeological sites: two small prehistoric sites 15 (51SE053 and 51SE054) and two late 19th- to early 20th-century historic sites (51SE055 and 16 51SE056). The study recommended evaluation of each of the four sites, survey of an 17 inaccessible 1-acre area, and metal detection survey in the predicted location of Civil War gun 18 emplacements after vegetation is cleared (GSA 2009d).
19 Phase 2 NRHP evaluation investigations were undertaken to determine whether sites 51SE053, 20 51SE054, 51SE055, and 51SE056 are eligible for listing in the NRHP. Phase 2 investigations 21 were completed at all four sites and the report and recommendations of eligibility are currently 22 under review. A grid of close-interval shovel test pits was excavated at each site. The grid 23 transects and individual shovel test pits were spaced at 16.4-foot (5-meter) intervals. The results 24 of the ST excavations were then used to identify areas within each site that contained 25 concentrations of artifacts or artifacts below the modern soil horizons, or had encountered other 26 features, such as pits or structural remains. This information was then used to place 3.3-by-3.3- 27 foot (1-by-1-meter) STs in selected areas of each site. The number of STs excavated at each site 28 varied, ranging from 4 to 30, and was dependent on site size, artifact density, and the presence of 29 features. Generally, the STs were excavated by a combination of artificial 3.9-inch (10-cm) levels 30 and stratigraphic or cultural levels.
31 The investigations revealed that the two small prehistoric sites (51SE053 and 51SE054) were 32 locales at which quartz and quartzite cobbles were collected and tested to determine whether the 33 material was suitable for the manufacture of stone tools or flakes. The site lacks temporally 34 diagnostic artifacts or features that could yield charcoal for radiocarbon dating. As such, it could
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1 have been occupied during any portion of the more than 10,000 years of Native American 2 occupation of the District of Columbia region prior to European colonization. The sites cannot 3 be attributed to a specific cultural group or associated with a specific form of sociopolitical or 4 economic organization.
5 Sites 51SE055 and 51SE056 are the locations of late 19th- to early 20th-century farmsteads. 6 51SE055 also contained a small mixed prehistoric component. No positive identification of the 7 historic occupants was revealed by the archival research conducted for this project, although 8 census data do suggest likely socioeconomic and racial parameters for the residents. The 9 excavations at both sites yielded around 8,000 and 5,000 artifacts, respectively, mainly dating 10 between ca. 1890 and 1930. Most of the artifacts are architectural, domestic, or unidentified. 11 The domestic artifacts suggest that the occupants were of moderate means, did not purchase 12 matched dinnerware sets, and continued to rely to some extent on noncommercial sources of 13 food. However, the presence of food cans indicates that at least some aspects of consumption 14 included reliance on commercial foodstuffs. In other aspects, the occupants appear not to have 15 participated in a modern lifestyle, in that no artifacts associated with electricity or running water 16 were found during the investigations. In addition, the recovery of a hame could indicate a 17 reliance on draft horses for farm work into the early 20th century.
18 The two sites differed in that the occupants of 51SE055 appear not to have participated in a 19 modern lifestyle, in that no artifacts associated with electricity or running water were found 20 during the investigations. However, those who lived at 51SE056 participated in a modern 21 lifestyle, in that the artifacts suggest that the residents had electricity, running water, and sewer 22 access. The artifacts associated with these occupations have provided initial information on the 23 nature of tenant farming as well as on the incorporation of aspects of modernity into rural 24 portions of the District of Columbia.
25 4.2.5.5 Phase 1b Investigations in Shepherd Parkway
26 The transportation improvement alternatives for the West Campus Access Road evaluated in 27 this EIS expanded the APE to the south of the area previously subjected to archaeological 28 investigations. This new area began at the southern end of the previous survey area described in 29 Section 4.2.5.4 (about halfway between Malcolm X Avenue and the intersection of South 30 Capitol Street and MLK Avenue). The new area runs along the eastern side of I-295 and its 31 South Capitol Street ramp to northbound I-295. An additional survey area was also added to the 32 south of the South Capitol Street bridge under I-295. It runs along the east side of I-295 for 33 approximately 1,500 feet. Additional archaeological Phase 1b testing in the areas added to the 34 APE in Shepherd Parkway was completed and is described below.
December 2010 Draft EIS 4-64 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
1 Methods
2 The additional Phase 1b investigations in the expanded Shepherd Parkway APE used the same 3 methods as the previous survey (GSA 2009d) to the north as described in Section 4.2.5.4, 4 beginning with a pedestrian survey of the expanded project area. Areas that might be the 5 location of historic or prehistoric settlements, based on current or historic topography and 6 historic map documentation of activity areas, were identified. These areas were tested with 7 transects composed of STs at 3.3-foot (10-meter) intervals. The methods of excavation were the 8 same as for the East Campus, except that deep testing was not necessary, as the soil types do not 9 indicate buried ground surfaces that might have been exposed during Paleo-Indian occupation. 10 The team also conducted metal detection in areas where Civil War features could be located 11 (GSA 2010a).
12 Results
13 A total of 31 STs were excavated in the Shepherd Parkway project area. Surface collection and 14 metal detecting were also conducted throughout the project area. One multi-component site, 15 Site 51SW019, was identified south of South Capitol Street. The site includes an undated 16 prehistoric component, a Civil War component, and 20th-century industrial and trash dumping 17 features. One Civil War feature, Site 51SW065, was identified within the APE near Fort Carroll. 18 One single-component, 19th-century domestic site, Site 51SW020, was identified near the 19 intersection of South Capitol Street and I-295. The sites will be registered with the DCHPO, 20 but they are not recommended eligible for the NRHP.
21 Site 51SW019. The surface survey, metal detection, and shovel tests identified three 22 components at this site. Four STs along Transects 2 and 3 were excavated along I-295 between 23 South Capitol Street to the north and Chesapeake Street to the south. STs in this location 24 typically consisted of 0.2- to 0.8-foot-thick A horizon (topsoil) over subsoil. ST 2-2 contained 25 modern fill, possibly from trash dumping noted in this location.
26 Early 20th-century components included a large square-shaped depression, a drainage trench, 27 and a road cut. Several large trash piles were also present that were likely dumped from the 28 ridge above the site. Four structures in this vicinity were on the 1913 Baist Real Estate Map, 29 when the property was owned by Henrietta Heishell. By 1919, the property was owned by the 30 Chesapeake Products Company, and several more structures were present at that time. The 31 features found and 20th-century historic artifacts (see Table 4.2-8) were interpreted as being 32 related to this industrial usage of the property.
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1 The Civil War component was identified through metal detection, which found several Civil 2 War-era artifacts and one Civil War eagle button. Historic maps from 1862 show Fort Carroll to 3 the east of the upper part of the Shepherd Parkway project area and Battery Carroll farther to 4 the southeast of the installation. An 1865 map shows an additional defensive-position structure 5 to the southwest of Fort Carroll that was not shown in the 1862 map (USBTE 1862, 6 USWDE 1865). This structure of Fort Carroll was not identified within the APE of the current 7 survey; it might be located near the top of the ridge. If the defense structure could be impacted 8 by future construction projects, efforts to identify this structure would be warranted.
9 Thirteen of the 33 artifacts recovered by metal detection date to the Civil War era (see Table 10 4.2-8). Minié balls that were found were all fired, indicating that they were shot into the vicinity 11 of the study area and not dropped. The remaining metal detector finds are related to industrial 12 activities and modern trash dumping related to the 20th century occupation.
13 The prehistoric component for this site was found as a surface scatter near Transects 2 and 3. 14 Several surface scatters of prehistoric and historic artifacts were in exposed soil around the bases 15 of several large trees within the project area. None were found in adjacent STs. The surface 16 scatter locations were numbered 1 through 12.
17 The prehistoric artifacts included altered quartzite cobbles and large quartz and quartzite flakes, 18 mostly primary flakes (which retain their cortex) (see Table 4.2-9). A quartz biface, and some 19 large modified quartzite flakes were also found. No diagnostic lithic artifacts were recovered 20 from this site, which appears to be a primary lithic reduction site. The large amount of primary 21 flakes and several discarded blanks indicate that cobble testing was occurring and viable quartzite 22 chunks were removed for refinement. The artifacts are eroding down the hill slope and none 23 were found in STs, so the depositional environment of the artifacts therefore lacks 24 archaeological integrity.
25 Site 51SW019 is not recommended eligible and does not warrant further investigation. The 26 prehistoric site is eroding, has few artifacts, and no depth; the Civil War component appears to 27 represent transitory activity; and the industrial site is primarily outside of the APE.
28 Site 51SW020. Ten STs along Transects 5 and 6 were excavated along I-295 just south of the 29 intersection of South Capitol Street and I-295. They contained a typical soil profile of a 0.25- to 30 0.6-foot-thick A horizon over subsoil. Site 51SW020 consists of architectural and domestic 31 artifacts recovered from four positive STs along Transects 5 and 6. The artifacts indicate 19th- 32 century domestic activity, which could be related to the property of Ignatius Fenwick Young to 33 the west of the study area (see Table 4.2-10).
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1 Table 4.2-8. Historic Artifacts Recovered from Site 51SW019.
Possible Artifact Description Artifact Date Range Count Civil War Amethyst Bottle Glass 1880 to present No 1 Brass Buckle Not determined Yes 1 Brass Eagle Shield Button Not determined Yes 1 Brick, unidentified Not determined No 2 Cast Iron Cooking Vessel Fragment Not determined Yes 2 Cut Common Nail 1805 to present No 2 Glass tableware, unidentified Not determined No 1 Graphite Battery Part 1896 to present No 1 Hanging Weight Not determined No 1 Hard-paste porcelain, decal 1830 to present No 1 Iron Wheel Not determined No 1 Machine-made bottle 1903 to present No 1 Machine-made milk bottle 1903 to present No 1 Melted Lead Not determined Yes 1 Minié Ball, fired Start date 1852 Yes 5 Pistol Bullet, unfired Not determined Yes 1 Saddle Hardware Not determined Yes 1 Slag Not determined No 5 Unidentified clear bottle fragment Not determined No 1 Unidentified Copper Alloy Tool Not determined Yes 1 Unidentified Iron Machinery Parts Not determined No 4 Unidentified Iron Objects Not determined No 3 Unidentified Nail Not determined No 1 Unidentified metal slag Not determined No 11 Total Count 51
2 This single-component, 19th-century domestic site is not recommended eligible. The presence 3 of fill in one of the STs suggests that the integrity of the deposits might be compromised. The 4 low density of artifacts and lack of diagnostic materials suggest that this site is unlikely to 5 contribute important information on the past and does not warrant further investigation.
6 Site 51SE065, Civil War Road. Near the end of Transect 1, where the study area crosses South 7 Capitol Street, a long trench feature was discovered. The feature, a historic road cut, extends 8 from South Capitol Street to the remnant of Fort Carroll, which is located at the top of the 9 slope, west of the study area. It is interpreted as a Civil War road (possibly a covert or covered
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1 Table 4.2-9. Prehistoric Artifacts Recovered from Site 51SW019
Artifact Type Artifact Description Artifact Size Count
Biface Biface, quartz 56.4mm 1 Uniface Uniface, quartzite 122.6mm, 113.4mm 2 Tool Spokeshave, quartz 78mm 1 Abrader, quartzite 72.4mm 1 Utilized flake, quartzite 76.3mm 1 Core Core, quartzite 160mm 1 FCR Fire-cracked rock (FCR) > 40mm 1 Debitage Flake, quartzite > 40mm 12 Flake, quartz 26–30mm 1 Flake with cortex, quartz > 40mm 2 Flake with cortex, quartzite > 40mm 17 Shatter, quartzite > 40mm 1 Shatter with cortex, quartz > 40mm 1 Shatter with cortex, quartzite > 40mm 3 Total Count 45
2 Table 4.2-10. Historic Artifacts Recovered from Shovel Tests, Site 51SW020
Artifact Description Artifact Date Range Count
Coarse earthenware Not determined 1 Handwrought nail, shaft only End date 1820 1 Hard-paste porcelain, hand-painted Not determined 1 Nail, unidentified Not determined 6 Unidentified aqua bottle fragment Not determined 1 Unidentified metal slag Not determined 1 Total Count 11
3 way) that was used as a protected entrance to Fort Carroll from the west. This road appears on 4 several historic maps of Fort Carroll and its surroundings. Metal detection at the western end of 5 the road showed that the APE contained much modern debris. Further east, several fired pistol 6 bullets were found in situ in the north wall of the road cut, which indicates that this feature was 7 present during the Civil War (see Table 4.2-11). This road cut is an important Civil War feature 8 and is a contributing feature to the Civil War component of Shepherd Parkway. While the 9 section immediately adjacent to South Capitol Street is disturbed by road construction, a portion 10 of the preserved road is within the APE.
December 2010 Draft EIS 4-68 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
1 Table 4.2-11. Historic Artifacts Recovered from Metal Detection near Site 51SW065, Civil War 2 Road
Artifact Description Artifact Date Range Count Minié Ball, fired Start date 1852 1 Lead Ball, fired Not determined 1 Pistol Bullets, fired Not determined 3 Total Count 5
3 Shepherd Parkway Isolated Finds. Twelve STs were excavated along Transect 1, between 4 Malcolm X Avenue to the north and South Capitol Street to the south. Transect 1 contained 8 5 STs that showed a typical soil profile of a 0.2-foot- to 0.7-foot-thick A horizon over subsoil. 6 The other four STs contained topsoil underlain by a fill horizon. Five STs along Transect 4 7 were excavated along I-295 between South Capitol Street to the north and Chesapeake Street to 8 the south. Transect 4 was on a ridge in the center of the parkland between South Capitol Street 9 and Chesapeake Street and contained five STs. They showed a typical soil profile of a 0.3- to 10 0.7-foot-thick A horizon over subsoil. These transects contained several isolated finds.
11 Four historic and five prehistoric artifacts were recovered from isolated contexts within the 12 Shepherd Parkway APE (see Table 4.2-12). The prehistoric artifacts included quartz and 13 quartzite debitage recovered from STs 4-1, 4-1 S10 Radial, and 5-6. The historic artifacts 14 included brick from ST 1-3, whiteware from ST 4-1, and drainage pipe from ST 4-1 S10 Radial.
15 Table 4.2-12. Isolated Artifacts Recovered from Shovel Testing, Shepherd Parkway
Artifact Description Artifact Date Range Count Brick, unidentified Not determined 1 Plumbing, drainage pipe Not determined 2 Whiteware 1810 to present 1 Quartzite flake, > 40mm Not determined 2 Quartz flake, 16–20mm Not determined 1 Quartzite flake with cortex, > 40mm Not determined 2 Total Count 9
16 Summary and Recommendations
17 Shovel testing, pedestrian, and metal detection surveys resulted in the identification of one Civil 18 War-era feature, one multi-component archaeological site, one single-component archaeological 19 site, and several isolated finds. Sites 51SW019 and 51SW020 are not recommended eligible for
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1 the NRHP due to their lack of potential to contribute to significant archaeological information. 2 No further investigation is warranted at these sites.
3 The Civil War feature (Site 51SE065) was a historic road cut that leads from South Capitol 4 Street, SE, to the remains of Fort Carroll. The site was dated through the discovery of in situ 5 fired pistol bullets from the Civil War in the wall of the road cut. The site is recommended as a 6 contributing resource to the Civil War component of the Shepherd Parkway. Metal detection 7 alongside the road cut within the APE did not reveal any Civil War era artifacts. These 8 recommendations of eligibility are currently under review.
9 4.3 Natural Resources
10 4.3.1 Geology, Topography, and Soils
11 4.3.1.1 Geology
12 The St. Elizabeths East and West campuses are in the Coastal Plain physiographic province. 13 The Coastal Plain physiographic province is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and by 14 the Piedmont physiographic province to the west. The division between the Coastal Plain and 15 Piedmont provinces is also referred to as the Fall Line (Froelich and Hack 1975, GeoConcepts 16 2005). According to the Preliminary Geologic Map of the District of Columbia, all locations 17 associated with the West Campus and East Campus alternatives, including the transportation 18 improvement alternatives, contain unconsolidated materials, mainly sediments of the Coastal 19 Plain that were deposited during the Cretaceous period. Specifically, the unconsolidated 20 materials include River Terrace Deposits and Potomac Group. The Potomac Group has a 21 thickness of up to 800 feet and contains interbedded quartzose gravels; protoquartzitic to 22 orthoquartzitic argillaceous sands; and white, dark gray, and multi-colored silts and clays. 23 Unconsolidated and semi-unconsolidated sediments have been deposited on top of crystalline 24 rock of the adjacent Piedmont physiographic province, creating an eastward-thickening wedge 25 (Froelich and Hack 1975, Johnston 1964).
26 4.3.1.2 Topography
27 East Campus Study Area
28 St. Elizabeths is situated within the Atlantic Coastal Plain. The majority of the East Campus 29 Study Area is within a flat plateau at approximately 150 feet (46 meters) above msl, to the west 30 of the ravine and south of Pecan Street.
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1 Topography on the St. Elizabeths East Campus is characterized by gentle to steep slopes. The 2 topography of the East Campus ranges from approximately 80 to 150 feet (24 to 46 meters) 3 above msl as shown in Figure 4.3-1. The western, southern, and northeastern regions of the 4 East Campus are nearly level with some gentle slopes. The East Campus has slopes that range 5 from 0 to 40 percent, with the steepest slopes in the northwestern to central region of the East 6 Campus.
7 West Campus
8 The topography of the St. Elizabeths West Campus ranges from approximately 10 to 177 feet 9 (3 to 54 meters) above msl. The West Campus is characterized by a flat plateau at approximately 10 150 feet (46 meters) above msl, which overlooks I-295, Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, and the 11 Anacostia River. The West Campus has steep slopes to the west, northwest, and southwest 12 from the plateau to the historic floodplain of the Anacostia River, which is now I-295. The 13 West Campus has a topographic low of approximately 10 feet (3 meters) above msl. 14 Figure 4.3-2 shows the topography of the West Campus.
15 Transportation Improvement Study Areas
16 The topography of the Shepherd Parkway ranges from approximately 90 to 150 feet above msl 17 within the limits of the proposed transportation improvements. The topography within the 18 limits of the proposed I-295/Malcolm X interchange and West Campus Access Road 19 improvements and Firth Sterling Avenue intersection with the proposed West Campus Access 20 Road ranges from 10 to 80 feet (3 to 24 meters) above msl. The MLK Avenue transportation 21 corridor is within the flat plateau of the East and West campuses at 150 feet (46 meters) above 22 msl (see Figure 4.3-2).
23 4.3.1.3 Soils
24 The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) 25 has identified three major soil complexes within the larger St. Elizabeths East Campus. From 26 west to east these include the Udorthents Complex, primarily along the western and northern 27 boundaries of the East Campus; the Chillum-Urban Land Complex, near the central part of the 28 East Campus; and the Beltsville-Urban Land Complex, in the uplands in the center and along 29 the eastern boundary of the East Campus.
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1 2 Source: GSA 2009j 3 Figure 4.3-1. St. Elizabeths East Campus Topography
December 2010 Draft EIS 4-72 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
North Parcel Study Area St. Elizabeths East Campus St. Elizabeths West Campus
0 500 1,000 2,000 Feet Meters 02125 50500 Projection: Transverse Mercator UTM Zone 18N North American Datum of 1983
St. Elizabeths West Campus
St. Elizabeths East Campus
1 Sources: Topology Map: ESRI Online Map Services
2 Figure 4.3-2. St. Elizabeths Campus and Transportation Study Areas Topography
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1 There are 21 soil types on the West Campus, East Campus, and outlying Transportation 2 Improvement Study Areas, which are described in Table 4.3-1 and shown in Figures 4.3-3 and 3 4.3-4. Table 4.3-1 includes the soil erosion hazard and engineering limitations for construction 4 for each of the soil types mapped on the East Campus. On the East Campus, soil erosion 5 hazards range from none to severe, and building potentials range from poor to good. As shown 6 in Table 4.3-1, four soils mapped on the West Campus (Christiana silt loam [15 to 40 percent 7 slopes], Croom very gravelly sandy loam [8 to 15 percent slopes], Muirkirk Variant complex 8 [15 to 40 percent slopes], and Sassafras gravelly sandy loam [15 to 40 percent slopes]) have 9 severe soil erosion hazard and poor potential for use as building sites.
10 East Campus Study Area
11 The soil types mapped within the East Campus Study Area include the Beltsville-Urban Land 12 Complex (0 to 8 percent slopes), Chillum-Urban Land Complex (8 to 15 percent slopes), 13 Christiana silt loam (15 to 40 percent slopes), Christiana-Urban land (0 to 8 percent slopes), 14 Croom very gravelly sandy loam (8 to 15 percent slopes), Croom very gravelly sandy loam (15 to 15 40 percent slopes), Iuka sandy loam Matapeake-Urban Land (0 to 8 percent slopes), Muirkirk 16 Variant complex (15 to 40 percent slopes), Sassafras gravelly sandy loam (15 to 40 percent 17 slopes), Udorthents, Urban land, and Udorthents smoothed (see Figure 4.3-3). These soil types 18 are all found on the West Campus, except for the Chillum-Urban land complex (8 to 15 percent 19 slopes), which is only found on the North Parcel, and Christiana-Urban land, (0 to 8 percent 20 slopes) which is found on the North Parcel and I-295-Shepherd Parkway (USDA 1976). Neither 21 the Chillum-Urban Land Complex (8 to 15 percent slopes) nor the Christiana-Urban land (0 to 8 22 percent slopes) soil types are considered to be a prime farmland soil or hydric soil (USDA 1976, 23 USDA 2002).
24 West Campus
25 The USDA NRCS has identified three major soil associations within the St. Elizabeths West 26 Campus. From west to east, soil associations include the Udorthents association, mainly along 27 the western and southern boundaries of the West Campus; the Urban Land-Christiana- 28 Sunnyside association, near the northern West Campus boundary; and the Urban Land- 29 Beltsville-Chillum association, in the uplands in the center and along the eastern boundary of the 30 West Campus. These three soil associations include 19 soil types on the West Campus, as 31 shown in Table 4.3-1.
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1 2 Source: GSA 2009j 3 Figure 4.3-3. Soils Mapped within the St. Elizabeths East Campus 4 Draft EIS December 2010 4-75 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
1 2 Source: Ottery Group 2010 3 Figure 4.3-4. Soils Mapped along the St. Elizabeths Proposed West Campus Access Road and Shepherd Parkway
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1 Table 4.3-1. Soil Types within the St. Elizabeths Study Areas
Soil 1 Soil Types Location Erosion Hazard Building Potential Code Beltsville-Urban land East Campus Onsite investigation BeB complex, 0 to 8 percent West Campus Moderate to severe needed to determine slopes suitability Chillum silt loam, 8 to 15 West Campus CcC Moderate to severe Fair due to slope percent slopes Christiana silt loam, 8 to West Campus Poor due to poor CeC Severe 15 percent slopes stability and slope Chillum-Urban Land, 8 to East Campus CdC Moderate to severe Fair due to slope 15 percent slopes Christiana-Urban land West Campus Poor due to poor CfD complex, 15 to 40 percent Severe stability and slope slopes Christiana silt loam, 15 to East Campus Poor due to poor CeD Severe 40 percent slopes West Campus stability and slope East Campus Christiana-Urban land, 0 CfB West Campus Moderate to severe Somewhat limited to 8 percent slopes Shepherd Parkway Croom very gravelly East Campus CwC sandy loam, 8 to 15 West Campus Moderate to severe Fair due to slope percent slopes Shepherd Parkway Croom very gravelly East Campus CwD sandy loam, 15 to 40 West Campus Severe Poor due to slope percent slopes Shepherd Parkway Croom-Urban land West Campus CxC complex, 8 to 15 percent Severe Fair due to slope slopes East Campus Poor due to potential lk Iuka sandy loam Slight to none West Campus for flooding Matapeake-Urban land East Campus MhB complex, 0 to 8 percent West Campus Moderate to severe Good slopes Shepherd Parkway Muirkirk Variant complex, West Campus MvC Severe Poor due to stability 8 to 15 percent slopes East Campus Muirkirk Variant complex, Poor due to poor MvD West Campus Severe 15 to 40 percent slopes stability and slope Shepherd Parkway Sassafras sandy loam, 8 West Campus SaC Moderate to severe Fair due to slope to 15 percent slopes Sassafras gravelly sandy East Campus ScD loam, 15 to 40 percent West Campus Severe Poor due to slope slopes East Campus Onsite investigation Onsite investigation Ub Urban land West Campus needed to determine needed to determine Shepherd Parkway erosion potential suitability East Campus Onsite investigation Onsite investigation U1 Udorthents West Campus needed to determine needed to determine Shepherd Parkway erosion potential suitability
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Soil Soil Types Location Erosion Hazard Building Potential1 Code West Campus Onsite investigation Onsite investigation U3 Udorthents sandy needed to determine needed to determine erosion potential suitability East Campus West Onsite investigation Onsite investigation U6 Udorthents, smoothed Campus Shepherd needed to determine needed to determine Parkway erosion potential suitability Woodstown sandy loam, West Campus Fair due to seasonal WoB Low 0 to 8 percent slopes high water table Note: Building potential is based on the NRCS Soil Survey for the District of Columbia. Geotechnical studies conducted for the St. Elizabeths East and West campuses and site-specific soil surveys would be used to determine appropriate construction methods for each proposed building.
1 Transportation Improvement Study Areas
2 Soils within the proposed West Campus Access Road study area and the Shepherd Parkway are 3 predominantly composed of smoothed Udorthents, Urban Land, and Muirkirk variant (see 4 Figure 4.3-4). The Udorthents and Urban Land complexes consist of disturbed soils, typically 5 of adjacent soil types. Disturbances to these soils likely occurred during construction of I-295, 6 as the band of Udorthents is adjacent to I-295 for most of its length in the footprint expansion 7 area. The USDA NRCS indicates that the Udorthents soil association could have engineering 8 limitations with respect to stability and subsidence (NRCS 2010). Figure 4.3-5 shows the 9 erosion potential of soils mapped within the West Campus Access Road footprint.
10 Soils to the west of the Udorthents along the length of I-295 are composed of Croom very 11 gravelly sandy loams (8 to 40 percent slopes), and soils in the Muirkirk variant complex (8 to 12 40 percent slopes). Croom very gravelly sandy loams are very deep, well-drained, and 13 moderately slow to slowly permeable soils. They are on interfluves and knolls and are formed 14 from gravelly fluvial deposits. The Muirkirk series consists of very deep, well-drained to 15 somewhat excessively drained, and moderately slow to slowly permeable soils on uplands. They 16 formed in a coarse-textured mantle and underlie older clayey sediments (NRCS 2010).
17 Other less-dominant soils within the proposed footprint expansion of the West Campus Access 18 Road in the Shepherd Parkway include Sassafras sandy loams (8 to 15 percent slopes), 19 Woodstown sandy loams (0 to 8 percent slopes), Chillum silt loams (8 to 15 percent slopes), and 20 Iuka sandy loams (NRCS 2010).
21 Soils along the MLK Avenue Transportation Improvement Study Area consist of Beltsville- 22 Urban Land Complex (0 to 8 percent slopes), Matapeake-Urban Land (0 to 8 percent slopes), 23 and Urban Land.
24 Soils within Firth Sterling Avenue are Christiana-Urban land complex and Urban land complex.
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1 2 Source: Ottery Group 2010 3 Figure 4.3-5. Erosion Hazard Potential of Soils Mapped along the St. Elizabeths Proposed West Campus Access Road and Shepherd 4 Parkway
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1 According to the soil survey for the District of Columbia (USDA 1976), the Iuka sandy loam 2 consists of hydric soils. However, the Iuka sandy loam is mapped at less than 5 percent of the 3 larger East Campus site’s north-central area adjacent to the Suitland Parkway. No prime 4 farmland soils exist within the study area (USDA 2002).
5 4.3.2 Groundwater Hydrology and Quality
6 East Campus Study Area and West Campus
7 The St. Elizabeths East Campus is within the Lower Anacostia Watershed, which is a part of the 8 Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain aquifer system (USGS 1992). Coastal Plain aquifers are 9 generally confined except where they are exposed or where overlain by permeable sediments 10 (GSA 2008a). The Lower Anacostia Watershed has been subjected to more than 200 years of 11 urbanization and channel modifications, all of which contribute to making groundwater data 12 collection and interpretations complex.
13 Specifically, within the Lower Anacostia Watershed, the St. Elizabeths East Campus is within the 14 Southeast Bank Subwatershed. The Southeast Bank Subwatershed encompasses a total area of 15 4,786 acres and has an estimated average of 32 percent impervious surfaces. Pervious forest 16 cover constitutes 14.5 percent of the total area in this subwatershed (GSA 2008a).
17 Groundwater levels on the East Campus are variable depending on the time of year, 18 precipitation, construction activity, or other changes that could affect groundwater levels.
19 Groundwater levels have not been recorded on the East Campus; however, groundwater levels 20 on the West Campus were recorded at depths of approximately 15 to 59 feet below ground 21 surface (bgs) (GeoConcepts 2005). Groundwater levels at a well in Anacostia Park, 22 approximately 2 miles from St. Elizabeths East Campus, range from approximately 8 to 10 feet 23 bgs. This well is within the Quaternary Alluvium local aquifer (GSA 2008a).
24 Depths of high groundwater tables, based on soil type, are provided in the soil survey of the 25 District of Columbia (USDA 1976). Based on these data, most soil types mapped within the 26 East Campus have a high groundwater table at a depth less than 6 feet. There is one soil type on 27 the East Campus Study Area, the Beltsville-Urban land complex, which has a high-perched 28 groundwater table at a depth from 1.5 to 2.5 feet during the months of November through 29 April. This soil is found on the northeastern and southeastern corners of the West Campus. In 30 addition, one soil type, Iuka sandy loam, has a water table at a depth of 1 foot or less during the 31 growing season if permeability is less than 6 inches per hour in any layer within a depth of
December 2010 Draft EIS 4-80 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
1 20 inches, and contains soils that are frequently flooded for a long or very long duration during 2 the growing season.
3 The District of Columbia relies primarily on surface water supplies from the Potomac River, 4 although nearly one million gallons per day of groundwater is used for industrial purposes. 5 Groundwater also is relied upon as emergency backup for some government facilities, hospitals, 6 and embassies in the District of Columbia. Groundwater was the primary source of water 7 supply to the District of Columbia until 1859 when the city began to use surface water (Johnston 8 1964). Currently, the Patuxent and Patapsco aquifers are the only aquifers in the Coastal Plain 9 aquifer system that are used to supply water to the District of Columbia. There are no major 10 groundwater pumping centers in close proximity to the East Campus (GSA 2008a).
11 In general, natural groundwater quality from the Coastal Plain aquifers is suitable for most uses. 12 However, most aquifers in the Coastal Plain contain salt water in topographic low areas. 13 Groundwater can also contain excessive concentrations of iron (0.3 milligrams per liter [mg/L]) 14 and can be hard (120 mg/L as calcium carbonate). In some locations, groundwater is acidic, 15 having pH values as low as 5, or has been contaminated from surface sources (GSA 2008a).
16 It is assumed that groundwater conditions on the East Campus are similar to those on the West 17 Campus. Groundwater samples taken on the St. Elizabeths West Campus had petroleum 18 contamination, and lead and barium contaminant levels that exceeded the District of Columbia 19 Groundwater Quality Standards (GSA 2008a). Some remedial actions were undertaken by GSA 20 to combat petroleum contamination for onsite groundwater; however, sources of petroleum 21 contamination have not been identified.
22 Metals are naturally occurring substances. A Dioxin RI was completed for the St. Elizabeths 23 West Campus in areas suspected to have been filled with ash or used for onsite disposal of ash 24 and other materials (see Section 4.9). Surface water, sediments, surface soil, subsurface soil, and 25 groundwater samples were collected and analyzed for volatile organic compounds (VOCs), 26 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), metals, and dioxins and furan (D/F), which were all 27 identified. There are no known uses of groundwater on the East Campus. A Risk Assessment 28 has been completed for the St. Elizabeths West Campus to determine the potential risk posed to 29 human health by the contaminants identified in each medium. See Section 4.9.1, Recognized 30 Environmental Conditions, for additional information.
31 Transportation Improvement Study Areas
32 Within the I-295/Malcolm X Transportation Improvement Study Area, Shepherd Parkway, and 33 Firth Sterling Avenue intersection with the proposed West Campus Access Road, groundwater
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1 levels are variable depending on the time of year, precipitation, construction activity, or other 2 changes. It is assumed that depth to groundwater would be similar to those found during test 3 borings conducted in 2005 for the geotechnical engineering study on the West Campus (i.e., 15 4 to 59 feet below the ground surface). Groundwater levels outside of the Transportation 5 Improvement Study Areas, but in close proximity, have been recorded at higher levels. 6 Groundwater levels at a well in Anacostia Park, north of the Transportation Improvement Study 7 Area, range from approximately 8 to 10 feet below the land surface. This well is within the 8 Quaternary Alluvium local aquifer (GSA 2008a). Groundwater levels for the MLK Avenue 9 corridor would be similar to those near the level plateau of the West Campus, which has 10 groundwater levels at depths greater than 6 feet.
11 4.3.3 Surface Water
12 Surface water resources generally consist of wetlands, lakes, rivers, and streams. The Clean 13 Water Act (CWA) (33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq., as amended) establishes Federal limits, through the 14 National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), on the amounts of specific 15 pollutants that are discharged to surface waters to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, 16 and biological integrity of the water. The NPDES program regulates the discharge of point (end 17 of pipe) and nonpoint (storm water) sources of water pollution. Section 404 of the CWA 18 regulates the discharge of fill material into waters of the United States, which includes wetlands. 19 Waters of the United States are defined within the CWA, as amended, and jurisdiction is 20 addressed by the USEPA and the USACE.
21 The USEPA issues general permits for construction sites, certain industrial sites, and Municipal 22 Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4s) in the District of Columbia. All MS4s should currently 23 be permitted or in the process of being permitted. Each permitted MS4 will be responsible for 24 establishing a Storm Water Management Program (SWMP) under the NPDES storm water 25 regulations.
26 Discharges covered by NPDES must comply with the District of Columbia Water Pollution 27 Control Act of 1984 (DCWPCA) (D.C. Code Annotated § 8-103.01 et seq.) and its 28 implementing regulations in Title 21, Chapters 11 and 19 of the District of Columbia Municipal 29 Regulations (USEPA 2009e). The DCWPCA prohibits the discharge of pollutants into District 30 of Columbia waters, with limited exceptions. The DCWPCA allows certain discharges, specified 31 under D.C. Code Annotated § 8-103.06 that also outline rules and procedures for permitting, 32 including allowing activity which, from a point source, discharges a hazardous substance, oil, or 33 other pollutant and limiting pollution from nonpoint sources to a feasible degree.
December 2010 Draft EIS 4-82 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
1 Hydrologic Setting of the St. Elizabeths Campus
2 Two rivers, the Potomac and Anacostia, exist to the west of St. Elizabeths. The Anacostia River 3 is a tributary of the Potomac River, which discharges into the Potomac from the northeast. The 4 Potomac River empties into the Chesapeake Bay, which is connected to the Atlantic Ocean. 5 The Potomac River supplies drinking water to the District of Columbia. Stickfoot Branch, a 6 partially culverted tributary to the Anacostia River, is to the southeast of the Frederick Douglass 7 Bridge. Stickfoot Branch was buried during construction of the Suitland Parkway.
8 East Campus Study Area
9 Stream identification on the East Campus Study Area was conducted as part of a wetland 10 delineation report completed in May 2010 (Ottery Group 2010). This study identified seven 11 potential jurisdictional wetland areas (Wetlands A through G) and one unnamed stream 12 (i.e., drainage channel) in the easternmost portion of the East Campus Study Area within the 13 ravine that directs flow to Stickfoot Branch (see Figure 4.3-6). The channel is approximately 14 3 to 4 feet in width and 2 feet incised. The channel bed contains cobble, rocks, and broken 15 concrete. Silt fencing is adjacent along stretches of the channel. The channel’s ravine extends 16 sharply upwards from the easternmost bank of the channel (GSA 2008a). The St. Elizabeths 17 Hospital East Campus Natural Resource Evaluation (June 2010), provided in Appendix E, includes 18 descriptions of the stream.
19 West Campus
20 A field investigation at the St. Elizabeths West Campus was conducted in 2005–2006 to identify 21 and characterize wetlands and streams. To further document and quantify the existing water 22 resources on site, a formal wetland and waters of the United States delineation was performed 23 during September and October 2009 (G&O 2009a). The study area included all of the West 24 Campus and the I-295/Shepherd Parkway and proposed West Campus Access Road corridor.
25 During this study, 3 jurisdictional streams and 9 jurisdictional wetland areas were delineated. In 26 addition, 6 ephemeral channels/erosion ditches and 2 flood areas were noted. The location of 27 the delineated waters of the United States and wetlands are shown on Figure 4.3-7.
28 Two of the identified streams are within the West Campus (i.e., streams WL1 and WL11). Based 29 on the 2009 delineation, these areas meet the definition of waters of the United States and are 30 subject to jurisdiction under Section 404 of the CWA and District of Columbia waterways and 31 wetland regulations (G&O 2009a).
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1 2 Source: Ottery Group 2010 3 Figure 4.3-6. St. Elizabeths East Campus Wetland and Stream Areas
December 2010 Draft EIS 4-84 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
St Elizabeths West Campus Transportation Improvement WL11 Study Areas (continued) Ephemeral Streams Ephemeral 6 Wetlands WL11
Streams Wl12 0 250 500 1,000 Feet WL11 Meters 0175 50300 Projection: Transverse Mercator UTM Zone 18N North American Datum of 1983
St. Elizabeths West Campus WL9 WL10
WL4 WL1 WL5
WL3 WL2
WL7
WL8
Ephemeral 4 Flood Area
Ephemeral 5 Erosion Ditch
1
2 Figure 4.3-7. Wetland and Stream Areas in and near the Transportation Improvement Study 3 Areas
4
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1 Stream WL1 (identified as “Stream E” in the St. Elizabeths Final Master Plan EIS [GSA 2008a]) 2 is a perennial stream that flows along the southwestern property boundary. This stream is 3 approximately 921 linear feet and is 4 to 8 feet wide. WL1 contains vegetation along its stream 4 banks including red maple (Acer rubrum), tulip poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera), American basswood 5 (Tilia americana), tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima), spicebush (Lindera benzoin), pawpaw (Asimina 6 triloba), and Japanese knotweed (Polygonum cuspidatum). Several wetland seeps and a scrub-shrub 7 wetland are associated with Stream WL1 and are described in the wetlands section (G&O 8 2009a). The majority of Stream WL1 was historically depicted on the DC Soil Survey as an 9 intermittent drainage that ends before it reaches I-295 (G&O 2009a). The soil survey describes 10 the area northwest of Stream WL1 as containing fill and building and domestic garbage (USDA 11 1976). This information, in conjunction with Stream WL1 abruptly ending in an unlikely 12 location, alludes to the possibility that the lower portion of Stream WL1 might have been filled 13 in the past (G&O 2009a).
14 Stream WL11 (identified as “Streams A and B” in the St. Elizabeths Final Master Plan EIS [GSA 15 2008a]), flows from southeast to northwest within the West Campus, is then buried 16 underground beneath the Pump House parking lot, and then resurfaces within the West Campus 17 Access Road Transportation Improvement Study Area where it flows from south to north. The 18 upper portion of WL11, east of an earthen berm and culvert, was historically lined with concrete 19 that over time has broken up and remains in the channel as debris. The lower portion of WL11 20 has perennial stream characteristics and is less disturbed than the upper stream portion. The 21 lower portion of WL11 is characterized by natural stream banks and stones within the stream 22 bed. At the lower reaches, it picks up perennial flow from groundwater and palustrine forested 23 seeps associated with the stream. Prior to it being piped under the existing West Campus Pump 24 House parking lot, Stream WL11 has a well-developed floodplain. This section of stream from 25 the upstream outfall to the downstream culvert is approximately 932 linear feet. Downstream of 26 the Pump House, the outfall appears and the stream becomes a straight channel that follows an 27 existing gravel road offsite to Firth Sterling Avenue, where its surface flow eventually disappears. 28 This section is approximately 794 linear feet, totaling 1,726 linear feet of surface flow. 29 Approximately 264 linear feet is piped underground (G&O 2009a).
30 Transportation Improvement Study Areas
31 Two streams (i.e., WL11 and WL7) and two ephemeral channels (i.e., Ephemeral 4/Flood Plain, 32 Ephemeral 5/Erosion Ditch and) are within the I-295/Malcolm X Avenue and West Campus 33 Access Road Transportation Improvement Study Area. Based on the 2009 formal wetland and 34 waters of the United States delineation, streams WL11 and WL7 meet the definition of waters of 35 the United States and are subject to jurisdiction under Section 404 of the CWA and District of
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1 Columbia waterways and wetland regulations (G&O 2009a). The lower portion of Stream 2 WL11 (identified as “Stream B” in the St. Elizabeths Final Master Plan EIS [GSA 2008a]) occurs 3 within the West Campus Access Road Transportation Improvement Study Area and is discussed 4 in the West Campus subsection above.
5 Stream WL7 (identified as “Stream F” in the St. Elizabeths Final Master Plan EIS [GSA 2008a]) 6 is an intermittent tributary that originates from a storm water conveyance from the Congress 7 Heights neighborhood at the intersection of Oakwood Street and 2nd Street, SE. Stream WL7 8 is approximately 347 linear feet in length and is approximately 3 to 6 feet in width. No flow was 9 observed at the time of the 2009 delineation; however, the soils within the stream channel 10 displayed hydric characteristics, so it is likely that groundwater is a source of seasonal flow. 11 Bank vegetation consists of slippery elm (Ulmus rubra), spicebush (Lindera benzoin), common 12 greenbrier (Smilax rotundifolia), English ivy (Hedera helix), multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora) and 13 white snakeroot (Eupatorium rugosum) (G&O 2009a).
14 Ephemeral 4/Flood Plain occurs within the I-295/Malcolm X Avenue Interchange and 15 Shepherd Parkway Study Area. This flood plain area was determined to be nonjurisdictional by 16 the USACE, and is east of the I-295/Malcolm X Avenue Interchange.
17 Ephemeral 5/Erosion Ditch (identified as “Stream G” in the St. Elizabeths Final Master Plan 18 EIS [GSA 2008a]) was noted as occurring within the I-295/Malcolm X Avenue Interchange and 19 Shepherd Parkway Study Area during the 2009 delineation, but was determined to be 20 nonjurisdictional (G&O 2009a). This erosion ditch is south of the I-295/Malcolm X Avenue 21 Interchange and flows east to west for approximately 213 linear feet. The channel is incised up 22 to 1 foot, and is 2 to 4 feet wide. This erosion ditch is storm water-driven with no connection to 23 waters of the United States (GSA 2008a).
24 There are no streams or surface water bodies identified within the MLK Avenue Transportation 25 Improvement Study Area (GSA 2008a).
26 4.3.4 Wetlands
27 Wetlands are defined by the USACE as those areas that are inundated or saturated by surface 28 water or groundwater at a frequency or duration sufficient to support, and that under normal 29 circumstances do support, a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soil 30 conditions (33 CFR 328.3). Wetlands are recognized for the important functions they perform. 31 Wetlands cleanse polluted waters, retain floodwater, recharge groundwater aquifers, and provide 32 valuable fish and wildlife habitat. Laws and regulations have been implemented to protect
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1 wetlands. Development in wetland areas is regulated by the USACE pursuant to the CWA, as 2 implemented by 33 CFR 320-330, dated March 28, 2000.
3 East Campus Study Area
4 A wetland study for potentially impacted areas on the East Campus was completed in May 2010 5 (Ottery Group 2010). The wetland investigation was conducted concurrently with the 6 identification of streams, which are discussed in Section 4.3.2. The wetland delineation was 7 conducted using the Federal three-parameter method described in the 1987 U.S. Army Corps of 8 Engineers Wetland Delineation Manual (USACE 1987). In order for an area to be considered a 9 wetland, it typically needs to have all three criteria: a predominance of hydrophytic vegetation, 10 hydric soils, and wetland hydrology. All three parameters normally must be present for an area 11 to be considered a wetland under the USACE jurisdiction, in accordance with Section 404 of the 12 CWA. Prior to any disturbance of wetlands or streams, a Jurisdictional Determination (JD) 13 from the USACE would be needed to determine if potential wetlands are considered waters of 14 the United States and, therefore, under the jurisdiction of the USACE.
15 Seven areas on the East Campus Study Area, Wetlands A through G, exhibited wetland 16 characteristics (see Table 4.3-2). These wetlands are in the natural area. Potentially 17 jurisdictional waters of the United States total 1,547 linear feet of stream channel and 0.38 acres 18 of wetlands (see Figure 4.3-6).
19 Vegetation within this area includes common reed (Phragmites australis), marsh purslane (Ludwigia 20 palustris), New York ironweed (Vernonia noveboracensis), wild onion, and few northern water 21 plantain (Alisma plantago-aquatica). Wetland indictors reflect the range of estimated probabilities 22 (expressed as a frequency of occurrence) of a species occurring in wetlands. The species found 23 within the potential wetland at the North Parcel have a wetland indicator status of facultative 24 wetland (FACW), obligate wetland (OBL), FACW, facultative upland (FACU), and OBL, 25 respectively. Plants with an indicator status of OBL almost always occur in wetlands under 26 natural conditions. FACW plants usually occur in wetlands, but are occasionally found in 27 nonwetlands. Conversely, FACU species usually occur in nonwetlands but are occasionally 28 found in wetlands.
29 Hydrology noted in this wetland included water-stained leaves, sediment deposits on vegetation, 30 and drainage patterns. A soil core of only a depth of 10 inches could be obtained because of an 31 apparent concrete barrier underlying the wetland. Approximately 2 inches of water filled in the 32 soil core hole after 10 minutes. This water is not likely groundwater but is from percolated 33 surface water from recent rainfall that is trapped by the concrete. During storm events, water
December 2010 Draft EIS 4-88 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
1 Table 4.3-2. Wetlands on the East Campus, West Campus, and Shepherd Parkway
Wetland Name Wetland Type Location Size (square feet) A Forested East Campus 8,712 B Emergent East Campus 436 C Emergent East Campus 1,742 D Emergent East Campus 1,307 E Emergent East Campus 13 F Forested East Campus 2,614 G Forested East Campus 1,742 WL2 Palustrine Forested West Campus 260 WL3 Palustrine Forested West Campus 1,136 WL4 Palustrine Forested West Campus 83 WL5 Palustrine Forested West Campus 550 Palustrine West Campus/ WL6 14,911 Emergent/Scrub-Shrub Shepherd Parkway WL8 Palustrine Forested Shepherd Parkway 809 WL9 Palustrine Forested West Campus 1,649 WL10 Palustrine Forested West Campus 512 WL12 Palustrine Forested West Campus 230 Source: G&O 2009a
2 from the wetland likely flows in an eastern direction to a culvert located on the northern side of 3 the fence of the East Campus boundary.
4 As a result of the Rapanos v. United States and Carabell v. United States Army Corps of Engineers court 5 decisions, if these wetlands are determined to be isolated then a significant nexus evaluation 6 would be required by the USACE and USEPA for the “ephemeral” streams and associated 7 adjacent wetlands on the St. Elizabeths East Campus. This is necessary to determine if they are 8 jurisdictional waters of the United States. This evaluation would be needed because these 9 streams are non-navigable tributaries that are not relatively permanent. Wetlands adjacent to 10 non-relatively permanent waters also require a significant nexus evaluation. A significant nexus 11 analysis assesses the flow characteristics and functions of the tributary itself and the functions 12 performed by any wetlands adjacent to the tributary to determine if they significantly affect the 13 chemical, physical, or biological integrity of traditional navigable waters (TNW). In addition, 14 further documentation on the perennial streams would need to be included to request a JD.
15 The preliminary boundaries of these areas have not been verified by USACE; therefore, they are 16 not suitable for use in final planning or engineering design until all jurisdictional areas and 17 boundaries have been approved by the USACE.
Draft EIS December 2010 4-89 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
1 West Campus
2 The 2009 wetland delineation identified eight wetland areas within the West Campus (i.e., WL2, 3 WL3, WL4, WL5, WL6, WL9, WL10, and WL12) and one wetland area within the Shepherd 4 Parkway, west of the West Campus (i.e., WL8). Descriptions of these wetlands are shown in 5 Table 4.3-2. These wetland areas meet the definition of wetlands and waters of the United 6 States and are therefore subject to jurisdiction under Section 404 of the CWA and District of 7 Columbia waterways and wetland regulations (G&O 2009a). The locations of the delineated 8 waters of the United States and wetlands for the West Campus are shown on Figure 4.3-7. 9 Wetland areas are described in the following paragraphs.
10 Four wetlands are palustrine forested seeps associated with Stream WL1, including wetlands 11 WL2, WL3, WL4, and WL5. These wetlands are dominated by red maple, American basswood, 12 and tulip poplar. The understory includes spicebush and pawpaw. Field investigators observed 13 the presence of crayfish chimneys, which are an indicator of wetland hydrology (G&O 2009a).
14 Wetland WL6 is a palustrine emergent/scrub-shrub wetland approximately 100 feet downstream 15 of Wetland WL5. This wetland is 14,911 square feet or 0.3 acres and extends beyond the 16 St. Elizabeths West Campus boundary onto the adjacent Shepherd Parkway property. The 17 dominant tree species include black gum (Nyssa sylvatica), American elm (Ulmus americana), red 18 maple, and black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia). Typical understory species include pawpaw and 19 spicebush. The herbaceous vegetation includes false nettle (Boehmeria cylindrica), Japanese 20 honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica), small white aster (Aster vimineus), common reed (Phragmites 21 australis), and jewelweed (Impatiens capensis). The dominant vegetation is indicative of a 22 hydrophytic plant community. The soils are saturated and have low chroma matrix colors 23 indicative of hydric soils. Wetland hydrologic indicators include saturated soils, shallow tree 24 roots, wetland drainage patterns, and a low topographic position within the landscape (G&O 25 2009a).
26 Two palustrine forested wetlands occur in the western portion of the St. Elizabeths West 27 Campus to the north of the existing West Campus warehouse (Building 118). One of these 28 wetlands, Wetland WL9, is approximately 1,649 square feet. Vegetation within Wetland WL9 29 includes willow species (Salix spp.), boxelder (Acer negundo), common reed, Allegheny blackberry 30 (Rubus allegheniensis), Japanese honeysuckle, and Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia). The 31 soil in Wetland WL9 was saturated and depth to groundwater measured 1 inch from the surface. 32 This system originates from a seep in the hillside. At the time of field survey, water flow was 33 observed throughout the system, which was conveyed through a pipe on an existing dirt road.
December 2010 Draft EIS 4-90 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
1 This pipe conveys flow via a small ephemeral channel down the hillside in between WL9 and 2 WL10 (G&O 2009a).
3 Wetland WL10 is an approximately 512-square-foot palustrine forested wetland with vegetation, 4 soil, and hydrology characteristics similar to those of Wetland WL9. Wetland WL10 is 5 approximately 50 feet southwest of Wetland WL9 (G&O 2009a).
6 Wetland WL12 is a palustrine forested seep wetland associated with Stream WL11. It is 7 approximately 230 square feet in size and contains some dumped materials and debris. 8 Common species include pawpaw and green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica) (G&O 2009a).
9 Transportation Improvement Study Areas
10 The 2009 wetland delineation identified one wetland area in the Shepherd Parkway (i.e., WL8) 11 and one wetland area that is shared with the West Campus (WL6) (see Table 4.3-2). In 12 addition, six ephemeral channels or erosion ditches and two flood areas were noted (G&O 13 2009a).
14 Wetland WL6 is described in the West Campus wetlands discussion above. Wetland WL8 is an 15 809-square-foot palustrine forested wetland within the Shepherd Parkway, just north of Malcolm 16 X Avenue. Common species include American elm, green ash, and willow oak (Quercus phellos). 17 Wetland WL8 displayed hydric soils from depths of 5 to 15 inches. This area meets the 18 definition of wetland and waters of the United States and is subject to jurisdiction under Section 19 404 of the CWA and District of Columbia waterways and wetland regulations (G&O 2009a).
20 Six ephemeral drainage ditches were observed, and appear to convey storm water only after 21 heavy rain, although during the 2009 wetland delineation it appeared that water had not been 22 present in these ditches for quite some time. Several heavy rainstorms had occurred just before 23 the site survey, which implied that some of the ephemeral ditches might just be erosion features. 24 Two flood areas in topographic low spots displayed evidence of hydrology; however, these 25 features seemed to be created from blocked storm drains. There were no saturated or hydric 26 soils observed in any of these locations during the survey. Mitigation of the blocked storm 27 drains would likely stop flooding in these areas.
28 No wetlands have been identified within the Firth Sterling Avenue/West Campus Access Road 29 intersection or MLK Avenue Transportation Improvement Study Areas.
Draft EIS December 2010 4-91 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
1 4.3.5 Terrestrial Biota
2 4.3.5.1 Vegetation
3 The vegetation on the developed portions of St. Elizabeths consists of mowed grass areas, 4 ornamental trees and bushes, and large specimen trees. The vegetation on the undeveloped land 5 of the St. Elizabeths East Campus is primarily composed of pole-sized trees (i.e., approximately 6 4 to 10 inches diameter at breast height [DBH]) on abandoned land areas that were previously 7 farmed, and a few herbaceous areas of natural grasses and forbs that are frequently mowed (see 8 Figure 4.3-8).
9 East Campus Study Area
10 The East Campus primarily contains upland, maintained grasses with few scattered mature 11 hardwood regrowth trees. A tree survey was conducted for the East Campus during September 12 2009 and May 2010 (GSA 2009f, Ottery Group 2010). The East Campus includes both 13 developed and undeveloped forested areas. Aerial photography and field reconnaissance were 14 used to initially identify target areas in which to perform specimen tree surveys. Specimen trees 15 are defined in this study as any tree with a DBH of 20 inches or greater. See Figure 4.3-9 for a 16 map of the existing tree survey.
17 During the tree survey, 224 trees were observed. Forty different species of trees were recorded 18 with a DBH range of 20 to 52.3 inches (84.9 inches for split trunks). The majority of specimen 19 trees observed were located within the developed portion of the East Campus. The remaining 20 31 trees were observed within the natural areas of the site.
21 West Campus
22 The vegetation on the developed portions of St. Elizabeths consists of mowed grass areas, 23 ornamental trees and bushes, and large specimen trees. The vegetation on the undeveloped land 24 of the St. Elizabeths West Campus is primarily composed of pole-size trees (i.e., approximately 4 25 to 10 inches DBH) on abandoned land areas that were previously farmed, and a few herbaceous 26 areas of natural grasses and forbs that are frequently mowed. A few larger trees exist along the 27 stream systems on the northern and western borders of the West Campus.
December 2010 Draft EIS 4-92 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
1 2 Source: GSA 2009j 3 Figure 4.3-8. St. Elizabeths East Campus Existing Forest Cover
Draft EIS December 2010 4-93 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
1 2 Source: Ottery Group 2010 3 Figure 4.3-9. St. Elizabeths East Campus North Parcel Existing Tree Survey
December 2010 Draft EIS 4-94 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
1 Transportation Improvement Study Areas
2 Within the West Campus Access Road and Shepherd Parkway study areas, there are large 3 forested areas. A Forest Assessment conducted for the St. Elizabeths West Campus in 2009 4 found that much of the forest along I-295 was less than 31 years old due to the forest cut that 5 occurred during construction activities at that time. These areas were assessed as “Young 6 Forest” and “Moderately Young Forest” (GSA 2009j). However, there is a grove of large 7 deciduous trees, some of which are likely more than 60 years old, at the southernmost portion of 8 the I-295/Malcolm X Avenue Transportation Improvement Study Area east of I-295 at the 9 South Capitol Street interchange (see Figure 4.3-10). Tree species observed to be likely more 10 than 60 years old include tulip poplar, sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), American beech (Fagus 11 grandifolia), and northern red oak (Quercus rubra). Vegetation along MLK Avenue was limited to 12 nine specimen trees.
13 4.3.5.2 Wildlife
14 East Campus Study Area
15 Avian species observed within the St. Elizabeths East Campus during field investigations in 16 September 2009 included typical songbirds such as northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis), 17 northern mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos), and American robin (Turdus migratorius). Nonnative 18 species observed were typical urban species such as the European starling (Sturnus vulgaris), 19 mourning dove (Zenaida macroura), and rock pigeon (Columba livia).
20 The only mammal species observed during the field investigation included the eastern gray 21 squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis). Other mammal species likely present at times, but not observed 22 during the field investigation, include the woodchuck (Marmota monax), raccoon (Procyon lotor), 23 white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), eastern cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus), the Virginia 24 opossum (Didelphis virginiana), shrews (Sorex spp.), red fox (Vulpes vulpes), and striped skunk 25 (Mephitis mephitis).
26 Common reptiles and amphibians that could be expected on a site of this nature include the 27 eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina), five-lined skink (Eumeces fasciatus) eastern fence lizard 28 (Sceloporus undulatus), American toad (Bufo americanus), Woodhouse’s toad (Bufo woodhousei), black 29 rat snake (Elaphe obsoleta), common garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis), smooth earth snake (Virginia 30 valeriae), and ringneck snake (Diadophis punctatus).
31
Draft EIS December 2010 4-95 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
1 2 Source: Ottery Group 2010 3 Figure 4.3-10. Forest Types within the West Campus Access Road and Shepherd Parkway Study Area
December 2010 Draft EIS 4-96 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
1 West Campus 2 Avian species observed at St. Elizabeths West Campus during a 2005 field investigation included 3 typical songbirds such as the northern mockingbird, Carolina wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus), 4 American robin, and blue jay (Cyanocitta cristata). Notable bird species included a red-tailed hawk 5 (Buteo jamaicensis) in the woods along the northwestern portion of the West Campus and 6 evidence of wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) roosting in the large trees within the West Campus 7 Cemetery. Nonnative species observed were the typical urban species including the European 8 starling and the rock pigeon (GSA 2008a). 9 Several species of mammals are fairly common on the West Campus. Prominent among these 10 are the woodchuck, raccoon, white-tailed deer, and eastern gray squirrel. Other mammal species 11 likely present at times, but not observed during the field investigations, include the Virginia 12 opossum, shrews, red fox, striped skunk, and eastern cottontail. Eastern box turtles and the 13 five-lined skinks were observed during field work at the West Campus. Other common reptiles 14 and amphibians that could commonly be expected on a site of this nature include the eastern 15 fence lizard, American toad, Woodhouse’s toad, black rat snake, common garter snake, smooth 16 earth snake, and ringneck snake (GSA 2008a). 17 Transportation Improvement Study Areas 18 The forested areas of the Shepherd Parkway likely harbor the same wildlife species found on the 19 St. Elizabeths East and West campuses. For many of the larger animals such as the white-tailed 20 deer and wild turkey, the same individuals likely use the forested corridor to move between 21 habitat areas. Mammals that were specifically observed in the forested areas along I-295 during 22 the 2005 field investigation include white-tailed deer, eastern gray squirrels, and woodchucks. 23 The deer population appeared to be fairly abundant due to the relatively large number of rubs 24 and scrapes observed on trees. The gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) has also been previously 25 documented by the NPS within the Shepherd Parkway. The bird species observed on the St. 26 Elizabeths West Campus (e.g., northern mockingbird, Carolina wren, American robin, and blue 27 jay) would also be expected to be found in the forested areas along I-295. A bald eagle nest 28 occurs within the Shepherd Parkway just south of the West Campus (see Section 4.3.7). The 29 sharp-shinned hawk (Accipiter striatus) has also been previously documented by the NPS within 30 the Shepherd Parkway. The northern red salamander (Pseudotriton ruber ruber) and several species 31 of snakes (i.e., eastern worm snake [Carphophis amoenus], scarlet snake [Cemaphora coccinea], 32 northern copperhead [Agkistrodon contortrix mokasen], northern black racer [Coluber constrictor 33 constrictor], corn snake (Elaphe guttata], eastern king snake [Lampropeltis getula getula], eastern 34 hognose snake [Heterodon platirhinos], eastern garter snake [Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis], and rough
Draft EIS December 2010 4-97 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
1 green snake [Opheodrys aestivus]) have been documented within the Shepherd Parkway by the 2 NPS. The forested areas surrounding the I-295/Malcolm X Avenue interchange likely provide 3 habitat for the same wildlife species found throughout the St. Elizabeths East and West 4 campuses. However, considering that the habitat is narrow in this area and transected by 5 Malcolm X Avenue, use of this habitat by wildlife might be lower than in the St. Elizabeths East 6 and West campuses (GSA 2008a). 7 4.3.5.3 Habitat Assessment 8 East Campus Study Area and West Campus 9 A terrestrial habitat assessment survey for the St. Elizabeths East Campus Study Area and 10 transportation improvement study areas was performed as part of the St. Elizabeths East Campus 11 Natural Resource Evaluation in June 2010 (Ottery Group 2010). The Natural Resource Evaluation 12 is provided in Appendix E. There are four main habitat types within the undeveloped portion 13 of the East Campus Study Area: relatively mature hardwood forest (Habitat Type A), relatively 14 mature hardwood with early successional understory (Habitat Type B), relatively immature 15 hardwood stand dominated by early successional or exotic invasive species (Habitat Type C), 16 and early successional scrub-shrub area dominated by invasive species (Habitat Type D). The 17 2006 District of Columbia Wildlife Action Plan classified hardwood forests in the vicinity of 18 St. Elizabeths Hospital, Shepherd Parkway, and Suitland Parkway as a Priority Habitat Location, 19 meaning that the hardwood forest habitat houses species with the greatest conservation need 20 (DDOE 2006). 21 The Natural Resource Evaluation rated habitat values as excellent, good, fair, or poor. In 22 general, the quality of habitat was determined to be poor for all areas. Habitat values are 23 summarized in Table 4.3-3.
24 Table 4.3-3. Summary of Habitat Values
Relative Rating Description Habitat Value Relatively large areas of unfragmented forest dominated by native vegetation. Exotic invasives Excellent are typically not present in any significant quantities. Medium to large areas of continuous or unfragmented forest. The majority of species are native. Can include smaller areas that are at least connected to other forested areas with Good ratings of good to excellent. Exotic invasives can be present but are limited to one vegetative stratum. Relatively small forested or wooded areas. In some cases they can be medium to large in size, Fair but are fragmented or isolated from higher quality areas. Exotic invasives are common and present in one or more vegetative strata. Small patches of wooded areas that are highly fragmented and isolated from other wooded or Poor forested areas. Exotic invasives are dominant and present in more than two vegetative strata.
December 2010 Draft EIS 4-98 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
1 Habitat Type A consists of several small stands of relatively mature hardwoods including white 2 oak, northern red oak, southern red oak (Quercus falcata), and chestnut oak. These mature 3 hardwood areas total approximately 14 acres. Habitat Type A occurs east of the wetland areas 4 of the East Campus Study Area and outside of all proposed construction footprint locations. 5 Due to the small size of this forested stand, the potential for the presence of threatened and 6 endangered species using this habitat is limited. This habitat type is rated as fair. A rating of fair 7 means that the habitat is a relatively small forested or wooded area with exotic invasive species 8 commonly present.
9 Habitat Type B consists of a relatively mature hardwood overstory with early successional, native 10 understory and ground cover. Dominant trees include white oak, slippery elm (Ulmus rubra), and 11 some tree of heaven. The understory is dominated by immature boxelder, and tree of heaven 12 with English ivy, poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans), and Virginia creeper are dominant in the 13 herbaceous layer. This habitat type constitutes roughly 1 acre. There is a small area of Habitat 14 Type B between the Veterans Shelter (Building 81A) and Maple Square. The area has a habitat 15 rating of fair; however, due to the small size and isolated nature of this area, the functional value 16 could be lower.
17 Habitat Type C includes relatively immature trees including princess tree (Paulownia tomentosa), 18 tree of heaven, white mulberry (Morus alba), boxelder, and black locust. Understory/ground 19 cover includes Japanese honeysuckle, Japanese knotweed, bush honeysuckle (Lonicera sp.), garlic 20 mustard (Alliaria petiolata), and bedstraw (Galium sp.). This habitat type constitutes 21 approximately 12 acres. There is a small area of Habitat Type C in the northeastern corner of 22 the East Campus Study Area adjacent to Wetland D and outside of all proposed construction 23 footprint locations. The habitat within this area was rated as poor in the Natural Resource 24 Evaluation due to the dominance of invasive species and the disturbed nature of the vegetative 25 communities (Ottery Group 2010).
26 Habitat Type D is within the area designated for the parking structure under the three site 27 development alternatives. It is characterized as an open field with a few scattered shrubs and 28 trees. These areas are dominated by invasive shrubs and vines including Japanese knotweed, 29 Japanese honeysuckle, porcelain berry (Ampelopsis brevipedunculata), and Asiatic bittersweet 30 (Celastrus orbiculatus). Habitat value is poor due to disturbance to the vegetative community and 31 dominance by exotic invasive species.
32 A limited assessment of wildlife habitat was performed at the St. Elizabeth West Campus. The 33 results of the survey indicated that habitat on the West Campus ranges from poor to suboptimal.
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1 The East Campus and previous 2009 West Campus habitat assessment surveys analyzed habitat 2 for representative species including red fox, raccoon, woodchuck, gray catbird (Dumetella 3 carolinensis), red-eyed vireo (Vireo olivaceus), and American toad. Habitat usage for these 4 representative species is given in Table 4.3-4 for Herbaceous Rangeland, Shrub and Brush 5 Rangeland, and Deciduous Forest Land (Anderson et al. 1976). Areas with Urban Land soil 6 types are typically disturbed and have a low habitat potential.
7 Table 4.3-4. St. Elizabeths East and West Campuses Habitat Usage and Importance by 8 Species
Species Herbaceous Rangeland Shrub and Brush Rangeland Deciduous Forest Land Raccoon slight Moderate extensive Woodchuck extensive extensive slight Catbird N/A slight extensive Red-eyed vireo N/A N/A extensive American toad moderate moderate extensive Red fox extensive extensive extensive
9 Transportation Improvement Study Areas
10 Based upon District of Columbia GIS tree line information, available aerial photography, and 11 field observations, approximately 20.9 acres of forested or wooded areas exist within the 12 I-295/Malcolm X Avenue interchange Transportation Improvement Study Area, the western 13 portion of the West Campus, and the Shepherd Parkway. Within this transportation alternative 14 site, three locations were sampled to determine the type, age, and general health of the trees. 15 Based on the three sampling points, all of the forested areas can be classified as young woodland 16 with a relative age of 10 to 50 years old. The DBH of the majority of trees ranged from 4 to 17 12 inches with some larger trees (12 to 16 inches DBH) scattered throughout. The dominant 18 tree species included green ash, black locust, boxelder, tree of heaven, slippery elm, and white 19 mulberry. The trees appeared to be in good condition. The understory consisted of pawpaw, 20 bush honeysuckle, and young tree seedlings of species identified above. The ground cover was 21 dominated by blackberry, poison ivy, Virginia creeper, greenbrier (Smilax sp.), and Japanese 22 knotweed. Habitat usage is similar to those areas of the East and West Campus study areas 23 classified as Deciduous Forest Land.
24 Within the Firth Sterling Avenue/West Campus Access Road Intersection Transportation 25 Improvement Study Area, the majority of the study area is developed, so the extent of existing 26 trees is limited. There is one narrow 0.2-acre stand of trees adjacent to Firth Sterling Avenue, 27 which consists of relatively young trees with DBHs ranging from 2 to 10 inches. The dominant
December 2010 Draft EIS 4-100 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
1 trees species include black locust, white mulberry, black cherry (Prunus serotina), and boxelder. 2 Due to the small size of this stand, its proximity to a major roadway, and its isolation from other 3 wooded areas, the habitat value for this small stand is poor.
4 The entire improvement corridor of the MLK Avenue Transportation Improvement Study Area 5 is developed. There are no natural stands of trees present within the study area. Therefore, no 6 habitat is present within the corridor.
7 4.3.6 Aquatic Biota
8 East Campus Study Area
9 Biological indicator species are environmental indicators of water quality conditions in streams 10 and other water bodies. The presence of benthic macroinvertebrates such as Ephemeroptera, 11 Plecoptera, and Trichoptera (EPT) taxa are considered indicative of healthy streams (USGS 12 2002). The wetlands identified in Section 4.3.4 and on Figure 4.3-6 have the potential to 13 sustain aquatic biota; however, results for riparian and aquatic habitat for the West Campus 14 indicated that the habitat ranges from poor to suboptimal (GSA 2008a). The study found 15 inadequate habitat for fish due to limited water depth.
16 West Campus
17 Based on the limited habitat assessment performed for the St. Elizabeths West Campus as part 18 of the St. Elizabeths East Campus Natural Resource Evaluation in June 2010 (see Section 4.3.5.3), it 19 was determined that the habitat potential for fish within all streams of the West Campus is 20 limited to non-existent. Since the water depth within West Campus streams is limited and the 21 streams do not have upstream-downstream connectivity, there is inadequate habitat for fish 22 (Ottery Group 2010). Based on field investigations, the streams on the St. Elizabeths West 23 Campus do not appear to contain any benthic macroinvertebrates or fish, including those that 24 are indicative of a healthy stream (i.e., EPT taxa). Because of the lack of benthic 25 macroinvertebrates and other aquatic biota in the streams, the streams on site could be 26 considered of low water quality typical of an urban environment.
27 Transportation Improvement Study Areas
28 As mentioned in Section 4.3.4, the Iuka sandy loam, which could contain hydric soil inclusions, 29 is present within the project limits for the West Campus Access Road and Shepherd Parkway 30 study area. Jurisdictional wetlands are present in the area mapped with this soil type. These 31 wetlands have the potential to sustain aquatic biota; however, results for riparian and aquatic
Draft EIS December 2010 4-101 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
1 habitat studies for the West Campus indicated that the habitat ranges from poor to suboptimal 2 (GSA 2008a). The study found inadequate habitat for fish due to limited water depth and that 3 the stream is a discontinuous seep without upstream or downstream connectivity (see Figure 4 4.3-10). No habitat for aquatic biota was observed within the MLK Avenue corridor.
5 4.3.7 Protected Species
6 East Campus Study Area
7 The habitat study performed in May 2010 found that, due to the small size of the forested 8 stands, habitat value and potential for the presence of threatened and endangered species is low 9 (Ottery Group 2010). The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), NPS, and District of 10 Columbia Fisheries and Wildlife Division (DCFWD) were consulted with respect to protected 11 species and species of special concern within or near the St. Elizabeths East Campus Study Area. 12 According to the USFWS and the NPS, there is no record of any species protected under the 13 Endangered Species Act (ESA) within the East Campus. Sightings of numerous plants listed as 14 species of special concern have been recorded within 5 miles of the study area; however, no 15 sightings have been documented on the East Campus Study Area. For the listed plant species, 16 the Maryland state ranking system (i.e., S1 [critically imperiled], S2 [imperiled], and S3 [rare to 17 uncommon]) was applied because the District of Columbia does not have a ranking system. The 18 Oxon Run Parkway, approximately 0.75 miles southeast of the East Campus Study Area, has 19 documented presence of state-listed plant species, including woodland horsetail, white trout lily, 20 bog fern (Thelypteris simulata), Canada tick-trefoil (Desmodium canadense), American chestnut 21 (Castanea dentata), southern twayblade (Listera australis), screw-stem (Bartonia paniculata), three- 22 lobed coneflower (Rudbeckia triloba), and quillwort (Isoetes sp.). The Oxon Run Park is the closest 23 site with documented state-listed plant species to the East Campus (GSA 2008a). A complete 24 list of these state-listed plant species, provided by the NPS, is provided in Appendix F.
25 There has also been documentation of reptile, fish, and crustacean state-listed species within 26 5 miles of the study area; however, no sightings have been recorded on the North Parcel. These 27 documented sightings include the groundwater amphipod (Stygobromus tenuis potomacus), darter 28 fish (Etheostoma vitreum), queen snake (Regina septemvittata), spiney-foot copepod (Attheyella 29 spinipes), and eastern ribbon snake (Thamnophis sauritus). No sightings have occurred in the past 30 4 years or have occurred within at least 2 miles of the North Parcel. Appendix F contains a list 31 of species recorded by the NPS within the District of Columbia.
December 2010 Draft EIS 4-102 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
1 West Campus
2 There is no record of any plant or animal species protected under the ESA within the West 3 Campus. No sightings of any plant listed as species of special concern have been documented 4 on the West Campus.
5 There is a bald eagle nest within Shepherd Parkway just south of the West Campus. The bald 6 eagle was removed from the Endangered Species List in June 2007. However, the bald eagle is 7 still protected under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the MBTA. GSA is working 8 with the USFWS to comply with the National Bald Eagle Management Guidelines (May 2007) to 9 ensure that the eagles and their habitat are not adversely affected (GSA 2008a).
10 The Oxon Run Parkway, approximately 1 mile southeast of the West Campus, has documented 11 presence of state-listed plant species as described above. The Oxon Run Parkway is the closest 12 site with documented state-listed plant species to the West Campus (GSA 2008a).
13 Transportation Improvement Study Areas
14 According to the USFWS and the NPS, there is no record of any species protected under the 15 ESA within the West Campus Access Road and Shepherd Parkway Study Area. A bald eagle 16 nest occurs within the Shepherd Parkway as described above, east of the I-295/Malcolm X 17 Avenue Interchange and Shepherd Parkway Study Area. No habitat for protected species exists 18 within the Firth Sterling Avenue/West Campus Access Road interchange or MLK Avenue 19 corridor.
20 4.4 Social and Economic Resources
21 4.4.1 Land Use Planning and Zoning
22 4.4.1.1 Regional Land Use Planning and Zoning
23 A number of local and citywide plans are used to help spur and guide growth in the 24 neighborhoods affecting the North Parcel and the District of Columbia, including the 25 Comprehensive Plan for the National Capital, St. Elizabeths East Redevelopment Framework 26 Plan, Anacostia Waterfront Initiative (AWI), and other local redevelopment plans and initiatives. 27 The following discussion focuses on those plans and initiatives that are relevant to land use for 28 the St. Elizabeths East Campus and surrounding areas.
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1 The Comprehensive Plan for the National Capital
2 The Comprehensive Plan for the National Capital, hereafter referred to as the “Comprehensive 3 Plan,” is a statement of principles, goals, and planning policies for the growth and development 4 of the national capital for the next 20 years. It is composed of two parts—the Federal Elements 5 and the District of Columbia Elements. The Federal Elements address matters related to 6 Federal properties and Federal interests in the NCR, which include the District of Columbia; 7 Montgomery and Prince George’s counties in Maryland; Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, and 8 Prince William counties in Virginia; and all cities within the boundaries of those counties. The 9 Federal Elements are prepared pursuant to Section 4(a) of the National Capital Planning Act of 10 1952. The seven Federal Elements presented in the Comprehensive Plan are (1) Federal 11 workplace, (2) foreign missions and international organizations, (3) transportation, (4) parks and 12 open space, (5) Federal environment, (6) preservation and historic features, and (7) visitors. The 13 NCPC develops and administers these Federal Elements, which were last updated in 2004 14 (NCPC 2004, GSA 2008a).
15 The District of Columbia Elements of the Comprehensive Plan focus specifically on the District 16 of Columbia and contain a broad range of objectives and policies to help guide public decisions 17 by the District of Columbia and Federal agencies. There are 13 District of Columbia Elements: 18 (1) framework; (2) land use; (3) transportation; (4) housing; (5) environmental protection; (6) 19 economic development; (7) parks, recreation, and open space, (8) urban design; (9) historic 20 preservation; (10) community services and facilities; (11) educational facilities; (12) infrastructure; 21 and (13) arts and culture. The District of Columbia Elements, which were revised in 2006, are 22 prepared by the Mayor and were adopted by the Council of the District of Columbia (NCPC 23 2004). The 2006 Comprehensive Plan provides guidance on monitoring, evaluating, and 24 amending the Comprehensive Plan through amendment cycles. Currently, the District of 25 Columbia is in the amendment process after the 2006 major revision to accomplish the 26 following: (1) correct any technical errors and address other unanticipated issues associated with 27 the new language and (2) make the amendment cycle fall appropriately between election cycles. 28 The purpose of this amendment cycle is not to undertake a major revision of the 29 Comprehensive Plan (DCOP 2009a). On July 17, 2010, Mayor Adrian Fenty submitted Bill 30 18-867 for approval, which includes amendments to the Comprehensive Plan. There are four 31 proposed amendments to the Comprehensive Plan under consideration by the District of 32 Columbia Council. In addition, the NCPC will conduct a process to review the proposed 33 amendments to determine the impact of the District of Columbia’s proposed amendments.
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1 The Comprehensive Plan also includes 10 Area Elements for the different areas of the District 2 of Columbia. The Proposed Project Site, which consists of the St. Elizabeths East Campus 3 North Parcel Study Area plus the Transportation Improvement Study Areas, is within the “Far 4 Southeast/Southwest Area Element,” which encompasses approximately 10 square miles of land 5 east of I-295 and south of Good Hope Road/Naylor Road. The Far Southeast/Southwest Area 6 Element outlines general policies and actions that should guide growth and neighborhood 7 conservation decisions.
8 Federal Elements of the Comprehensive Plan for the National Capital
9 The Federal Elements of the Comprehensive Plan for the NCR provide criteria for the location 10 of Federal facilities and also provide policies on Federal employment in the NCR. Volume I of 11 the 2008 DHS Headquarters Consolidation Final EIS details the seven Federal Elements of the 12 Comprehensive Plan which are summarized as follows (GSA 2008a):
13 Element 1 – Federal Workplace. For this element, it is the goal of the Federal government 14 to “locate the Federal workforce to enhance the efficiency, productivity, and public 15 image of the Federal government; to strengthen the economic well being and expand 16 employment opportunities of the region and localities therein; and to give emphasis to 17 the District of Columbia as the seat of the national government.” 18 Element 2 – Foreign Missions and International Organizations. This element of the 19 Comprehensive Plan provides policies to guide the location of facilities belonging to 20 foreign governments and international organizations and to ensure that their 21 development is compatible with adjacent neighborhood uses. 22 Element 3 – Transportation. Under this element, it is the goal of the Federal government to 23 “develop and maintain a multi-modal regional transportation system that meets the travel 24 needs of residents, workers, and visitors, while improving regional mobility and air 25 quality through expanded transportation alternatives and transit-oriented development.” 26 Element 4 – Parks and Open Space. Under this element, it is the goal of the Federal 27 government to “conserve and enhance the park and open space system of the NCR, 28 ensure that adequate resources are available for future generations, and promote an 29 appropriate balance between open space resources and the built environment.” 30 Element 5 – Federal Environment. Under this element, it is the goal of the Federal 31 government to “conduct its activities and manage its property in a manner that promotes 32 the NCR as a leader in environmental stewardship and preserves, protects, and enhances
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1 the quality of the region’s natural resources, providing a setting that benefits the local 2 community, provides a model for the country, and is worthy of the nation’s capital.” 3 Element 6 – Preservation and Historic Features. Under this element, it is the goal of Federal 4 government to “preserve and enhance the image and identity of the nation’s capital and 5 region through design and development respectful of the guiding principles of the 6 L’Enfant and McMillan Plans, the enduring value of historic buildings and places, and 7 the symbolic character of the capital’s setting.” 8 Element 7 – Visitors. Under this element, policies to showcase the nation’s civic and 9 cultural institutions and ensure that visitors have an enjoyable and educational 10 experience.
11 District of Columbia Elements
12 The District of Columbia Elements of the Comprehensive Plan (DCOP 2006a) include the 13 following 13 components:
14 Element 1 – Framework. This element describes the forces that are driving changes to the 15 District of Columbia. Forces that drive change include population demographic shifts, 16 economic changes, transportation capacity, and tensions between Federal and local 17 interests. 18 Element 2 – Land Use. The land use element establishes the basic policies guiding the 19 physical form of the city and provides direction on a range of development, 20 conservation, and land use compatibility issues. 21 Element 3 – Transportation. The goal of this element is to “create a safe, sustainable, 22 efficient, multi-modal transportation system that meets the access and mobility needs of 23 District residents, the regional workforce, and visitors; supports local and regional 24 economic prosperity; and enhances the quality of life for the District of Columbia 25 residents.” 26 Element 4 – Housing. The goal of the housing element is to “develop and maintain a safe, 27 decent, and affordable supply of housing for all current and future residents of the 28 District of Columbia.” 29 Element 5 – Environmental Protection. It is the goal of the District of Columbia to “protect, 30 restore, and enhance the natural and man-made environment in the District of 31 Columbia, taking steps to improve environmental quality, prevent and reduce pollution,
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1 and conserve the values and functions of the District of Columbia’s natural resources 2 and ecosystems.” 3 Element 6 – Economic Development. The economic development planning policies of the 4 District of Columbia are designed to “strengthen the District of Columbia’s economy by 5 sustaining its core industries, attracting new and diverse industries, accommodating 6 future job growth, fostering the success of small businesses, revitalizing neighborhood 7 commercial centers, improving resident job skills, and helping a greater number of the 8 District of Columbia residents find and keep jobs in the Washington regional economy.” 9 Element 7 – Parks, Recreation, and Open Space. This element relates to topics such as 10 recreational facility development, the use of private open space, and the creation of trails 11 to better connect the city’s open spaces and neighborhoods. 12 Element 8 – Urban Design. The goal of the urban design element is to “enhance the 13 beauty and livability of the city by protecting its historic design legacy; reinforcing the 14 identity of its neighborhoods; harmoniously integrating new construction with existing 15 buildings and the natural environment; and improving the vitality, appearance, and 16 security of streets and public spaces.” 17 Element 9 – Historic Preservation. The primary goal of this element is to “preserve and 18 enhance the unique cultural heritage, beauty, and identity of the District of Columbia by 19 respecting the historic physical form of the city and the enduring value of its historic 20 structures and places, recognizing their importance to the citizens of the District of 21 Columbia and the nation, and sharing mutual responsibilities for their protection and 22 stewardship.” The element includes measures specific to the St. Elizabeths Campus, 23 including “protecting the Natural Escarpment: Protect views of and from the natural 24 escarpment around central Washington by working with the District of Columbia and 25 Federal landholders and review agencies to accommodate reasonable demands for new 26 development on major historic campuses like St. Elizabeths, the Armed Forces 27 Retirement Home, and McMillan Reservoir in a manner that harmonizes with the natural 28 topography and preserves important vistas over the city.” 29 Element 10 – Community Services and Facilities. The goal of this element is to “provide 30 high-quality, accessible, efficiently managed, and properly funded community facilities to 31 support the efficient delivery of municipal services, protect public health and safety, and 32 enhance the well-being of current and future District of Columbia residents.” 33 Element 11 – Education Facilities. This element addresses the location, planning, use, and 34 design of the District of Columbia’s educational facilities and campuses.
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1 Element 12 – Infrastructure. The primary goal of the infrastructure element is to “provide 2 high-quality, efficiently-managed and -maintained, and properly funded infrastructure to 3 serve existing development, as well as future change and growth.” 4 Element 13 – Arts and Culture. This element is dedicated to the preservation and 5 promotion of the arts in the District of Columbia. Its focus is on strengthening the role 6 of the arts in shaping the physical form of the city.
7 Other Plans
8 There are a number of additional plans and initiatives affecting the North Parcel and 9 surrounding areas. Table 4.4-1 contains a summary of plans and initiatives potentially affecting 10 the Proposed Project Site. Some of the relevant plans to the Proposed Action area are discussed 11 below.
12 Table 4.4-1. Summary of Plans and Initiatives Affecting the North Parcel and Surrounding 13 Areas
Plan or Initiative Proponent Purpose St. Elizabeths East Redevelopment DCOP Guide redevelopment of the St. Elizabeths East Campus Framework Plan Agreement between 20 Waterfront development plan initiated by the Federal and the Anacostia Waterfront Federal and District of District of Columbia agencies for the redevelopment of land Initiative Columbia agencies along the Anacostia River. Barry Farm/Park Redevelopment Plan for the 37-acre Barry Farm/Park Chester/Wade Road DMPED Chester/Wade Road neighborhood. Redevelopment Plan Congress Heights Identify community priorities for how the Neighborhood Neighborhood DCOP Investment Fund should be used in Congress Heights for a Investment Fund 5-year period outlook. Plan Great Streets DMPED, DDOT, and Multiple-year, multiple-agency effort to transform under- Initiative DCOP invested corridors into thriving and inviting neighborhoods. Comprehensive partnership designed to improve the quality New Communities DMPED of life for families and individuals living in distressed Initiative neighborhoods in the District of Columbia. Provide guidelines for the future development of the area, DCOP and Department East of the River with specific emphasis on expanded job opportunities, of Housing and Project commercial and retail services, new and rehabilitated Community Development housing, and improved infrastructure. Anacostia Transit Guide investment in ways that revitalize the Anacostia Area Strategic DCOP neighborhood and address the needs and vision of local Investment Plan residents and businesses. NCPC, NPS, DCOP, and District of Columbia CapitalSpace Plan to improve parks in the District of Columbia. Department of Parks and Recreation
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1 St. Elizabeths East Redevelopment Framework Plan. The St. Elizabeths East 2 Redevelopment Framework Plan was revised in November 2008 to help guide redevelopment of 3 the St. Elizabeths East Campus by clearly stating a vision, strategic direction, and the underlying 4 principles needed to create new neighborhoods, new and improved infrastructure, better 5 transportation and access, and historic preservation (DCOP 2008). The Plan outlines several 6 development principles that were updated from the 2005 plan that include the following:
7 Capture the unique identity to create a sense of place 8 Reinvigorate the campus as an important neighborhood center 9 Preserve and celebrate heritage resources 10 Embody the District of Columbia’s design and sustainability goals 11 Create a strong public realm 12 Improve community connectivity and open up access to the campus 13 Enhance multi-modal transportation networks 14 Support wider economic development initiatives.
15 In addition, recent objectives expressed by the DCOP have included more specific goals for the 16 East Campus, which include the following:
17 Catalyze development on the East Campus with a guaranteed FEMA tenant 18 Revitalize the historic campus by adaptively reusing buildings and creating a mixed-use 19 environment 20 Attract DHS businesses and uses including contractors, Homeland Security University, 21 and innovation/technology incubation 22 Expand retail and housing choices for Ward 8 residents and Federal employees 23 Educate, train, and connect residents to jobs 24 Enhance mobility, improve aging infrastructure, and exemplify sustainability practices 25 (DCOP 2010).
26 The 2008 St. Elizabeths East Redevelopment Framework Plan incorporates Federal 27 development on the East Campus. In 2005, the Federal government proposed to adaptively 28 reuse the West Campus for Federal government office facilities, which prompted the District of 29 Columbia to explore the possibility of Federal development in portions of the East Campus. 30 Two conceptual designs for the East Campus were developed in the 2008 St. Elizabeths East
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1 Redevelopment Framework Plan that include medium-density, mixed-use development, a 2 Federal tenant, and different Metrorail options.
3 Anacostia Waterfront Initiative. The AWI is a $4 billion waterfront development plan 4 initiated by the Federal and the District of Columbia governments for the redevelopment of land 5 along the Anacostia River. The AWI is consistent with the NCPC’s Comprehensive Plan, which 6 identifies opportunities for parks along the Anacostia River (NCPC 2004).
7 The AWI focuses on eight target areas, each of which has a specific plan. Three of these target 8 areas are near the St. Elizabeths East Campus (South Capitol Street, Poplar Point, and the 9 Anacostia Riverwalk and RiverParks) (DCOP 2006b).
10 The 2008 South Capitol Street Draft EIS analyzed improvements to pedestrian and vehicular 11 access along the South Capitol Street corridor. The South Capitol Street improvements project 12 would be designed to transform the existing South Capitol Street into an urban gateway to the 13 U.S. Capitol and the District of Columbia’s Monumental Core (USDOT 2008).
14 Poplar Point is approximately 1 mile north of the St. Elizabeths East Campus, on the east side 15 of the Anacostia River. This land was transferred from Federal ownership to the District of 16 Columbia under the District of Columbia Lands Act (Public Law [P.L.] 109–396, 120 Stat. 17 2711). An EIS is being prepared that analyzes redevelopment of the 110-acre Poplar Point area 18 (including the relocation of NPS facilities away from Poplar Point) (NPS 2009a).
19 Another target area of the AWI is the proposed Anacostia Riverwalk Trail, which connects all of 20 the open spaces that constitute the Anacostia RiverParks system (DDOT 2009a). The Anacostia 21 Riverwalk is a planned 16-mile multi-use trail along the east and west banks of the Anacostia 22 River in the District of Columbia. The proposed trail would provide a convenient and safe 23 means for park visitors, including pedestrians and bicyclists, to access the Anacostia Park 24 (NPS 2009a).
25 Barry Farm/Park Chester/Wade Road Redevelopment Plan. The District of Columbia 26 issued a Draft Redevelopment Plan for the 37-acre Barry Farm/Park Chester/Wade Road 27 neighborhood in 2006. The 2006 Draft Plan discusses the District of Columbia’s plans to 28 redevelop the neighborhood in four phases over an 11-year period. Eventual redevelopment of 29 Barry Farm/Park Chester/Wade Road would include construction of new housing units prior to 30 demolition of existing units (DCOP 2006c). Construction of replacement units in nearby 31 neighborhoods for inhabitants of Barry Farm began in early 2010, and construction of a new 32 recreational center in Barry Farm is scheduled to begin in late 2010 (DMPED 2010).
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1 Congress Heights Neighborhood Investment Fund Plan. The Congress Heights 2 Neighborhood Investment Fund Plan is a target area investment plan that is part of the larger 3 Neighborhood Investment Fund. The Neighborhood Investment Fund is an annual fund to 4 finance economic development and neighborhood revitalization in 12 target neighborhoods, 5 including Congress Heights. The purpose of the Congress Heights Neighborhood Investment 6 Fund Plan is to identify community priorities for how the Neighborhood Investment Fund 7 investments should be used in the target area over a 5-year period (NIF 2008).
8 Great Streets Initiative. The Great Streets Initiative is a multidisciplinary approach to corridor 9 improvement composed of public realm investments, strategic land use plans, public safety 10 strategies, and economic development assistance; and is a partnership between multiple District 11 of Columbia agencies.
12 The Great Streets Framework Plan was created by DDOT as part of the Great Streets Initiative 13 to strengthen business and other local services, integrate nature and create valuable open spaces, 14 create walkable streets with multiple travel options, distinguish safe and vibrant places that 15 reflect local character, and increase community ownership and stewardship. The Great Streets 16 Initiative focuses on six target corridors in the District of Columbia.
17 MLK Avenue southeast and South Capitol Street (from Good Hope Road to Southern Avenue) 18 is a targeted corridor in the vicinity of the Proposed Action (DDOT 2009c). DDOT is 19 conducting a transportation study in this corridor as part of its Ward 8 Transportation Study to 20 estimate future traffic levels from proposed development and transportation infrastructure 21 improvements, including the St. Elizabeths Campus development (see Section 5.7).
22 New Communities Initiative. The New Communities Initiative is a comprehensive 23 partnership designed to improve the quality of life for families and individuals living in distressed 24 neighborhoods in the District of Columbia and is a key initiative with DMPED. A “New 25 Community” seeks to create a healthy mixed-income community with integrated public facilities 26 and services that offer families better housing, employment, and educational opportunities. A 27 key principle of the New Communities Initiative is the one-for-one replacement of existing 28 affordable housing. By protecting existing affordable housing and building more affordable and 29 market-rate units, the New Communities Initiative reduces economic segregation (DMPED 30 2009).
31 East of the River Project. Through a partnership with multiple District of Columbia agencies, 32 the East of the River Redevelopment Planning, Marketing, and Implementation Development 33 Strategy was developed. The primary goal of the East of the River Project is to provide
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1 guidelines for the future development of the area, with specific emphasis on expanded job 2 opportunities, commercial and retail services, new and rehabilitated housing, and improved 3 infrastructure. Congress Heights and the Anacostia Gateway area are targeted in this plan for a 4 new commercial center, housing, and commercial revitalization (DCOP 2009b).
5 Anacostia Transit Area Strategic Investment Plan. More than $150 million in public 6 investment through different District of Columbia agencies including DDOT, the District of 7 Columbia Public Schools, the District of Columbia Office of Property Management, the District 8 of Columbia Water and Sewer Administration (WASA), Washington Metropolitan Area Transit 9 Authority (WMATA), and several million more dollars of private investment has been 10 committed for various projects in the Anacostia neighborhood and neighboring communities. 11 These funds represent real capital investments that will result in physical development projects. 12 An Anacostia Transit Area Strategic Investment Plan, through DCOP, was developed to guide 13 investment in ways that revitalize the Anacostia neighborhood and address the needs and vision 14 of local residents and businesses. The plan builds from the existing Anacostia Metrorail Station, 15 bus service, and the planned Anacostia Light Rail Transit corridor. The plan reaffirms a vision 16 to build back substantial new housing opportunities available at a range of income levels, restore 17 the traditional retail main street and attract new national retail shops, and provide modest office 18 developments to provide daytime activity and customers (DCOP 2009c).
19 CapitalSpace. CapitalSpace is a partnership between the District of Columbia, NCPC, and 20 NPS to address parks in the District of Columbia. Goals of the CapitalSpace plan include 21 balancing demand for parks, enhancing parks and improving access, connecting parks, providing 22 open spaces to underserved areas, and maintaining the city’s parks at a high standard. The 23 southeast District of Columbia has been identified as a challenge area by CapitalSpace for 24 improving parks areas (DCOP 2007a). The CapitalSpace plan addresses a limited number of 25 priority topics in depth—the Six Big Ideas—rather than develop a plan that would broadly 26 address all park issues or specific park and open space sites. This approach was used to focus on 27 areas where significant improvements could be made to the city’s park or open space resources. 28 One of the Big Ideas is to link the Fort Circle Parks, one of the parks within the vicinity of the 29 redevelopment of the St. Elizabeths East Campus, by implementing a greenway and making the 30 parks recreational destinations (NCPC et al. 2010).
December 2010 Draft EIS 4-112 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
1 4.4.1.2 St. Elizabeths Campus and Vicinity
2 St Elizabeths East Campus
3 The St. Elizabeths East Campus is in Ward 8 in the southeast District of Columbia, 4 approximately 3 miles south of the U.S. Capitol. The East Campus is bounded by Suitland 5 Parkway to the north, Alabama Avenue to the south, and MLK Avenue to the west. The East 6 Campus encompasses more than 170 acres and contains 39 buildings, totaling 1.76 million gross 7 square feet. The land currently occupied by the East Campus was originally used primarily for 8 farming until the St. Elizabeths Hospital on the west side of MLK Avenue reached capacity. 9 Construction of various projects began on the East Campus in 1902 and continued until the 10 1960s. In 1987, the Federal government transferred the East Campus to the District of 11 Columbia government (GSA 2008e).
12 The St. Elizabeths East Campus is currently unzoned as shown in Figure 4.4-1 (DCOZ 13 undated) because it is former Federal property recently acquired by the District of Columbia, 14 and land use planning for the East Campus is still being evaluated.
15 Land use planning on the St. Elizabeths East Campus is regulated by the District of Columbia 16 Elements of the Comprehensive Plan. Although the East Campus is unzoned, future land uses 17 of St. Elizabeths East Campus, according to the Comprehensive Plan, would be for local public 18 facilities and mixed use, as illustrated in Figure 4.4-2 (DCOP 2006d, DCOP 2007b).
19 Two conceptual plans for the East Campus were developed in the Redevelopment Framework 20 Plan. These plans include medium-density, mixed-use development, a Federal tenant, and 21 different Metrorail access options. The conceptual designs for the East Campus include mixed- 22 use development in several planned land use areas, including East Campus North Parcel, 23 Maple Quad, Town Square, CT Village, Transit Village, new and existing Government uses, and 24 the Hospital areas (DCOP 2008). Figures 3-4 through 3-6 show conceptual designs of future 25 DHS development on the East Campus North Parcel. The District of Columbia recently 26 completed a new replacement mental health hospital in the southeastern corner of the East 27 Campus. The 450,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility replaces the existing 150-year old 28 Hospital. A 28,000-square-foot green roof was planned as part of the project. The replacement 29 hospital entrance was relocated from MLK Avenue to Alabama Avenue in late 2009. The 30
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S u it la n St. Elizabeths d P ar West Campus kw ay
295
St. Elizabeths
South East Campus Capitol St
Shepherd Parkway
North Parcel Study Area Zoning C‐3‐A R‐3 R‐5‐B St. Elizabeths East Campus C‐1 C‐M‐1 R‐4 UNZONED
St. Elizabeths West Campus C‐2‐A R‐2 R‐5‐A W‐3 07375 501,500 Feet Projection: Transverse Mercator UTM Zone 18N Meters North American Datum of 1983 02100 00400 1 2 Source: DCOZ undated 3 Figure 4.4-1. Zoning of the St. Elizabeths Campus and Surrounding Areas
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e enu Anacostia Av ling ter h S Firt
Joint Base Anacostia‐Bolling Barry Farm MLK
Avenue St. Elizabeths West Campus
St. Elizabeths East Campus 295
Malcom X Avenue Congress Heights
a Avenue Shepherd Parkway Alabam
Congress Heights
North Parcel Study Area Institutional St. Elizabeths East Campus Local Public Facilities St. Elizabeths West Campus Mixed‐use 0 365 730 1,460 Future Land Use Parks Recreation Open Space Feet Meters Low‐Density Commercial Production Distribution and Repair 02100 00400 Low‐Density Residential Moderate‐Density Commercial Projection: Transverse Mercator UTM Zone 18N Federal Moderate Density Residential North American Datum of 1983
1 Sources: Campuses and Study Area: HDR|e2M, 2010; Aerial Photo: ESRI Microsoft Virtual Earth Premium Online Service, 2009: Future Land Use: District of Columbia GIS, 2009.
2 Figure 4.4-2. Future Land Use of the Vicinity of the St. Elizabeths Campus
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1 District of Columbia’s UCC opened in 2006 on the northern portion of the East Campus. It 2 receives and processes calls to 911 and DC’s customer service line, 311. During major 3 emergencies, the center becomes DC’s Emergency Operations Center (Mayor’s Command 4 Center) and provides a central location for multiple agencies to address any of a variety of 5 situations (GSA 2008a).
6 North Parcel
7 The East Campus North Parcel Study Area is composed of approximately 32 acres and is 8 adjacent to and south of the UCC, along MLK Avenue (see Figure 4.4-2). The North Parcel 9 includes one entrance at the southern end of the parcel at Gatehouse 3 on MLK Avenue. 10 Overall, the North Parcel Study Area overlaps four of the contributing buildings to St. 11 Elizabeths’ classification as an NHL: the Horse Barn, Dry Barn, Cottage 8, and Cottage 9. 12 There are also four noncontributing buildings overlapping the North Parcel, which is north of 13 the “historic Maple Square core” of the East Campus: Garage/Motor pool, Veterans Shelter, 14 Guard Booth, and Dix Pavilion. Of the eight buildings on the North Parcel, only four 15 (Buildings 81, 81A, 83, and the basement of Building 120) are currently in use (GSA 2008e). 16 Building 83 is used as a grounds maintenance staging area to store tools, equipment, 17 lawnmowers, and auto parts. The basement of Building 120 is used for information technology 18 functions of the District of Columbia Government, Building 81 is used as a Garage and motor 19 pool for a small fleet of District of Columbia vehicles, and Building 81A is a Veterans Shelter. 20 The North Parcel structures vary in age from less than 20 years to approximately 100 years old.
21 From 1982 to 1989, approximately 20 acres of St. Elizabeths East Campus were used as a solid 22 waste landfill. The landfill areas included central and eastern portions of the North Parcel. Fly 23 ash was disposed in the landfill and remains buried onsite (see Section 4.9) (GSA 2008d).
24 From a land use perspective, the North Parcel exhibits three distinct types of landscapes: 25 (1) a “Campus” Landscape, composed of well-spaced, mature (and in some instances historic) 26 canopy trees underplayed by managed turf; (2) a “Woodland” Landscape, composed of mature 27 canopy trees and with understory shrubs and groundcover; and (3) a “Disturbed” Landscape, 28 composed of early successional and invasive plant species.
29 The Campus Landscape occurs west of Dix Pavilion, coinciding with the front yard of Building 30 120 facing MLK Avenue. The Woodland Landscape occurs mostly along the steep slopes of the 31 North Parcel, which also frame the lower parking lot and annex building east of Building 120. 32 The Woodland Landscape also occurs across the North Parcel study area towards the St. 33 Elizabeths Hospital complex, affording views of a patch of woodland towards the east and
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1 screening of the Suitland Parkway. The Disturbed Landscape occurs mostly on the East 2 Campus North Parcel’s eastern slope facing the drainage swale and atop the landfill east of 3 Horse Barn.
4 On 23 November 2008, the District of Columbia, DHS, and GSA signed an MOA permitting 5 the development of the North Parcel for DHS use (DMPED 2008).
6 Surrounding Land Uses and Zoning
7 Approximately 74 percent of the land in Ward 8 is made up of public facilities including Joint 8 Base Anacostia-Bolling, Anacostia Naval Air Station, Naval Research Laboratory Military 9 Complex, St. Elizabeths Campus, Shepherd Parkway, Blue Plains Wastewater Treatment Plant, 10 District of Columbia Village, Anacostia Park, and Oxon Run Parkway. The remainder of Ward 11 8 is predominantly residential. Neighborhoods in Ward 8 include Barry Farm, Buena Vista, 12 Douglass, Garfield Heights, Shipley Terrace, Congress Heights, Bellevue, and Washington 13 Highlands. Congress Heights is to the south and is categorized as moderate-density residential; 14 parks, recreation, and open space; and commercial uses. The Shepherd Parkway is to the west 15 and south of the East Campus and is a heavily wooded undeveloped area owned by NPS. Areas 16 to the east include the neighborhoods of Douglass and Shipley Terrace, which are primarily 17 residential. The areas to the north include the residential neighborhoods of Barry Farms and 18 Buena Vista (GSA 2008a).
19 The residential areas to the south and east are zoned R-5-A for low-density apartments and R-2 20 for single-family detached dwellings. Residential areas to the north are zoned R-3 for row 21 dwellings and flats and R-5-B for moderate-density apartment houses. Commercial uses to the 22 south are zoned C-2-A for community business center, low to moderate density; and to the 23 north they are zoned C-M-1 for low bulk commercial and light manufacturing (DCOZ undated). 24 The Shepherd Parkway is shown as “parks” in the District of Columbia’s zoning map, which is 25 an unzoned area. Recently completed, planned, and proposed projects in the vicinity of the 26 Proposed Action are identified in Section 5.10. Table 4.4-2 summarizes the different zoning 27 categories for the areas adjacent to the St. Elizabeths Campus.
28 Transportation Improvement Study Areas
29 As discussed in Section 4.4.1.1, the Comprehensive Plan for the National Capital includes 30 Federal and District Elements that state goals, objectives, and planning policies to manage 31 growth and development in the District of Columbia during the next 20 years, including 32 upgrades to the transportation network associated with land use development. These goals 33 discuss specific requirements and policies for matters related to existing and future Federal
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1 Table 4.4-2. Summary of Zoning Categories in Surrounding Areas
Zoning Summary of Zoning Categories District Permits retail and service establishments and certain youth residential care homes and community C-1 residence facilities. Permits low density development, including office employment centers, shopping centers, medium- C-2-A bulk mixed use centers, and housing. Permits medium density development, with a density incentive for residential development within a C-3-A general pattern of mixed-use development to a maximum lot occupancy of 75 percent for residential use. C-M-1 Permits development of low-bulk commercial and light manufacturing uses. Permits single-family residential uses for detached and semi-detached structures, with a minimum lot R-2 width of at least 30 feet and lot area of at least 3,000 square feet, and a maximum height of three stories or 40 feet. Churches and schools are also permitted under zoning category R-2. Permits single-family residential uses (including detached, semi-detached, and row dwellings), R-3 churches and public schools with a minimum lot width of at least 20 feet, and a maximum height of three stories or 40 feet. Churches and schools are also permitted under zoning category R-3. Permits single-family residential uses (including detached, semi-detached, row dwellings, and flats), R-4 churches and public schools with a minimum lot width of 18 feet and a minimum lot area of 1,800 square feet and a maximum height of three 3 stories or forty 40 feet. Permits single-family residential uses for detached and semi-detached dwellings. New residential development of low-density residential uses including row houses, flats, and apartments are R-5-A acceptable with approval of the Board of Zoning Adjustment, to a maximum lot occupancy of 40 percent, or 60 percent for churches and public schools. Permits moderate development of general residential uses, including single-family dwellings, flats, and R-5-B apartment buildings, to a maximum lot occupancy of 60 percent. Permits high-density residential (with a maximum lot occupancy of 75 percent), commercial, and W-3 certain light industrial development in waterfront areas. Source: DCOZ 2009
2 properties and Federal interests in the NCR. The 2008 Final Master Plan EIS also detailed the 3 specific policies and requirements affecting the transportation improvements.
4 4.4.2 Population and Housing
5 The St. Elizabeths East Campus is located in Census Tract 98.09. Census Tracts surrounding 6 the St. Elizabeths East Campus are 73.01, 73.02, 73.04, 74.01, 74.04, 74.06, and 74.07. Census 7 Tract 98.07 is also included because the I-295/Malcolm X Avenue Interchange and West 8 Campus Access Road Improvements would travel through this tract, and Census Tract 98.04 is 9 included because MLK Avenue Road Improvements would occur within this tract (see Figure 10 4.4-3). The United States Census Bureau only provides Census Tract level data during decennial 11 censuses. As a result, population data from the 2000 Census are the most recent population and 12 housing statistics data available for the areas surrounding St. Elizabeths East Campus.
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North Parcel Study Area St. Elizabeths East Campus St. Elizabeths West Campus Census Tracts
0 500 1,000 2,000 Feet Meters 02125 50500 73.01 Projection: Transverse Mercator 74.01 UTM Zone 18N North American Datum of 1983
74.06 74.07
St. Elizabeths West Campus
98.09
74.04
St. Elizabeths East Campus
73.02
73.04
98.04
98.07
1 Sources: Campuses and Study Area: HDR|e2M, 2010; Aerial Photo: ESRI Microsoft Virtual Earth Premium Online Service, 2009; Census Tracts: ESRI Streetmap, 2008.
2 Figure 4.4-3. Census Tracts Surrounding the St. Elizabeths Campus
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1 Census Tract 73.01 is west of St. Elizabeths East Campus, but is composed entirely of Federal 2 military installations. Therefore, the population and housing characteristics of this Census Tract 3 are not accurate representations of Ward 8 and the areas surrounding St. Elizabeths East 4 Campus. Data for Census Tract 73.01 will be presented, but detailed discussion of the data will 5 be omitted.
6 In the area surrounding St. Elizabeths East Campus, the African-American population is 7 approximately 95 percent, while the African-American population in the District of Columbia is 8 60 percent. The Hispanic or Latino population surrounding St. Elizabeths East Campus is 9 approximately 1 percent, and in the District of Columbia is 8 percent.
10 Housing units around St. Elizabeths East Campus range from 59 to 95 percent renter-occupied 11 housing units. Census Tract 74.06 has the largest percentage of renter-occupied housing units, 12 with 910 of the 954 reported as renter-occupied, or 95 percent. Census Tract 98.07 has the 13 smallest percentage of renter-occupied units at 756 of the 1,287 total renter-occupied units, or 14 59 percent. The number of renter-occupied housing units around St. Elizabeths East Campus is 15 greater than the District of Columbia, which has 59 percent of renter-occupied housing 16 (U.S. Census Bureau 2000).
17 Affordable housing in the District of Columbia is subsidized by the District of Columbia 18 Housing Authority (DCHA). Affordable housing refers to a combination of deeply subsidized 19 units and units priced for the work force. The DCHA provides families and individuals with 20 affordable housing through the use of two programs. The first program is the Public Housing 21 Program, which provides low-income families, seniors, and persons with disabilities housing in 22 one of the 56 buildings owned and operated by DCHA. Tenants in DCHA buildings pay 30 23 percent of their income in rent. The second program, the Housing Choice Voucher Program, is 24 operated in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) 25 and provides vouchers to low-income individuals and families. Under this program, tenants pay 26 30 percent of their income in rent to the landlord, and DCHA pays the remainder of the rent to 27 the landlord (DCHA 2010).
28 Ward 8 exceeds all other wards in terms of the number of affordable housing units, the number 29 of housing choice voucher holders, and those on the DCHA waiting list for housing. More than 30 9,000 affordable and special needs housing units exist in the ward, with approximately 4,100 31 units in the development pipeline. Anacostia and Washington Highlands exhibited the largest 32 totals of existing affordable and special needs housing units among the Neighborhood 33 Investment Fund areas, with Washington Highlands having the largest share of such housing 34 units in the development pipeline (GSA 2008e).
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1 The Comprehensive Plan for the National Capital prepared by NCPC prompts the Federal 2 government to review the availability of public transportation, employee services, and affordable 3 housing for employees and their families within a convenient commuting distance from the 4 Proposed Action. Furthermore, preference for locations that are accessible by public 5 transportation, walking, or biking should be taken into account. These provisions apply to 6 actions requiring the relocation or addition of 100 employees or more (NCCP 1994).
7 Neighborhoods near the East Campus include Congress Heights, Barry Farm, and Anacostia. 8 Congress Heights is a residential neighborhood south of the St. Elizabeths East Campus. The 9 largest commercial district in Ward 8 is in Congress Heights along MLK and Malcolm X 10 avenues. Congress Heights was developed in the 1930s at the end of the Washington Streetcar 11 line (DCHPO 2007). The U.S. Army used Camp Simms in the central part of Congress Heights 12 from the 1900s to 1950s to train the District of Columbia National Guard personnel and Army, 13 Navy, and Marine Corps units in and around the District of Columbia (BEA 2006).
14 Barry Farm is a small neighborhood north of the St. Elizabeths East Campus. It is possibly the 15 oldest African-American neighborhood in the District of Columbia, where in 1867 the 16 Freedman’s Bureau purchased the land from the Barry family and subdivided it as settlements 17 for freed slaves (DCHPO 2007). A few old frame houses, which separate Barry Farm from 18 St. Elizabeths, are remnants of the original Freedman’s community. Today, the Barry Farm 19 community is almost entirely occupied by public housing owned by the District of Columbia.
20 Anacostia is a neighborhood with its historic central business district at Good Hope Road and 21 MLK Avenue. Anacostia was incorporated in 1854 and was one of the first suburbs in the 22 District of Columbia (DCHPO 2007). It was designed to cater to the working class, most of 23 which were employed across the Anacostia River at the Washington Navy Yard. Anacostia has a 24 year-round ice skating rink at Fort Dupont Park, the city police boys’ club, and a new “tennis 25 and learning center,” combining sports with academic tutoring. Free evening jazz concerts 26 occur weekly in the summer. The annual MLK Birthday parade is a notable event that occurs in 27 January on MLK Avenue.
28 4.4.3 Environmental Justice
29 EO 12898, Federal Actions To Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income 30 Populations, stipulates that “…each Federal agency shall make achieving environmental justice 31 part of its mission by identifying and addressing, as appropriate, disproportionately high and 32 adverse human health or environmental effects of its programs, policies, and activities on 33 minority populations and low-income populations…” GSA is not a member of the Interagency
Draft EIS December 2010 4-121 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
1 Federal Working Group (IWG) on Environmental Justice; however, the agency assesses 2 Environmental Justice issues as part of its NEPA review and analysis.
3 According to the USEPA, “Environmental Justice is the fair treatment and meaningful 4 involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the 5 development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and 6 policies.” Fair treatment means that no group of people should bear a disproportionate share of 7 the negative environmental consequences resulting from industrial, commercial, and 8 governmental operations or policies. Meaningful involvement means (1) people have an 9 opportunity to participate in decisions about activities that could affect their environment or 10 health, (2) the public’s contribution can influence the regulatory agency’s decision, (3) their 11 concerns will be considered in the decisionmaking process, and (4) the decisionmakers seek out 12 and facilitate the involvement of those potentially affected. In order to have an impact under 13 EO 12898, the impact must have a high and adverse effect on human health or environment, 14 and the impact must be in a way that has an ostensibly disproportionate impact on minority and 15 low-income populations.
16 Minority and low-income populations in the area surrounding St. Elizabeths East Campus were 17 identified by using U.S. Census Bureau Tract Level data. The area around St. Elizabeths East 18 Campus contains predominantly minority populations with the exception of Census Tract 73.01. 19 Census Tract 73.01 contains numerous Federal military installations and, therefore, is not 20 representative of Ward 8 or the District of Columbia, see Table 4.4-3.
21 Poverty status in the affected census tracts is included in Table 4.4-3. The median household 22 income for the Census Tracts identified around St. Elizabeths East Campus averages $22,549, 23 which is almost half of DC’s median household income of $40,127. One of the lowest median 24 household incomes throughout all of the District of Columbia occurs within Census Tract 74.04, 25 where the median household income is $9,353. Poverty levels within the community 26 surrounding St. Elizabeths East Campus follow a trend similar to median household income. 27 The surrounding Census Tracts have a higher poverty rate, approximately 44 percent, compared 28 to the overall District of Columbia poverty rate of 20 percent.
29 The African-American population in the area surrounding St. Elizabeths ranges from 95 percent 30 of the total population in Census Tract 73.02 to nearly 100 percent of the total population in 31 Census Tract 74.06, with the exception of Census Tract 98.09, where the African-American 32 population is 82 percent. Census Tract 98.09 is unique because it encompasses St. Elizabeths 33 and, therefore, those individuals captured by the 2000 Census might have been residents at the 34 hospital or been residing at the Veterans Shelter. Therefore, the data for Census Tract 98.09 35 represent a unique situation and analysis using the data should be made with caution.
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1 Table 4.4-3. St. Elizabeths East Campus and Surrounding Area Demographics
Census Census Census Census Census Census Census Census Census Census DC Tract Tract Tract Tract Tract Tract Tract Tract Tract Tract 73.01 a 73.02 73.04 74.01 74.04 74.06 74.07 98.04 98.07 98.09 b Population 572,059 5,234 3,261 4,660 2,996 3,318 3,148 2,373 2,566 3,238 723 Race White (percent) 30.8 58.0 1.9 0.9 0.5 0.7 0.2 1.2 0.6 1.7 14.8 Black (percent) 60.0 30.0 95.8 97.8 98.2 98.6 99.4 97.1 97.8 96.8 82.0 American Indian 0.3 0.7 0.1 0.4 0.03 0.1 0.2 0.4 0.2 0 0.8 (percent) Asian (percent) 2.7 3.5 0.3 0.1 0 0 0 0.3 0.1 0.5 0.7 Hawaiian 0.1 0.7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 (percent) Other Races 3.8 3.2 0.7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.2 (percent) Two or More Races 2.4 3.9 1.2 0.8 0.9 0.6 0.2 0.7 0.9 0.8 0.4 (percent) Hispanic/Latino 8.0 8.4 1.3 0.4 0.9 0.9 0.7 1.1 0.9 0.9 1.9 (percent) Median Age 34.6 23.7 35.1 25.4 20.8 18.9 19.0 29.8 26.8 34.9 46.7 (years) Median Household $40,127 $49,122 $32,791 $22,550 $14,083 $9,353 $15,877 $33,125 $22,539 $30,076 NR Income Poverty Status 20.2 2.5 22.5 43.8 57.7 63.4 51.7 24.4 33.4 19.1 77.8 (percent) Source: U.S. Census Bureau 2000 Notes: a. Census Tract 73.01 contains Federal Military Installations and is not included in analysis. b. Census Tract 98.09 encompasses St. Elizabeths, and analysis is conservative due to the unique nature of this Census Tract.
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1 The Hispanic or Latino population in the area surrounding St. Elizabeths represents between 2 0.5 and 2 percent of the total population, compared to nearly 8 percent in the District of 3 Columbia. Similarly, other minority population levels are significantly less in the St. Elizabeths 4 East Campus area when compared to the District of Columbia. Median ages in the Census 5 Tracts surrounding St. Elizabeths East Campus varies from 18.9 years in Census Tract 74.04 to 6 35.1 years in Census Tract 73.02 to 46.7 years in Census Tract 98.09 (see Table 4.4-3) 7 (U.S. Census Bureau 2000).
8 4.4.4 Economy, Employment, and Income
9 DC’s workforce is employed in predominantly three industries: (1) the professional, scientific, 10 management, administrative, and waste management services industry; (2) the educational health 11 and social services industry; and (3) the public administration industry. These three industries 12 combined employ more than 50 percent of the District of Columbia workforce. These three 13 industries also employ a large percentage of the Census Tracts that surround St. Elizabeths East 14 Campus, with the exception of the retail trade industry, in Census Tract 73.02 (see Table 4.4-4).
15 Major employers in the Anacostia area include Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, the District of 16 Columbia’s Lottery and Charitable Games Control Board, and the District of Columbia 17 Department of Human Services. Major employers in the District of Columbia as a whole 18 include George Washington University, Howard University, Washington Hospital Center, 19 Georgetown University Hospital, Georgetown University, Fannie Mae, Children’s National 20 Medical Center, Howard University Hospital, American University, Providence Hospital, 21 Washington Post Newspaper, Marriott Hotel Services, Potomac Electric Power Company, UGL 22 Unicco Service Company, Catholic University of America, Blue Cross & Blue Shield of the 23 National Capital Area, United Medical Center, Sibley Memorial Hospital, George Washington 24 University Hospital, and the Corporate Advisory Board (DCDOES 2007).
25 Unemployment data for Census Tracts are not provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; 26 however, data are available for individual wards and the District of Columbia. Figure 4.4-4 27 displays the annual percentage of the workforce unemployed from 2000 to 2009. 28 Unemployment rates in the District of Columbia fluctuated from 5.5 to 7.5 percent from 2000 29 to 2008. In 2009, a sharp increase in the unemployment rate occurred when unemployment 30 reached 10.2 percent (BLS 2009). From 2000 to 2008, the unemployment rates in Ward 8 were 31 consistently 10 percent higher than the District of Columbia. The unemployment rate in Ward 8 32 for 2009 reached 26.5 percent, one of the highest unemployment rates in the country 33 (DC Networks 2009).
December 2010 Draft EIS 4-124 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
1 Table 4.4-4. Employment by Industry
Census Census Census Census Census Census Census Census Census Census Percent DC Tract Tract Tract Tract Tract Tract Tract Tract Tract Tract 73.01 a 73.02 73.04 74.01 74.04 74.06 74.07 98.04 98.07 98.09 b Employed Persons in Armed 0.0 0.2 Forces 0.7 46.7 0.4 0.0 0.4 0.0 0.0 0.5 0.0 Agriculture, forestry, fishing and 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 hunting, and mining 0.1 Construction 3.9 4.4 7.0 6.2 5.4 4.7 9.0 6.4 5.9 6.5 42.4 Manufacturing 1.5 0.0 3.3 0.5 0.0 5.2 1.0 2.2 0.8 1.7 0.0 Wholesale trade 0.9 1.6 1.4 0.5 0 4.7 3.0 1.5 0.6 0 0.0 Retail trade 6.0 10.7 6.7 13.4 9.7 5.5 6.6 6.7 5.8 8 0.0 Transportation and warehousing, 0.0 and utilities 3.6 1.9 7.3 7.6 3.0 5.5 7.9 5.8 5.4 8.2 Information 6.4 5.3 4.2 6.6 0.0 4.4 1.6 4.8 1.9 1.8 0.0 Finance, insurance, real estate, 0.0 and rental and leasing 7.4 6.3 7.9 7.5 4.7 4.4 6.1 6.0 9.7 6 Professional, scientific, management, administrative, and waste management services 18.8 8.8 10.8 7.6 17.1 7.8 16.7 14.1 12.0 12.7 20.0 Educational, health, and social 0.0 services 18.0 22.1 23.2 14.8 31.3 27.3 25.5 20.5 24.0 16.7 Arts, entertainment, recreation, 0.0 accommodation, and food services 9.1 8.5 7.2 5.7 9.1 6.3 6.4 6.3 10.9 12.4 Other services (except public administration) 9.3 4.2 5.5 6.1 6.5 8.6 8.8 9.5 8.9 8.8 37.6 Public administration 15.0 26.2 15.5 23.7 13.2 15.6 7.4 16.2 14.2 17.2 0 Source: U.S. Census Bureau 2000 Notes: a. Census Tract 73.01 contains Federal Military Installations and is not included in analysis. b. Census Tract 98.09 encompasses St. Elizabeths, and analysis is conservative due to the unique nature of this Census Tract.
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1
2 Figure 4.4-4. Unemployment Trends in Ward 8 and the District of Columbia
3 Median household income within the area surrounding St. Elizabeths East Campus varies from a 4 low of $9,353 in Census Tract 74.04 to a high of $33,125 in Census Tract 74.07. These incomes 5 are less than the District of Columbia median household income of $40,127 (see Table 4.4-3).
6 4.4.5 Taxes and Revenue
7 Within the NCR, the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia each collect real property 8 taxes, personal property taxes, corporate franchise and unincorporated franchise taxes, sale and 9 use taxes, and individual income taxes.
10 4.4.5.1 Real Property Taxes
11 Federal properties are not subject to real property taxes; however, owners of privately held 12 properties in the District of Columbia leased for occupancy by Federal agencies are subject to 13 real property taxes. The real property taxes ranges from $1.65 to $1.85 per $100 of assessed 14 value. Assessed value is 100 percent of market value, based on the most recent estimate by the 15 District of Columbia Office of Tax and Revenue. The type of rights in the North Parcel the 16 Federal government negotiates with the District of Columbia would determine whether and how 17 much the District of Columbia collects in taxes (DCOTR 2009).
18 4.4.5.2 Personal Property Taxes & Corporate Franchise and Unincorporated 19 Franchise Taxes
20 Federal agencies are exempt from personal property and franchise taxes.
December 2010 Draft EIS 4-126 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
1 4.4.5.3 Sales and Use Taxes
2 The District of Columbia imposes sales and use taxes on the purchase or consumption of 3 tangible personal property or services. Sales and use taxes are collected using the following 4 five-tier rate structure: 5 General retail sales (5.75 percent) 6 Alcohol for off-premise consumption (9 percent) 7 Restaurant meals, liquor for consumption on the premises, and rental vehicles 8 (10 percent) 9 Commercial parking (12 percent)
10 Hotel accommodations (14.5 percent).
11 Sales and use tax revenues outside of the District of Columbia would not be affected by 12 redevelopment of St. Elizabeths East Campus (DCCFO 2009a).
13 4.4.5.4 Individual Income taxes 14 The District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia levy individual income taxes on all individuals 15 who are domiciled within the District of Columbia or their state, or who maintain a residence 16 for a total of 183 or more days per year. For Tax Year 2009, the District of Columbia taxed 17 individual income on the following tiered schedule (DCCFO 2009b): 18 First $10,000 = 4.0 percent 19 $10,000–$40,000 = $400 + 6.0 percent of excess above $10,000 20 More than $40,000 = $2,200 + 8.5 percent of excess above $40,000.
21 In Maryland an eight-tiered tax schedule is used, but most of the population falls into the third 22 tier, which is for residents making less than $150,000 who are taxed at 4.75 percent. Also, the 23 23 counties in Maryland and Baltimore City levy additional taxes ranging from 1.25 to 24 3.20 percent (COM 2008).
25 In Virginia, the tax schedule for individual income tax is four-tiered and is as follows:
26 $0–$3,000 (2 percent) 27 $3,001–$5,000 ($60 + 3 percent excess above $3,000) 28 $5,001–$17,000 ($120 + 5 percent excess above $5,000) 29 $17,001 and above ($720 + 5.75 percent excess above $17,000) (VA TAX 2009).
Draft EIS December 2010 4-127 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
1 4.4.6 Community Services
2 The St. Elizabeths East Campus is surrounded by numerous communities that offer a variety of 3 services, including public transportation, emergency response services, fire and rescue services, 4 law enforcement services, and hospital and medical services.
5 4.4.6.1 Public Transportation
6 Public transportation throughout the area surrounding St. Elizabeths East Campus is provided 7 by the WMATA by means of Metrobus and Metrorail. There are numerous bus routes 8 operating on MLK Avenue, directly in front of St. Elizabeths East Campus. The Metrobus 9 routes A2, A4, A5, A6, A7, A8, A42, A46, A48, W2, and W3 all have stops in close proximity to 10 St. Elizabeths East Campus (see Figure 4-4-5). The origin-destination for each of the 11 aforementioned bus routes is listed in Table 4.4-5.
12 The nearest Metrorail access is at either the Anacostia Station or the Congress Heights Station. 13 The Anacostia Metrorail station is at the intersection of Howard Road/Firth Sterling Avenue 14 and the Congress Heights Metrorail station is on Alabama Avenue.
15 DDOT began constructing its Anacostia Streetcar Project in March 2009. This portion of the 16 streetcar system will provide streetcar access from South Capitol Street to Pennsylvania Avenue 17 in southeast District of Columbia. The initial segment of the streetcar network will operate from 18 the Anacostia Metrorail Station to Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, with additional stops at Barry 19 Farm, and is currently under construction with operation anticipated to begin in 2012. There are 20 additional planned stops for this line, and an additional streetcar line is being considered along 21 MLK Avenue that would cross the Anacostia River and continue along 8th Street NE, and then 22 turn east onto K Street and eventually onto H Street. The entire DDOT streetcar system would 23 include 37 miles of railway on eight different lines, providing access to neighborhoods 24 throughout the District of Columbia (DDOT 2009b).
25 4.4.6.2 Emergency Services
26 The District of Columbia completed the construction of the UCC on St. Elizabeths East 27 Campus in September 2006. The UCC is an integrated call center and public safety/emergency 28 response facility that consolidates key public safety communications functions of multiple 29 District of Columbia agencies including Metropolitan Police, Fire and Emergency Medical 30 Services, and Emergency Management. The UCC houses DC’s Emergency Command
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1
2 Figure 4.4-5. Metrobus Routes in the Vicinity of the St. Elizabeths Campus
3 Table 4.4-5. Metrobus Origin Destination Summary
Bus Number Origin Destination A2 Southern Avenue Metrobus Anacostia Metrorail Station A4/A5 DC Village Anacostia Metrorail Station A6 6th Street & Galveston Place Anacostia Metrorail Station A7/A8 Southern Avenue & South Capitol Street Anacostia Metrorail Station A42 Southern Avenue Metrobus 10th Street & Pennsylvania Avenue NW (Archives) A46 6th Street & Galveston Place 10th Street & Pennsylvania Avenue NW (Archives) A48 Southern Avenue & South Capitol Street 10th Street & Pennsylvania Avenue NW (Archives) P18 Fort Washington Park & Ride Lot Anacostia Metrorail Station W2/W3 Southeast Community Hospital Washington Overlook W4 Capital Plaza Anacostia Metrorail Station W14 Friendly Anacostia Metrorail Station
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1 Center, DC’s Citywide Call Center for constituent service requests, the District of Columbia 2 Network Operations Center, and the Regional Incident Command and Control Center.
3 4.4.6.3 Fire and Rescue Services
4 The District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department provides fire and 5 rescue services for St. Elizabeths East Campus. The closest station, which houses Engine 6 Company 25 and Medic Unit-25, is on MLK Avenue, approximately 0.5 miles from 7 St. Elizabeths East Campus.
8 4.4.6.4 Law Enforcement Services
9 St. Elizabeths East Campus is within DC’s Seventh Police District, and the Station is at 2455 10 Alabama Avenue, SE. The Seventh Police District contains seven Police Service Areas (PSAs). 11 The St. Elizabeths East Campus is within PSA 703.
12 The rate of reported crime in the Seventh Police District has fluctuated from 4,236 crimes in 13 2001, to 3,646 crimes in 2005, to 4,396 crimes in 2008. In the neighboring Sixth Police District, 14 a similar trend in crime rates occurred, with rates dropping from 2001 to 2005 and then 15 increasing again by the year 2008. These trends are consistent with fluctuating crime rates 16 throughout the District of Columbia during this time period. Detailed crime statistics for the 17 District of Columbia, District 7, and PSA 703 for 2007 and 2008 are provided in Table 4.4-6 18 (DCMPD 2008a, DCMPD 2008b, DCMPD 2008c, DCMPD 2008d).
19 Table 4.4-6. Crime Statistics for 2007 and 2008
DC District 7 PSA 703 Crime 2007 2008 2007 2008 2007 2008
Homicide 181 186 60 47 14 4 Sexual Assault 192 186 42 35 18 6 Robbery 3,985 4,154 636 634 112 105 Aggravated Assault 3,566 3,609 754 791 116 98 Burglary 3,920 3,781 595 680 69 81 Larceny/Theft* 16,476 18,787 1,223 1,225 143 149 Stolen Auto 7,323 6,191 1,233 984 130 120 Total 35,643 36,894 4,453 4,396 602 563 Note: * Includes theft and theft from auto, but does not include arson.
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1 4.4.6.5 Hospital and Medical Services
2 Hospital service in the Anacostia area is provided by the United Medical Center (formerly 3 Greater Southeast Community Hospital), which is at 1310 Southern Avenue, SE, approximately 4 1.5 miles from the East Campus. This is a full-service hospital with a 450-bed capacity in an 5 urban setting. The hospital has a 40-year history of serving residents of Wards 6, 7, and 8, east 6 of the Anacostia River.
7 4.4.7 Community Facilities
8 The communities that surround the St. Elizabeths East Campus offer numerous facilities 9 consisting of libraries, education/child care facilities, parks and recreation facilities, and religious 10 facilities.
11 4.4.7.1 Libraries
12 There are three libraries near the East Campus of St. Elizabeths, the Washington Highlands 13 Library, Parklands Turner Library, and Anacostia Neighborhood Library. The Washington 14 Highlands Library is a branch library of the District of Columbia Public Library system, at 15 115 Atlantic Avenue, SE, and includes a 100-seat meeting room. Parklands Turner Library is 16 also a branch library, at 1720 Alabama Avenue, SE. The Anacostia Neighborhood Library, at 17 1800 Good Hope Road, SE, reopened on May 8, 2010, after an extensive renovation 18 (DCPL 2010).
19 4.4.7.2 Educational/Childcare Facilities
20 Public and Private Schools
21 Approximately ten public schools, six private schools, and two charter schools are near the 22 St. Elizabeths East Campus. There are many elementary schools in the vicinity surrounding 23 St. Elizabeths East Campus. The two public elementary schools closest to St. Elizabeths are 24 Martin Luther King and Savoy Elementary schools.
25 Approximately seven middle schools and one junior high school are near the East Campus. The 26 closest public junior high school to St. Elizabeths is Johnson Junior High School. The second 27 closest public middle school is Hart Middle School. There are also eight public charter schools 28 in Ward 8 that provide alternative options to public school for elementary or middle school 29 children. Five high schools are within Ward 8 near St. Elizabeths East Campus. Three schools 30 are public (Anacostia Senior High School, Ballou Senior High School, and Choice Academy at
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1 Douglass). One school is a public charter school (Thurgood Marshall Academy) and one school 2 is a private school (Freedom Youth Academy, Inc.) (DCPCSB 2009, FYA 2009).
3 Childcare Facilities
4 Approximately 30 licensed childcare facilities are in close proximity to the North Parcel 5 (DCDOH 2004a). Table 4.4-7 presents the Licensed Early Childcare Facilities in the vicinity of 6 St. Elizabeths East Campus that are listed on the District of Columbia’s Department of Health 7 Child and Residential Care Facilities Listing of Child Development Facilities (DCDOH 2004a).
8 Table 4.4-7. Childcare Facilities
Name Address
Barry Farm Child Care Center 1230 Sumner Road, SE Pearlie Boykin (home childcare) 1114 Stevens Road, SE Dawn to Dusk Child Development Center, Inc. 657 Lebaum Street, SE Mary F. Joseph (home childcare) 415 Lebaum Street, SE Love and Care Child Development Center 554 Malcolm X Avenue, SE Matthews Memorial Baptist Church Child Development Center 2616 MLK Avenue, SE Newcomb Child Development Center 541 Newcomb Street, SE Carolyn Richards (home childcare) 1132 Eaton Road, SE Sylvia Robinson (home childcare) 1201 Stevens Road, SE
9 Most of these childcare facilities operate from 7 a.m. until 6 p.m. Additionally, the District of 10 Columbia’s UCC has childcare available 24 hours a day.
11 4.4.7.3 Parks and Recreational Facilities
12 Parks and Open Space
13 The area around St. Elizabeths includes open space and parkland owned by the Federal 14 government and the District of Columbia. North of the St. Elizabeths East Campus, the 15 Anacostia River winds past a string of parks and open space available to the public, collectively 16 known as Anacostia Park. Anacostia Park is part of the NPS–National Capital Parks East. The 17 park covers more than 1,200 acres on both sides of the river and is one of the city’s largest and 18 most important recreation areas. Anacostia Park includes picnic grounds, playgrounds, ball 19 fields, basketball courts, tennis courts, and an 18-hole golf course (Langston Golf Course) and 20 driving range. The park’s pavilion has more than 3,000 square feet of roller skating space. 21 There are three concession-owned boating marinas, four boat clubs, and a public boat ramp.
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1 Open space within the park includes many acres of forest, the Kenilworth Marsh, Kenilworth 2 Aquatic Gardens, and Poplar Point (NPS 2009b).
3 In December 2006, Congress approved the transfer of Poplar Point, a 110-acre open space, to 4 the District of Columbia. The District of Columbia has started the planning phases for Poplar 5 Point, which will include an amphitheater, numerous ball fields, gardens, and walking trails. 6 Poplar Point is approximately 0.2 miles north of the East Campus on the east side of the 7 Anacostia River, and is planned for redevelopment to include parks and recreation uses (DCOP 8 2009d).
9 Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens is along the waterfront north of Benning Bridge. The Aquatic 10 Gardens are the only part of the National Park System devoted entirely to raising aquatic plants. 11 The gardens encompass 12 acres of ponds, 44 acres of tidal marsh, and 5 greenhouses. The 12 ponds house more than 1,000 species of aquatic plants. The park is approximately 5 miles 13 northeast of St. Elizabeths East Campus and admission to the park is free (NPS 2009c).
14 The proposed Anacostia Riverwalk Trail is part of the AWI that will connect all of the open 15 spaces that constitute the Anacostia River Parks system (DDOT 2009d). The Anacostia 16 Riverwalk Trail will be a 48-mile multi-use trail along the eastern and western banks of the 17 Anacostia River.
18 Another park within the National Park System and in the vicinity of the redevelopment of the 19 St. Elizabeths East Campus is Fort Circle Parks. At the start of the Civil War in 1861, a series of 20 forts, batteries, and rifle trenches were built around Washington to protect the Nation’s capital 21 from a confederate invasion. After the war, most of the forts and batteries were dismantled and 22 the land was returned to its owners. However, the Federal government purchased and 23 developed some of the land as parkland, known as Fort Circle Parks (NPS 2009d).
24 Fort Stanton, once a Civil War-era military outpost, is on Erie Street near Morris Road adjacent 25 to Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church. The actual site is denoted by a historical 26 marker. The park is maintained by the NPS and includes Washington Overlook, a wooded area 27 with views of the city. It is part of the Fort Circle Parks. The recreational facility includes two 28 baseball fields, a football field, a basketball court, a toddler playground, and a computer room.
29 Fort Dupont Park is at Randle Circle, SE, and is accessed via Massachusetts Avenue. It is part 30 of the Fort Circle Parks. Fort Dupont is a heavily wooded 376-acre park that includes trails, 31 tennis and basketball courts, and softball fields. On the grounds of the park, the community 32 maintains a large ice rink that was originally constructed for practice by the Washington Capitals 33 hockey team. A Community Nature Center at Fort Dupont is staffed by the NPS. The Nature
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1 Center sponsors a variety of activities including theater productions, music concerts, and 2 community gardens (NPS 2009e).
3 The Frederick Douglass National Historical Site is at 1411 W Street, SE. The site includes the 4 preserved Gothic Revival home of Frederick Douglass, a famous African American abolitionist, 5 orator, and statesman, who lived during the Civil War era. It is situated on Cedar Hill, between 6 Fort Stanton and the Anacostia River (NPS 2009f).
7 Recreation and Community Facilities
8 St. Elizabeths East Campus is in a residential area, but also has nearby commercial facilities 9 along MLK Avenue to the east. Commercial facilities in this area include a convenience store, 10 beauty salons, gas stations, restaurants, and other retail businesses.
11 The site is located in ANC 8C and Ward 8. Ward 8 holds neighborhood and ward-wide festivals 12 and events every year such as the MLK Day Parade, the Ward 8 Health Festival, Congress 13 Heights Day, and the Ferebee Hope Community Festival.
14 A state-of-the-art Tennis and Learning Center and the Town Hall Education, Arts, and 15 Recreation Campus (THEARC), a new arts and recreation center, were constructed on 16 Mississippi Avenue. The Tennis and Learning Center was constructed on a 4-acre unimproved 17 site at 701 Mississippi Avenue, SE. The 14,718-square-foot facility features four indoor and six 18 outdoor-lighted tennis courts, multi-purpose rooms, computer lab, locker and shower rooms, 19 and kitchenette (DCDPR 2009). The THEARC, at 1901 Mississippi Ave, SE, consists of 20 110,000 square feet and houses the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Washington, Children’s 21 Health Project of the District of Columbia, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Covenant House 22 Washington, Levine School of Music, Parklands Community Center, Trinity University Adult 23 Learning, Washington Ballet, Washington Middle School for Girls, and the Washington School 24 of Psychiatry (THEARC 2009).
25 The Smithsonian Institution’s Anacostia Museum and Center for African American History and 26 Culture is at 1901 Fort Place, SE. The museum encourages the collection, protection, and 27 presentation of materials related to the history and traditions of African Americans in the United 28 States. The museum receives approximately 43,000 visitors per year and admission is free. It is 29 situated on a hilltop adjacent to historic Fort Stanton (Smithsonian 2009).
30
December 2010 Draft EIS 4-134 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
1 The following neighborhood recreation/community centers are within 0.5 miles of 2 St. Elizabeths East Campus:
3 Barry Farm Recreation Center, at 1230 Sumner Road, SE, includes a lighted athletic field 4 with baseball diamond, picnic area, two playground areas, a multi-purpose room, a 5 kitchenette, and a computer room. 6 Congress Heights Recreation Center, at 100 Randle Place, SE, includes two lighted 7 tennis courts, a lighted basketball court, a Little League baseball field, a picnic area, a 8 toddler playground, and a multi-purpose room. 9 Hart Recreation Center is at 601 Mississippi Avenue, SE, in the same location as the 10 Hart Middle School. The facility includes an outdoor pool, which is part of Oxon Run 11 Park, a picnic area, a playground, a softball field, two multi-purpose rooms, and a 12 computer lab. 13 Savoy Recreation Center, at 2440 Shannon Place, SE, is in the same location as Savoy 14 Elementary School and has an indoor basketball court and a multi-purpose room. 15 Douglass Community Center, at 1898 Stanton Terrace, SE, includes an outdoor 16 swimming pool, a lighted athletic field and tennis court, three playgrounds, a 17 multi-purpose room with kitchen, and a computer room. 18 UPO Ralph Waldo “Petey” Green Community Service Center, at 2907 MLK Avenue, 19 provides services to assist residents in reading self-sufficiency (UPO 2009).
20 4.4.7.4 Religious Facilities
21 There are a large number of religious facilities near St. Elizabeths East Campus (see Table 22 4.4-8).
23 4.4.7.5 Safety and Security
24 St. Elizabeths East Campus is within the District of Columbia’s Seventh Police District. The 25 Seventh District Station, at 2455 Alabama Avenue SE, is approximately 1.4 miles from the 26 North Parcel Study Area, and is the nearest police station to the St. Elizabeths East Campus. 27 The Seventh Police District contains seven PSAs and the St. Elizabeths East Campus is within 28 PSA 703.
Draft EIS December 2010 4-135 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
1 Table 4.4-8. Religious Facilities
Facility Name Location
Holy Temple Church 439 12th Street, SE Macedonia Baptist Church 2625 Stanton Road, SE Matthews Memorial Baptist Church 2616 MLK Avenue, SE Refshint Rock Church COGIC 568 Lebaum Street, SE Campbell AME Church 2562 MLK Avenue, SE St. John CME Church 2801 Stanton Road, SE Universal Holiness Church 2426 Elvans Road, SE Bethuel Temple Church 2406 MLK Avenue, SE Bethlehem Baptist Church 2458 MLK Avenue, SE Rehoboth Baptist Church 621 Alabama Avenue, SE Jerusalem Church of God-Christ 3128 MLK Avenue, SE Temple Missionary Baptist Church 3105 MLK Avenue, SE Congress Heights United Methodist 421 Alabama Avenue, SE Harvey Memorial Baptist Church 3204 Brothers Place, SE
2 4.5 Air Quality
3 Existing air quality in the vicinity of the St. Elizabeth’s East Campus North Parcel was assessed 4 in accordance with guidelines set forth by 23 CFR Part 771, 49 CFR Part 622, the Clean Air Act 5 (CAA), and NEPA. Specifically presented in this section are the applicable National Ambient 6 Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), and a summary of the representative average 2007 and 2008 7 ambient air quality monitoring data collected from ambient air quality monitoring stations in the 8 vicinity of the St. Elizabeths East Campus North Parcel.
9 4.5.1 National Ambient Air Quality Standards
10 The CAA directed the USEPA to develop, implement, and enforce strong environmental 11 regulations that would ensure clean and healthy ambient air quality. To protect public health 12 and welfare, the USEPA developed numerical concentration-based standards, or NAAQS, for 13 pollutants that have been determined to impact human health and the environment. The 14 USEPA established both primary and secondary NAAQS under the provisions of the CAA.
15 NAAQS are currently established for six criteria air pollutants: ozone (O3), carbon monoxide
16 (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), respirable particulate matter (including
17 particulate matter equal to or less than 10 microns in diameter [PM10] and particulate matter
18 equal to or less than 2.5 microns in diameter [PM2.5]), and lead (Pb). The primary NAAQS
December 2010 Draft EIS 4-136 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
1 represent maximum concentrations of criteria pollutants in the environment that are considered 2 safe, with an adequate margin of safety to protect public health. Secondary NAAQS represent 3 the maximum concentrations that protect vegetation, crops, and other public resources such as 4 visibility. Table 4.5-1 presents the primary and secondary NAAQS.
5 Areas where concentrations of criteria pollutants are below the NAAQS are designated as being 6 in “attainment” and areas where a criteria pollutant level exceeds the NAAQS are designated as 7 being in “nonattainment” by the USEPA. Maintenance areas are those that are in attainment 8 but were formerly designated nonattainment, and have implemented plans to maintain their 9 attainment status. Ozone nonattainment areas are categorized based on the severity of 10 pollution: marginal, moderate, serious, severe, or extreme. St. Elizabeths is in the District of
11 Columbia, which is classified as a moderate nonattainment area for the 8-hour O3, a
12 nonattainment area for 24-hour PM2.5, and a maintenance area for CO. The District of 13 Columbia is classified as being in attainment for all other criteria air pollutants (USEPA 2009a).
14 4.5.2 Background Levels of Criteria Pollutants
15 Air monitoring stations throughout the District of Columbia detect levels of criteria pollutants. 16 A summary of the representative ambient monitoring data is provided in Table 4.5-1. 17 Table 4.5-1 presents the NAAQS, pollutant, site address, and the 2007-2008 average 18 background concentration of the criteria pollutants. The reported 0.089 parts per million (ppm)
19 for the 8-hour O3 level exceeds the standard of 0.08 ppm. This exceedance is consistent with 20 the nonattainment status of the region.
21 4.5.3 The State Implementation Plan of the Clean Air Act
22 As authorized by the CAA, the USEPA has delegated responsibility for ensuring compliance 23 with NAAQS to the states and local agencies. As such, each state must develop air pollutant 24 control programs and promulgate regulations and rules that focus on meeting NAAQS and 25 maintaining healthy ambient air quality levels. These programs are detailed in State 26 Implementation Plans (SIPs) that must be developed by each state or local regulatory agency and 27 approved by the USEPA. A SIP is a compilation of regulations, strategies, schedules, and 28 enforcement actions designed to move the state into compliance with all NAAQS. Any changes 29 to the compliance schedule or plan (e.g., new regulations, emissions budgets, controls) must be 30 incorporated into the SIP and approved by the USEPA.
Draft EIS December 2010 4-137 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
1 Table 4.5-1. National Ambient Air Quality Standards
2007/2008 Average Background Levels Averaging NAAQS Pollutant in DC Time Primary Secondary Location Concentration
Takoma School Piney Branch Road & Dahlia 0.084 ppm Street a 0.08 ppm Same as O 8 Hours 3 (157 µg/m3) Primary 34th and Dix Streets, NE 0.089 ppm
2500 1st Street, NW 0.087 ppm
b 3 Same as 3 PM 24 Hours 150 µg/m 34th and Dix Streets, NE 43.0 µg/m 10 Primary
34th and Dix Streets, NE 32.8 µg/m3
c 3 Park Services Office 3 24 Hours 35 µg/m 31.6 µg/m 1100 Ohio Drive
3 Same as 2500 1st Street, NW 33.1 µg/m PM2.5 Primary 34th and Dix Streets, NE 13.6 µg/m3 Annual 3 Park Services Office 3 Arithmetic 15 µg/m 13.7 µg/m 1100 Ohio Drive Mean d 2500 1st Street, NW 13.0 µg/m3
C & P Telephone Co. L 10 mg/m3 1.9 ppm 8 Hours b Street (9.0 ppm ) 34th and Dix Streets, NE 3.3 ppm CO None C & P Telephone Co. L 40 mg/m3 4.0 ppm 1 Hour b Street (35 ppm ) 34th and Dix Streets, NE 3.8 ppm
Piney Branch Road and 3 32.1 µg/m Annual Dahlia Street North 100 µg/m3 Same as Arithmetic (0.053 ppm ) Primary 34th and Dix Streets, NE 34.0 µg/m3 Mean 2500 1st Street, NW 34.0 µg/m3 NO2 Piney Branch Road and 3 115.1 µg/m Dahlia Street North 3 e 189 µg/m 1 Hour None (0.10 ppm ) 34th and Dix Streets, NE 194.3 µg/m3
2500 1st Street, NW 147.2 µg/m3
Annual 3 80 µg/m 3 Arithmetic 16 µg/m (0.03 ppm ) Mean 0.5 ppm 3 3 1,300 µg/m , 3- SO b 365 µg/m 34th and Dix Streets, NE 3 2 24 Hours Hour averaging 39 µg/m (0.14 ppm ) time 3 f 196 µg/m 3 1 Hour 132.6 µg/m (0.75 ppm )
December 2010 Draft EIS 4-138 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
2007/2008 Average Background Levels Averaging NAAQS Pollutant in DC Time Primary Secondary Location Concentration
Quarterly 3 Same as Pb 1.5 µg/m (no data available) Average Primary Source: USEPA 2009b Notes: Parenthetical values are approximate equivalent concentrations. 3 a. To attain this standard, the 3-year average of the fourth-highest daily maximum 8-hour average O concentrations measured at each monitor within an area over each year must not exceed 0.08 ppm. b. Not to be exceeded more than once per year. c. To attain this standard, the 3-year average of the 98th percentile of 24-hour concentrations at each population-oriented monitor within an area must not exceed 35 µg/m3.
d. To attain this standard, the 3-year average of the annual arithmetic mean PM2.5 concentrations from single or multiple community-oriented monitors must not exceed 15.0 µg/m3. e. Final rule published February 9, 2010. To attain this standard, the 3-year average of the 98th percentile of the daily maximum 1-hour average at each monitor within an area must not exceed 100 ppb. f. Final rule published June 22, 2010. To attain this standard, the 3-year average of the 99th percentile of the daily maximum 1-hour average at each monitor within an area must not exceed 75 ppb. Key: ppm = parts per million µg/m3 = micrograms per cubic meter mg/m3 = milligrams per cubic meter
1 The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG) is the regional agency that 2 prepares the SIP for the NCR. The SIP provides an inventory of existing air emissions and 3 accounts for planned projects within the region that have the potential to increase pollutant 4 emissions. The SIP accounts for general increases in vehicular travel throughout the region and 5 anticipated changes in land use and demographic/employment patterns.
6 4.5.4 Greenhouse Gases and Climate
7 Greenhouse gases (GHGs) are components of the atmosphere that trap heat relatively near the 8 surface of the earth, and therefore, contribute to the greenhouse effect and global warming. 9 Most GHGs occur naturally in the atmosphere, but increases in their concentration result from 10 human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels. Global temperatures are expected to 11 continue to rise as human activities continue to add carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and 12 other greenhouse (or heat-trapping) gases to the atmosphere. Most of the United States is 13 expected to experience an increase in average temperature. Precipitation changes, which are also 14 very important to consider when assessing climate change effects, are more difficult to predict. 15 Whether or not rainfall will increase or decrease remains difficult to project for specific regions 16 (USEPA 2010a, IPCC 2007).
17 The extent of climate change effects, and whether these effects prove harmful or beneficial, will 18 vary by region, over time, and with the ability of different societal and environmental systems to 19 adapt to or cope with the change. Human health, agriculture, natural ecosystems, coastal areas,
Draft EIS December 2010 4-139 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
1 and heating and cooling requirements are examples of climate-sensitive systems. Rising average 2 temperatures are already affecting the environment. Some observed changes include shrinking 3 of glaciers, thawing of permafrost, later freezing and earlier break-up of ice on rivers and lakes, 4 lengthening of growing seasons, shifts in plant and animal ranges, and earlier flowering of trees 5 (USEPA 2010a, IPCC 2007).
6 4.5.5 Baseline Emissions Sources (Stationary and Mobile)
7 The air quality analysis for the St. Elizabeth’s East North Campus Parcel was performed in 8 accordance with guidelines set forth by 23 CFR Part 771, 49 CFR Part 622, CAA, and NEPA, as 9 they appropriately apply. The baseline condition addresses both stationary and mobile sources 10 of air emissions. Specifically, the analysis assessed the existing stationary sources, and CO from 11 mobile sources at nearby intersections.
12 Stationary Sources
13 The existing stationary sources at the St. Elizabeths East Campus North Parcel include two 14 boilers used for heating, and six surface parking lots. The annual potential to emit (PTE) for 15 criteria air pollutants (tons per year [tpy]) are presented in Table 4.5-2. It should be noted that 16 mobile source emissions are not reflected in the PTE emissions inventory, and only CO was 17 accounted for from the surface parking lots. CO emissions from mobile sources were included 18 as part of the mobile source analysis.
19 Table 4.5-2. Potential to Emit For Existing Stationary Sources at the St. Elizabeths East Campus 20 North Parcel
Potential to Emit (tpy)
SO2 NOx CO PM10 PM2.5 * VOC PTE for Existing Stationary Sources 0.36 10.21 8.45 0.77 0.77 0.56 New Source Review Major Source Threshold 100 100 100 100 100 50 Source: USEPA 2010e
Note: * Conservatively assumed PM10 = PM2.5.
21 Mobile Sources
22 The mobile source analysis was prepared in accordance with USEPA guidance, A Modeling 23 Methodology for Predicting Pollutant Concentrations Near Roadway Intersections (USEPA 1995), and the 24 District of Columbia Department of Health (DOH) Guidance for the Analysis of Air Quality 25 Studies Performed as the Result of the Environmental Impact Screening From Process (DCDOH 2003). 26 Since CO emissions from mobile sources are the prime concern of the DOH, and the area is a
December 2010 Draft EIS 4-140 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
1 maintenance area for CO, this mobile source analysis evaluates potential impacts from CO 2 emissions. Detailed procedures for conducting the CO analysis, and results, are provided in 3 Appendix G.
4 Intersections included in this analysis include the following:
5 Suitland Parkway and Stanton Road 6 Firth Sterling Avenue and South Capitol Street 7 Malcolm X Avenue and 2nd Street 8 South Capitol Street and MLK Avenue 9 MLK Avenue and Anacostia Freeway NB
10 Malcolm X Avenue and South Capitol Street 11 Howard Road and MLK Avenue 12 NB Suitland Parkway and SB I-295 to Suitland 13 Redwood Street and MLK Avenue 14 Gate 4 and Shepherd Parkway.
15 These intersections were included because they represent a range of major intersections in the 16 vicinity of St. Elizabeths that could be impacted by the Proposed Action. Table 4.5-3 presents 17 the results of the CO modeling analysis using morning (a.m.) and afternoon (p.m.) hourly peak 18 traffic volumes. These values reflect the maximum concentrations predicted for the ten 19 intersections. One-hour CO concentrations in the morning (a.m.) hours would range from 0.00 20 to 2.30 ppm, and for the afternoon (p.m.) hours range from 0.00 to 1.50 ppm. The maximum 21 predicted 1-hour CO concentrations would not exceed the 1-hour CO NAAQS of 35 ppm. The 22 8-hour CO concentrations in the a.m. hours would range from 0.00 to 1.48 ppm. The CO 23 concentrations for the p.m. hours would range from 0.00 to 0.80 ppm. The maximum average 24 8-hour concentration of CO would not exceed the 8-hour CO NAAQS of 9 ppm.
25 Table 4.5-3. Modeled Existing Peak CO Concentrations at Nearby Intersections
CO Concentration (ppm) NAAQS NAAQS AM Peak Period PM Peak Period NAAQS Background Exceeded Level Modeled Total Modeled Total 1-Hour 4.0 2.50 6.50 2.0 6.00 35 ppm No 8-Hour 2.7 1.52 4.22 1.25 3.95 9 ppm No
Draft EIS December 2010 4-141 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
1 Existing Stationary and Mobile Sources
2 An air quality modeling assessment of the baseline condition was performed. The modeling 3 approach used is consistent with modeling guidance provided by Guidance for the Analysis of Air 4 Quality Studies Performed as a Result of the Environmental Impact Screening Form (EISF) Process 5 (DCDOH 2003). The USEPA-approved AERMOD model was used to estimate the existing 6 downwind maximum concentrations of criteria pollutants from stationary sources. Potential 7 downwash effects from surrounding buildings and structures were included in the evaluation. 8 The two existing boiler stacks were modeled as individual point sources, and the six surface 9 parking lots were modeled as area sources of CO. Subsequently, the maximum 1-hour and 10 8-hour CO concentrations for mobile sources were added to the stationary sources 11 contributions. The resulting concentrations were added to 2007 and 2008 averaged background
12 levels of NO2, SO2, CO, and PM10 (USEPA 2010d). As shown in Table 4.5-4, the modeled 13 existing concentrations of all criteria pollutants are below the applicable NAAQS. Attainment
14 designations and modeling procedures for the new 1-hour NO2 NAAQS have not yet been 15 established; when they are, additional requirements for sources may be put in place through the 16 SIP process. For analysis purposes, the 4th and 8th highest modeled concentrations were used 17 as surrogates for the 98th and 99th percentile concentration, which serve as the basis of the 1-
18 hour NO2 and SO2 NAAQS respectively. In addition, it was assumed NO2 was 75 percent of
19 the total NOx (USEPA 2010j).
20 Table 4.5-4. Modeling Results for National Ambient Air Quality Standards Comparison
Modeled Concentration Averaging Background Total NAAQS Pollutant NAAQS Time Stationary Mobile Concentration Concentration Exceeded? Sources Sources
3 PM10 24 Hours 150 µg/m 1.3 - 43 44.3 No 8 Hours 9 ppm 0.3 1.5 2.7 4.5 No CO 1 Hour b 35 ppm 0.9 2.5 4.0 7.4 No Annual 100 µg/m3 2.0 - 34.0 36.0 No NO2 1 Hour 189 µg/m3 1.4 - 147.2 148.6 No Annual 80 µg/m3 0.1 - 16 16.1 No 24 Hours 365 µg/m3 9.2 - 39 48.2 No SO2 1,300 - 91 No 3 Hour 23.0 114 µg/m3 1 Hour 196 µg/m3 40.6 - 133 173.6 No
December 2010 Draft EIS 4-142 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
1 4.6 Noise
2 4.6.1 Noise Fundamentals
3 Sound is a physical phenomenon consisting of minute vibrations that travel through a medium, 4 such as air, and are sensed by the human ear. Noise is defined as any sound that is undesirable 5 because it interferes with communication, is intense enough to damage hearing, or is otherwise 6 intrusive. Human response to noise varies, depending on the type and characteristics of the 7 noise; distance between the noise source and the receptor; receptor sensitivity; and time of day. 8 Noise can interfere with communication, produce awakenings from sleep, or damage hearing. 9 Noise is often generated by activities essential to a community’s quality of life, such as 10 construction or vehicular traffic.
11 Sound varies by both intensity and frequency. Sound levels, described in decibels (dB), are used 12 to quantify the sound intensity. The dB is a logarithmic unit that expresses the ratio of a sound 13 pressure level to a standard reference level. Hertz are used to quantify sound frequency. The 14 human ear responds differently to different frequencies. The “A-weighting” of sound, described 15 in A-weighted decibels (dBA), approximates this frequency response to describe better the 16 perception of sound by humans. A scale relating sounds encountered in daily life to their 17 approximate dBA values is provided in Table 4.6-1.
18 Table 4.6-1. Common Sound Levels
Sound Level (dBA) Example Outdoor Source Example Indoor Source 100 Snowmobile Subway Train 90 Tractor Garbage Disposal 85 Noisy Restaurant Blender 80 Downtown (Large City) Ringing Telephone 70 Freeway Traffic TV Audio 65 Power Lawn Mower - 60 Normal Conversation Sewing Machine 50 Rainfall Refrigerator 40 Quiet Residential Area Library Source: Harris 1998
19 The dBA noise metric describes steady noise levels, although very few noises are, in fact,
20 constant. Therefore, a noise metric, equivalent sound level (Leq) has been developed. Leq
21 represents the average sound energy over a given time period presented in dB (e.g., one-hour Leq
22 [Leq (h)]).
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1 4.6.2 Regulatory Review
2 The Noise Control Act of 1972 (P.L. 92-574) directs Federal agencies to comply with applicable 3 Federal, state, interstate, and local noise control regulations. The District of Columbia maintains 4 a detailed noise ordinance (Title 20, District of Columbia Municipal Regulations, Chapter 27, 5 Noise Control), which sets a noise limit of 60 dBA (80 dBA for construction equipment) in the 6 daytime in residential areas, and 55 dBA in the evenings for all activities. Normal operation of 7 motor vehicles and motorcycles are specifically exempt from the D.C. noise ordinance.
8 The FHWA-established Noise Abatement Policy outlines established Noise Abatement Criteria 9 (NAC) that provide a benchmark to assess the level at which noise becomes a clear source of 10 annoyance for different land uses, shown in Table 4.6-2. Category B, which represents 11 moderately sensitive land uses, best describes the majority of the receptors in the area. The
12 FHWA use the Leq (h) descriptor to estimate the degree of nuisance or annoyance arising from 13 changes in traffic noise. The NAC for residential use (Category B) is 67 dBA during the peak 14 traffic period.
15 Table 4.6-2. Noise Abatement Criteria
Activity Description of Activity Category NAC L (h)(dBA) Category eq Land where serenity and quiet are of extraordinary significance and serve 57 A an important public need, and where the preservation of those qualities is (exterior) essential if the area is to continue to serve its intended purpose. Picnic areas, recreation areas, playgrounds, active sports areas, parks, 67 B residences, motels, hotels, schools, churches, libraries, and hospitals. (exterior) 72 C Developed lands, properties, or activities not included in Categories A or B. (exterior) D Undeveloped lands. N/A Residences, motels, hotels, public meeting rooms, schools, churches, 52 E libraries, hospitals, and auditoriums. (interior) Source: FHWA 1995 and 23 CFR 772
16 The FHWA policy also outlines the way people would perceive a change in noise level (see 17 Table 4.6-3). Generally, a 3-dBA change in noise level is barely perceptible to most individuals, 18 whereas a 10-dBA change is typically perceived as a doubling (or halving) of noise levels and is 19 considered a substantial change (see Table 4.6-3). This allows for a direct estimation of an 20 individual’s perception of any changes in noise levels.
December 2010 Draft EIS 4-144 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
1 Table 4.6-3. Perceptions of Changes in Noise Levels
Change in Sound Level (dBA) Perception 3 Barely perceptible change 5 Readily perceptible change 10 Twice or half as loud 20 Four times or one-fourth as loud 40 Eight times or one-eighth as loud Source: FHWA 1995
2 4.6.3 Existing Noise
3 The St Elizabeths East Campus North Parcel is within an urban noise environment. Sources of 4 noise include roadway traffic, sirens from emergency vehicles, and high-altitude aircraft 5 overflights. There are some bird vocalizations and vegetation noise, such as leaves rustling. 6 Primary and secondary roadways are the dominant source of noise in the area. The roadways 7 with the highest volumes and speeds near the St. Elizabeths East Campus and the 8 Transportation Improvements Study Areas include I-295, South Capitol Street, Malcolm X 9 Avenue, MLK Avenue, Suitland Parkway, Firth Sterling Avenue, and Alabama Avenue. Within 10 the East Campus, there is background noise from occasional vehicles, maintenance operations, 11 heating and cooling units, and other activities. Existing noise-sensitive receptors within the 12 study area include medium- to high-density residential areas, approximately 20 churches, and 13 several medical facilities and schools. A baseline noise analysis was conducted in the vicinity of 14 the St. Elizabeths Campus, and the results of that analysis are presented in Appendix H.
15 Based on the results of this baseline noise analysis, noise measurements and predictions were 16 made for eight selected and representative locations near the I-295/Malcolm X interchange, 17 along Firth Sterling Avenue, and at the North Parcel. Sites were roughly distributed throughout 18 the study area and in the neighborhoods surrounding the transportation upgrades to represent 19 areas that would have the greatest potential to be adversely affected (see Figure 4.6-1).
20 Existing noise levels were both measured using a Type I Precision Sound Level Meter during 21 peak periods, and predicted using the FHWA highway traffic noise prediction model, Traffic 22 Noise Model (TNM) 2.5. Both noise measurements and predictions for representative receptors 23 are outlined in Table 4.6-4. The model uses the number and type of vehicles on an existing or 24 planned roadway, their speeds, and the physical characteristics of the road (e.g., curves, hills, 25 depressed, elevated) to estimate traffic noise. Each existing roadway was modeled assuming no 26 special noise abatement measures would be incorporated, and the roadways were at-grade. It 27 was assumed that the peak-hour volumes and corresponding speeds for trucks and automobiles 28 result in the noisiest conditions.
Draft EIS December 2010 4-145 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
Noise Measurements Sites
North Parcel Study Area
St. Elizabeths East Campus
St. Elizabeths West Campus Transportation Improvement Study Areas
Metrorail Green Line 0 500 1,000 2,000 Feet M‐5 Meters Anacostia 03150 00600 Firth Sterling Avenue Projection: Transverse Mercator UTM Zone 18N North American Datum of 1983 M‐4
M‐6
Proposed West Campus Access Road
S u St. Elizabeths it la n West Campus d Pa rkway
MLK Avenue M‐8
M‐3
I‐295/Malcom X Avenue M‐7 295 Interchange & Shepherd Parkway Study Area St. Elizabeths East Campus South
M‐2
Capitol M‐1 Congress Heights
Shepherd Street Avenue Parkway Alabama 13th
St.
M e tr or ai l G ree n Line
1 2 Figure 4.6-1. Representative Noise-Sensitive Receptors
3
December 2010 Draft EIS 4-146 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
1 Table 4.6-4. Existing Noise Levels and Model Validation Results
Representative Existing Noise Level (dBA) Noise Sensitive Location Modeled Measured Difference Receptor (TNM2.5)
M-01 Residential community closest to the 58.6 61.0 2.4 M-02 I-295/Malcolm X Avenue Interchange 57.6 59.0 1.4 Residential community closest to the Proposed M-03 West Campus Access Road and Gate 4. 49.8 50.9 1.1 M-04 65.1 69.0 3.9 Residential community closest to the of Firth M-05 Sterling Avenue and the Proposed West 64.2 67.0 2.8 Campus Access Road (Barry Farm)* M-06 54.0 59.0 5.0 M-07 54.1 53.6 -0.5 St. Elizabeths East Campus North Parcel M-08 51.0 49.6 -1.4 Note: * Noise measurements are considered artificially high due to heavy truck traffic along Firth Sterling Avenue leading to the nearby construction site.
2 The modeled levels at six of the eight sites were within 3 dBA of the measured levels. Sites 3 M-05 and M-06 had modeled noise levels more than 3 dBA below the measured noise levels. 4 The FHWA model only accounts for traffic noise, and does not account for general community 5 noise. Heavy truck traffic to a nearby construction site and traffic on tertiary residential streets 6 was documented during the measurements at sites in M-04, M-05, and M-06, and these 7 measurements could be considered an artificially high representation of freeway traffic noise at 8 these locations. In general, model results were within 3 dBA of measurements indicating that 9 the model is a reasonable representation of actual conditions. Therefore, the TNM was carried 10 forward to evaluate the future noise conditions, and to facilitate a determination of level of 11 effects under NEPA. A detailed overview of the field noise measurements is provided in 12 Appendix H.
13 The FHWA NAC is not exceeded at any of the representative receptors near the proposed 14 transportation improvement study areas under existing conditions. Since the receptors that were 15 selected are those closest to the major thoroughfares and intersections, they would have the 16 highest levels of traffic noise. Residents farther away would experience lower levels of traffic 17 noise than those identified herein and therefore also do not currently exceed the NAC.
18 4.7 Transportation
19 This section of the EIS summarizes the evaluation of existing traffic and transportation 20 conditions for the St Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment. The purpose of this evaluation is as 21 follows:
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1 Assess the existing transportation network considering public and shared facilities 2 Analyze system traffic and identify traffic operational deficiencies.
3 This assessment was based on data and analysis summarized in the St. Elizabeths DHS 4 Headquarters at St. Elizabeths EIS Transportation Impact Analysis for St. Elizabeths Campus and 5 Surrounding Vicinity Transportation Technical Report, which is provided in Appendix C. The TTR 6 evaluates transportation impacts associated with DHS Headquarters consolidation at 7 St. Elizabeths and specifically assesses impacts associated with modifications to I-295. The TTR 8 will also be used as supporting documentation for the Interstate Justification Report (IJR) as 9 required by FHWA. The TTR Study Area, referred to as the Interstate Access Approval Impact 10 Area, encompasses a total of 46 intersections and freeway segments in the vicinity of the 11 St. Elizabeths Campus. The study area analyzed in this EIS includes 32 of the 46 intersections 12 studied in the TTR and is referred to as the EIS Transportation Analysis Study Area. The EIS 13 Transportation Analysis Study Area only includes intersections and freeway segments directly 14 impacted by the DHS Headquarters consolidation at St. Elizabeths. This study area is generally 15 bounded by the Fredrick Douglass Memorial Bridge to the north, the MLK Avenue intersection 16 with South Capitol Street to the south, I-295 to the west, and Alabama Avenue/Stanton Road 17 intersection to the east. The EIS Transportation Analysis Study Area and its intersections are 18 shown in Figure 4.7-1.
19 4.7.1 Roadway Network
20 4.7.1.1 Regional Vehicular Access
21 Regional vehicular access to St. Elizabeths campus is provided by several interstates and 22 expressways. As shown in Figure 4.7-2, the following interstates and expressways provide 23 regional vehicular access to the Campus:
24 I-95/I-495 25 I-270 26 I-295 27 DC 295 28 US-50 29 I-97 and US-50.
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1
2 Figure 4.7-1. EIS Transportation Analysis Study Area Intersections
Draft EIS December 2010 4-149 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
1
2 Figure 4.7-2. Regional Vehicular Access Roads in Vicinity of St. Elizabeths Campus
3 4.7.1.2 Local Vehicular Access
4 Local access is provided by several limited access facilities, arterials, and local streets, which are 5 highlighted in the following sections. These roadways and access to the St. Elizabeths Campus 6 are shown on Figure 4.7-3.
7 South Capitol Street, SE is classified as an expressway south of Potomac Avenue on the north 8 bank of the Anacostia River. The Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge carries South Capitol 9 Street across the Anacostia River, where it continues south, parallel to I-295. The classification 10 of the roadway changes from expressway to minor arterial south of its intersection with Firth 11 Sterling Avenue, SE. The posted speed limit is 35 miles per hour (mph) north of Firth Sterling 12 Avenue and 40 mph south of Firth Sterling Avenue.
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1
2 Figure 4.7-3. Local and Direct Access to the St. Elizabeths Campus
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1 Suitland Parkway is a limited-access freeway that generally runs east-west between South 2 Capitol Street and Andrews AFB in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Its cross-section varies 3 from four lanes east of I-295 to six lanes west of I-295. It is classified as an expressway through 4 the study area and carries mostly commuter traffic. The speed limit on Suitland Parkway is 5 45 mph within the EIS Transportation Analysis Study Area.
6 MLK Avenue is a four-lane, urban, minor arterial that runs north-south from the 11th Street 7 Bridges to the District of Columbia Village in the southeast District of Columbia. The speed 8 limit is 30 mph within the study area. Parking is permitted on either side of the street north and 9 south of the St. Elizabeths Campus. Adjacent to the campus, parking is prohibited along the 10 northbound side of the street during the morning peak periods and along the southbound side 11 of the street during the evening peak periods.
12 Alabama Avenue is a four-lane, minor arterial extending from MLK Avenue SE to the 13 southwest to Massachusetts Avenue SE to the northeast. The Congress Heights Metrorail 14 Station is accessed via Alabama Avenue and is adjacent to the St. Elizabeths East Campus Gate 15 5 entrance. Alabama Avenue is accessible via Suitland Parkway by ramps in both the 16 northbound and southbound approaches. Curb parking is permitted on sections traveling 17 eastbound and westbound. The posted speed limit is 25 mph within the EIS Transportation 18 Analysis Study Area.
19 Malcolm X Avenue is generally a four-lane, urban, minor arterial that runs east-west and 20 extends from South Capitol Street and the Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling main gate to 8th Street. 21 East of MLK Avenue, Malcolm X Avenue transitions from a minor arterial to a collector 22 between MLK Avenue and 8th Street and transitions to a local street from 8th Street to the East 23 Campus Perimeter (where the road terminates). The cross section of Malcolm X Avenue is 24 wider west of MLK Avenue and narrows east of MLK Avenue. The roadway operates as a two- 25 lane road given permitted parking on both sides of the street between the I-295 northbound 26 on/off ramps and MLK Avenue. The speed limit along Malcolm X Avenue is 30 mph.
27 Wheeler Road is a four-lane, minor arterial running from Alabama Avenue to St. Barnabas 28 Road in Prince George’s County. The cross section transitions from four lanes down to two 29 lanes just south of the District of Columbia/Maryland border at Southern Avenue. Curb 30 parking is permitted on sections traveling southbound and northbound.
31 Howard Road is a four-lane collector road that runs southeast from South Capitol Street to 32 Bowen Road, traveling under I-295. Vehicles are permitted to park along both sides of Howard 33 Road west of I-295. Traveling westbound on Howard Road is the most direct route from
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1 southbound I-295 to downtown Washington (via northbound South Capitol Street and the 2 Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge). Howard Road also provides access to the Anacostia 3 Metrorail Station. The speed limit along Howard Road is 25 mph.
4 Firth Sterling Avenue is a four-lane collector road that runs southwest to northeast from South 5 Capitol Street to I-295 northbound on-ramp. Firth Sterling Avenue provides access for 6 motorists and pedestrians traveling between Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, the Anacostia 7 Metrorail Station, and Historic Anacostia. It also provides access to the Barry Farm 8 neighborhood. The speed limit for Firth Sterling Avenue is 25 mph.
9 Stanton Road is classified as a collector road beginning just south of the Firth Sterling 10 Avenue/Suitland Parkway intersection and extending to Mississippi Avenue SE to the south. 11 The Henson Ridge development, a newly constructed mixed-use neighborhood, is at the 12 intersection of Stanton Road/Alabama Avenue. Commercial development, including a grocery 13 store and several other strip mall stores, were recently constructed on this site.
14 13th Street is a two-lane local street providing direct inbound access to the Congress Heights 15 Metrorail Station. The roadway ends at the intersection with Mississippi Avenue to the south. 16 Curb parking is permitted traveling southbound and northbound.
17 Characteristics for these roadways are summarized in Table 4.7-1. Roadway functional 18 classifications, such as arterial road and collector road, were obtained from DDOT’s roadway 19 functional classification map (DDOT 2006a).
20 As was shown in Figure 4.7-3, direct access to both the East and West campuses is provided 21 along MLK Avenue. Gate 1 is the northernmost access to the West Campus Directly across 22 from West Campus Gate 1 on the East Campus is the northern access to the UCC. This 23 northern UCC access is currently inactive. Gate 2 provides access to the West Campus and is 24 also directly across from the main entrance to the UCC, also known as Pine Street. This 25 intersection is currently unsignalized. Gate 3 is an inactive gate along the eastern side of MLK 26 Avenue, located at Pecan Street, south of Gate 2. The Pecan Street access is currently closed but 27 previously provided access to the East Campus. There is also a below-grade tunnel south of 28 Gate 3 that connects the East and West campuses. The tunnel is currently in poor structural 29 condition.
30 Alabama Avenue provides access to the St. Elizabeths Hospital on the East Campus. As was 31 shown in Figure 4.7-3, the North Parcel is accessible via the Alabama Avenue campus entrance, 32 although this route is connected by various internal roadways and parking lots and is quite 33 circuitous.
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1 Table 4.7-1. Roadway Classification and Characteristics
Number Speed On Street Average Daily Roadway Classification of Limit Parking Traffic Volumes Lanes Martin Luther King Minor Arterial 4 30 Yes 19,600 Alabama Avenue Minor Arterial 4 25 Yes 14,200 Expressway/Minor South Capitol Street Arterial 4–5 35–40 No 16,900 I-295 Interstate 5–6 50 No 85,100 Malcolm X Avenue Minor Arterial 2–4 30 Yes 12,200 Wheeler Road Minor Arterial 2–4 25 Yes 11,100 Suitland Parkway Freeway 4–6 45 No 44,200 Howard Road Collector 4 25 No 9,200 Firth Sterling Avenue Collector 2–4 25 No 10,100 Stanton Road Collector 2 25 Yes 10,400 11th Place Local 2 25 Yes ---- 13th Street Local 2 25 Yes ---- Sources: DDOT 2009e, USDOT 2008
2 The existing streets on the East Campus are structurally and functionally deficient. They lack 3 basic transportation infrastructure such as stop signs, streetlights, curbs, sidewalks, and storm 4 water management. The streets are not fully connected to each other and at several locations 5 have parking lots or buildings between them.
6 4.7.2 Pedestrian and Bicycle Conditions
7 4.7.2.1 Pedestrian Conditions
8 This section presents an assessment of the walking experience along primary pedestrian routes 9 (i.e., sidewalks and crosswalk conditions) leading to the St. Elizabeths Campus.
10 Sidewalk conditions vary along the length of MLK Avenue throughout the EIS Transportation 11 Analysis Study Area. Along MLK Avenue within the immediate vicinity of the St. Elizabeths, 12 crosswalks and countdown pedestrian signal heads are provided at the signalized intersections at 13 MLK Avenue/Gate 1 and at MLK Avenue/Cypress Street. At the nonsignalized intersection of 14 MLK Avenue and Milwaukee Place, crosswalks are provided for pedestrians to cross MLK 15 Avenue. Mid-block crosswalks are also provided at MLK Avenue at Pine Street and at the MLK 16 Avenue/Pecan Street intersection.
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1 Alabama Avenue also provides pedestrian access to the Congress Heights Metrorail Station at 2 the intersection of Alabama Avenue and 11th Place. Crosswalks and countdown pedestrian 3 signal heads are provided at this intersection. Dogwood Road, an internal roadway on the East 4 Campus, could provide pedestrian access from the Congress Heights Metrorail Station via a 5 cut-through pathway to the north of the Metrorail station. However, the sidewalks along this 6 route are typically narrow, carry little to no pedestrian volume, and do not provide a continuous 7 sidewalk network on both sides of the street.
8 Along Firth Sterling Avenue there is no continuous pedestrian route from Joint Base 9 Anacostia-Bolling at South Capitol Street to the Anacostia Metrorail Station. There are no 10 crosswalks at Firth Sterling Avenue and South Capitol Street. In addition, the crosswalks at 11 Firth Sterling Avenue and Suitland Parkway are not adequately marked. This intersection is one 12 of the most dangerous intersections in the District of Columbia for pedestrians (USDOT 2008).
13 Table 4.7-2 summarizes sidewalk widths and materials along several roadways within the study 14 area. Conditions are relatively consistent across the length of the roadways in the EIS 15 Transportation Analysis Study Area.
16 Table 4.7-2. Sidewalk Assessment Summary
Sidewalk Assessment
Roadway Overall Width Material Condition MLK Avenue (11th Street Bridges Predominately brick with 4 to 8 feet Good to South Capitol Street) some areas of concrete Alabama Avenue (Suitland Concrete, some brick and 4 feet Good to Fair Parkway to MLK Avenue) concrete crosswalk curb cuts Suitland Parkway ( South Capitol 6 feet Asphalt multi-purpose trail Good to Fair Street to Alabama Avenue) Malcolm X Avenue (South Capitol 4 feet Concrete, some brick areas Good Street to MLK Avenue)
4 to 6 feet; up to 10 feet Howard Road (South Capitol Street near Anacostia Concrete some brick Good to Fair Bridge to MLK Avenue) Metrorail Station
Firth Sterling Avenue (South Fair–majority Capitol Street to Anacostia 4 feet Concrete under Freeway north of Suitland Parkway) construction 13th Street (Pleasant Street to 4 feet Brick 12.9 Good Hope Road) Note: See Appendix C Section 3.4.3 for a complete sidewalk assessment in the study area.
17 Pedestrian Movements. Pedestrian counts were collected at each of the EIS Transportation 18 Analysis Study Area intersections during each peak period in November 2009. The busiest
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1 locations for pedestrians within the study area are near the two Metrorail Stations, Anacostia and 2 Congress Heights. Intersections adjacent to each of these Metrorail Stations, such as MLK 3 Avenue/Howard Road, Firth Sterling/Suitland Parkway, and Alabama Street/13th Street, have 4 the highest peak-hour pedestrian counts within the study area. In general, the MLK Avenue 5 corridor between Lebaum Street and Alabama Street has the most pedestrian activity within the 6 study area. Friendship Southeast Elementary School, directly across from the MLK 7 Avenue/Cypress Street intersection, and numerous retail establishments generate high levels of 8 pedestrian activity along the sidewalks of MLK Avenue and crossing MLK Avenue to the bus 9 stops on either side of MLK Avenue.
10 Pedestrian-Related Signage. Several blue wayfinding signs are sited throughout the study area 11 to aid both pedestrians and bicyclists. Signing along MLK Avenue directs users to recreational, 12 historical, and retail destinations, such as Anacostia Park, Frederick Douglass National Historic 13 Site, and The Big Chair landmark. Other safety-related signals and signing exist, such as timed 14 crosswalk signs and yield-to-pedestrians signs.
15 Existing Pedestrian Safety Conditions. The 2009 District of Columbia Pedestrian Master 16 Plan (DDOT 2009f) reported pedestrian injury data between 2000 and 2006. The plan noted 17 the following intersections with high occurrences of pedestrian injuries within the study area:
18 MLK Avenue/Howard Road 19 Alabama Avenue/Stanton Road 20 Malcolm X Ave/MLK Avenue 21 MLK Avenue/Sumner Road.
22 The Plan also notes Firth Sterling Avenue between Sumner Road and Suitland Parkway and 23 MLK Avenue between Dunbar Road and Sheridan Road are high pedestrian-safety deficiency 24 roadways.
25 Planned Pedestrian Improvements. There are a number of planned pedestrian 26 improvements at intersections in the vicinity of the St. Elizabeths Campus that are independent 27 of the Proposed Action. The intersection of Firth Sterling Avenue/Suitland Parkway has the 28 following proposed pedestrian improvements:
29 Creation of a pedestrian path at the southwestern corner of the intersection and addition 30 of a pedestrian information sign at this path 31 Addition of a pedestrian countdown signal
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1 Addition of an asphalt path from the eastern side of the intersection to the Firth Sterling 2 Avenue/Howard Road 3 Removal of existing sidewalk on Firth Sterling Avenue (USDOT 2008). 4 The 2009 District of Columbia Pedestrian Master Plan also identifies Alabama Avenue 5 as a priority pedestrian corridor between MLK Avenue and Naylor Road (DDOT 6 2009f).
7 4.7.2.2 Bicycle Facilities
8 Bicycle facilities and designated bikeways within the St. Elizabeths Transportation Analysis Study 9 Area are assessed in this section.
10 The District of Columbia Citywide Bicycle Map (DDOT 2009g) identifies several bikeways 11 within the transportation study area. There is a signed bicycle route that runs along Suitland 12 Parkway/Sheridan Road that continues along Howard Road from east of MLK Avenue to 13 Poplar Point. This bicycle route splits at the MLK Avenue/Howard Road intersections and 14 continues along MLK Avenue farther north to the 11th Street Bridges. There are also two 15 multi-use trails, one along Suitland Parkway, and the other along South Capitol Street north of 16 Firth Sterling Avenue. The Citywide Bicycle Map also indicates traffic conditions for bicycling 17 based on traffic speed, traffic volumes, and lane widths. Traffic conditions for bicycling have 18 been noted as poor at the following locations:
19 MLK Avenue from Malcolm X Avenue to Dunbar Road 20 South Capitol Street between Malcolm X Avenue and Firth Sterling Avenue 21 Firth Sterling Avenue from South Capitol Street to Howard Road.
22 Traffic conditions for bicycling are noted as fair along Malcolm X Avenue, Alabama Avenue, 23 Stanton Road, and Howard Road. Traffic conditions for bicycling in the EIS Transportation 24 Analysis Study Area are shown in Figure 4.7-4.
25 4.7.3 Local Transit Facilities and Service
26 The WMATA provides transit service throughout the transportation study area via Metrorail and 27 Metrobus. Transit services provided in the EIS Transportation Analysis Study Area were shown 28 in Figure 4.4-5, which depicts bus routes that service the local area and pedestrian walking 29 routes from Congress Heights and Anacostia Metrorail Stations. 30
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1
2 Figure 4.7-4. Traffic Conditions for Bicycling in the Study Area
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1 The Congress Heights Metrorail Station on the Metrorail’s Green Line is adjacent to the 2 southeastern side of the St. Elizabeths East Campus, fronting Alabama Avenue. The Congress 3 Heights station is approximately 1,000 feet from the Alabama Avenue East Campus access at 4 11th Place. The walk time from the Congress Heights Metrorail Station to the East Campus 5 ranges from 17 to 25 minutes, depending on the selected route and the final gate/destination. 6 Several Metrobus lines service the Congress Heights Metrorail Station and the immediate 7 community, including bus routes W2, W3, W4, M8, and M9.
8 The Anacostia Metrorail Station is at the intersection of Howard Road/Firth Sterling Avenue. 9 The walk time from the Anacostia Metrorail Station to the East Campus ranges from 15 to 10 25 minutes and depends on the selected route and the final gate/destination. The walk from 11 Anacostia Metrorail Station to the East Campus is upgradient at an approximately 4 percent 12 incline. The following Metrobus lines service the Anacostia Metrorail Station and the immediate 13 community: W13, W14, P17, P18, P19, A2-8, and A42-48. Weekday Ridership for Metrobus 14 lines servicing the EIS Transportation Analysis Study area are shown in Table 4.7-3.
15 Table 4.7-3. Weekday Metrobus Ridership
Metrobus Weekday Line Routes Ridership W2, W3 158-SE Community Hospital Anacostia 61,525 W4 095-Deanwood Alabama Avenue 140,978 M8,M9 082-Congress Heights Shuttle 20.328 W13, W14 Bock Road Line N/A P17,18,19 Oxon Hill Fort Washington N/A A2-8, A42-48 581-Anacostia-Fort Drum 269,034 Source: WMATA 2009
16 The 2009 District of Columbia Future Transit System Plan indicates load factors (the ratio of 17 passenger volume to bus capacity) for crowded District bus lines. Metrobus lines within the EIS 18 Transportation Analysis Study Area, including A2, A3, A6, A7, and A8, had a daily load factor of 19 1.26 indicating those Metrobus lines are slightly over capacity. Load factors greater than 1.2 in 20 peak periods exceed acceptable load standards (DDOT 2009b).
21 Regional commuter and intercity passenger rail service, such as Amtrak, Maryland Area Regional 22 Commuter (MARC) train service, and Virginia Railway Express (VRE) can be accessed at Union 23 Station on Metrorail’s Red Line in downtown Washington. Connections to VRE service are also 24 available at the L’Enfant Plaza Station on the Green Line. WMATA also offers a paratransit
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1 service, Metro Access or Dial-a-Ride, which provides alternative modes of flexible passenger 2 transportation for people with disabilities and the elderly.
3 4.7.4 Existing Traffic Operations and Capacity Analysis
4 4.7.4.1 Intersection Control
5 Intersection controls vary within the EIS Transportation Analysis Study Area. Table 4.7-4 6 shows all the study area intersections and the type of intersection control present, if any.
7 Table 4.7-4. Intersection Control for Study Area Intersections
Intersection # and Intersection Control 8 South Capitol Street/Suitland Parkway Signal 9 Howard Road/I-295 off-ramp Signal 10 Howard Road/Firth Sterling Avenue/I-295 NB on-ramp Signal 11 MLK Avenue/ Howard Road/Sheridan Road Signal 13 Suitland Parkway/Firth Sterling Avenue Signal 16 Firth Sterling Avenue/Barry Road/Sumner Road Signal 17 MLK Avenue/Sumner Road/Stanton Road Signal 18 South Capitol Street/Firth Sterling Avenue Signal 19 MLK Avenue/Cedar Street/UCC north gate Signal 20 MLK Avenue/Redwood Street/UCC south gate Stop sign on Redwood 21 MLK Avenue/Lebaum Street Stop sign on Lebaum 22 South Capitol Street NB on-ramp/Malcolm X Avenue Signal 23 South Capitol Street SB on-ramp/Malcolm X Avenue Signal 24 Malcolm X Avenue/I-295 NB off- and on-ramp Stop Sign 25 Malcolm X Avenue/2nd Street Stop Sign on 2nd St 26 Malcolm X Avenue/Oakwood Street None 27 Malcolm X Avenue/MLK Avenue Signal 28 MLK Avenue/Raleigh Place Signal 29 MLK Avenue/Alabama Avenue Signal 30 Alabama Avenue/Randle Place Signal 31 Alabama Avenue/Wheeler Road Signal 32 Alabama Avenue/11th Place Signal 33 Alabama Avenue/13 Street Signal 34 Alabama Avenue/Congress Street Signal 35 Alabama Avenue/Stanton Road Signal 40 MLK Avenue/South Capitol Street Signal 45 Alabama Avenue/7th Street Signal 46 MLK Avenue/Gate 4 entrance to east campus Signal Notes: The intersection numbers correspond with the numbers used in the TTR for consistency. Intersections 1–7, 12, 14–15, 36–39, 41–44, and 47 are included in the TTR Study Area but are outside the limits of the EIS Transportation Analysis Study Area.
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1 4.7.4.2 Existing Traffic Volumes
2 Existing average daily traffic (ADT) counts and peak period intersection turning movement 3 counts were collected along major arterials and key intersections within the study area. Daily 4 tube counts were collected at all I-295 freeway ramps, select I-295 freeway mainline locations, 5 and along key study arterials within the study area.
6 Turning movement counts were conducted at the 32 study intersections in November and 7 December 2009. Typically, peak-period turning movement counts were collected during a 4- 8 hour peak period window, from 5:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. during the morning peak, and from 3:30 9 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. during the evening peak period. Based on a comprehensive look at traffic 10 volumes within the study area, a system peak hour was determined for both the morning and 11 afternoon count periods. The system peak hour was found to occur between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 12 a.m. during the morning peak period and between 4:45 p.m. and 5:45 p.m. during the evening 13 peak period. Using the 1-hour system peak-hour volumes, the morning and evening peak-hour 14 turning movement counts were rounded and balanced for consistency between adjacent 15 intersections. See Figure 3-17 in Appendix C for the existing morning and evening peak-hour 16 intersection volumes.
17 In addition, traffic counts and observations were made on Pine Street to determine existing 18 UCC traffic conditions and security processing rates.
19 4.7.4.3 Traffic Analysis Methodology
20 The TTR used two traffic operation software packages. VISSIM was used as the primary 21 analysis tool to determine intersection level of service (LOS) and delay, arterial travel times, and 22 freeway LOS and densities. Synchro was used as a traffic data information database and the 23 basis for future year signal timing and optimization. A brief description of each analysis tool is 24 provided below.
25 VISSIM is a simulation software program that can be used to model traffic and transit systems. 26 Inputs to the model include roadway geometry, traffic decision systems, vehicle demand and 27 routing, and traffic control devices (stop signs, signal controls, yield conditions). VISSIM 28 software is useful since it can analyze a traffic network holistically, assessing vehicle back-ups 29 and impacts from upstream intersections, and also accurately model multi-modal impacts, such 30 as streetcar operations, transit, and pedestrian/vehicle interactions. Several measures of 31 effectiveness (MOEs) can be collected from the VISSIM model for use in the evaluation of 32 multiple transportation design and operational alternatives. Some of the common MOEs that
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1 can be collected from the model include queuing, vehicular delay, travel times, vehicle density, 2 volumes, queue lengths and average speeds. For this analysis, VISSIM Version 5.1-11 was used.
3 Synchro is a software package that is used to model traffic operations. The software can output 4 two main results including intersection capacity and traffic signal timing optimization. Synchro 5 was primarily used to optimize the signal timing cycle lengths, and offsets. Although the LOS 6 and delay results from Synchro were not reported in the TTR, results were still used to assess 7 high-level traffic impacts and aid in the further refinement of the VISSIM network. The signal 8 timings that resulted from the optimization were then input into the VISSIM network and 9 analyzed. Synchro Version 7.0 was used for this analysis. Synchro results were also used as a 10 basis for the air quality analysis presented in Sections 4.5 and 5.5.
11 Intersection Operation Evaluation. Existing traffic operations were measured using LOS 12 criteria. LOS is a measure of the average control (i.e., stop sign or traffic signal) delay 13 experienced by all motorists arriving to an intersection. There are six representative LOSs 14 defined for intersections which are designated using letters A through F. LOS A represents the 15 best operating conditions, and LOS F represents the worst. Safety of the intersection is not 16 included in the measures used to calculate LOS. For signalized intersections, delay is evaluated 17 for the overall intersection, while at unsignalized intersections, delay is analyzed for each 18 movement separately (i.e., eastbound, westbound, northbound, or southbound traffic). DDOT 19 generally accepts LOS E in all areas of the District of Columbia, but will consider LOS F in 20 certain situations where traffic demand is very high on major arterial routes. Occasionally side 21 streets will be allowed to operate at LOS F when volume and demand on the side street is 22 considered very low and otherwise encouraging vehicles to use nearby main routes would cause 23 a greater negative impact on the progression of through traffic on the main routes.
24 Freeway Operation Evaluation. Freeways within the study area were subdivided into analysis 25 segments (per Highway Capacity Manual 2000 guidelines) such as mainline, weave, merge, and 26 diverge segments. The following MOEs were produced for each freeway analysis segment:
27 Speed (in mph) 28 Density (in passenger cars/mile/lane) 29 LOS 30 Travel time (in minutes) 31 Volume throughput (in vehicles per hour) and percent of demand served.
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1 LOS for freeway basic, merge/diverge, and weaving segments are typified using vehicle density 2 in passenger cars, per mile, per lane (pcpmpl) of a given freeway segment. An LOS A condition 3 is represented by a facility with low vehicle density and speeds close to the posted speed limits, 4 while LOS F conditions causes traffic to operate under forced conditions with standing queues 5 and stop-and-go operations. LOS E is the maximum density at which sustained traffic flows at 6 capacity are expected to occur. Each freeway segment in the VISSIM model was segmented in 7 accordance with the procedures outlined in the Highway Capacity Manual (TRB 2000).
8 4.7.4.4 Traffic Analysis
9 Existing Intersection Operation. The traffic analyses for both the morning and evening peak 10 hours were completed using VISSIM. VISSIM was used to get a better picture of the multi- 11 modal, dynamic nature of traffic within the St. Elizabeths Transportation Analysis study area. 12 The VISSIM intersection LOS and delay results for the 32 study intersections are summarized in 13 Table 4.7-5. This table also indicates intersection cycle length (the total time allotted [including 14 green, yellow and red] to serve all of the signal phases).
15 Intersection Capacity Analysis Summary. During the morning peak hour, two study 16 intersections operate at LOS F, and another two intersections are approaching 80 seconds of 17 delay per vehicle. The following highlights the causes of poor intersection operations with the 18 study area during the morning peak hour.
19 MLK Avenue/Howard Road/Sheridan Road (Intersection number 11) is approaching 20 an LOS F condition (77 seconds per vehicle) during the morning peak hour. The 21 unconventional geometry of this five-legged intersection, split intersection traffic signal 22 phasing, bus blockages along Sheridan Road, and high pedestrian volumes conflicting 23 with unprotected left- and right-turning movements all contribute to poor intersection 24 operations at the location. 25 MLK Avenue/Lebaum Street (Intersection number 21) is a two-way stop controlled 26 intersection that has very high average vehicle delays for the westbound approach. High 27 traffic volumes and the proximity of two closely spaced signalized intersections along 28 MLK Avenue (Malcolm X Avenue and St. Elizabeth’s Campus Gate 4) results in 29 westbound vehicles on Lebaum Street having a difficult time finding gaps in the traffic 30 stream and a high approach LOS. 31 MLK Avenue/Raleigh Place (Intersection number 28 is also approaching an LOS F 32 condition (78 seconds per vehicle). The northbound MLK Avenue approach operates 33 poorly due to poor signal progression and queue spillback between this intersection and 34 the intersection of MLK Avenue and Malcolm X Avenue.
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1 Table 4.7-5. Existing AM and PM Peak-Hour LOS
AM PM
Intersection # and Intersection Cycle Cycle Delay Delay Length LOS Length LOS (sec/veh) (sec/veh) (sec) (sec)
8 South Capitol Street/Suitland Parkway 100 C 21 100 B 16 9 Howard Road/I-295 off-ramp 110 C 33 120 C 35 Howard Road/Firth Sterling Avenue/ 10 50 C 25 100 C 20 I-295 NB on-ramp MLK Avenue/ Howard Road/Sheridan 11 120 E 77 100 F 81 Road 13 Suitland Parkway/Firth Sterling Avenue 120 C 32 120 E 56 Firth Sterling Avenue/ 16 U E 38 U C 20 Barry Road/Sumner Road MLK Avenue/Sumner Road/Stanton 17 120 B 17 100 C 33 Road South Capitol Street/Firth Sterling 18 100 C 26 120 D 39 Avenue MLK Avenue/Cedar Street/UCC north 19 120 A 3 100 A 4 gate MLK Avenue/Redwood Street/UCC 20 U C 20 U C 17 south gate 21 MLK Avenue/Lebaum Street U F 123 U D 26 South Capitol Street NB on- 22 80 C 22 100 A 8 ramp/Malcolm X Avenue South Capitol Street SB on- 23 80 B 13 100 C 31 ramp/Malcolm X Avenue Malcolm X Avenue/I-295 NB off- and 24 U C 18 U C 15 on-ramp 25 Malcolm X Avenue/2nd Street U C 20 U E 36 26 Malcolm X Avenue/Oakwood Street U A 9 U C 15 27 Malcolm X Avenue/MLK Avenue 100 D 49 100 E 65 28 MLK Avenue/Raleigh Place 100 E 78 100 C 26 29 MLK Avenue/Alabama Avenue 120 D 40 100 B 13 30 Alabama Avenue/Randle Place 100 B 17 100 C 22 31 Alabama Avenue/Wheeler Road 100 C 26 120 B 15 32 Alabama Avenue/11th Place 100 B 16 100 A 8 33 Alabama Avenue/13th Street 100 A 2 100 C 27 34 Alabama Avenue/Congress Street 100 B 12 100 B 12 35 Alabama Avenue/Stanton Road 100 C 29 100 C 21 40 MLK Avenue/South Capitol Street 110 F 83 110 C 25
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AM PM
Intersection # and Intersection Cycle Cycle Delay Delay Length LOS Length LOS (sec/veh) (sec/veh) (sec) (sec)
45 Alabama Avenue/7th Street 100 B 19 100 C 23 MLK Avenue/Gate 4 entrance to east 46 100 A 8 100 A 6 campus Notes: Highlighted rows are intersections operating at LOS F during the morning or evening Peak Hours. The intersection numbers correspond with the numbers used in the TTR for consistency. U represents unsignalized intersections. Failing intersections are shaded gray.
1 The VISSIM analysis indicates the intersection of MLK Avenue/South Capitol Street 2 (83 seconds per vehicle) operates at LOS F. The analysis shows the northbound left- 3 turn movement at this intersection is operating above capacity. This can be attributed to 4 heavy northbound traffic volumes (1,620 vehicles per hour [vph]) and poor lane 5 utilization due to the northbound I-295 ramp located approximately 300 feet 6 downstream of the intersection. Furthermore, since a large portion of the intersection 7 green time is dedicated to the northbound left-turn movement, other approaches have 8 much shorter green intervals and, therefore, all approaches have high average vehicle 9 delays.
10 During the evening peak hour, one study intersection operates at LOS F and one other 11 intersection is approaching 80 seconds of delay per vehicle. The following paragraphs highlight 12 the causes of poor intersection operations with the study area during the evening peak hour.
13 Similar to the morning peak hour, the intersection of MLK Avenue/Howard Road (81 14 seconds per vehicle) operates with high vehicle delays. Northbound left-turning vehicles 15 from MLK Avenue heading to northbound I-295 and Suitland Parkway struggle to find 16 gaps in the opposing southbound traffic stream, leading to high vehicle delays for this 17 movement. 18 MLK Avenue/Good Hope Road (78 seconds per vehicle) operates at a high LOS E 19 during the evening peak hour. The split traffic signal phasing for all four approaches in 20 conjunction with high southbound traffic volumes (1,325 vph) contribute to the poor 21 operations at this location.
22 Existing Freeway Operation. An overview of the VISSIM model calibration, validation and 23 existing conditions intersection and freeway operational results from the VISSIM model is 24 provided in Appendix C. The following sections provide an overview of the freeway and 25 arterial operational results from the VISSIM model. The VISSIM model appropriately evaluates
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1 each freeway segment and arterial intersections by taking into account the operational impacts of 2 both upstream and downstream traffic conditions. It can track individual vehicle types and 3 classes, each governed by individual driver behavior models. For each of the alternatives, the 4 results from 10 different random model runs were averaged.
5 The VISSIM freeway analysis confirmed that traffic speeds were lower and densities were higher 6 in the peak travel direction. I-295 freeway segments operate at LOS D or higher in the 7 northbound direction into downtown Washington, D.C., while all freeway segments operate at 8 LOS D or higher heading southbound out of the downtown area during the evening peak 9 period.
10 Freeway Capacity Analysis Summary. Morning peak hour analysis shows that a few freeway 11 segments are operating at LOS F in the peak direction of travel. Traveling northbound on 12 I-295, segments south of the South Capitol Street on-ramp operate at LOS E and LOS F due to 13 short merge taper lengths at the Chesapeake Street SW on-ramp and mainline capacity 14 constraints. Operations improve north of the South Capitol Street on-ramp; however, freeway 15 segments still operate in the LOS D/E range due to high traffic volumes.
16 In the evening peak hour, similar to the inbound movement, the outbound movement faces a 17 severe level of congestion, starting at the southbound I-295 project limits extending back to the 18 northern project limits. Southbound freeway congestion starts south of the EIS Transportation 19 Analysis Study Area from the interchange with I-495. This congestion typically spills back into 20 the study area to around the Overlook Avenue off-ramp from I-295. Traffic operations ease 21 between the Overlook Avenue off-ramp north to the Suitland Parkway off-ramp; however, 22 segments still operate in the LOS D/E range. Traffic congestion is very heavy north of the 23 Howard Road off-ramp. At the 11th Street Bridges/I-295 merge, two full lanes of traffic from 24 the 11th Street Bridges and two full lanes of traffic from DC 295 merge into three lanes just 25 north of the Howard Road off-ramp. This merging condition results in severe congestion and 26 an LOS F condition along southbound freeway segments in the northern portion of the study 27 area. Tables 4.7-6 and 4.7-7 present results of existing morning and evening peak hour freeway 28 operations. 29
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1 Table 4.7-6. Existing Morning Peak Hour Freeway Operations
AM Peak Hour
Vol. Density Segment # and Location Demand Speed Served (vph) LOS (vph) (mph) (vph) I-295 Northbound I-295 NB Basic Between South Capitol Street 7 5,455 5,412 47.6 38.8 E SE & Malcolm X Avenue SE I-295 NB Weave Between Malcolm X Avenue 8 5,965 5,910 37.1 39.4 E SE On-ramp and Off-ramp I-295 NB Basic Between Malcolm X Avenue SE 9 5,330 5,302 47.8 37.9 E and Barry/Sumner Off-ramp I-295 NB Diverge To Sumner Road SE/ 10 5,330 5,088 48.4 38.7 E Firth Sterling Avenue SE I-295 NB Basic Between Firth Sterling Avenue 11 5,155 5,088 48.4 36.1 E Off-ramp and Suitland Parkway EB On-ramp I-295 NB Weave Between Suitland Parkway EB 12 5,675 5,549 43.8 31.6 D On-ramp and Suitland Parkway WB Off-ramp I-295 NB Basic Between Suitland Parkway WB 13 Off-ramp and Firth Sterling Avenue SE 4,680 4,666 44.2 35.9 E On-ramp I-295 NB Weave Between Firth Sterling Avenue 14 1,920 1,909 45.9 11.0 E SE On-ramp and DC-295 NB Off-ramp I-295 Southbound I-295 SB Weave Between DC-295 SB On-ramp 19 4,535 4,510 36.0 43.3 F and Howard Road SE Off-ramp I-295 SB Diverge Between Howard Road SE 20 3,135 3,168 48.7 17.5 B Off-ramp and Suitland Parkway EB Off-ramp I-295 SB Basic Between Suitland Parkway EB 21 2,380 2,374 49.6 16.3 B Off-ramp and EB On-ramp I-295 SB Merge From Suitland Parkway EB 22 2,605 2,603 48.8 14.6 B On-ramp I-295 SB Basic Between Suitland Parkway EB 23 2,605 2,603 49.0 18.5 C On-ramp and South Capitol Street SE Off-ramp I-295 SB Basic Between South Capitol Street 24 1,440 1,460 49.2 15.4 B SE Off-ramp and On-ramp I-295 SB Merge Between South Capitol Street 25 SE On-ramp and Overlook Avenue SW 1,625 1,661 48.3 17.1 B Off-ramp (merge/diverge) I-295 SB Basic Between Overlook Avenue SW 26 1,195 1,225 49.3 12.9 B Off-ramp and Laboratory Road SW On-ramp I-295 SB Basic Between Laboratory Road SW 27 1,355 1,393 49.5 9.7 A On-ramp and I-495 Note: Failing intersections are shaded gray.
Draft EIS December 2010 4-167 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
1 Table 4.7-7. Existing Evening Peak Hour Freeway Operations
PM Peak Hour
Vol. Density Segment # and Location Demand Speed Served (vph) LOS (vph) (mph) (vph) I-295 Northbound I-295 NB Basic Between South Capitol Street 7 2,450 2,436 49.1 16.9 B SE and Malcolm X Avenue SE I-295 NB Weave Between Malcolm X Avenue 8 3,235 3,166 43.5 17.6 B SE On-ramp and Off-ramp I-295 NB Basic Between Malcolm X Avenue SE 9 3,115 3,052 48.8 22.5 C and Barry/Sumner Off-ramp I-295 NB Diverge To Sumner Road SE/Firth 10 3,115 3,052 48.4 22.5 C Sterling Avenue SE I-295 NB Basic Between Firth Sterling Avenue 11 2,940 2,874 49.4 20.1 C Off-ramp and Suitland Parkway EB On-ramp I-295 NB Weave Between Suitland Parkway EB 12 3,350 3,247 45.9 17.3 B On-ramp and Suitland Parkway WB Off-ramp I-295 NB Basic Between Suitland Parkway WB 13 Off-ramp and Firth Sterling Avenue SE 3,185 3,081 47.9 21.9 C On-ramp I-295 NB Weave Between Firth Sterling Avenue 14 4,685 4,563 44.4 25.7 C SE On-ramp and DC-295 NB Off-ramp I-295 Southbound I-295 SB Weave Between DC-295 SB On-ramp 19 5,910 5,690 38.6 54.0 F and Howard Road SE Off-ramp I-295 SB Diverge Between Howard Road SE 20 4,880 4,748 45.7 31.7 D Off-ramp and Suitland Parkway EB Off-ramp I-295 SB Basic Between Suitland Parkway EB 21 4,140 3,952 46.1 31.0 D Off-ramp and EB On-ramp I-295 SB Merge From Suitland Parkway EB 22 4,945 4,659 45.0 35.1 E On-ramp I-295 SB Basic Between Suitland Parkway EB 23 4,945 4,659 44.8 37.7 E On-ramp and South Capitol Street SE Off-ramp I-295 SB Basic Between South Capitol Street 24 3,090 2,912 44.6 33.7 D SE Off-ramp and On-ramp I-295 SB Merge Between South Capitol Street 25 SE On-ramp and Overlook Avenue SW 3,920 3,699 35.4 51.7 F Off-ramp (merge/diverge) I-295 SB Basic Between Overlook Avenue SW 26 3,400 3,197 23.5 69.9 F Off-ramp and Laboratory Road SW On-ramp I-295 SB Basic Between Laboratory Road SW 27 4,590 4,390 17.9 83.7 F On-ramp and I-495 Note: Failing intersections are shaded gray.
2 December 2010 Draft EIS 4-168 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
1 4.8 Utilities
2 4.8.1 Electrical Service
3 The Potomac Electric Power Company, Inc. (PEPCO) provides electricity to the District of 4 Columbia region. PEPCO’s main generation plants are in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of 5 Columbia (GSA 2008a). Electric service is provided to the North Parcel by PEPCO through 6 high-voltage feeders. All service lines, transformers, and other distribution equipment on the 7 East Campus are owned by either GSA or the District of Columbia. The switching substation is 8 in Building 129 and has been noted to be in good condition (DCOP 2008).
9 4.8.2 Natural Gas Service
10 Washington Gas provides energy services to the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia 11 through a network of underground conduits fed through large, high-pressure transmission lines 12 generally situated within street ROWs (GSA 2008a). Washington Gas provides natural gas 13 service to the North Parcel through an 8-inch, high-pressure gas main along MLK Avenue. 14 Underground pipelines from this high-pressure main service the existing buildings throughout 15 the East Campus (DCOP 2008).
16 4.8.3 Steam Service
17 The North Parcel uses steam for general heating and hot water service. According to previous 18 studies, the condition of the existing steam tunnels and pipes are categorized as being 19 moderately to heavily corroded. A boiler system is northeast of the Dix Pavilion. The boiler 20 system has a 10,000-gallon aboveground storage tank (AST) and is housed in a shed structure 21 within a chain-link fence. According to a 1964 map, one steam tunnel connection runs 22 underground from the Dix Pavilion to Sycamore Drive (DCOP 2008, GSA 2008a).
23 4.8.4 Water Service
24 Water is supplied to the East and West campuses from two service regions, the Anacostia Low 25 Region and the First Anacostia High Region. Water is supplied to the two water mains from the 26 WASA (GSA 2008a). Water mains for the Anacostia Low Region are along South Capitol Street 27 and water mains for the First Anacostia High Region are along MLK Avenue (GSA 2008a).
28 Two 16-inch service taps supply the pumping station on the West Campus, which supports the 29 current demands of both the East and West campuses. Additional water service is supplied to 30 the East and West campuses from a 20-inch water main along MLK Avenue. The 20-inch water
Draft EIS December 2010 4-169 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
1 main has been replaced in one section, south of the West Campus. There are six connections 2 across MLK Avenue that link the East and West campuses (GSA 2008a). The East Campus 3 receives additional water supply from a 24-inch water main along Alabama Avenue (DCOP 4 2008). A pumping station for the domestic water system on the East Campus is in the Dix 5 Pavilion. An existing 100,000-gallon AST is on the East Campus and is currently not in use due 6 to disrepair (GSA 2008a). The potable water system on the St. Elizabeths Campus has had 7 water pressure issues and deficient water utilities that required upgrades and replacements. 8 WASA is planning to install and replace water mains and new pumps to supply water, and 9 construct a new elevated 2-million-gallon water tower (90 feet in diameter and 175 feet tall) near 10 the John Howard Pavilion. This new water tower would replace the existing tower on the East 11 Campus to support regional population growth and development, address water pressure issues, 12 and provide emergency backup service, and would be constructed by 2013 (DCOP 2008, Gans 13 2010). These upgrades would supply optimum water pressure during high demand periods and 14 resolve previous issues of water service deficiencies (DC WASA 2007).
15 Within the potential impact area for the proposed transportation upgrades are 16-inch loops 16 from the 30-inch water main along I-295, which is within the Anacostia Low Pressure Zone and 17 dates back to 1963. A 12-inch lateral from the 20-inch water main along MLK Avenue is within 18 the Anacostia First High Pressure Zone and dates back to 1915.
19 4.8.5 Sanitary Sewer Collection System
20 MLK Avenue acts as a drawing divide between the East and West campuses (GSA 2008a). The 21 sanitary sewer system for the East Campus drains in a general northern direction to a 21-inch, 22 WASA-owned sewer system at Sheridan Road across Suitland Parkway. The Dix Pavilion drains 23 to a 15-inch sanitary sewer line that runs north towards Suitland Parkway. A 12-inch sanitary 24 sewer line drains the remainder of the North Parcel and connects to an 18-inch trunk line within 25 the stream valley (DC WASA 2009). Two sanitary sewer lines, a 24-inch and a 12-line, run 26 underneath Malcolm X Avenue at the site of the proposed interchange improvements. The 27 existing conditions of the sewer system have not been fully investigated to determine its 28 integrity.
29 4.8.6 Storm Water Management
30 MLK Avenue acts as a ridge between the East and West campuses. Storm water from the East 31 Campus drains in a general northern direction toward the existing sewer systems at Sheridan 32 Road (GSA 2008e). There is a 36-inch storm water line that runs behind the Dix Pavilion. The 33 36-inch line collects storm water runoff from Sycamore Drive and Redwood Drive. The 36-inch
December 2010 Draft EIS 4-170 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
1 line connects to a 54-inch storm sewer trunk line that runs north and outfalls before Suitland 2 Parkway (DC WASA 2009). Previous development at St. Elizabeths only provided for storm 3 water conveyance and there are no known quantity or quality control facilities (DCOP 2008).
4 There are three storm drains on the Shepherd Parkway property along I-295. This existing 5 storm drainage system runs north along I-295 before discharging into the tidal Anacostia River 6 through an outfall. A 4-foot storm drainage system runs underneath Malcolm X Avenue before 7 outfalling to the Anacostia River (GSA 2008a).
8 Section 4.3.3 discusses permitting activities associated with storm water management in the 9 District of Columbia.
10 4.9 Environmental Contamination
11 A site reconnaissance and review of historical documentation associated with the North Parcel 12 and Transportation Improvement Study Areas were conducted between November 2009 and 13 May 2010 as part of the East Campus development program to determine the presence of 14 recognized environmental conditions (RECs), historical RECs, and de minimis conditions that 15 represent the potential for site contamination associated with hazardous materials, hazardous 16 wastes, petroleum products, or other contaminants. American Society for Testing and Materials 17 (ASTM) Standard E1527-05 (ASTM 2005) defines a REC as “the presence or likely presence of 18 any hazardous substances or petroleum products on a property under conditions that indicate an 19 existing release, past release, or material threat of a release of any hazardous substances or 20 petroleum products into structures on the property or into the ground, groundwater, or surface 21 water of the property.” Whereas, a historical REC is defined as “an environmental condition, 22 which in the past would have been considered a REC, but is not currently a REC because the 23 site has been remediated or will not currently impact the property.” De minimis conditions 24 generally do not present a material risk of harm to public health or the environment and 25 generally would not be the subject of an enforcement action if brought to the attention of 26 appropriate governmental agencies (ASTM 2005).
27 The following discussion of environmental contamination is separated into discussions on the 28 East Campus North Parcel and Transportation Improvement Study Areas for the presence of 29 RECs, de minimis conditions, or other hazardous materials. Omission of a study area in the 30 discussion indicates that no environmental contamination would be expected to be present.
31 East Campus North Parcel
32 During this site reconnaissance study, the following RECs were identified on the North Parcel:
Draft EIS December 2010 4-171 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
1 A former landfill on the eastern portion of the North Parcel was used between 1982 and 2 1989. Reportedly, fill material previously used within this area included storm sewer 3 cleanings; street sweepings; road construction debris including milled asphalt; and 4 incinerator fly ash, a waste product from burning coal. 5 The improper storage of several 55-gallon used oil drums and petroleum-stained soil 6 associated with the 55-gallon drums were observed on the eastern side of the 7 Garage/Motor Pool (Building 81). 8 District of Columbia Department of the Environment (DDOE) Leaking Underground 9 Storage Tank (LUST) case number 88008 was opened on April 27, 1988. LUSTs were 10 discovered in the vicinity of the Motor Pool Building and the Dix Pavilion. The 11 underground storage tanks (USTs) that were believed to be leaking were subsequently 12 removed; however, there is the potential for additional USTs to exist within the vicinity 13 of the Motor Pool Building.
14 No other historical RECs were identified on the North Parcel during this study; however, the 15 following de minimis conditions were identified:
16 Surface nuisance dumping of waste (e.g., furniture, tires, bottles, cans) in the wooded 17 area east of the Horse Barn and the Veterans Shelter. 18 Improper storage of materials was observed in and around the Horse Barn. This 19 improper storage included the placement of containers of oil, pesticides, and fertilizer 20 directly on the ground without the use of secondary containment. These materials were 21 separate from those observed in and around the Motor Pool Building.
22 Transportation Improvement Study Areas
23 One REC was identified within the Transportation Improvement Study Areas during this study. 24 Landfill activities were conducted along the southern and western portions of the West Campus, 25 including within the Transportation Improvement Study Area for the proposed West Campus 26 Access Road. Previous studies indicated that materials disposed of in this area included ash and 27 other fill material such as brick, concrete, metal, and glass. No other historical RECs were 28 identified on the Transportation Improvement Study Areas during this study; however, one 29 de minimis condition was identified. Surface nuisance dumping of waste (e.g., furniture, tires, 30 bottles, cans) in the Shepherd Parkway area adjacent to Lebaum Street, 4th Street SE, Newcomb 31 Street, and 2nd Street, SE.
December 2010 Draft EIS 4-172 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
1 4.9.1 Recognized Environmental Conditions
2 4.9.1.1 Landfill Operations
3 East Campus North Parcel
4 According to a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment of the North Parcel, dated September 5 2008 (GSA 2008d), the eastern portion of the North Parcel was used as a landfill from 1982 to 6 1989 by the District of Columbia government. The landfill extended past the North Parcel to 7 adjacent areas of the St. Elizabeths Campus to the east.
8 According to the Field Investigation Team Activities at Uncontrolled Hazardous Substance Facilities-Zone 1 9 Report dated 1991, fill material within the landfill was composed of storm sewer cleanings, street 10 sweepings, road construction debris (including milled asphalt), and incinerator fly ash (GSA 11 2008d). The report estimated that approximately 460,000 tons of fly ash were disposed of in this 12 landfill. Fly ash is a waste product from the burning of coal that has a very fine consistency and 13 is generally light tan in color. The disposal of fly ash is not specifically regulated by the USEPA; 14 however, there are some environmental and health concerns associated with the disposal of fly 15 ash due to the potential for fly ash to leach mercury into groundwater and the inhalation of 16 fugitive dust due to its fine consistency (USEPA 2009d). The landfill was composed of four 17 portions, which were closed in 1983, 1987, 1988, and 1989. Closure of the landfill consisted of a 18 cap of 18 to 30 inches of a mixture of milled asphalt, soils, and compost from a sewage 19 treatment plant. A consent decree regarding the closure of this landfill was issued to the District 20 of Columbia from the USEPA (GSA 2008d).
21 Sampling of fill, fill leachate, and pond sediment in the area of the landfill was conducted in 1984 22 and 1985 and referenced in the Zone 1 report. Results of the sampling conducted in 1984 23 indicated trace levels of chlorinated D/F (tetra- to octa-isomers) within the fill material. Results 24 of the sampling conducted in 1985 indicated that dioxins in the form of 25 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (2,3,7,8-TCDD) were detected in ash fill material at a 26 concentration of 0.047 parts per billion (ppb); however, no levels of dioxins were detected in the 27 resulting leachate samples. A small surface water feature was previously situated within the 28 southeastern corner of the North Parcel, as evidenced in a 1988 aerial photograph contained in 29 the Phase I Environmental Site Assessment of the North Parcel. The surface water feature was 30 no longer visible in the 1998 aerial photograph contained in the assessment. According to the 31 Phase I Environmental Site Assessment, this water feature possibly served as a storm water 32 management pond to support landfill activities and runoff from the vicinity. Trace to low levels 33 of phenol and low levels of PAHs were detected in an organic analysis of leachate aqueous and
Draft EIS December 2010 4-173 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
1 sediment samples. Pond sediments sampled in 1985 contained 340 ppb of PCB-1260. Fill 2 material and water sampled in 1985 revealed elevated levels of heavy metals including lead, 3 which was detected at concentrations up to 7,900 ppm. Based on the results of the sampling 4 conducted in 1985, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) concluded that 5 surface soil levels of 2,3,7,8-TCDD and other polychlorinated D/F present in the area of the 6 former landfill should not pose a public health threat to employees, patients, residents, or landfill 7 workers. However, since polychlorinated D/F might exist at levels of concern at depths greater 8 than one foot in the area of the former landfill, the DHHS recommended that core sampling be 9 conducted prior to future construction in the fill area or prior to a land use change (GSA 2008d).
10 Surface dumping, which included household appliances, yard trimmings, air conditioning units, 11 and construction rubble, was observed in the vicinity of the landfill in 2008 near the Horse Barn 12 (Building 83) and Dry Barn (Building 82). In addition, soil that appeared to be ash-like in 13 appearance was observed on the surface in the vicinity of the landfill. According to the Facilities 14 Director of St. Elizabeths Campus interviewed during a site visit on November 18, 2009, the 15 surface dumping has been subsequently cleaned up. However, some nuisance dumping was still 16 observed during the site visit (see Section 4.9.2). Fly ash in surface soils was not observed 17 within the North Parcel boundaries during the site visit. The Facilities Director also stated that 18 no subsurface remediation efforts have occurred in the area of the former landfill (GSA 2008d).
19 West Campus Access Road Transportation Improvement Study Area
20 Within the West Campus Access Road Transportation Improvement Study Area, there is 21 evidence of past landfilling activities within the western and southern portions of the St. 22 Elizabeths West Campus along I-295 and the Shepherd Parkway property. Previous 23 investigations identified ash and fill material such as brick, concrete, metal, and glass within the 24 landfill area. It is believed that the source of the ash is from the onsite waste incinerator and fly 25 ash from the onsite coal-fired power plant. The source of the miscellaneous fill material is 26 believed to be from the general waste stream of the St. Elizabeths Campus and dumping from 27 adjacent communities. Based on the information from the various sampling investigations, the 28 following constituents have been detected in one or more soil samples collected from the 29 proposed USCG Headquarters site at concentrations greater than USEPA Region 3 established 30 residential risk-based concentrations (based on USEPA regional screening levels) or Maryland 31 criterion for total petroleum hydrocarbons: (1) D/F, (2) PAHs such as benzo(a)pyrene, (3) lead, 32 and (4) petroleum hydrocarbons (WSP 2010).
33 Depths of ash and fill at the West Campus approach 45 feet in depth at some locations. The 34 deposition of ash, undocumented fill, and refuse could have resulted in contamination of the
December 2010 Draft EIS 4-174 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
1 surface waters, sediments in surface waters, surface soils (including ash waste piles), subsurface 2 soils, and groundwater at the site. A dioxin remedial investigation was conducted in 2007 to 3 sample surface water, sediment, soil, and groundwater for contamination. Contamination was 4 identified in nearly all media analyzed (i.e., surface water, sediments, soils, and subsurface soils). 5 The following contaminants were present in one or multiple media sampled: VOCs including 6 petroleum hydrocarbon-related constituents, PAHs, elevated levels of various metals, and 7 D/F congeners.
8 Soil and groundwater sampling was conducted multiple times on the proposed USCG 9 Headquarters project site before the start of construction to characterize areas of potential 10 contamination. This included the 2007 Remedial Investigation for the St. Elizabeths West Campus 11 (G&O 2007), and a subsequent sampling event in 2009 (Soil Sampling Addendum for the Coast 12 Guard Headquarters [G&O 2009b]) focused on the power plant and incinerator ash that had 13 historically been placed within the planned project footprint for the USCG Headquarters, which 14 partially overlaps the study area for the West Campus access road. The building geotechnical 15 investigations further delineated the extent of ash within the area of the excavation, and a 16 systematic grid sampling program was conducted to characterize soil and ash for disposal.
17 The results of the West Campus Remedial Investigation suggested that dioxins, various metals, 18 and PAHs were contaminants of potential concern (COPCs) for the site (G&O 2007). A 19 quantitative Human Health Risk Assessment (HHRA) was prepared to evaluate potential risks 20 from these COPCs to potentially exposed onsite and offsite populations. The HHRA was 21 performed in accordance with USEPA Risk Assessment Guidance for Superfund (Part D, 22 Standardized Planning, Reporting, and Review of Superfund Risk Assessments). The 23 concentrations of the identified contaminants were compared to various established risk-based 24 screening levels for evaluating risks to human health and ecological receptors. Potentially 25 unacceptable human health risks were identified for lead and arsenic for some of the potentially 26 exposed onsite populations. Human health risks to potentially exposed onsite and offsite 27 populations were not identified for the remaining COPCs identified during the Remedial 28 Investigation, including dioxins. An assessment was performed to evaluate remedial, 29 institutional, and engineering alternatives for addressing the potential human health risks to 30 these onsite populations with respect to the planned redevelopment of the site. Potential human 31 health risks to the future onsite office workers, daycare children, and maintenance workers were 32 addressed through design considerations. Potential human health risks to the future onsite 33 construction workers were addressed through use of engineering controls and personal 34 protective equipment. The preliminary results of the HHRA and the planned implementation of 35 institutional and engineering controls satisfied regulatory requirements and allowed site
Draft EIS December 2010 4-175 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
1 redevelopment to proceed. Additional sampling is planned to further evaluate shallow soils off 2 site. With this sampling, the HHRA will be finalized (Harris 2010).
3 Additional ash, fill, and soil samples were collected during geotechnical investigations in October 4 2009. The samples were analyzed for total petroleum hydrocarbons, VOCs, semi-volatile 5 organic compounds (SVOCs), PCBs, and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) 6 metals. The findings were generally consistent with the data from the other investigations. 7 Leachate testing was also conducted on grab samples of ash using the toxicity characteristic 8 leaching procedure (TCLP). The leachate from three ash samples contained lead concentrations 9 greater than the USEPA maximum toxicity characteristic concentration for lead (i.e., 5 mg/L). 10 The maximum lead concentration detected in a leachate sample was 78 mg/L. This indicated 11 the potential for ash from the site to be classified as a characteristically hazardous waste (WSP 12 2010).
13 A Soil and Waste Management Plan (WSP 2010) was prepared to prescribe procedures to 14 appropriately manage and dispose of the ash and contaminated soil during site construction and 15 related excavation activities. A comprehensive soil investigation covering the horizontal and 16 vertical extent of the excavation was conducted for the USCG Headquarters site in November 17 2009. In addition to laboratory analysis, lead concentrations were measured in the field using an 18 X-Ray fluorescence analyzer. The analytical data from this investigation were generally 19 consistent with the data from the other investigations. Additional ash samples were subjected to 20 the TCLP test, and the leachate from multiple ash samples contained lead concentrations greater 21 than 5 mg/L, confirming that certain areas of the ash exceeded the USEPA criteria for 22 characteristically hazardous waste. The maximum lead concentration detected in a leachate 23 sample was 45 mg/L (WSP 2010). Based on the chemical data collected, soil and ash excavated 24 from the site during ongoing construction activities are being shipped to four different types of 25 landfills or disposal facilities. The storm water runoff from the site is being tested regularly 26 (WSP 2010).
27 Shepherd Parkway
28 No landfilling activities were identified along the Shepherd Parkway property. The nuisance 29 dumping present there is described in Section 4.9.2.1.
30 4.9.1.2 Petroleum Contamination
31 During the site visit on November 18, 2009, approximately 15 55-gallon drums of used oil were 32 observed east of the Motor Pool Building on the East Campus North Parcel. Some of the 33 55-gallon drums were observed in a caged storage area outside of the building; however, several
December 2010 Draft EIS 4-176 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
1 were observed outside of this caged area. Several of the 55-gallon drums appeared rusted and 2 damaged. Black, stained soil was observed in the vicinity of the drums, indicating a prior release 3 of used oil and petroleum contamination had occurred in the vicinity of the drums.
4 4.9.1.3 Leaking Underground Storage Tanks
5 According to a memo from the District of Columbia Housing and Environmental Regulation 6 Administration dated April 11, 1989 (DCHERA 1989), DDOE LUST case number 88008 was 7 opened on April 27, 1988, when five USTs leaking product throughout the St. Elizabeths 8 Campus were discovered on the North Parcel. Four of the five LUSTs were in the vicinity of 9 the Motor Pool Building: a 500-gallon waste oil UST, a 3,000-gallon diesel UST, a 10,000-gallon 10 gasoline UST, and an abandoned 2,000-gallon UST with unknown contents. The fifth LUST 11 was a 5,000-gallon diesel UST in the vicinity of Dix Pavilion.
12 The 5,000-gallon diesel UST in the vicinity of Dix Pavilion was removed on March 15, 1989, and 13 no apparent leakage or soil contamination was detected (DDOE 1990). The abandoned 14 2,000-gallon UST in the vicinity of the Motor Pool Building was removed on March 22, 1989, 15 and replaced with a 10,000-gallon diesel UST, and no leaking product or soil contamination was 16 observed in the vicinity of the abandoned UST. The 3,000-gallon diesel tank was abandoned in 17 place (DCHERA 1989). The LUST case was closed on April 25, 1990, after removal and 18 closure of the USTs, and the removal of other USTs throughout the St. Elizabeths Campus 19 (DCDOE 1990).
20 According to an Amnesty Application submitted by St. Elizabeths Campus to the District of 21 Columbia Department of Health on December 22, 1998 (DCDOH 1998), the remaining USTs 22 (10,000-gallon gasoline UST and 10,000-gallon diesel UST) in the vicinity of the Motor Pool 23 Building were scheduled to be removed in 1999. The Facilities Director of St. Elizabeths 24 Campus indicated that these USTs along with the 500-gallon UST in the vicinity of the Motor 25 Pool Building were removed around 1999. Due to the lack of information regarding the 26 removal of these USTs and the potential for the presence of an abandoned 3,000-gallon UST in 27 this vicinity, these USTs are considered an REC on the North Parcel. In addition, a UST was 28 present south of the East Campus Garage/Motor Pool, but was removed in the 1990s; however, 29 no additional information has been reviewed relating to the UST (GSA 2008a). No 30 documentation has been provided regarding UST closure activities or confirmatory sampling 31 data that would have been collected during tank excavation (GSA 2008a). Therefore, the soil 32 conditions in this area have not been assessed and it is possible that contaminated soils could be 33 present surrounding the area of the former UST.
Draft EIS December 2010 4-177 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
1 4.9.2 de minimis Conditions
2 4.9.2.1 Nuisance Dumping
3 East Campus North Parcel
4 During the site visit on November 18, 2009, surface nuisance dumping was observed in the 5 wooded area east of the Horse Barn and the Veterans Shelter. The nuisance dumping included 6 furniture, tires, bottles, and cans. Residents of the Veterans Shelter and adjacent homeowners 7 appeared to be the source of the nuisance dumping. No stained soil, indicating contamination 8 from the dumping, was observed in the vicinity of the area.
9 Shepherd Parkway
10 Nuisance dumping is apparent along Lebaum Street, 4th Street SE, Newcomb Street, and 2nd 11 Street SE into the Shepherd Parkway property. The topography along the roadway generally 12 drops steeply into ravines below street elevation, in some cases by more than 50 feet. Debris is 13 present from the edge of the roadway into the ditches and ravines below street elevation at all 14 breaks in the guardrail, at street intersections, and other accessible openings in the vegetation. In 15 some cases, gravity, wind, and other forces have distributed the refuse up to 100 feet from the 16 roadway. Items observed included tires, mattresses, bottles, buckets, paint cans, toys, bicycles, 17 garbage, appliances, clothing, and lumber (GSA 2008a).
18 4.9.2.2 Improper Storage of Materials
19 During the site visit to the North Parcel on November 18, 2009, improper storage of materials 20 was observed in and around the Horse Barn. This improper storage included the placement of 21 containers of oil, pesticides, and fertilizer directly on the ground without the use of secondary 22 containment. These materials were separate from those observed in and near the Motor Pool 23 Building described in Section 4.9.1.2. Materials stored in this area included the following:
24 Eight 55-gallon drums of oil 25 Five 55-gallon drums of pesticides and three pesticide applicators with capacities 26 between 25 and 250 gallons 27 Approximately 25 abandoned tractors, heavy equipment, and other vehicles 28 Approximately 20 lawnmowers that appeared to be out of use 29 Approximately 100 50-pound bags of fertilizer.
December 2010 Draft EIS 4-178 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
1 No obvious signs of soil contamination were observed in the vicinity of these materials; 2 however, due to poor storage practices, the presence of these materials represents the potential 3 for soil contamination.
4 4.9.3 Other Hazardous Materials
5 This section presents a summary of other potentially hazardous materials observed during 6 limited investigations of the North Parcel buildings conducted between September and 7 November 2009 as part of the East Campus development program. Apart from conditions 8 described earlier in this Environmental Contamination section, no other issues related to 9 hazardous materials have been identified in the Transportation Improvement Study Areas.
10 4.9.3.1 Aboveground Storage Tanks
11 During the site visit on November 18, 2009, three ASTs were observed on the North Parcel. 12 One AST is east of the Dix Pavilion and two ASTs are south of the Veterans Shelter (Building 13 81A).
14 The AST east of the Dix Pavilion, is of steel construction and has a capacity of 10,000 gallons. 15 Currently, the AST stores diesel fuel for the St. Elizabeths East Campus boilers. The AST 16 appeared to be in fair condition at the time of the site visit, and no staining was observed in the 17 vicinity of the AST.
18 One of the ASTs south of the Veterans Shelter has a capacity of approximately 600 gallons. The 19 AST did not appear to be in use and its former contents were not apparent. No staining was 20 observed in the vicinity of the AST. The other AST south of the Veterans Shelter has a capacity 21 of approximately 1,000 gallons. The AST stores diesel fuel for an adjacent working generator. 22 No staining was observed in the vicinity of the AST.
23 4.9.3.2 Lead-Based Paint
24 A lead-based paint (LBP) screening was performed to test a representative number of painted 25 surfaces for the presence of lead throughout the North Parcel buildings that have the potential 26 to be impacted by site development activities under the Proposed Action. The Dry Barn was 27 excluded from this investigation because this structure has been recently renovated and would 28 not be impacted by site development. The testing was conducted by using a Niton XL-309 29 X-Ray Fluorometer (XRF) Lead Paint Analyzer. The XRF contains a small radioisotopic source 30 and operates on the principle of X-ray fluorescence, whereby lead atoms in paint are stimulated 31 to emit characteristic X-rays, which are then detected by the instrument. The XRF can measure 32 surface or nonsurface concentrations of lead with 95 percent accuracy at the District of
Draft EIS December 2010 4-179 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
1 Columbia action level of 1.0 milligram per square centimeter (mg/cm2). The XRF is able to 2 accurately detect as little as 0.1 mg/cm2 of lead.
3 This screening was generally conducted using the methodology recommended by the 4 USEPA/HUD; however, modifications were made, where appropriate. The survey was not a 5 comprehensive, surface-by-surface evaluation, but rather a screening survey of major painted 6 components that might contain LBP. Those components that were determined to contain LBP, 7 as defined by the District of Columbia standard of 1.0 mg/cm2, are summarized in Table 4.9-1. 8 Although the gatehouse at Gate 2 along MLK Avenue was not included in this investigation; 9 however, it is likely to contain LBP due to the age of this structure.
10 4.9.3.3 Asbestos-Containing Material
11 As part of this study, a noninvasive, visual survey and sampling for suspect asbestos-containing 12 material (ACM) was conducted at the North Parcel buildings that have the potential to be 13 impacted by site development activities under the Proposed Action. All suspect material 14 samples were collected by accredited asbestos inspectors and submitted for analysis. With the 15 exception of the Horse Barn, roofing materials were not sampled for asbestos due to the 16 possibility of damaging the integrity of the roofing structure and, therefore, roofing materials 17 throughout the North Parcel buildings should be assumed to contain asbestos until sampling 18 determines otherwise. The Dry Barn was excluded from this investigation because this structure 19 has been recently renovated and would not be impacted by site development activities. A 20 summary of the ACM (defined as containing greater than 1 percent asbestos by weight) 21 identified at the site is summarized in Table 4.9-2.
22 In addition to conducting building surveys to identify ACM within the North Parcel buildings, 23 the St. Elizabeths West Campus EIS (GSA 2008a) was reviewed to determine if there was 24 existing information associated with ACM within the North Parcel steam tunnels. According to 25 a study conducted in 2006, asbestos insulation was identified within the St. Elizabeths West 26 Campus steam tunnels (GSA 2008a). Based on this information and a review of a steam tunnel 27 map of the St. Elizabeths East Campus dated 1985, it is likely that asbestos insulation exists 28 within the North Parcel steam tunnels in the vicinity of the Motor Pool Building and the Dix 29 Pavilion. 30
December 2010 Draft EIS 4-180 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
1 Table 4.9-1. North Parcel Structures LBP Summary
Component Substrate Lead Content (mg/cm2) COTTAGE 8 (BUILDING 79) Patio Columns Wood 26.3 Door Wood 32.8 Patio Ceiling Wood 12.8 Window Wood 4.5–38.8 Window Frame Wood 33.8 Wall Plaster 3.2 Door Frame Wood 14.2 Stairwell Railing Wood 16.3 Radiator Cover Wood 0.9 Wall Tile Ceramic 4.4 GARAGE/MOTOR POOL (BUILDING 81) Overhead Door Frame Metal 1.8–3.6 Exterior Wall Concrete 1.5–10 Columns Concrete 6.5–36.1 Window Frame Metal 4.5–8.4 VETERANS SHELTER (BUILDING 81A) No LBP identified HORSE BARN (BUILDING 83) Screen Doors Wood 3.4 Storm Shutters Wood 7.4 Exterior Wall Wood 19.9 COTTAGE 9 (BUILDING 86) Patio Floor Wood 6.2 Door Wood 35.9–54.7 Door Frame Wood 38.5–52.6 Patio Columns Wood 27.8 Siding Wood 3.7 Window Frame Wood 45.4–46.4 Window Sill Wood 5.0 Radiator Metal 12.8–21.8 Baseboard Wood 50.6 Handrail Wood 14 Wall Tile Ceramic 3.6–6.9 Wall Plaster 8.5–23.1
Draft EIS December 2010 4-181 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
Component Substrate Lead Content (mg/cm2) GATEHOUSE (BUILDING 87) Screen Door Wood 28.7 Screen Door Frame Wood 29.7 Exterior Wall Wood 0.9–6.1 Window Frame Wood 25.2 Roof Soffit Wood 25.9 Window Frame Wood 1.2 RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURE ASSOCIATED WITH GATEHOUSE (BUILDING 87) No LBP identified DIX PAVILION (BUILDING 120) Door Metal 1.3–3.1 Door Frame Metal 3.4–6.9 Water Fountain Ceramic 7.8 I-Beams Metal 6.3 Columns Concrete 3.7 Handrail Metal 10.6
1 Table 4.9-2. North Parcel Structures ACM Summary
Estimated Building Material Location Condition Asbestos Content Quantity COTTAGE 8 (BUILDING 79) Transite Siding Exterior 1,600 Square feet Good 20 percent Chrysotile 5 percent Chrysotile Green 9”x 9” Vinyl Floor Tile Throughout 450 Square feet Fair (Floor Tile); 2 percent and Associated Mastic Chrysotile (Mastic) Beige 9”x 9” Vinyl Floor Tile Throughout 700 Square feet Fair 2 percent Chrysotile Door Caulk Front Door 50 Linear feet Good 3 percent Chrysotile GARAGE/MOTOR POOL (BUILDING 81) Exterior Window Caulk Shop Windows 300 Linear feet Fair 2 percent Chrysotile Cream 9”x 9” Vinyl Floor Tile Locker Room 250 Square feet Fair 5 percent Chrysotile Green and White 12”x 12” Locker Room 250 Square feet Fair 8 percent Chrysotile Vinyl Floor Tile Pipe Insulation Tool Room 400 Linear feet Good 40 percent Chrysotile Brown and Gray 12”x 12” Supervisor’s 150 Square feet Good 5 percent Chrysotile Vinyl Floor Tile Office VETERANS SHELTER (BUILDING 81A) No ACM identified
December 2010 Draft EIS 4-182 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
Estimated Building Material Location Condition Asbestos Content Quantity HORSE BARN (BUILDING 83) Pipe Insulation Throughout 150 Linear feet Poor 80 percent Chrysotile Transite Roofing Panels Roof 50,000 Square feet Fair 35 percent Chrysotile Transite Ceiling Panels Parts Room 1,000 Square feet Fair 30 percent Chrysotile Gray and Yellow Baseboard 2nd Floor 500 Square feet Fair 15 percent Chrysotile Yellow Cementitious 2nd Floor 1,500 Square feet Fair 15 percent Chrysotile Flooring COTTAGE 9 (BUILDING 86) Transite Siding Exterior 1,800 Square feet Good 15 percent Chrysotile Siding Underlayment Exterior 1,800 Square feet Good 3 percent Chrysotile GATEHOUSE (BUILDING 87) Window Caulk Exterior Windows 150 Linear feet Fair 10 percent Chrysotile Wall Caulk Exterior Wall 60 Linear feet Fair 8 percent Chrysotile RESIDENTIAL BUILDING ASSOICATED WITH GATEHOUSE (BUILDING 87) Green 9”x 9” Vinyl Floor Tile 1st Floor 250 Square feet Fair 8 percent Chrysotile 12 percent Chrysotile Cream 9”x 9” Vinyl Floor Tile 1st Floor 175 Square feet Fair (Floor Tile); 5 percent and Associated Black Mastic Chrysotile (Mastic) DIX PAVILION (BUILDING 120) 9”x 9” Vinyl Floor Tile 10–12 percent Throughout 75,000 Square feet Poor-Fair (Various Colors) Chrysotile 12”x 12” Vinyl Floor Tile Throughout 35,000 Square feet Poor-Fair 4–8 percent Chrysotile (Various Colors) 20–40 percent Pipe Insulation Throughout 18,000 Linear feet Poor-Fair Chrysotile; 0–15 percent Amosite Above Drop White Duct Mastic Ceilings 15,000 Square feet Fair 40 percent Chrysotile Throughout Throughout Window Caulk 15,000 Linear feet Fair 20 percent Chrysotile Exterior Floor Slabs Black Vapor Barrier Throughout 15,000 Linear feet Good 2 percent Chrysotile Building Fire Door Insulation Throughout 210 Doors Good 25 percent Chrysotile Duct/Air Handling Unit Penthouse 15,000 Square feet Fair 40 percent Chrysotile Insulation
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Draft EIS December 2010 4-183 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
1 4.9.3.4 PCB-Containing Electrical Equipment
2 Five pad-mounted transformers were observed throughout the North Parcel during the 3 November 18, 2009, site visit. Three of these transformers were south of the Veterans Shelter 4 and two transformers were north of the Motor Pool Building. Transformers installed in and 5 prior to 1978 are assumed to contain PCBs, while those installed after 1978 generally do not 6 contain PCBs. Due to their respective ages of construction, it is assumed that the transformers 7 adjacent to the Motor Pool Building contain PCBs, while the transformers adjacent to the 8 Veterans Shelter do not contain PCBs. No signs of leaking were observed in the vicinity of any 9 of the transformers.
10 4.9.3.5 PCB-Containing Building Components
11 As part of this study, a visual survey was conducted to determine the approximate quantity of 12 suspect PCB-containing light ballasts throughout the North Parcel buildings that have the 13 potential to be impacted by site development activities under the Proposed Action. The 14 Veterans Shelter was excluded from this investigation due to its post-1978 construction date, 15 and the Dry Barn was excluded from this investigation because this structure has been recently 16 renovated and would not be impacted by site development activities. Light ballasts are the 17 electrical components attached to fluorescent light fixtures usually found under a metal cover 18 plate. Prior to 1978, ballasts were commonly manufactured with PCBs due to their electrical 19 insulating properties. Ballasts manufactured after 1978 are usually marked with the words 20 “Non-PCB.” The visual survey involved inspecting a representative number of ballasts 21 throughout the building for the “Non-PCB” label. Those ballasts that did not contain the label 22 were assumed to contain PCBs. Table 4.9-3 presents a summary of the PCB ballasts identified 23 throughout the buildings.
24 Table 4.9-3. North Parcel Structures PCB-Containing Light Ballast Inventory
Estimated Quantity of PCB- Structure Containing Light Ballasts Cottage 8 (Building 79) 16 Garage/Motor Pool (Building 81) 55 Horse Barn (Building 83) 30 Cottage 9 (Building 86) 16 Gatehouse and Associated Residential Structure (Building 87) 8 Dix Pavilion (Building 120) 5,000
December 2010 Draft EIS 4-184 St. Elizabeths Master Plan Amendment
1 4.9.3.6 Mercury-Containing Building Components
2 Mercury is used in several building components including fluorescent and High Intensity 3 Discharge (HID) lamps, thermostats, gauges, and thermometers. In fluorescent and HID 4 lighting, mercury-containing dust forms from the mercury vapor found within the lamps. 5 Thermostats and gauges often have switches that contain mercury, while thermometers often 6 contain a mercury dial. A visual survey was conducted to identify mercury-containing building 7 components throughout the North Parcel buildings, which have the potential to be impacted by 8 site development activities under the Proposed Action. The Dry Barn was excluded from this 9 survey because this structure has been recently renovated and would not be impacted by site 10 development activities. Table 4.9-4 summarizes the findings of the visual survey.
11 Table 4.9-4. North Parcel Buildings Mercury-Containing Building Component Inventory
Estimated Quantity of Mercury-Containing Structure Building Components Cottage 8 (Building 79) 32 Fluorescent Lamps, 1 Thermostat Garage/Motor pool (Building 81) 110 Fluorescent Lamps, 2 Gauges Veterans Shelter (Building 81A) 1,200 Fluorescent Lamps Horse Barn (Building 83) 60 Fluorescent Lamps, 6 HID Lamps Cottage 9 (Building 86) 32 Fluorescent Lamps Gatehouse and Associated Residential Structure (Building 87) 16 Fluorescent Lamps Dix Pavilion (Building 120) 10,000 Fluorescent Lamps, 10 Thermometers
12 4.9.3.7 Radioactive Materials
13 Smoke detectors often contain a small amount of a radioactive substance known as Americium 14 (USEPA 2009c). Smoke detectors were not identified within the North Parcel buildings during 15 the November 18, 2009, site visit; however, it is possible that they are present on site and should 16 be assumed to contain a radioactive source.
17 4.9.3.8 Ozone-Depleting Substances
18 Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydro-chlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) are man-made 19 substances commonly used in refrigerants in water fountains and heating, ventilating, and air 20 conditioning (HVAC) systems and refrigeration equipment. CFC and HCFC use and disposal is 21 regulated by the Federal Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) due to their ozone-depleting 22 properties. All water fountains, HVAC equipment, and walk-in freezers within the North Parcel 23 buildings should be assumed to contain CFCs and HCFCs.
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