Shpo Project Effect
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APPENDIX E3 SHPO PROJECT EFFECT 801 E. Main Street, Suite 1000 Richmond, VA 23219 June 20, 2018 Mr. Marc Holma Division of Review and Compliance Department of Historic Resources 2801 Kensington Avenue Richmond, Virginia 23221 RE: Project Effect Southeast High Speed Rail (DC2RVA) Project, Washington, D.C. to Richmond Segment DHR #2014-0666 Dear Marc, The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) are continuing environmental studies associated with the Tier II Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Washington, D.C. to Richmond segment of the Southeast High Speed Rail (DC2RVA) corridor (Project). The limits of the Project extend from Control Point RO (MP CFP-110) in Arlington south to the CSX Transportation (“CSXT”) A-Line/CSXT-S-Line junction at MP A-11 in Centralia, Virginia (Chesterfield County), a distance of approximately 123 miles. This project is receiving federal funding through the FRA, will traverse federal land including parcels owned by the U.S. Marine Corps and the National Park Service, and will require permits to be issued by federal agencies such as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Due to the involvement of these and other federal entities, the undertaking requires compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), as amended. The FRA sent your office a project initiation letter on December 11, 2014, formally commencing the Section 106 process, and the project’s area of potential effects (APE) was approved by the State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO; the Virginia Department of Historic Resources [DHR]) on February 2, 2015, as required by 36 CFR 800.4(a)(1). HISTORIC PROPERTIES Reconnaissance architectural studies and archaeological survey on the majority of the corridor and Project alternatives were coordinated with your office between 2015 and 2017. In the fall of 2017, a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was produced and a Preferred Alternative was recommended by DRPT and the Commonwealth Transportation Board in December 2017. Subsequent technical studies were completed in spring 2018 to ensure that all areas within the APE were the subject of cultural resource studies; the results of this work were coordinated with your office through several Page 1 801 E. Main Street, Suite 1000 Richmond, VA 23219 meetings and reports. A full roster of all reports is included as Appendix A. Based on the project background reviews, technical studies, and previous coordination with your office, DRPT has determined that there are 118 historic properties in the APE (Appendix B). Of these, 58 are buildings, 32 are historic districts (including those that comprise structural elements such as railroads), 5 are structures, 12 are archaeological sites, 10 are battlefields, and 1 is a multicomponent resource that contains all resource types. With regard to archaeological historic properties, most of the sites have been identified at the Phase I level but none have been the subject of Phase II-level evaluation testing as part of the current study. DRPT has elected to assume eligibility on all sites. DHR concurred with this approach during a meeting on July 26, 2017, and via email on July 31, 2017. RESOURCE EFFECT RECOMMENDATIONS In accordance with 36 CFR 800.5(a), DRPT has applied the criteria of adverse effect to these 118 properties. The regulations implementing Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act define an effect as an “alteration to the characteristics of a historic property qualifying it for inclusion in or eligible for the National Register” [36 CFR 800.16(i)]. The effect is adverse when the alteration of a qualifying characteristic occurs in a “manner that would diminish the integrity of the property’s location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, or association” [36 CFR 800.5(a)]. This letter presents effect recommendations for the 118 historic properties, followed by an overall project effect recommendation. The effect recommendations listed below were discussed with DHR at an in-person meeting on June 19, 2018, and this letter reflects all comments provided by your agency at that time. Maps of resources have been presented in the 20+ technical reports produced as part of this project; as such, maps showing resource locations are not repeated here. Adverse Effect Based on an evaluation of the project design, construction, and operations, DRPT recommends a finding of adverse effect on 14 above-ground resources and 9 archaeological sites. Resources where an adverse effect could occur are listed below from north to south. Richmond, Fredericksburg, and Potomac Railroad (RF&P) (500-0001): The historic rail corridor includes the main rail line, spurs, and associated elements such as station houses, bridges, and other structures. The DC2RVA project will require the replacement of several contributing elements to this rail district (such as the bridge over Naomi Road [089-0080] and numerous culverts) and construction of new bridges adjacent to extant contributing resources (such as the Bridge over the Occoquan River [500- 0001-0022, see more below]). The removal of these contributing elements to the linear district would diminish the characteristics that render this resource eligible for the NRHP. Page 2 801 E. Main Street, Suite 1000 Richmond, VA 23219 RF&P Bridge over Occoquan River (500-0001-0022): This resource is a through-truss, camelback railroad bridge constructed in 1915. It is both individually eligible for the NRHP and a contributing element to the RF&P Railroad. Current plans include constructing a second bridge directly east of the existing span, thus introducing a new element adjacent to the current bridge. The project has the potential to diminish the property’s integrity of design, setting, materials, feeling, and association through the introduction of this large new element. Rippon Lodge (076-0023): One of the oldest houses in Prince William County, the vista from Rippon Lodge looking down Neabsco Creek (and current site of the railroad and associated bridge) was documented by Benjamin Latrobe in the late-eighteenth century. The waterway viewshed is a character- defining feature of this significant resource. A new railroad bridge across Neabsco Creek will be built as part of this project. The new bridge will be west of the existing span and will be a new primary element within the viewshed from Rippon Lodge, thus impacting a significant element of the property. Civil War Campsite (44ST1223): The rail corridor was an extremely important component of transportation logistics associated with the Civil War, and war-related resources were often located near the tracks. This site represents one of many Union army winter encampments in the area, occupied during the winter of 1862–1863. The addition of a new set of tracks will require disturbances to the subsurface matrix within the site, thus potentially destroying data-bearing strata that contribute to the site’s eligibility. Rappahannock River Railroad Bridge and Associated Structures/Platform (111-0132-0025): This 1927 multiple-span, open-spandrel, concrete arch bridge was built across the Rappahannock River in 1927 when the rail tracks in Fredericksburg were elevated to allow for vehicular traffic below. The system also includes a series of rail structural supports and the passenger platform to the west, built at the same time. This structure is both individually eligible and a contributing element to both the RF&P Railroad (500-0001) and the Fredericksburg Historic District (111-0132). Proposed modifications include the construction of a new bridge immediately south of the existing span and changes to the structural supports and rail platform. These alterations will diminish the resource’s integrity of design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association. Marye’s Mill Site (44SP1087): The site represents the remains of a large mill, located on the banks of the Rappahannock River, which was in operation during the second half of the nineteenth and first decades of the twentieth centuries. It is a prominent visual element in many Civil War-era representations of Fredericksburg. Construction associated with rail modifications and construction of a new bridge spanning the river will result in subsurface disturbances throughout the majority of the site, thus adversely affecting the data potential of this resource. Page 3 801 E. Main Street, Suite 1000 Richmond, VA 23219 Fredericksburg Historic District (111-0132): This 200-acre district comprises the city’s historic core and includes hundreds of residential, commercial, educational, ecclesiastic, and industrial buildings. Current project plans include the construction of a multi-story parking deck to the south of the extant rail tracks and construction of a new rail station to the north of the tracks. In addition, contributing elements to the district, such as the Rappahannock River Bridge and rail structural system listed above, will be modified during the work. The new structures will introduce new large-scale elements to the district, and other building and structural changes will diminish character-defining features of the district. Block 49/Train Station (44SP0688) and Block 48/Train Station (44SP0687): These two archaeological sites comprise two city blocks in Fredericksburg, stretching from Sophia Street on the east to Princess Anne Street on the west and bounded by Lafayette Street on the north and Frederick