STAFF RECOMMENDATION

Hart

NCPC File No. 7052

JOINT BASE MYER-HENDERSON HALL RADNOR HEIGHTS 230KV LINE AND SUBSTATION

Arlington,

Submitted by the United States Department of Defense, Department of the Army

June 30, 2011

Abstract

The Department of the Army has submitted a 17,100 square-foot substation project at Myer-Henderson Hall between Fort Myer and Route 50 near the Courthouse Road intersection. This project also includes electric service improvements, through a new underground 230kV transmission line, to the northeastern portion of Arlington County where several federal agency customers are located. The underground 230kV transmission line will extend for a total of 2.6 miles from the substation east to Route 110, south along Route 110 towards I-395, and terminate at the Davis Substation, located near the I-395/Route 110 intersection.

Commission Action Requested by Applicant

Approval of preliminary and final site and building plans, pursuant to 40 U.S.C. § 8722 (b)(1).

Executive Director’s Recommendation

The Commission:

Approves the preliminary and final site and building plans for an electric substation on the northern portion of Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall and a 230kV underground transmission line as shown on NCPC Map File No.1.62(38.00)43363.

Requests that the Army continue coordination with the to ensure pedestrian access to the Iwo Jima Memorial during the construction period.

* * * NCPC File No. 7052 Page 2

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Site This proposal is to build a 17,100 square–foot substation and install a 230kV underground transmission line in Arlington County along an approximately 2.6 mile route to improve electric service to the northeastern portion of the county. The substation will be located in the northern portion of Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall (JBM-HH). This portion of JBM-HH is identified as the historic part of the installation.

Clarendon Substation

New New Substation Arlington Transmission Joint Site National Base Line Cemetery Myer Henderson Hall

AERIAL – PROJECT CONTEXT

The proposed substation site, referred to as the Radnor Heights Substation, will be located near Building 205 on approximately 0.90 acres bound by Bloxon Street to the south and Route 50 to the north. Steep inclines on three sides of the site create a small “bowl” landform around the proposed substation. While this site is partially visible from Route 50 and residential areas to the north, groups of trees lining Route 50 will block much of this building from view. The buildings on the installation that surround this site are located at the top of the hill and will overlook this parcel of land and the substation once it is constructed. NCPC File No. 7052 Page 3

Route 50

Joint

Base NEW Myer Henderson SUBSTATION Hall SITE

Arlington

National Cemetery

AERIAL – RADNOR HEIGHTS SUBSTATION SITE LOCATION

Proposal The Department of the Army, in coordination with Dominion Virginia Power (Dominion), is proposing a total of 2.6 miles of 230kV underground transmission lines and a new 17,100square- foot electric substation to improve the transmission network in the northeastern portion of Arlington County, which includes several federal agency customers. Dominion will be constructing the project, much of which is located on or beneath federally owned land. The Army and Dominion have been in consultations with Arlington County, Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia Department of Transportation, and the National Park Service for several years on this project.

There are two components to this project: underground transmission lines and a new electric substation. The new underground transmission lines will connect the proposed Radnor Heights Substation to an existing substation in Arlington near a section of the county known as Clarendon. This existing substation is 1.1 miles northwest of the Radnor Heights station. The NCPC File No. 7052 Page 4

transmission network is also proposed to extend east of the Radnor Heights Substation to Route 110, and then south along Route 110 to the Davis Substation, near the I-395/Route 110 intersection.

SITE PLAN – RADNOR HEIGHTS SUBSTATION

The other component of this project is the construction of a 17,100 square-foot Radnor Heights substation proposed at JBM-HH. The substation site will consist of two co-joined buildings. The main electric equipment will be housed in the larger of the two buildings, while the smaller building will house JBM-HH specific equipment only. The larger building will have an open roof to allow for future equipment upgrades. The height of the building will be 24 feet. The proposed structure will screen the substation equipment from view. Two metal access gates will be used as vehicular entrances into the buildings. The substation has been designed to match architectural elements currently found on the installation. Materials include, brick precast concrete for the walls, faux slate gray roofing, and dark bronze metal access gates. There are no NCPC File No. 7052 Page 5

windows proposed for either building. There are no staff assigned to either building and there will only be periodic visits to these buildings for maintenance purposes.

Building 1 Building 2

Vehicular Entrance

PERSPECTIVE – RADNOR HEIGHTS SUBSTATION LOOKING WEST

PROJECT ANALYSIS

Executive Summary Staff finds that the proposal to improve the electric transmission network in the northeastern portion of Arlington County, which includes several federal agencies, has been well coordinated, uses elements consistent with the installation architecture and will provide a benefit to the Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall installation. The Army and Dominion Virginia Power have worked cooperatively with federal, state and local stakeholders over the past few years to successfully develop a plan to improve the electrical infrastructure. Therefore staff recommends that the Commission approve the preliminary and final site and building plans for an electric substation on the northern portion of Joint Base Myer Henderson Hall and a 230kV underground transmission line.

CONFORMANCE

Comprehensive Plan for the National Capital The proposed project is not inconsistent with the policies of the Comprehensive Plan for the National Capital as this facility will improve the electric service for both this section of Arlington County as well as nearby federal agencies, without being visually intrusive on the landscape. This project is consistent with the historic preservation policies as it minimizes the view of this project from points outside the installation, it protects the historic nature of the installation by using walls to screen the electrical equipment and it uses similar building materials found at JBM-HH in its design of the exterior walls of the substation. NCPC File No. 7052 Page 6

Federal Facility Master Plan This project was not included in the 1984 Fort Myer-Henderson Hall Master Plan, however it is included in a draft of the update of the master plan that will be submitted to the Commission for review in the fall. This project has been coordinated extensively with the Arlington County Government and adjacent federal landholders over the past few years and will not lead to significant changes in the land use, the transportation system, historic resources, or any other topics normally analyzed in a master plan.

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) The Army has submitted the Dominion Radnor Heights Substation and Transmission Line Environmental Assessment (EA) pursuant to its responsibilities under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). This EA analyzed five alternatives for routing the transmission lines and two alternatives for the substation, including a no action alternative. The preferred alternative was chosen after the Army determined that the other alternatives were not acceptable. The Army submitted a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) dated May 30, 2011. As this is a federal project outside the District of Columbia, NCPC does not have an independent NEPA responsibility.

National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) The Army prepared a viewshed analysis for this project as it was located next to historic areas on the installation and issued a determination of no adverse effect for the project. The Virginia State Historic Preservation Officer reviewed the analysis and concurred with the Army’s determination of no adverse effect in a letter dated March 16, 2011. As this is a federal project outside the District of Columbia, NCPC does not have an independent NHPA responsibility.

CONSULTATION

Referral to relevant local planning agencies NCPC staff referred the project in accordance with its Procedures for Intergovernmental Cooperation in Federal Planning in the National Capital Region to the following agencies: Arlington County; the Virginia Department of Transportation; the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality; the Washington Metropolitan Council of Governments; and the Regional Commission. No comments were received on this project.

In addition, the applicant has been meeting monthly with the Arlington County government, the Arlington National Cemetery, the National Park Service and the Virginia Department of Transportation over the past year to discuss and address project issues as they arise. The National Park Service has noted that the only remaining issue was to maintain pedestrian access to the Iwo Jima Memorial from the Arlington Cemetery Metrorail Station during construction. Therefore staff recommends that the Commission request that the Army continue coordination with the National Park Service to ensure pedestrian access to the Iwo Jima Memorial throughout the construction period.