Proposed Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Site Selection
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P ROPOSED D WIGHT D. E ISENHOWER M EMORIAL S ITE S ELECTION E NVIRONMENTAL A SSESSMENT Washington, D.C. Responsible Federal Agency: Prepared in Association With: NATIONAL PARK SERVICE J UNE 2006 P ROPOSED D WIGHT D. E ISENHOWER M EMORIAL S ITE S ELECTION E NVIRONMENTAL A SSESSMENT Washington, D.C. Responsible Federal Agency: National Park Service (NPS) Prepared in association with: Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission (EMC) Cooperating Agencies: National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) General Services Administration (GSA) Abstract: The National Park Service and the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission have prepared an Environmental Assessment (EA) for the establishment of a national memorial to Dwight D. Eisenhower on the preferred site of Maryland Avenue, SW at Independence Avenue between 4th and 6th Streets, SW near the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. This EA identifies the potential impacts associated with the Proposed Alternative, the development of the preferred site of the Eisenhower Memorial (not yet designed), together with a No Action Alternative. Recommended mitigation measures are provided for the Proposed Alternative. The NPS has prepared this EA consistent with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended, the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations implementing NEPA [40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 1500-1508 (1986)], as amended, National Park Service (NPS) Director’s Order #12 (DO-12), and Public Law (PL) 99-652 (the Commemorative Works Act of 1986), PL 106-79, and PL 107-117. In conjunction with this EA, this proposed memorial is undergoing a review of potential effects on historic resources consistent with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). The current status of the ongoing Section 106 consultation process is summarized in this EA. Send direct comments on the EA to: Glenn DeMarr at NPS Email: [email protected] Fax: 202-619-7420 PEPC: http://parkplanning.nps.gov/nama J UNE 2006 Rocco C. Siciliano Representative Dennis Moore Chairman D/Kansas Senator Daniel K. Inouye Representative Jerry Moran D/Hawaii R/Kansas Vice Chairman Representative Mac Thornberry Senator Jack Reed R/Texas D/Rhode Island D. David Eisenhower Senator Pat Roberts R/Kansas Alfred Geduldig Senator Ted Stevens Susan Banes Harris R/Alaska Representative Leonard L. Boswell D/Iowa DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER MEMORIAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT Table of Contents 1.0 PURPOSE AND NEED FOR PROPOSED ACTION 3.2 Cultural Resources....................................................3-9 3.2.1 Archaeological Resources ............................3-9 1.1 Introduction ..............................................................1-1 3.2.2 Historic Resources .....................................3-10 1.2 Project Background ..................................................1-4 3.2.3 Visual Resources ........................................3-12 1.3 Purpose and Need for the Proposed Action .............1-6 1.4 Relevance of Eisenhower to the Preferred Site.........1-7 3.3 Transportation Systems ..........................................3-18 1.5 Public Involvement and Agency Coordination ......1-11 3.3.1 Roadways and Intersections…………........3-18 1.6 Environmental Issues Considered ..........................1-12 3.3.2 Vehicular Traffic………….........................3-20 1.7 Cumulative Relationship to Nearby Projects .........1-12 3.3.3 Parking…………........................................3-23 3.3.4 Transit Systems...........................................3-25 3.3.5 Pedestrian/Bicycle Circulation....................3-27 2.0 DESCRIPTION OF ALTERNATIVES 3.4 Physical and Natural Resources .............................3-29 2.1 Introduction ..............................................................2-1 3.4.1 Air Quality..................................................3-29 2.2 Background on the Memorial Site Selection ...........2-1 3.4.2 Noise Levels................................................3-29 2.3 Roadway Configuration Alternatives ……………...2-9 3.4.3 Water Resources.........................................3-30 2.4 Proposed Alternative .............................................2-15 3.4.4 Geophysical Resources...............................3-32 2.5 No Action Alternative ............................................2-20 3.4.5 Biological Resources..................................3-34 3.5 Urban Systems .......................................................3-36 3.0 AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT 3.5.1 Utilities........................................................3-36 3.5.2 Solid Waste ................................................3-38 3.1 Socio-Economic Resources .....................................3-1 3.5.3 Hazardous Materials and Waste .................3-38 3.1.1 Land Use and Ownership .............................3-1 3.1.2 Planning Policies ..........................................3-3 3.1.3 Community Facilities……………………....3-7 3.1.4 Visitation.......................................................3-8 3.1.5 Economic and Fiscal Resources....................3-8 TABLE OF CONTENTS i DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER MEMORIAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT 4.0 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES 5.0 APPENDIX 4.1 Socio-Economic Resources......................................4-1 5.1 References 4.1.1 Land Use and Ownership..............................4-1 5.2 Preparers 4.1.2 Planning Policies...........................................4-3 5.3 Distribution List 4.1.3 Community Facilities....................................4-4 5.4 Traffic Impact Study Summary Table 4.1.4 Visitation.......................................................4-4 5.5 List of Acronyms 4.1.5 Economic and Fiscal Resources....................4-5 5.6 EMC Site Selection Report (Referenced) 4.2 Cultural Resources....................................................4-6 4.2.1 Archaeological Resources.............................4-6 4.2.2 Historic Resources........................................4-7 4.2.3 Visual Resources...........................................4-8 4.3 Transportation Systems...........................................4-11 4.3.1 Roadways and Intersections .......................4-11 4.3.2 Vehicular Traffic ........................................4-12 4.3.3 Parking ......................................................4-15 4.3.4 Transit Systems...........................................4-17 4.3.5 Pedestrian/Bicycle Circulation....................4-17 4.4 Physical and Natural Resources..............................4-19 4.4.1 Air Quality..................................................4-19 4.4.2 Noise Levels................................................4-20 4.4.3 Water Resources.........................................4-21 4.4.4 Geophysical Resources...............................4-22 4.4.5 Biological Resources..................................4-23 4.5 Urban Systems ........................................................4-25 4.5.1 Utilities........................................................4-25 4.5.2 Solid Waste ................................................4-27 4.5.3 Hazardous Materials and Waste .................4-27 ii TABLE OF CONTENTS DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER MEMORIAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT LIST OF FIGURES 1-1 Project Location Map................................................1-2 1-2 Preferred Site and Surrounding Area .......................1-3 1-3 Thematic Context of the Preferred Site ....................1-8 2-1 Boundaries of Memorial Areas I and II ...................2-2 2-2 Map of Sites Considered for the Memorial Site ......2-6 2-3 Memorials and Museum Master Plan Roadway Alternative...............................................................2-11 2-4 MD Avenue Dominant Roadway Alternative.........2-14 2-5 Aerial Photograph of Preferred Memorial Site ......2-16 2-6 Development Framework for the Preferred Memorial Site .........................................................................2-19 3-1 Surrounding Uses of the Preferred Memorial Site ...3-2 3-2 Property Ownership of the Preferred Memorial Site 3-4 3-3 Roadways of the Preferred Memorial Site .............3-19 3-4 Parking and Roadway Circulation ........................3-24 3-5 Transit Access to the Preferred Memorial Site ......3-26 3-6 Utility Diagram of the Preferred Memorial Site ....3-37 4-1 Trip Distribution and Assignment ..........................4-11 LIST OF TABLES 2-1 Sites Considered for the Eisenhower Memorial .......2-5 3-1 Roadway Traffic Volumes......................................3-20 3-2 Existing Peak Traffic Volumes...............................3-21 3-2 2006 ADT Volumes and Roadway Capacity..........3-22 4-1 Peak Traffic on Maryland Avenue Segment...........4-12 TABLE OF CONTENTS iii SECTION 1.0 P URPOSE AND N EED DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER MEMORIAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT 1.0 PURPOSE AND NEED FOR PROPOSED ACTION The memorial’s location “within Area I as depicted on the map referred to in section 8908(a) of title 40” was approved upon the 1.1 Introduction enactment of Public Law 109-220 on May 5, 2006. The NPS, in association with the EMC, has prepared this EA consistent with The National Park Service (NPS) and the Eisenhower Memorial the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as Commission (EMC) propose to establish a national memorial to amended, the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) Dwight D. Eisenhower on a site located at Maryland and regulations implementing NEPA [40 Code of Federal Independence Avenues in southwest Washington, D.C. (see Regulations (CFR) 1500-1508 (1986)], as amended, and National Figure 1-1). The EMC, created in