FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE MANHATTAN VEHICLE MAINTENANCE FACILITY NEW YORK, NEW YORK Prepared by U.S. ARMY ENGINEER DISTRICT, HEW YORK, NEW/ORK 26 March I97U SUMMARY Draft ( ) Revised Draft ( ) Final (X) Environmental Statement Responsible Federal Agency: United States Postal Service A. TYPE OF ACTION Administrative (X) Legislative ( ) B. DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED ACTION Proposed development consists of a major U.S. Postal Service vehicle mainte­ nance facility (VMF) in combination with a multi-story housing project in the lower West Side of the Borough of Manhattan, New York City. The project will occupy an entire city block, presently vacant, adjacent to the Morgan Station mail processing center. Features of the proposed action are a multi­ story VMF, a housing project of approximately 860 units utilizing air rights space above the VMF, and the closure of 29th Street between Ninth and Tenth Avenues to non-postal traffic, except during the evening rush period. Development of the VMF will enable the Postal Service to replace three ex­ isting inadequate, scattered vehicle maintenance and storage facilities and, through their consolidation, to improve the efficiency of Manhattan postal vehicle operations. Facilities of the VMF will include service and repair bays, wash racks and paint and body shops, with parking space provided for 918 postal vehicles. Dispatching and fueling operations, offices, and fa­ cilities for 300 based employees and 1,200 drivers are also provided. Approximately 2,200 postal vehicle movements into and out of (total) the VMF are anticipated on an average weekday. The peak period of VME activity will occur between 5 A.M. and 7 A.M., when approximately 160 to 180 movements per hour of one quarter to two ton vehicles outbound to local postal stations are added to the relatively constant five ton and diesel vehicle flow of 30 to 60 movements per hour. The housing is to be developed by the City of New York using air rights con­ veyed by the Postal Service for housing purposes. Present architectural plans call for a total of 864 apartment units in two 27-story towers and two low- rise apartment clusters. The proposed apartments are distributed by size as follows: 30 percent zero bedroom, 30 percent one bedroom, 30 percent two bedroom, and 10 percent three bedroom units. C. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND ADVERSE ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS Street Traffic and Circulation - Postal vehicle travel will increase by ap- proximately 100 vehicle miles per day overall, but five ton and diesel postal vehicle travel will be reduced by 300 vehicle miles per day. Projected peak postal- vehicle operations of the VMF will occur in the early morning while street traffic in the vicinity is light. During the evening rush hour period, VMF operations will be relatively light. Enforcement of existing parking prohibitions and reduced postal traffic on 31st, 33rd, and 34th Streets should provide sufficient westbound capacity to accommodate the additional non-postal vehicles diverted from 29th Street under conditions comparable to, or improved over, present traffic operations. To avoid any potential confusion for motorists or pedestrians due to changes in normal intersection operations attendant with 29th Street restrictions, signs, barriers, pavement markings and other traffic control devices nec­ essary for the safe use and operation of the street are to be provided. Thus, no significant impacts or adverse effects on traffic flow or operations are anticipated to occur as a result of the proposed project. Air Quality - As a result of reduced heavy duty postal vehicle travel, carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon emissions from postal vehicle movements to and from the VMF will be reduced by approximately eight percent over conditions with­ out the VMF. Street traffic volume and pattern changes attributable to the VMF will have relatively little impact on air quality. For the 15-block primary study area immediately adjacent to the site, no distinguishable change in 1980 A.M. or P.M. peak period emissions were found whether or not the VMF is built. Enforcement of parking restrictions and reduced postal traffic on 31st, 33rd, and 34th Streets, associated with the transfer of preferential mail processing from GPO Manhattan to Morgan Station, will allow for diversion of non-postal traffic from 29th Street without significant changes in emissions or air quality. The impact of VMF exhaust venting is not expected to be significant, with maximum concentrations of pollutants in the exhaust occurring at times when background concentrations are low. Carbon monoxide exposure of the air rights housing and air intakes for the VMF will be within standards, and the ventilation system will have the capa­ bility of maintaining better than acceptable air quality within the VMF. Noise Environment - Traffic changes generated by the proposed VMF will have no significant acoustical impacts. Increases in ambient L]g noise levels generally will not exceed 1-3 dBA during most hours. During early morning and late evening periods the Lio noise level might increase by approximately 5 dBA for short periods, under present postal vehicle scheduling. Federal ambient noise standards for the proposed air rights housing are ex­ ceeded. In order to attain satisfactory interior noise levels, sound insu­ lating windows and air conditioning are provided for in the design on the Ninth and Tenth Avenue and 29th Street facades of the apartment towers, in addition to a small setback on the VMF roof. V » Noise impact during construction phases is not significant, with estimated increases above ambient not exceeding 3.5 dBA. Similarly, truck traffic associated with construction is not expected to significantly raise ambient noise levels. Impacts of a temporary nature associated with construction will be minimized with suitable precautions and abatement procedures. Urban Form - The combined VMF and housing project represents a compatible transitional use between business and residential sections and will act to stabilize uoundaries. No consequential land use changes in the vicinity are expected to occur as a result of VMF project development. Socio-Economic Conditions - The most significant impact of the project is the positive response to a pressing and obvious need for low- and moderate- income housing in the area. Construction and in-operation activities represent a potentially minor source of jobs for area residents. The VMF employment base and residents of the housing portion will provide an expanded local market for retail trade and services. Development is more beneficial to the community than under current zoning policy for the site. Conversely the proposed project largely may be exempt from normal private property taxation and, thus, have minor fiscal produc­ tivity to the City. The introduction of over 860 new housing units will increase the utilization of local public schools and may create marginal over-capacity conditions at P.S. 33. Infrastructure - No adverse impact on any existing water supply, sewer, power, gas and steam "facilities are expected, nor is any reduction of service to other users expected as a result of project requirements. Summary Impact Assessment - Many of the potentially adverse impacts of proj­ ect development are minor and can be prevented or minimized through appropri­ ate precautions, design modifications, construction procedures, and adjustments of operations. The net effect of project development is considered beneficial to both principal parties: the Postal Service and the community. D. ALTERNATIVES TO PROPOSED ACTION Alternatives to the proposed action have been considered and the conclusion reached that the proposed action is the most feasible course for the Postal Service to pursue. Moreover, it is the most advantageous to the conmunity in providing a needed potential source of housing. No Action - Under this alternative, existing postal vehicle maintenance f«i- ci1ities would remain in their scattered and inadequate locations. An opportunity to develop needed housing on the site would be postponed, in the least, if not lost. Alternative Locations - Expansion of the existing facilities is restricted by an inability to assemble properties. An office-VMF complex proposed on a nearby 29th Street site by private sponsors would be more costly and would not provide the opportunity to develop housing. An alternative advocated by various community groups would relocate the VMF to a nearby site diagonally opposite Morgan Station to the northwest, leaving the housing on grade at the proposed VMF site. The alternative VMF site offers no significant environmental advantages to the existing community and is less desirable operationally to the Postal Service. Provision of low- and moderate- income housing without benefit of the cost savings associated with the use of air-rights would be economically prohibitive. On grade construction opposite Morgan Station loading docks would be visually undesirable and would increase exposure to noise levels generated by traffic along the avenues. Scattered site facilities, while reducing travel for light duty vehicles, would increase the needed fleet size and space needs for parking, with an attendant reduction in vehicle maintenance efficiency. Alternative Modes of Mail Goods Movements - The feasibility of alternative means of transporting mail have in the past and continue to be a subject of extensive study and experimentation by the Postal Service, including the use of rail transit, pneumatic