Executive Director’s Recommendation Commission Meeting: April 5, 2012

PROJECT Electric Generating Equipment Joint Base Myer – Henderson Hall, Fort Leslie J. McNair 4th and P Streets, SW Washington, DC SUBMITTED BY United States Department of Defense Department of the Army REVIEW AUTHORITY Federal Project in the District 40 U.S.C § 8722(b)(1) and (d)

NCPC FILE NUMBER 7238 NCPC MAP FILE NUMBER 24.40(38.00)43514 APPLICANT’S REQUEST Preliminary and final approval of site development plans PROPOSED ACTION Approve with conditions ACTION ITEM TYPE Consent Calendar

PROJECT SUMMARY The Department of the Army has submitted a project to install two new emergency electrical generators at Fort McNair. In combination with multiple existing on-site generators, the project supports an overall program to improve energy reliability and security for mission critical operations and services at both Fort McNair and Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall. The specific generator size and required setbacks vary among the two sites. The sites were chosen for their adjacency to existing utility connections and generators, and proximity to existing electrical switchgear. The generators are to be mounted on above grade concrete slabs to prevent snow accumulation and water ponding. This submission is for approval of the location and placement of the electric generating equipment, construction of the base concrete pads, and associated site and utility work. Screening for one of the generators is not part of this submission and will be proposed as a separate project at a later date.

KEY INFORMATION • This is the second phase of a two-phase program to install new generators to improve

energy reliability and security for mission critical operations and services at Fort McNair. The Commission previously approved the location of five (5) new generators at Fort McNair at its October and December 2011 meetings.

RECOMMENDATION The Commission: Approves the preliminary and final site development plans for the installation of two (2) electric generators at Fort Leslie J. McNair, at 4th and P Streets, SW, in Washington, DC.

Executive Director’s Recommendation Page 3 NCPC File No. 7238

Figures and Maps

Figure 1: Proposed generator locations at Fort McNair .............................................................. 4

Figure 2: Aerial view of Site 9A .................................................................................................. 6

Figure 3: Plan of Site 9A ............................................................................................................ 6

Figure 4: Photos of existing conditions at Site 9A ....................................................................... 7

Figure 5: Aerial of Site 12B ........................................................................................................ 8

Figure 6: Plan of Site 12B .......................................................................................................... 8

Figure 7: Photos of existing conditions at Site 12B ..................................................................... 9

Figure 8: JBM-HH design guidelines for utility enclosures .........................................................10

I. PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Site

Fort Lesley J. McNair is located in the southwest section of the District of Columbia and is bounded on the north by P Street, SW, on the south by the confluence of the Anacostia River and the Washington Channel of the Potomac River, on the east by 2nd Street, SW, and on the west by the Washington Channel. Fort McNair is designated in the L'Enfant Plan as a military installation and one of the 16 original focal points of the plan. In 1903 the post was redesigned by the renowned architectural firm of McKim, Mead, and White into the Beaux-Arts campus setting that is visible today with its strong emphasis on building patterns. The two sites for the proposed electric generators are located within the center of the installation.

Background / Project

Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall (JBM-HH) is the command unit of Fort McNair. JBM-HH maintains a contract with Dominion Virginia Power (DVP) to distribute power within the installation. DVP is also responsible for the operation, monitoring and maintenance of numerous existing emergency generators at the Fort and to ensure consistent compliance with regulations. To make certain sufficient energy is available and secure for mission critical operations and services at Fort McNair, JBM-HH has entered into a design/build contract with DVP to upgrade the emergency electrical generating capacity at the base with multiple new generators. The submitted project to install two (2) new generators is the second phase of this overall upgrade of electrical generating capacity at Fort McNair. A previous phase included the installation of five (5) new generators and the removal of two (2) existing generators; the Commission approved the installation of these five (5) new generators in the fall of 2011.

Executive Director’s Recommendation Page 4 NCPC File No. 7238

The two (2) sites for the new generators are identified on the following map as site 9A and site 12B and described in the project analysis section below. The sites were chosen for their adjacency to existing utility connections and generators, and proximity to existing electrical switchgear. The specific generator size and required setbacks vary among the sites. The new generators are to be mounted on concrete slabs, placed 4 inches above grade to prevent snow accumulation and water ponding.

II. PROJECT ANALYSIS/CONFORMANCE

Executive Summary

Staff recommends that the Commission approve the preliminary and final site development plans for the installation of the two (2) electric generators at Fort Lesley J. McNair, including the location and placement of electric generating equipment, construction of base concrete pads, and associated site and utility work. However, staff recommends that the Commission require the Army to submit by October 2013 final site development plans and a construction timeline for screening of the equipment at site 12B. Staff also recommends that the Commission require the Army to provide notification by October 2013 if it cannot provide the final site development plans and construction timeline for

Figure 1: Proposed generator locations at Fort McNair

Executive Director’s Recommendation Page 5 NCPC File No. 7238

this screening, and/or if funding cannot be identified, so that further consultation on possible solutions can be conducted. These recommendations are described below.

Analysis

As noted above, the two (2) sites for the new generators were chosen for their adjacency to existing utility connections and generators, and proximity to existing electrical switchgear and buildings for which they are to serve. The new generators will run on diesel and operate only during maintenance and power failure emergencies. It is not expected for the operations of the generators to exceed the average of 150 hours per year. Pollution and noise levels from the new generators will be less than or equal to existing site generators. $7,953,538 in funding for the entire project has been in place since Fiscal Year 2010. This funding is for a total of 16 new generators at both Fort McNair and JBM-HH.1 Site 9A: near Building 20, Grant Hall A 350kw generator will be located in an area containing other existing electric equipment, including transformers and switch boxes. The site is located near the center of the installation, and is midway between Building 20 (Grant Hall) to the west and a picnic and playground area to the east.2 The generator will serve Buildings 20 and 49 and Quarters 23-28. A significant amount of existing trees and other vegetation provides the site with limited visibility from nearby streets and nearly no visibility from Building 20; as such, no screening wall is proposed to be developed at this site.

1 The eleven generators at JBM-HH are being reviewed separately by the Commission. See NCPC File No. 7242. 2 Building 20, or Grant Hall, is most famous for its use as the site of the Lincoln assassination conspiracy trial at Fort McNair. The building dates originally from 1831 with a major reconstruction in 1870. The building, currently under renovation, has served an office function for the Fort and will continue to do so following its renovation.

Executive Director’s Recommendation Page 7 NCPC File No. 7238

Site 12B: Building 21, Davis Hall A 150kw generator will be located in an area containing other existing mechanical equipment, including an electric transformer and a chiller. The site is near the center of the installation, adjacent to Building 21 (Davis Hall).3 The generator will serve Buildings 21 and 17. The site has existing vegetation placed to screen the equipment; however a brick wall is proposed to enclose the existing equipment and new generator for additional screening.

3Built in 1838, Building 21, or Davis Hall, was previously named the Model Arsenal and is the last remaining building at Fort McNair from the Washington Arsenal, which was the major supply distribution center for Union forces during the American Civil War. During this time, and as the Model Arsenal, the building housed an extensive collection of models of military technologies for review and study. Today the building contains functions for the National Defense University’s African Center for Strategic Studies.

Figure 4: Photos of existing conditions at Site 9A

Executive Director’s Recommendation Page 9 NCPC File No. 7238

Because of the needed redundancy in energy supply for mission critical operations and services at Fort McNair, and the siting requirements for the new generators, including their adjacency to existing utility connections and proximity to existing electrical switchgear and buildings for which they are to serve, staff recommends that the Commission approve the preliminary and final site development plans for the installation of the two (2) electric generators at Fort McNair, including the location and placement of electric generating equipment, construction of base concrete pads, and associated site and utility work. Environmental Considerations JBM-HH notes that installation of the new generators will occur on previously disturbed areas. However, the proposed location of the generator at site 12B may have a negative effect on the visual qualities of Fort McNair and in particular Building 21. As such, JBM-HH has proposed to construct a brick screening walls at this site, consistent with the base design guidelines for screening wall (see figure 8 below). As current available funding is only for the installation of the generators and not for the screening walls and landscaping, JBM-HH is currently requesting preliminary and final site development plans approval for the generators only. JBM-HH proposes to seek additional funding for the design and construction of the screening walls and landscaping and to return to NCPC for approval of these elements of the project.

Figure 7: Photos of existing conditions at Site 12B

Executive Director’s Recommendation Page 10 NCPC File No. 7238

As such, and to ensure that JBM-HH returns to NCPC with a plan to install the screening walls and landscaping, staff recommends that the Commission require the Army to submit by October 2013 final site development plans and a construction timeline for the screening wall at site 12B. Staff also recommends that the Commission require the Army to notify the Commission by October 2013 if it cannot provide the required final site development plans and construction timeline and/or if funding cannot be identified, so that further consultation on possible solutions can be conducted. Staff is recommending October 2013 as this coincides with the timeline the Commission required of the Army to submit to the Commission final site development plans and a construction timeline for the screening walls previously approved by the Commission in October 2011. Within this previous approval, the Commission required future submissions for new and replacement generators at Fort McNair be accompanied with complete site development plans for screening walls and landscape. Since the screening walls for all the new generators will be designed and constructed under a separate contract from that for the new generators themselves, staff recommends that the Commission rescind this requirement for this review of the proposed generator at site 12B and as noted above require plans for the screening wall be submitted for review by October 2013.

Figure 8: JBM-HH design guidelines for utility enclosures

Executive Director’s Recommendation Page 11 NCPC File No. 7238

Comprehensive Plan for the National Capital

The proposal is not inconsistent with the policies of the federal elements of the Comprehensive Plan.

Relevant Federal Facility Master Plan

The proposed improvements are consistent with their adjacent land uses as the new generators will be placed adjacent to existing electric generating equipment and switchgear. Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall has provided staff a draft master plan for review (dated January 2012). The draft document currently identifies the need for the new generators at Fort McNair but does not identify the specific sites; however, the sites proposed do not negatively impact any proposed changes in land use within the draft master plan.

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)

Pursuant to the regulations implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Department of the Army, on February 2, 2011, determined that the proposed action would not be expected to individually or cumulatively have significant effects on the human or natural environment, that no environmentally controversial changes to existing environmental conditions would be expected, and that no circumstances exist that would require an environmental assessment or an environmental impact statement under NEPA, and as such, the proposed action qualifies as a Categorical Exclusion under 32 CFR Appendix B Part 651 (c)1. Given its approval authority over the project, NCPC also has an independent responsibility to satisfy the requirements of NEPA in accordance with NCPC’s environmental policies and procedures and CEQ’s regulations. Based on a thorough review of the information provided by JBM-HH, staff has determined that the proposed action meets the criteria of NCPC’s Categorical Exclusion 8(C)(1), which reads as follows: “Repair, replacement, and routine installation of onsite primary or secondary electrical distribution systems.”

National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA)

Pursuant to the regulations implementing the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), the Department of the Army concluded Section 106 consultation with the District of Columbia State Historic Preservation Office (DC SHPO) with the DC SHPO, on January 13, 2012, determining that the undertaking would have no adverse effect on historic properties conditioned upon the generators being placed in the locations and with the screening specified. The DC SHPO also noted that additional generators within the historic precinct at the installation may be problematic. Because the DC SHPO’s determination is conditional, staff recommends that the Commission note the determination in its approval action. Given its approval authority over the project, NCPC also has an independent responsibility to satisfy 36 CFA 800 (the regulations implementing Section 106 of the NHPA). NCPC has reviewed the DC SHPO determination and concurs that the project will have no adverse effect on historic properties if the conditions identified by the DC SHPO are met.

Executive Director’s Recommendation Page 12 NCPC File No. 7238

III. CONSULTATION

Coordinating Committee

The Committee reviewed the proposal at its March 14, 2012 meeting, and forwarded the proposed preliminary and final site development plans to the Commission with the statement that the proposal has been coordinated with all participating agencies. The participating agencies were NCPC; the District of Columbia Office of Planning; the District Department of Transportation; the General Services Administration; the National Park Service; and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.

U.S. Commission of Fine Arts

The Department of the Army has notified staff of its intent to submit the project for review by the Commission of Fine Arts in April of 2012.