STAFF RECOMMENDATION

M. Weil

NCPC File No. 7105

DC VILLAGE

NEW METROBUS GARAGE AND MAINTENANCE FACILITY

Washington, DC

Submitted by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority

May 27, 2010

Abstract The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) proposes the construction of a new 16.2-acre bus garage and maintenance facility at DC Village, located in Southwest, Washington, DC. The project would replace the existing Southeastern Bus Garage, located between M Street, N Street, Van Street, and Half Streets, SE in Washington, DC, which currently operates at over-capacity. The new DC Village facility would consist of: a maximum 250-space bus parking (standard and articulated spaces) lot; a 300-space employee parking lot; a bus maintenance parking lot; a Maintenance and Administration Building; a Fuel Building; a Wash Building; a guard booth; a perimeter fence; and underground fuel storage tanks.

Commission Action Requested by Applicant Approval of preliminary site and building plans pursuant to the Washington Metropolitan Area

ransit Authority Compact, D.C. Code § 9-1107.01. T

Executive Director’s Recommendation The Commission: Approves the preliminary site and building plans for the new Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Bus Garage and Maintenance Facility, located at DC Village, in Southwest, Washington, DC as shown on NCPC Map File No. 84.40(38.00)43054, pursuant to the WMATA Compact, D.C. Code § 9-1107.01.

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PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Site

The proposed facility would be located at DC Village, located in Southwest, Washington, DC, in the far southern part of the District of Columbia as shown in the following aerial photos.

Proposed Project Site Aerial Photograph & Vicinity Map DC Village is District-owned land located to the east of the Blue Plains Wastewater Treatment Facility and I-295, south of the US Botanic Garden Production Facility, east of the Potomac Job Corps Center, and north of the District of Columbia Impoundment and Evidence Lots and Oxon Cove (managed by the National Park Service). The land is currently zoned as C-M-1, which permits development of “low bulk commercial and light manufacturing uses”. The proposed Metrobus facility is compatible with existing local uses, as illustrated with the following land ownership/use map.

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Local Area Land Ownership / Land Use Map The proposed WMATA garage and maintenance facility would be located in the northern portion of DC Village, on a 16.2-acre parcel of land that would be conveyed to WMATA from the District, shown in the following graphic.

DC Village Site Aerial Photograph

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The site is bounded by Shepherd Parkway, SW on the west, Blue Plains Drive, SW on the north, DC Village Lane, SW on the east, and the District Impoundment Lot and old DC Village cottage buildings on the south.

Proposal

The proposal is to construct a new secure facility that would consist of: a maximum 250-space bus parking (standard and articulated spaces) lot; a 300-space employee parking lot; a bus maintenance parking lot; a Maintenance and Administration Building; a Fuel Building; a Wash Building; a guard booth; a perimeter fence; and underground fuel storage tanks. Employee parking would be provided on top of an 87,500 square foot elevated parking deck over the standard-size bus parking area, with a direct connection to the 2nd level of the Administration and Maintenance Building via a pedestrian bridge. The facility layout is shown in the following plan, which represents the proposed layout of the site at a 20% design level. WMATA plans to award a design/build contract at the end of June, 2010, and the selected contractor will be responsible for preparing the final design of the facility in accordance with the project criteria and all applicable codes and regulations.

Proposed Preliminary WMATA DC Village Bus Garage & Maintenance Facility Site Plan The facility will have an eight-foot high decorative perimeter security fence, with access provided at two locations. An emergency entrance will be located along Blue Plains Drive, SW

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(along the northern side of the site) and a main entrance will be located along DC Village Drive, SW, on the southeastern side of the site. The main entrance will be access-controlled with a guard booth and gate. The facility will employ approximately 350 personnel and house 115 buses at the time of its scheduled opening in 2012, with work shifts that span 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The facility is required to attain a LEED Silver Certification and will ultimately house a maximum of 250 buses and 600 personnel in the future. The Administration and Maintenance Building is located in the western part of the facility with approximately 84,000 square feet, provided in two levels. The ground level contains space for parts storage, maintenance bays, offices, showers/lockers, a lunch room, and a tire shop, and the top level contains space for offices, recreation rooms, training rooms, showers/lockers, restroom facilities, electrical/mechanical equipment, and storage, as shown in the following floor plans.

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The lower level maintenance bays will have an operational clearance of 16-feet and the building will be approximately 39-feet in height, at the parapet. Elevations are shown on the following page.

The Fuel Building (approximately 8,100 square feet in area) is located in the north, central part of the facility, close to the facility’s emergency entrance. The building has three fueling bays and houses storage, mechanical, office, and restroom areas as shown in the following floor plan.

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The building will be 24-feet in height as shown in the following elevations.

The Wash Building (approximately 7,600 square feet in area) is located in the south, central part of the facility. The building has 3 washing bays and houses office, mechanical/electrical, and equipment areas as shown in the following floor plan.

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The Wash Building is shown in the following elevations.

PROJECT ANALYSIS

Executive Summary

Staff recommends approval for the preliminary site and building plans for the new Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Bus Garage and Maintenance Facility, located at DC Village, in Southwest, Washington, DC as shown on NCPC Map File No. 84.40(38.00)43054, pursuant to the WMATA Compact, D.C. Code § 9-1107.01. Staff finds that the proposal is compatible with the light-industrial/service uses located nearby the DC Village project site. Additionally, the new modern facility will replace the existing Southeastern Bus Garage, which is old by modern operating standards, currently operates at over-capacity, and is not physically able to expand due to its location. The relocation will also allow the land to be redeveloped with a use that is more consistent with District and federal government plans for nearby South Capitol Street and the Capitol Riverfront area.

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CONFORMANCE

Comprehensive Plan for the National Capital

Staff has determined that the proposed project is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan for the National Capital: Federal Elements, in particular the following Transportation and Federal Workplace policies:

• Capacity and service expansion of the regional Metrorail and Metrobus systems, and other local and regional transit services;

• Minimize development of open space by selecting disturbed land or brownfields for new federal workplaces or by reusing existing buildings or sites.

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)

The project was analyzed through an Environmental Assessment (EA) study, completed in June 2007, as required by the facility planning process under the WMATA Compact. Operating under the assumption that federal funding would not be required to support the project, WMATA undertook the study following the Compact’s planning process, which does not require a “Finding of No Significant Impact” (FONSI) to conclude an EA study. Accordingly, the study was completed with approval by the Board of Directors after a public comment process in conformance with the WMATA Compact. However, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) made a determination that project funding was federal and as a result, WMATA submitted the EA study to the FTA for consideration. In a letter dated July 15th, 2009, FTA concluded that the project qualifies for a Categorical Exclusion in lieu of issuing a FONSI, as follows: 23 CFR Section 771.117 (d) (8), Construction of new bus storage and maintenance facilities in areas used predominantly for industrial or transportation purposes where such construction is not inconsistent with existing zoning and located on or near a street with adequate capacity to handle anticipated bus and support vehicle traffic. NCPC has independent NEPA review authority related to the project and as such, issued a FONSI on May 26th, 2010, in reference to the WMATA EA study.

National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA)

During the EA process, WMATA consulted with the District of Columbia State Historic Preservation Office (DC SHPO) and conducted a Phase I archeological study of the site. WMATA submitted the survey to the DC SHPO, along with its determination that the undertaking would have no effect on historic and archeological resources. The DC SHPO issued its concurrence of “No Effect” on February 6, 2008, and NCPC concurs with this finding as well.

CONSULTATION

Coordinating Committee

On May 12, 2010, the Coordinating Committee forwarded the proposal to the Commission with the statement that the project has been coordinated with the agencies represented, except the

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District of Columbia Fire Department (DCFD), which had expressed concerns about emergency planning for the facility. In follow-up, WMATA has assured DCFD that the final facility design will be done in accordance with all applicable codes and regulations, and the design process will include coordination with the DCFD for emergency planning purposes. The participating agencies were NCPC, National Park Service, General Services Administration, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, D.C. Office of Planning, D.C. Department of Transportation, and D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services.