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TestimonytotheNationalCapitalPlanningCommission StevenC.Salop CoChairWapakonetaRoadCommittee GlenEchoHeightsCitizensAssociation February2,2012 OnDecember1,theCommissionrequiredtheDIAandtheUSACEtoengagewiththe community.ThismarkedamostconstructiveturningpointintheprogressofSiteMaster Planredesign.Thisengagementhasinvolvedaseriesofmeetingsanddiscussions.On January22nd,thecommunityformulatedadraftMemorandumofUnderstanding.(The MOUwasattachedtotheStaffRecommendation.)Sincethattime,thecommunityhas beenworkingintensivelywithDIAanditsExecutiveAgenttotheproject,Adm. Manzelmann,onaseriesofmitigationcommitments. Themitigationcommitmentsrepresentgreat,albeitunfinished,progress.Inparticular,DIA andUSACEhaveagreedtoreducethesizeoftheparkinggarageto1800spaces,plus25 surfacespacesforvisitors.

ors.ThischangeeliminatesmostforestlossontheWapakoneta Roadsideandsubstantiallyreducesthevisualimpactthere.Italsohasreduced deforestationsomewhatonthesouthside.Adm.ManzelmannhascommittedDIAand USACEtostudythefeasibilityofmovingthegaragesomewhatfurtheroutoftheforeston thesouthside.Thereisalsoacommitmenttominimizedeforestationandtonotcutany specimentrees(i.e.,greaterthan30dbh)anywhereonthesite.Althoughnotcontainedin theletter,Adm.Manzelmannalsohasorallycommittedtousthattheywillstudypotential upgradesinstormwatermanagement.Wearepleasedwiththeseoutcomes. Unfortunately,thereapparentlyhasnotbeenenoughtimeforUSACEandthecontractorto completetheengineeringworknecessarytonaildownkeyspecificcommitmentsinvolving deforestationandstormwater.ThecommitmentsmadebyDIAandUSACEalsohavenot yetbeenincorporatedintoanewSiteDevelopmentGuide.Indeed,insteadofanAmended MasterPlan,theNCPCStaffRecommendationisservingasaproxy.Thisobviouslyisa highlyunusualproceduralposture.ItisnotevenclearthatUSACEagreeswiththeStaffs characterizationoftheproject.(Inthisregard,wehopethattheCommissionwillaskthe USACEwhetherithasanydisagreementswiththeStaffRecommendation.)

Despitetheseirregularities,wewanttobesupportiveinthismatter,particularlybecause weappreciatethegreatprogressthathasbeenmadeasaresultofDIAsandAdm. Manzelmannspersonalengagement.WetrustAdm.Manzelmanntofollowthrough. Therefore,wearewillingtosupportNCPCapprovaloftheSiteMasterPlan. However,liketheCommissionStaffRecommendation,oursupportisonlyconditional.In fact,oursupportalsomightusefullybephrasedasonlyinterimsupport,subjecttofurther analysisofthesiteplansduringthePhase1review. LiketheStaff,oursupportisconditionalontheCommissionrequiringthecommitments listedintheStaffRecommendationandAdm.ManzelmannsDIAcommitmentlettertobe madepartoftheSiteMasterPlanandSiteDevelopmentGuide,alongwithalltherelevant engineeringdrawingsandtreeinventories.ItisalsoconditionalontheCommission requiringanychangestotheseplanstobesubmittedtotheCommissionforreview,as notedbytheStaff. Oursupportalsomustbeconditionalandinterimbecausethereareseveralhighly significantgapsintheSiteMasterPlanandAdm.Manzelmannscommitmentletter.Time hassimplyrunoutbeforethosegapscouldbefilled.Someofthosegapsarenotedinthe StaffRecommendation.Thegapscouldleadtoseverelongtermconsequences. Therefore,itisessentialthatthoseissuesberesolvedinasatisfactorywayinPhase1. WenonethelessareagreeingtothisconditionalandinterimsupportinconfidencethatDIA andAdm.Manzelmannwillhonortheirpersonalandinstitutionalcommitmentstothe statedgoalofmakingthecommunityproudoftheICCBdesign.WearerelyingonAdm. ManzelmannsabilitytohaveeverythingresolvedintimeforanunhurriedPhase1review andtofulfillhisoralcommitmentsaswellashiswrittenones. WewouldliketobeabletosupporttheICCBplansforthePhase1review.However,tobe clear,ifthePhase1plansdonotresolveourconcernsoverthesegapsinareasonableand satisfactoryway,thecommunitywillbeforcedtowithdrawitssupportandworkto convincetheCommissionandourelectedofficialsoftheneedtodenyPhase1approvals. ThemaingapsintheStaffRecommendationandAdm.Manzelmannsletterrelatetothree ofthefourlongstandingcommunityconcerns:(1)excessivedeforestationatthesouthern endofthegarageandrelatedalsotothesizeandlocationofthestormwatermanagement facilities;(2)inadequatetreatmentandretentionofstormwater,and(3)remediationof historicalerosionandsedimentation.Thesegapsrequirefurtheranalysisandfurther commitments.

Iwillsketchouttheseissueshere,andMr.Bergwillexplainouranalysisinmoredetail. A. Deforestation 1. Sincethebeginningofthisprocess,deforestationhasbeenoneofourprimary concerns.OursupportfortheMOUwasconditionalonminimaldeforestation.Our supportforapprovalfortheMasterPlansimilarlyisconditionalonUSACEachievingthis goal. 2. Progresshasbeenmadehere.But,therearestilllargegaps.TheLimitsofDisturbance arestilllargelyunknown,asistheamountofdeforestation.Thebackoftheenvelope estimateof0.75acreonFigure15intheStaffRecommendationisjustaguess,and Adm.Manzelmannhastoldusorallythathis1acrenumberisaveryconservative placeholder. 3. Adm.Manzelmannsletterreferstominimizingdisturbancetothefullestextent possible,butthelossaslargeas0.751acreisnotsatisfactory.Itisfartoolarge. Indeed,aforestlossofthatmagnitudecannotsatisfyameaningfulstandardof minimaldeforestationexpressedinhisletter.1 4. Wehaveestimatedthatdeforestationcanbelimitedtoapproximately0.20acres,the goalinourdraftMOU.AsMr.Bergwilldiscussinmoredetail,0.20acresalsoisroughly consistentwithwhatwasindicatedbythewalkthroughtakenbyAdm.Mazelmannand thecommunityleaderslastweek.Itisalsomuchmoreconsistentwiththegoals expressedbytheNationalParkService(letterattachedtotheStaffRecommendation) thanwouldbethe0.751acresofdeforestationinanareaadjacenttotheNational Parks. 5. Therefore,webelievethatitisbothappropriateandimportantfortheCommissionto conditionitsapprovaloftheMasterPlanontheCorpstrulyminimizingdeforestation. WealsowouldliketheCommissiontodirectUSACEinitsPhase1submissiontoachieve aspecificquantitativedeforestationgoalof0.20acres.Wellengineeredstormwater managementfacilitiesshouldbeabletofitwithinthisfootprint,especiallysinceitisour understandingthatcarefulengineeringcanenableagaragemovefurthertothenorth byanadditional10feetormore,furthermitigatingtreelossonthesouthend.

TheareaoftreestargetedtobecutispartofthetreelinevisiblefromWashington,DC,Virginia,andthe PotomacRiverValley.Inourview,theimpactismoresignificantthanstatedbytheStaffRecommendationon page38.

6. IfUSACEindicatesthatitisunabletoreachthisgoal,wewouldliketheCommissionto requiretheirsubmissionoftheengineeringanalysisthatjustifiesthedeforestation, includingthesizeandlocationofthestormwaterfacilitiesandalternativesthatwould leadtolessdeforestation.Inshort,wehopethattheCommissionwillrequiretheCorps totakeahardlookattheamountofdeforestationrequired,inlightofthedevastating longtermharmsthatcouldbecausedinthishighlysensitiveenvironmentalareaand theeffectofthatdeforestationontheadjacentNationalParkland. B. StormwaterRetentionandTreatment 1. Stormwaterretentionandtreatmentalsohavebeensignificantconcernsofthe communityandtheNationalParkService.DespiteDIAspublicstatementsatvarious meetingsthatICCBwouldaimforagoalof100%retentionandtreatment,Adm. Manzelmannletterprovidesnocommitmenttoanygoalbeyondsimplycomplyingwith applicablefederalandstateregulations,whichrequireonlyretentionandtreatmentof 50%ofcurrentstormwaterreleases.However,thisisnotanormalsite,andthisfact impliesthatthestandardregulationsareinadequate.ThesiteabutsNationalParkland. ItisapartoftheforestedPalisadesprotectedbytheCountyMasterPlanandNPS administeredstatutes.ItoverlooksthePotomacGorge.And,itissteeplyslopedand thussubjecttorapidrunoffintotheC&OCanalandPotomacRiver,aswellassevere erosion. 2. InlightthesignificantconcernsexpressedbytheNationalParkServiceandthelocation oftheICCBinthishighlysensitiveandprotectedarea,weareextremelydisappointed withthelimitedcommitmentinAdm.Manzelmannsletter.Aswithdeforestation, thesegapscouldleadtoarepetitionofseverelongtermenvironmentalconsequences withoutahigherthancompliantlevelofstormwatermanagement,especiallyifthey wereexploitedwithoutregardtotheneedsoftheenvironment. 3. Therefore,wewouldliketheCommissiontoconditionitsapprovaloftheMasterPlan ontheCorpstrulyattemptingtomaximizestormwaterretentionandtreatment,notjust payingcursoryattentiontothegoal.WealsowouldliketheCommissiontoseta specificquantitativegoal,suchasmanagingfor100%retentionandtreatmentfora 25yearstorm.2 4. IfUSACEconcludesthatthisgoalcannotbeachieved,wewouldliketheCommissionto requirethesubmissionoftheengineeringanalysisunderlyingitsstormwater
Withrespecttothisgoal,wedothinkthatpreventingdeforestationshouldtakeprecedence,ifthereisa tradeoff.
2

managementplans,includingacarefulexaminationofalternativeplans,aspartofits Phase1andPhase2review.Inshort,wehopethattheCommissionwillrequirethe Corpstotakeahardlookattreatmentandretention. 5. WeunderstandthatthesemaybeunusualconditionsfortheCommissiontomandate. But,thisisaunique,steeplyslopedsite,contiguoustotwoNationalParksinasensitive areaprotectedbyalongstandingMNCPPCMasterPlan.Itisalsounusualinthatlarge areasdownstreamfromthesitehavesufferedsevereerosionandsedimentationand thattheNationalParkServicespecificallyraisedahighlevelofconcern. C.RemediationofHistoricalErosionandSedimentation 1. Thecommunityfeelsthatremediationofonsiteerosionisbothessentialand mandatory.Adm.Manzelmannsletteroffersonlylimitedsupportforthisremediation, sayingonlythattheywillworktoremediatetheproblems,ratherthancommitto remediationasrequiredbylaw.Wehavebeentoldthatthiswassimplyadrafting oversightandwillbecorrected.WewouldliketheCommissionalsotoconditionits approvalonUSACEandDIAmakingthiscommitmenttoremediateonsiteerosion. 2. IntheviewoftheNationalParkServiceandthecommunity,remediationofoffsite historicalerosionisessentialtoprotectingtheC&OCanalNationalParkfrom sedimentationandotherdamageandtheGeorgeWashingtonMemorialParkway NationalParkfromerosion,sedimentation,andotherdamage.WeapplaudDIAand Adm.ManzelmannswillingnesstoworkwithCongress,DoD,MongomeryCounty,Cong. VanHollenandthecommunitytoobtainBRACfundsfortheremediation.Wehopethat NCPCalsowillthrowitsweightbehindthisrequest,whichisfundamentaltosound environmentalstewardship. * * *

WehavecomealongwayinthisprocesssinceUSACEbeganrealpublicengagementin October2011.WeunderstandthatUSACEandDIAareimpatienttobegintheinitial demolition.Wesupporttheirdoingso,basedontheirpromisetoresolvetheseconcernsas partofthePhase1reviewbytheCommission.Wearewillingtosupportthemnow,but withtheconditionthatthecommissionandthecommunitieshavetheabilitytoverifyin Phase1inanunhurriedmanner.WewillscrutinizethePhase1planswithcareandwe expecttheNCPCwilltoo.

Thus,werequestthattheCommissionconditionitsapprovaloftheMasterPlanonthe followingconditionsforPhase1andPhase2reviews,inadditiontotheconditionssetout intheStaffRecommendation. 1. USACEshouldworktoreducedeforestationgoaltoalevelofapproximately0.20 acres,includingforthegarageandallstormwatermanagementfacilities.Ifthisgoal somehowisunachievable,USACEshouldminimizedeforestationtothemaximum extentreasonablyfeasible,speciallytakingintoaccountthesensitivelocationofthe siteoverlookingthenationalparks.USACEalsoshouldsubmitdetailedengineering analysistoNCPC,NPS,andthecommunitythatjustifiesitsplans,ifitisunableto achievethisgoal. 2. USACEshoulddesignstormwatermanagementfacilitieswiththegoaloftreating andretaining100%ofstormwaterfora25yearstorm,subjecttothepotential constraintofnotcausingadditionaldeforestation.USACEalsoshouldsubmit detailedengineeringanalysistojustifyitsplans,ifitisunabletoreachthisgoal. 3. USACEshouldincludeplanstoremediatehistoricalerosionproblemsontheICCB siteasrequiredbylaw,aswellaseliminatefutureproblems. Aswenoted,weunderstandthatthesemaybeunusualconditionsfortheCommissionto mandate.But,thisisauniquesite. Withtheseconditionsinplace,thecommunitiescansupportapprovaloftheSiteMaster Plan.WealsocommittoworkwithDIAandUSACEtoachieveourcommongoals.

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