facilities renewal master plan - National Zoo - Smithsonian Institution

FACILITIES MASTER PLAN ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
Parking policies are implemented for staff.
North Road and Blue Road become the service backbone of the National Zoo;
Hawthorne Street is used for emergency access.
A new hay storage facility located near the Kids’ Farm is considered an existing
condition.
In conjunction with the NEPA and NHPA processes of assessing potential impacts of the
action and No-Action Alternatives, the alternatives will also be evaluated for funding and
implementation feasibility. These alternatives are discussed below with illustrative
mapping to further clarify each alternative. More detail for each concept is provided at
the end of the alternatives section to allow the public to visualize the possible concepts
that the team has developed.
C. No-Action Alternative
Under the No-Action Alternative (see Figure 4), current programs and projects would
continue to develop as planned. Attendance would grow to exceed the peak levels of
2001 (3 million visitors per year). Ongoing improvements would include building
rehabilitation and facility updates related to animal safety, health, and welfare. The
renewal of exhibits at the northwest end of the park would carry on with the completion
of Asia Trail and Elephant Trails. Because these exhibits are concentrated in the vicinity
of the Connecticut Avenue entrance, visitors would be most likely to congregate in this
northwestern quadrant of the National Zoo. Without the availability of the large land
areas necessary for the development of inclusive habitats such as the Asia Trail exhibits,
additional exhibit planning would continue on a site-by-site basis.
The Connecticut Avenue entrance would be maintained as the primary source for visitor
orientation and information; however, visitors would continue to access the National Zoo
by way of ten different pedestrian entrances and one dedicated bus passenger entry.
Minor improvements to visitor services, such as retail outlets and information kiosks,
would be implemented as currently planned. Sections of the park would continue to be
non-Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant. An in-park transportation system
would not be feasible with current infrastructure, offering no relief from the hilly
topography of the National Zoo. Service conflicts would continue to be mitigated by
scheduling and limiting service hours, so as not to interfere with the visitor experience.
The Holt House would continue to be unusable real estate while space for administrative
offices, research, and education would remain inadequate.
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