facilities renewal master plan - National Zoo - Smithsonian Institution

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FACILITIES MASTER PLAN ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT C.3 Demographics..................................................................................................... 89 C.4 Environmental Justice ........................................................................................ 92 C.5 Community Facilities and Services .................................................................... 93 C.6 Infrastructure ...................................................................................................... 93 C.7 Visitor Use and Experience ................................................................................ 95 C.8 Traffic/Transportation/Parking......................................................................... 102 D. Cumulative Effects............................................................................................... 107 IV. REFERENCES ................................................................................................... 109 V. LIST OF PREPARERS ..................................................................................... 113 VI. DISTRIBUTION LIST ...................................................................................... 115 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Location Map....................................................................................................... 4 Figure 2. Urban Park Concept .......................................................................................... 16 Figure 3. Peninsula Concept ............................................................................................. 17 Figure 4. The No-Action Alternative ................................................................................ 21 Figure 5. Alternative A ..................................................................................................... 24 Figure 6. Alternative B ..................................................................................................... 26 Figure 7. Alternative C ..................................................................................................... 30 Figure 8. Connecticut Avenue Entry Concept .................................................................. 31 Figure 9. Mid-Point Entry Concept .................................................................................. 31 Figure 10. Harvard Street Bridge/Beach Drive Entry Concept ........................................ 32 Figure 11. Beaver Valley Exhibits .................................................................................... 33 Figure 12. North Road Tram Concept .............................................................................. 34 Figure 13. Aerial Tram Concept ....................................................................................... 34 Figure 14. Water Resources .............................................................................................. 54 Figure 15. Cultural Resources........................................................................................... 70 Figure 16. Visual Resources Photo Locations .................................................................. 83 Figure 17. Existing Land Use ........................................................................................... 87 Figure 18. Existing Zoning Map ....................................................................................... 88 Figure 19. Annual Attendance .......................................................................................... 96 Figure 20. Peak Period Visitor Distribution by Activity Type ......................................... 96 Figure 21. Existing Slopes at the National Zoo ................................................................ 97 Figure 22: Internal Transportation Map .......................................................................... 102 Figure 23. Parking Areas for the National Zoo ............................................................... 103 LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Comparison of Alternatives ................................................................................ 38 Table 2. Common Noise Sources and Their Sound Levels .............................................. 59 Table 3. Noise Abatement Thresholds .............................................................................. 60 Table 4. Site Area Demographics ..................................................................................... 91 Table 5. Existing 2006 Intersection Operations at Peak Levels of Service .................... 104 SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION – NATIONAL ZOOLOGICAL PARK ii | P a g e
FACILITIES MASTER PLAN ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT I. PURPOSE AND NEED FOR THE PROPOSED ACTION A. Introduction The Smithsonian Institution (SI) is currently undergoing a comprehensive process to identify facilities and infrastructure needs at the National Zoological Park (the National Zoo), and proposes to implement strategies for the two decades through a master planning process. The Comprehensive Facilities Master Plan (The Master Plan) will help guide facilities renewal at the National Zoo related to animal welfare, research, exhibits, visitor services, and circulation. The master planning effort compasses two National Zoo sites, the public zoological park at Rock Creek Park in Washington, D.C. and the Conservation Research Center in Front Royal, Virginia. This Environmental Assessment (EA) describes and addresses the plan elements of the alternatives for the National Zoo Rock Creek site under consideration for the Master Plan. Recognizing its stewardship responsibilities as an independent trust created by Congress, SI is committed to integrating environmental considerations into its planning and decision-making activities consistent with the spirit of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969. SI is the lead entity responsible for the preparation of this EA, with the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) serving as the responsible federal agency. To the extent possible at the master planning phase, this project is also undergoing a review of the project’s potential effects on historic resources consistent with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). Although the SI is not a “federal agency” within the purview meaning of NEPA and CEQ, the SI works with federal agencies on NCPC compliance when “federal actions” occur by those agencies as a result of an SI undertaking. In this case, NCPC’s approval of the National Zoo Rock Creek master plan can be deemed a federal action. The SI has prepared this EA to be consistent with NEPA requirements, as amended, and the Council on Environmental Quality’s (CEQ’s) regulations on implementing NEPA. The latest NCPC environmental guidelines have been used in preparing this EA. B. Purpose and Need The purpose of the Master Plan is to affirm SI’s mission at the National Zoo and provide a physical framework for implementing the Strategic Plan for the next 20 to 25 years. Facilities at the National Zoo are deteriorating due to age. Furthermore, the Master Plan would identify infrastructure needs and develop an implementation strategy that helps guide facilities renewal related to animal welfare, research, exhibits, visitors services, and circulation at the National Zoo. The Master Plan is needed to address the following facilities concerns: Animal habitats require constant renewal to keep pace with new knowledge of animal health and well-being; New science infrastructure, such as laboratories, is necessary to support the National Zoo’s mission and keep the National Zoo at the forefront of conservation science; SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION – NATIONAL ZOOLOGICAL PARK 1 | P a g e
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