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facilities renewal master plan - National Zoo - Smithsonian Institution

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FACILITIES MASTER PLAN ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT<br />

Impacts to Historic Structures<br />

No-Action Alternative<br />

Under the No-Action Alternative, small scale site improvements would continue for<br />

<strong>facilities</strong> updates related to safety, health, and maintenance. Exhibit <strong>renewal</strong> would occur<br />

on a site-by-site basis with large land tracts not readily available. There would be only<br />

minor changes to the resource’s location, design, setting, materials, workmanship,<br />

feeling, or association and these actions would not diminish the integrity of the <strong>National</strong><br />

<strong>Zoo</strong> Historic Site. The individually <strong>National</strong> Register-listed Holt House would not be<br />

rehabilitated and would remain unusable space and structurally deficient. The No-Action<br />

would have minor to moderate long term adverse impacts because the Holt House would<br />

continue to deteriorate.<br />

Alternative A<br />

Under Alternative A, facility improvements would result in renovation of older exhibits,<br />

construction of new entries into the <strong>National</strong> <strong>Zoo</strong>, installation of new transportation<br />

<strong>facilities</strong>, and rehabilitation of administrative <strong>facilities</strong>. These improvements could have<br />

physical and visual impacts to resources that contribute to the significance of the <strong>National</strong><br />

Register-listed <strong>National</strong> <strong>Zoo</strong> Historic Site. As a result, Alternative A would result in<br />

direct and indirect, long-term, moderate adverse impacts to historic resources. Under<br />

Section 106, Alternative A would have an adverse effect. SI has initiated consultation<br />

through the Section 106 process with the Washington, DC Historic Preservation Office.<br />

As a result of this consultation, a programmatic agreement will be sought that identifies<br />

future review requirements and mitigation to be employed during project development.<br />

Future design would consider ways to minimize impacts to <strong>National</strong> <strong>Zoo</strong> Historic Site<br />

and the historic structures that comprise the site, such as following the principles outlined<br />

in The Secretary of the Interiors Guidelines for the Treatment of Historic Properties.<br />

Projects under Alternative A that could have an adverse effect to historic resources<br />

include:<br />

Creation of new larger multi-species exhibit areas;<br />

Rehabilitation of older exhibits in historic buildings;<br />

Revitalization of entries at Connecticut Avenue, Mid-Point entry, and Harvard<br />

Street Bridge/Beach Drive with the addition of a new aerial tram;<br />

New Parking structure; and<br />

Rehabilitation of the service buildings such as Propagation Building and the Holt<br />

House.<br />

The creation of new larger multi-species exhibit areas will physically impact the <strong>National</strong><br />

<strong>Zoo</strong> Historic Site because new exhibit spaces could cause changes to the setting, feeling,<br />

and association. New construction also introduces new visual features in the viewshed.<br />

The rehabilitation of older exhibits, such as the rehabilitation of the Small Mammal<br />

House, the Reptile Discovery Center, the Think Tank, the Bird House, and the Great<br />

Flight Cage, could impact these buildings as they are character defining features to the<br />

<strong>National</strong> <strong>Zoo</strong> Historic Site. However, it is anticipated that rehabilitation of these<br />

buildings would generally be restricted to interior modifications to include upgrading the<br />

SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION – NATIONAL ZOOLOGICAL PARK 71 | P a g e

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