US Customs and Border Protection Ajo Housing Development ... - GSA

6.2.4 Public Hearing
A public hearing was held on November 22, 2010 in the Ajo Community Center. Letter
invitations were sent to agencies, and two public notices were published in the Ajo Copper News
on November 10 th and November 17 th . The hearing was attended by eight individuals. Copies of
the Draft EA were available at the hearing and the Salazar–Ajo Public Library, and on-line at
www.gsa.gov/nepalibrary.
Copies of the handouts provided are in Appendix E and comments received from agencies and
individuals are in Appendix F.
Table 6. Summary of comments received on Draft EA and GSA responses.
Comment
Response
1. Provide copy of Garrison Housing
Feasibility Study and Market Study.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection will release the documents,
subject to redaction of any material that may be a sensitive border
security issue or of a proprietary nature.
2. Community involvement has been
minimal. More consultation with locals
and community groups desired.
During the EA process, public input was solicited through scoping
activities, public review of a Draft EA, two public meetings (a
public information meeting and a public hearing on the Draft EA).
The level of public involvement has been commensurate with the
3. Obtain public input in the housing
design process. Consider Southwest
style and complement the adjacent
Ajo Historic District.
4. Concerned decision to build housing
was made early. Believe the
government should work with the
community to invest in their future.
5. Not opposed to project or location but
desire architecture with aesthetic
appeal.
6. Desire long-lasting, energy-efficient
homes.
scope of the project and its anticipated impacts.
The GSA has not yet selected an architect to design the
development. Groups and individuals are welcome to submit
comments and suggestions to the GSA relative to exterior design
and landscaping.
During the EA process, public input was solicited through scoping
activities, public review of a Draft EA, two public meetings (a
public information meeting and a public hearing on the Draft EA).
Should the project proceed, groups and individuals are welcome to
submit comments and suggestions to the GSA relative to exterior
design and landscaping.
The GSA has not yet selected an architect. The GSA believes the
housing product will be an improvement over the existing partially
occupied mobile home park, which includes vacant
foundations/slabs, dilapidated outbuildings, debris, dirt roads, and
limited landscaping. Groups and individuals are welcome to
submit comments and suggestions to the GSA relative to exterior
design and landscaping.
The LEED Green Building Rating System is a third-party
certification program and the nationally accepted benchmark for
the design, construction, and operation of high-performance green
buildings. LEED for new construction is a performance-oriented
rating system where building projects earn points for satisfying
criteria. The number of points a project earns determines the level
of LEED certification (Certified: 40–49 points, Silver: 50–59
points, Gold: 60–79 points, and Platinum: 80 points or more). The
CBP has committed to a LEED rating of Silver for the proposed
project. Page 13 of the Draft EA provides an outline of the criteria
that would be met with the proposed construction. The details
would be developed by the architectural firm that would be
selected for the project.
Environmental Assessment 39 Ajo Housing Development Project