pentagon reservation master plan update

Executive Director’s Recommendation Commission Meeting: June 2, 2016

PROJECT Pentagon Reservation Master Plan Update Pentagon Reservation 1155 Defense Pentagon Arlington, VA SUBMITTED BY United States Department of Defense Washington Headquarters Services REVIEW AUTHORITY Federal Projects in the Environs per 40 U.S.C. § 8722(a) and (b)(1)

NCPC FILE NUMBER MP174 NCPC MAP FILE NUMBER 1.62(05.00)44346 APPLICANT’S REQUEST Approve the master plan PROPOSED ACTION Approve as requested ACTION ITEM TYPE Presentation

PROJECT SUMMARY

The Department of Defense (DoD), Washington Headquarters Services (WHS) submitted an amended final Master Plan for the Pentagon Reservation that includes goals to maintain, enhance, and optimize DoD Headquarters/Pentagon operations as follows:

• Improving security; • Enhancing the safety and quality of life for employees and visitors; • Enhancing environmental performance on the Reservation; and • Balancing various planning factors and development pressures on the Reservation,

including funding availability, safety, public access, historic preservation, good neighbor policies, and sustainability.

The Commission approved the Pentagon Reservation Master Plan in 2015, with the exception of the North Area which includes the North Village and the North Parking Area. The Pentagon Master Plan did not meet the Comprehensive Plan’s 1:4 parking ratio goal, and the Commission recommended that the Pentagon link parking removal with environmental performance measures in the northern part of the Pentagon Reservation, which is in an environmentally sensitive area partially located in the 500-year floodplain and adjacent to the Pentagon Lagoon. Finally, the Commission requested that WHS provide an update on how it planned to address the issues raised in the May 2015 Commission Action. WHS gave an informational presentation to the Commission with updated data on February 4, 2016.

KEY INFORMATION • The Pentagon Reservation, completed in 1943, is on the National Register of Historic

Places and is listed as a National Historic Landmark.

Executive Director’s Recommendation NCPC File No. MP174

• The Pentagon is sited on the Pentagon Metrorail Station (Yellow and Blue Lines) and is adjacent to the Pentagon Transit Center: a major regional bus hub for local, regional and commuter bus lines.

• On January 11, 2016, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality approved the Pentagon Reservation Chesapeake Bay Total Daily Maximum Load (TMDL) Action Plan and the Pentagon Reservation Virginia Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit.

• The Pentagon Reservation is located in Arlington County, which is within the Historic District of Columbia Boundary as identified in the Comprehensive Plan. The Comprehensive Plan parking ratio for an installation located within the Historic District of Columbia boundary is one space for every four employees (1:4), due in part to transit service density.

• The Pentagon Reservation Master Plan includes the removal of 1,295 spaces on the installation in the long term.

• Following the Commission’s 2015 review, WHS conducted a thorough survey of the population at the Pentagon Reservation and updated its employee population from 23,000 to 26,560. WHS has revised its proposed parking ratios to reflect the updated population counts and the proposed parking removal. The current parking ratio for the installation is 1 space for every 3.1 employees (1:3.1) and the projected parking ratio in the master plan has been revised to 1 space for every 3.7 employees (1:3.7).

• WHS stated that the next update to the Pentagon Reservation Master Plan will be in 2020 and the leased space reduction study it is conducting will likely be completed prior to the next master plan submittal.

RECOMMENDATION The Commission: Approves the final Pentagon Reservation Master Plan, dated April 7, 2016, which includes a parking reduction of 1,295 spaces and a new population of 26,560 employees for a proposed 1:3.7 installation parking ratio, for use by the Commission as a guide for future reviews of individual site and building projects at the Pentagon Reservation. Encourages the Washington Headquarters Services to meet the 1:4 long-term employee parking ratio in the 2020 master plan update through a combination of strategies including parking removal and/or employee population growth. And, further encourages WHS to continue its efforts to protect the environmentally sensitive North Area, which is in the 500-year flood plain and adjacent to the Pentagon Lagoon. Requests the Washington Headquarters Services to update the Commission on the results of the leased space reduction study it is conducting prior to submitting the 2020 master plan update for Commission review.


Requests that WHS coordinate planning for the Pentagon Memorial Fund’s Visitor Education Center with planning for the Arlington National Cemetery Interpretive Center and the Air Force Memorial Visitor’s Center.

PROJECT REVIEW TIMELINE

Previous actions

January 2015 - Approval of comments on the draft Pentagon Reservation Master Plan May 2015 – Approval of the final Pentagon Reservation Master Plan with the exception of the North Area which included the North Village and the North Parking Area.

Remaining actions (anticipated)

None

PROJECT ANALYSIS Executive Summary Staff evaluated the amended final Pentagon Reservation Master Plan, dated April 7, 2016, against the Commission’s previous guidance and in consideration of the principles set forth in the Comprehensive Plan. In particular, staff supports the master plan’s goals to improve security, enhance sustainability, enhance pedestrian amenities, and reduce vehicular conflicts on the Pentagon Reservation. Staff particularly supports the proposed parking reduction on-site, which, coupled with the revised population counts, improves the parking ratio on-site and brings it closer to the 1:4 installation parking ratio. Analysis In May 2015, the Commission Action recommended that WHS combine parking reduction with protecting a sensitive environmental area on the installation. The specific language is noted below:

Approves the final Master Plan for the Pentagon Reservation located in Arlington County, Virginia for use by the Commission as a guide for future reviews of individual site and building projects, with the exception of the North Village and North Parking Lot and the proposed 1:3.2 parking ratio; and recommends that the Pentagon Reservation meet the long-term 1:4 goal, set forth in the Comprehensive Plan for the National Capital. Notes that the Pentagon Reservation is adjacent to the Pentagon Lagoon, which empties directly into the Potomac River and that all of the site’s stormwater flows untreated into the Potomac River, as noted in the Affected Environment Section of the Pentagon


Reservation Master Plan Environmental Assessment (October 2014). The Pentagon Reservation is required to meet state and federal stormwater management requirements, both for new construction and current conditions, and therefore:

Recommends that WHS develop a plan to remove additional parking spaces in the North Parking Lot adjacent to the Pentagon Lagoon to both meet the Comprehensive Plan parking ratio and address stormwater management requirements in this area located within the 500-year floodplain, and report back to the Commission within six months on its progress in developing such a plan to include:

• Studying the Northern area, consisting of the North Village and North Parking Lot,

to further detail stormwater management techniques on this part of the Pentagon Reservation with a goal of capturing and treating stormwater for this area;

• Linking strategies to remove parking with stormwater management goals; • Revising long-term single occupancy vehicle (SOV) mode share goals to meet the

1:4 parking ratio; • Identifying short-term opportunities to restrict parking in areas that also

temporarily function for events and programming space. Population Following the Commission action in 2015, WHS conducted a detailed study of its population, including current employees, contractors, and other personnel regularly on-site. During an informational presentation to the Commission in February, WHS reported a revised population count of 26,560 employees, an increase of 3,560 staff from the 23,000 previously reported in the 2015 master plan. WHS noted that it would decrease available parking from 8,494 spaces to 7,199 spaces as part of the master plan effort. This population increase, coupled with a parking space reduction of nearly 1,300 spaces, changed the master plan parking ratio from 1:3.1 to 1:3.7 – much closer to the 1:4 Comprehensive Plan parking ratio. Therefore, staff recommends that the Commission approve the amended final Pentagon Reservation Master Plan, dated April 7, 2016, which includes a parking reduction of 1,295 spaces and a new population of 26,560 employees for a proposed 1:3.7 installation parking ratio, for use by the Commission as a guide for future reviews of individual site and building projects at the Pentagon Reservation. At the February 2016 Commission meeting, WHS noted it is also conducting a study of leased space in the region and staff utilization of space inside the Pentagon and other federal facilities. The results of this study will help WHS determined if it can reduce the amount of leased space by relocating personnel onto federal installations, like the Pentagon. This may mean an increase in the Pentagon population. WHS does not expect to complete this study until 2019. Therefore, staff recommends that the Commission request the Washington Headquarters Services to update the Commission on the results of the leased space reduction study it is conducting prior to submitting the 2020 master plan update for Commission review.


Stormwater In February 2016, WHS also updated the Commission on the status of its stormwater permits, noting that it received its Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit from Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). DEQ approved the MS4 permit with a letter dated January 11, 2016. WHS also moved the Pentagon Support Operations Center (NCPC File # 7743) building further out of the 500-year floodplain, and the Commission approved this project in March 2016. WHS notes that it will meet the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) regulations and provide specific information with respect to individual projects when they are submitted to the Commission for review. Finally, WHS also acknowledges the need to improve environmental sustainability on the installation and address climate change. Staff recommends that the Commission encourage the Washington Headquarters Services to meet the 1:4 long-term employee parking ratio in the next master plan through a combination of strategies including parking removal and/or employee population growth. And, further encourages WHS to continue its efforts to protect the environmentally sensitive North Area, which is in the 500-year flood plain and adjacent to the Pentagon Lagoon. Pentagon Memorial Fund Visitor’s Center The Pentagon Memorial Visitors Education Center is a facility to support the 9/11 Memorial at the Pentagon. The proposed site is in close proximity to the Air Force Memorial, the 9/11 Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery. In the Commission’s May 2015 approval of the final Pentagon Reservation Master Plan, staff recommended that the Pentagon Memorial Fund, WHS, the Air Force and Arlington National Cemetery collaborate planning efforts which could be mutually beneficial. Staff again recommends that the Commission request that WHS coordinate planning for the Pentagon Memorial Fund’s Visitor Education Center with planning for the Arlington National Cemetery Interpretive Center and the Air Force Memorial Visitor’s Center.

CONFORMANCE TO EXISTING PLANS, POLICIES AND RELATED GUIDANCE Comprehensive Plan for the National Capital The amended Pentagon Reservation Master Plan is consistent with policies articulated in the Federal Elements of the Comprehensive Plan for the National Capital. While the Master Plan does not meet the parking space ratio of 1:4 identified in the Transportation Element, its ratios are improving through a combination of parking reduction and accurate population counts. National Historic Preservation Act The Washington Headquarters Services initiated Section 106 consultation for this project in July 2013 and has held three consultation meetings since that time. The main historic resources identified are the Pentagon Building, Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington House, the Tomb of


the Unknowns, Columbia Pike, the Virginia State Police Office, and George Washington Memorial Parkway. WHS notes in the EA that there will be negligible adverse and beneficial impacts to the Pentagon National Historic Landmark. It is pursuing a programmatic agreement with the Virginia State Historic Preservation Office to provide for ongoing consultation to assess effects and resolve any adverse effects in the future. In an email dated November 8, 2014, the Virginia State Historic Preservation Office commented on the Master Plan noting that it was “…generally pleased with the approaches that DoD has taken with respect to minimizing, to the greatest extent possible, affects to the Pentagon campus and the National Historic Landmark resource.” It did not foresee any problems that would prevent it from executing a programmatic agreement with WHS for the Master Plan. NCPC does not have an independent Section 106 responsibility for Master Plans. National Environmental Policy Act The Washington Headquarters Service (WHS) completed an environmental assessment (EA) to address the potential environmental consequences associated with implementing the Pentagon Reservation Master Plan. The EA was prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) as implemented by the regulations of the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) and DoD. The draft Master Plan addresses new facilities, circulation improvements, security enhancements, and site improvements for the Pentagon Reservation. The Master Plan projects would be implemented independently of each other over the next 20 years in two phases of development: short-term (0 to 5 years) and long-term (> 5 years). All of the projects would occur within the boundaries of the Pentagon Reservation in Arlington County, Virginia near the western shoreline of the Potomac River. The EA analysis for the Master Plan Update Alternative and the No Action Alternative, which would not implement any of the projects, focuses on the following environmental resources: socio-economic resources, cultural resources, circulation systems, physical and biological resources, and utilities and infrastructure. WHS noted the action alternative would have short-term adverse construction related impacts on the circulation system, physical resources, water resources, air quality noise and utility and infrastructure systems. These were identified as negligible to minor. Long-term adverse impacts would be negligible to moderate on the Pentagon National Historic Landmark, parking, air quality, noise and utility and infrastructure. Some beneficial impacts were also identified on socio-economic resources, circulation systems, cultural and historic resources, water resources, and biological resources. These beneficial impacts were considered to be negligible to moderate. As no significant impacts were identified in this process, WHS issued a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) dated October 6, 2014. NCPC does not have an independent NEPA responsibility for Master Plans.


CONSULTATION On October 13, 2014 staff referred the Pentagon Reservation Master Plan for review and comment to the following public agencies in Virginia: Arlington County Department of Community Planning, Housing, and Development; Arlington County Department of Environmental Services; Arlington County Department of Environmental Services; Northern Virginia Regional Commission; Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments; Northern Virginia Transportation Commission; Virginia Department of Transportation; Virginia Department of Environmental Quality; and the Virginia Department of Historic Resources. NCPC received comments from the Virginia Department of Transportation dated December 12, 2014 and WHS responded to all of the comments. ONLINE REFERENCE The following supporting documents for this project are available online:

• Amended Final Pentagon Reservation Master Plan (April 7, 2016) • Environmental Assessment/FONSI • Project synopsis

Prepared by Carlton Hart 05/26/2016

POWERPOINT (ATTACHED)

Submitted by the Department of Defense, Washington Headquarters Services

Final Master Plan

NCPC File #: MP174 Pentagon Reservation Master Plan

Arlington County, Virginia_______________

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Project Information

Project summary:The 2015 Master Plan Update for the Pentagon Reservation is intended to improve security, enhance the quality of life for employees, andaddress accommodations for visitors to the Pentagon and to the other public facilities located on the Reservation grounds. This Master PlanUpdate also incorporates the current facilities program and establishes a long-term vision for the Reservation that integrates the natural andbuilt environment to enhance environmental sustainability and balance various planning factors on the Reservation.

The Commission approved the Pentagon Reservation Master Plan in 2015, with the exception of the North Area which included the North Villageand the North Parking Area. As this installation is in the historic district of Columbia boundary (which identifies a 1:4 parking ratio) and aMetrorail station is located at the Pentagon Reservation, and the Pentagon reservation is adjacent to the Potomac River the Commission linkedenvironmental protection with removal of additional parking spaces in order for it to meet the 1:4 parking ratio.

WHS presented in February 2016 that it was meeting the stormwater regulations, had received its MS4 permit from VA DEQ, and moved thePSOC building out of the 500 year floodplain. In addition, it conducted a thorough accounting of personnel at the installation and determinedthat there were 26,560 personnel actually working there. This was an increase of 3,560 staff from the previous stated population of 23,000 –which had been used for nearly 20 years. This increase coupled with a parking space decline of nearly 1,300 spaces means that the parkingratio will change from 1:3.2 to 1:3.7 – and much closer to the 1:4 Comprehensive Plan parking ratio.

Commission meeting date: June 2, 2016

NCPC review authority: 40 USC 8722 (a) and (b)(1)

Applicant request: approval of final master plan

Delegated / consent / open / executive session: open session

NCPC Review Officer: Hart

NCPC File number: MP174

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Site Location

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Background Information

Information• 238 acres• Main building is 6.5 million GSF• Completed in 1943• Old population (2015) – 23,000 employees • New population (2016) - 26,560 employees• 8,494 parking spaces

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2016 Comp. Plan Parking Ratios Map

2015 Pentagon Reservation – Transit Access

Existing Ratio (2015) – 1:2.7Proposed Ratio (2015) – 1:3.2Comp Plan Ratio – 1:4

Parking Ratio (2015)

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ExistingPopulation (2015) – 23,000Population (2016)– 26,560Parking Spaces – 8,494Parking Ratio - 1 : 3.2

ProposedPopulation (2015) – 23,000Population (2016) - 26,560Parking Spaces – 7,199Parking Ratio - 1 : 3.7

Population Change and New Parking Ratio

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LID Measures

A Bio-retention

B Vegetated Swales

C Curbless Parking Lots

D Stormwater Planters

E RooftopDisconnection/Downspouts

F Permeable Pavers

G Native Landscaping

H Tree Box Filters

I Vegetated Riparian Buffers

J Vegetated Roofs

K Rainwater Harvesting

Low Impact Development

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Stormwater Management and Floodplain Protection

Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit. • On January 11, 2016, the Virginia

Department of Environmental Quality issued its approval of the Pentagon Reservation Chesapeake Bay TMDL Action Plan and the Pentagon Reservation Virginia Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit.

Projects will meet EISA and local stormwater regulations.

Projects in North Area are either moved out of floodplain or non-critical structures.

pentagon reservation master plan update

Documents