[Federal Register: April 29, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 82)] [Notices] [Page 23057-23058] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr29ap99-33] ======================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Department of the Navy Notice of Public Hearing and Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for Disposal and Reuse of Naval Air Station (NAS) Alameda and the Fleet and Industrial Supply Center (FISC), Alameda Annex and Facility, Alameda, CA AGENCY: Department of the Navy, DOD. ACTION: Notice. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: The Department of the Navy has prepared and filed with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency a DEIS for disposal and reuse of NAS Alameda and FISC Alameda Annex and Facility. A public hearing will be held for the purpose of receiving oral and written comments on the DEIS. Federal, State and local agencies and interested individuals are invited to be present at the hearing. DATES: The meeting will be held on May 18, 1999, at 7:00 p.m. ADDRESSES: Alameda High School, Little Theatre; 2200 Central Avenue; Alameda, California (at the corner of Central Avenue and Walnut Street). FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Jerry Hemstock (Code 7032JH), Engineering Field Activity, West, Naval Facilities Engineering Command, 900 Commodore Drive, San Bruno, California, telephone (650) 244-3023, facsimile (650) 244-3206. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as implemented by the Council on Environmental Quality regulations (40 CFR Parts 1500-1508), the Department [[Page 23058]] of the Navy (Navy) has prepared and filed with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the DEIS for Disposal and Reuse of NAS Alameda and FISC Alameda Annex and Facility in Alameda, California. A public hearing will be held for the purpose of receiving oral and written comments on the DEIS. Federal, State and local agencies, as well as interested individuals and organizations are invited to be present or represented at the hearing. A Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare the DEIS was published in the Federal Register on February 22, 1996 (61 FR 36). Public scoping meeting announcements were published in four local newspapers: the San Leandro Times on February 29, 1996; the Alameda Journal on March 1 and 5, 1996; the Oakland Tribune and the Alameda Times-Star on March 3 and 5, 1996. A public scoping meeting was held on March 13, 1996 at the Alameda High School Cafeteria, 2200 Central Avenue, Alameda, California. The proposed action is the disposal of Navy property for subsequent reuse and redevelopment, in accordance with the 1990 Defense Base Closure and Realignment Act, and the 1993 and 1995 Base Realignment and Closure Commission recommendations. Approximately 1,693 acres (685 hectares) of land (1,102 acres (446 hectares) of dry land and 591 acres (239 hectares) of submerged land) are available for disposal and are the focus of this DEIS. NAS Alameda was operationally closed on April 30, 1997 and FISC Alameda Annex and Facility (FISC Alameda) was operationally closed on September 30, 1998. Approximately 969 acres (392 hectares) of the total 2,662 acres (1,076 hectares) of dry and submerged land at NAS Alameda and FISC Alameda are being transferred to other Federal agencies. The DEIS evaluates four reuse alternatives: the Reuse Plan (Preferred Alternative), Seaport Alternative, Residential Alternative and Reduced Density Alternative. A fifth alternative, no action, assumes no disposal of property and retention of the property by Navy in caretaker status. Under the No Action Alternative, the operation of Miller Elementary School at NAS Alameda would continue through an existing lease agreement. All other current leases of NAS Alameda property to the Alameda Reuse and Redevelopment Authority (ARRA) and FISC Alameda property to the City of Alameda would continue until their expiration. The Reuse Plan Alternative is based on the NAS Alameda Community Reuse Plan (Reuse Plan) that was developed by the ARRA, the Local Redevelopment Authority. The Reuse Plan envisions a mixed use for the properties that includes industrial, commercial residential and community uses within six distinct planning areas. Community uses would include public parks and open space, schools, a golf course and a recreational vehicle park. Industrial uses would include office, marine-related light industry and research and development businesses. Residential housing would include reuse of existing housing as well as new construction. Commercial uses would include neighborhood shopping districts, offices, hotels and a conference facility. No decision on the proposed action will be made until the NEPA process has been completed. Potential impacts evaluated in the DEIS include, but are not limited to: land use, visual resources, socioeconomics, public services, utilities, cultural resources, biological resources, geology and soils, water resources, traffic and circulation, air quality, noise, and hazardous materials and waste. With two exceptions, potentially significant impacts under all of the reuse alternatives can be mitigated to nonsignificant levels. Potentially significant but mitigable impacts include: traffic impacts on-site, at key local intersections and on some roadway and freeway segments under all alternatives; traffic impacts on the Webster/Posey Tubes under the Reuse Plan Alternative; and air quality impacts at two local intersections under the Reuse Plan, Seaport, and Residential Alternatives where carbon monoxide concentrations would exceed Federal and State standards. The two significant impacts that cannot be mitigated are visual impacts from cargo cranes and port facilities under the Seaport Alternative that would disrupt existing views, and increased predation of the endangered California least tern under the Seaport and Residential Alternatives. The DEIS has been distributed to affected Federal, State and local agencies and other interested parties. In addition, copies of the DEIS are available for review at the Alameda Public Library (Main Library, West End Branch and Bay Farm Island Branch) and the Oakland Public Library (Main Library and Eastmont Branch). A public hearing will be held to inform the public of the DEIS findings and to solicit and receive oral and written comments. The hearing will be held at 7:00 p.m. on May 18, 1999, at the Alameda High School, Little Theatre, 2200 Central Avenue, Alameda, California (at the corner of Central Avenue and Walnut Street). Federal, State and local agencies and interested parties are invited to be present at the hearing. Oral comments will be heard and transcribed by a court recorder; written comments are also requested to ensure accuracy of the record. All comments, both oral and written, will become part of the official record. In the interest of available time, each speaker will be asked to limit oral comments to three minutes. Longer comments should be summarized at the public hearing and submitted in writing either at the hearing or mailed to Mr. Jerry Hemstock at the address given above. Written comments are requested not later than June 1, 1999. Dated: April 19, 1999. Pamela A. Holden, Lieutenant Commander, Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Navy, Federal Register Liaison Officer. [FR Doc. 99-10746 Filed 4-28-99; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3810-FF-P