HANDOUTS

• Agenda
• January 15, 2004 Minutes Community Liaison Council Member list as of February 19, 2004
• NIH Hazardous Waste Permit Overview
• NIH Bethesda Master Plan Update Major Milestones
• Letter to Prime NIH Contractors [from Division of Real Property Acquisition Services, ORF, NIH]

WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS
Tom Gallagher, Director, Office of Community Liaison (OCL), Office of the Director (OD), National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Co-Chair, Community Liaison Council (CLC), welcomed members and guests. He introduced Ellen Pak, a newly-assigned reporter from the Gazette newspaper, and Kenny Floyd, Division of Environmental Protection, OD, NIH, who was present to provide information about the NIH hazardous waste permit renewal process. In addition, he introduced Amy Blackburn, a new management intern in the OCL.

PRESENTATIONS

Presentation on NIH Hazardous Waste Permit
by Kenny Floyd, ORS, OD

Mr. Floyd said the purpose of his brief presentation was to inform the CLC that the NIH would renew its five-year Maryland Department of Environment (MDE) hazardous waste permit. He said that there would be a public notice in the published in newspapers to that effect.

Mr. Floyd distributed a handout, which outlined the background, general description, waste types and characteristics, waste analysis, process information-container management, treatments of waste, procedures to prevent hazards and provide security, and contingency, personnel training, and closure plans. Council members asked Mr. Floyd several questions about information in this four-page document. [The handout noted that the entire two-volume permit application would be placed in either the Bethesda or Chevy Chase Library for public review.]

Tom Robertson, Parkwood Residents Association, asked whether the new laboratory Building 33 had caused any modification of the permit. Mr. Floyd said that the permit covered Building 21, the disposal processing location. He noted that waste from all NIH research was collected at Building 21, segregated into approximately 50 drums, and then sent to a disposal site. He said the process included neutralization of acids and bases and the destruction of organic waste. Ginny Miller, Wyngate Citizens Association, asked where other wastes were disposed of and how often the WSSC inspections took place. Mr. Floyd replied that solid wastes went to a landfill. He reported that the authorization permit allowed a small amount of low -level radioactive and organic wastes to be discharged into the sanitary sewer . He noted that there were strict limits on the amount of radiation that could be discharged , established by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), and on organic content, established by the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission. Ralph Schofer, Maplewood Citizens Association, asked about the half-life of the discharged radioactive waste. Mr. Floyd said it depended on the isotopes involved . However, he emphasized that the NRC strictly limits amounts released into the sewer. He added that the WSSC conducted semi-annual inspections. Stephen N. Sawicki, Edgewood Glenwood Citizens Association, asked for information about who handled the waste disposal. Mr. Floyd said a contractor handled waste disposal, under NIH supervision. In follow-up, Mr. Sawicki asked if this outsourcing had been going on for a long time. Mr. Floyd replied it had been since the 1980s.

Mr. Floyd said that he would be willing to make a formal presentation at a future CLC meeting. Dr. Gallagher observed that from the number of questions asked, Mr. Floyd should return for a presentation at the March 18, 2004, CLC meeting.

Presentation on Gas Pipeline
by Stella Serras-Fiotes, Office of Research Facilities Development and Operations, OD, NIH

Ms. Serras-Fiotes announced that the gas pipeline project had been placed on hold for the near future. She noted that need for the pipeline had lost its immediacy because development on the south side of the NIH Campus had not proceeded according to the 1995 Master Plan. Based upon this consideration, she said that the options would be reevaluated for the short- and mid-range, and the NIH would look at any other approach that might be less intrusive.

Mr. Schofer asked what the NIH had told those who had submitted proposals and quoted prices. Ms. Serras-Fiotes said that these contractors would be formally notified that their proposals were no longer valid. She said that future contracts would require new proposals and negotiations. Anthony Clifford, OFC Director, confirmed the technical reasons for postponing the gas pipeline. He said that procurement and contracts had been closed and were under the control of the contract office. Dr. Gallagher wondered when this project next would be considered. Ms. Serras-Fiotes and Mr. Anthony said that it would be years, not months. George Oberlander, Huntington Parkway Citizens Association, wondered what other options would be considered. Ms. Serras-Fiotes said these options were too vague to evaluate and that she would need more technical information to describe them. Mr. Oberlander noted that residents in his association would be pleased to hear about the postponement.

Presentation on the Master Plan Update (MPU)
by Ronald Wilson, Office of Facilities Planning, OD, NIH

Mr. Wilson provided a handout on the Master Plan Update (MPU), which indicated the schedule and milestones for the approaching months. He noted that in the fall of 2003, the Department of Health and Human Services/NIH made changes in the EIS Supplement that required incorporation into the Master Plan. He commented on areas of focus for the update, including the anticipated number of employees on Campus, the building space program and features, and other activities anticipated by the end of the 20-year planning period. Mr. Wilson said the preparation of the draft document would continue until its release to the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) in the summer of 2004. He said a preliminary draft plan would be available for presentation at the April 2004 CLC meeting.

Ms. Miller asked if this 20-year NIH Master Plan were part of the 1995 Bethesda Master Plan, and she asked Ms. Serras-Fiotes to review the previous planning timeframe. Ms. Serras-Fiotes said the intention was to update the NIH Master Plan every five years. She said that this year’s update actually was a continuation of the year 2000 update. Ms. Serras-Fiotes noted that the attack on September 11, 2001 , caused NIH planning efforts to be placed on hold. At that time, Ms. Serras-Fiotes said, NIH was directed to implement security plans for the Campus. Ms. Serras-Fiotes stated that the Master Plan’s layouts and employment projections remained intact. Lesley Hildebrand, Huntington Terrace Citizens Association, confirmed with Ms. Serras-Fiotes that this plan would be effective until the year 2020. Ms. Hildebrand and Mr. Sawicki wanted to know if the employment density and maximum number of employees on the Bethesda Campus would be 22,000. Ms. Serras-Fiotes said that current employment was at 18,000, and that 22,000 would be the maximum in 2020. Mr. Oberlander asked whether this MPU had identified other NIH growth locations. Ms. Serras-Fiotes said that although NIH employment growth was anticipated, the plan does not specify off-Campus locations.

Mr. Wilson continued his report by noting that a 90-day period would begin in June 2004 and that during that time the Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission would hold a meeting to review the MPU. He thought there would be NEPA-related meetings before the NCPC meeting in September 2004. Eleanor Rice, Locust Hill Civic Association, asked whether the MPU would be online to review before the April CLC meeting. Mr. Oberlander agreed that it would be helpful to have the document to review. Mr. Wilson said that the polished document would not be ready at that time; however, he said the presentation would cover the MPU’s major features. Ms. Serras-Fiotes said the document would be available for review when it was submitted officially for agency and public review in June 2004.

Ms. Serras-Fiotes added that the proposals and recommendations from three working groups—transportation, environment, and construction should also be included in the April presentation. Ms. Serras-Fiotes thought the EIS would be covered as part of the NEPA review. Ms. Miller wondered if these committees needed to reconvene to review sections of the draft. Ms. Serras-Fiotes remarked that Ms. Miller made a good point. In addition, Ms. Miller recommended an off-Campus location for the public hearing, because the security checks could deter participants from showing up. Ms. Serras-Fiotes agreed and thought a nearby high school auditorium should be considered to hold the hearing.

Presentation on Construction Contractor Parking Issues
by Stella Serras-Fiotes, Office of Research Facilities Development and Operations, OD, NIH; Officer Denise Gill, Community Policing Coordinator, Montgomery County Department of Police 2nd District; and Jean Gries, Montgomery County Department of Public Works and Transportation

Dr. Gallagher conveyed the difficulty the OCL had in gaining the cooperation of contractors to respect area residents’ requests and complaints about parking and noise on streets in the vicinity of the NIH. He said that along with Walter Mitton he had posted notices and discussed issues. However, he said that this type of deterrence had not been effective for long, because the vehicle owners had come to realize that the NIH lacked jurisdiction over off-Campus parking, and had no means of enforcement. Dr. Gallagher said that residential areas within a quarter mile of the NIH had recently experienced increased commuter and contractor parking. Because parking had been an issue raised during several previous CLC meetings, he felt that efforts to deal with the situation and potential solutions should be discussed. Dr. Gallagher had invited Officer Denise Gill, Community Policing Coordinator, Montgomery County Department of Police 2nd District; and Jean Gries, Montgomery County Department of Public Works and Transportation to address possible solutions and the legal and enforcement issues involved.

Dr. Gallagher noted that the County and police had been helpful in resolving situations on Glenwood and Hempstead . Dr. Gallagher had contacted the County because unpleasant confrontations were taking place between residents and those who were parking. He said the County had installed two- or three-hour parking signs because parking on both sides of the street in those locations essentially blocked the passage of emergency and other large vehicles.

Ms. Serras-Fiotes shared a letter sent to prime contractors reminding them of existing contractual parking restrictions and the locations of authorized off-Campus parking with shuttle service. In addition, she said this letter announced that the NIH would begin to incorporate additional parking restrictions into new contracts that would require personnel to park in designated areas, not to include residential areas.

Ms. Serras-Fiotes said prime contractors and representatives of their major subcontractors had been asked to attend a meeting with the Director of ORFDO on February 20, 2004 . In addition, she said this meeting would provide an opportunity to share the problems caused by contractor employees who park in residential areas and to clarify how current contract language was being interpreted. She said the NIH wanted to indicate their support of the measures taken by the County parking and police authorities. Ms. Serras-Fiotes remarked that the NIH legal department would propose stronger language in future contracts regarding monitoring and enforcement of parking regulations. She hoped that contractors would be responsible for developing specific parking plans, including where to park, providing shuttle service, and monitoring and overseeing compliance. Ms. Serras- Fiotes promised no quick fix but emphasized that the NIH was making a focused and concerted effort to address the concerns of the neighbors.

Stephen N. Sawicki, Edgewood Glenwood Citizens Association, asked about the 150 spaces designated for contractor parking. Ms. Serras-Fiotes reported that 150 parking spaces for construction workers at a lot on Pooks Hill Road had been adequate several months earlier. However, she noted that this lot was now overbooked and was filled by 5:45 a.m. Mr. Sawicki asked whether contractors had secured parking areas for their employees. Ms. Serras-Fiotes said this would be learned during the meeting on the 20th. Dr. Gallagher said that he hoped a solution would result when prime contractors provided assistance.

Ms. Miller thought that if fines were imposed it would be an effective tool to deter illegal parking. Ms. Serras-Fiotes said there were ways to attach incentives and disincentives. Mr. Schofer suggested placing a time clock at the parking site. Ms. Serras-Fiotes and Dr. Gallagher said that after the meeting with contractors a report would be made to the CLC.

Dr. Gallagher asked Tom Hayden, ORF, OD, NIH, how many passengers the NIH perimeter shuttle had been carrying. Mr. Hayden reported that on average 67 riders used the shuttle service. He said another count in March would indicate any change in ridership after the security fence was completed and operational.

Ms. Miller heard at a Bethesda neighborhood meeting that the police did not investigate calls and complaints made by residents about illegal parking and late-night construction. Although she said she was aware of the priorities of the police, she hoped that the problem would receive some attention. Mr. Schofer reported that many trucks were parking on Elsmere, Linden , and Cedar Crest, and that one Virginia-licensed truck had received 10 tickets for parking too close to the corner where pedestrians crossed. He noted widespread neighborhood parking by those attending soccer games at local fields and said that often no police officers came. He had learned that towing occurred only when the vehicle had delinquent parking tickets. Ms. Gries said that affected neighborhoods would be eligible to apply for residential parking permits and these areas would then have signs posting restrictions at all entrances.

Officer Denise Gill, Montgomery County Police, noted that some complaints, such as noise, were under the purview of other County departments. She noted a plethora of parking in the overall Bethesda area. Officer Gill encouraged residents to telephone the precinct to report parking situations and to state their willingness to meet the officer in person to communicate the circumstances encountered. She said the scope of the problem would be more apparent if it were seen from the perspective of the resident. She emphasized the importance of beat officers understanding the impact of the situation on those who experienced it. Although Officer Gill said reports could be anonymous, she thought it would be helpful if problems and parking complaints were explained to the officer. She said the officer would leave a name and telephone number. Officer Gill stated that she needed to hear from residents if this approach did not work. In addition, Officer Gill mentioned an initiative to assign permanent shifts to officers in order to improve community relations and to provide continuity in solving repeating issues.

Discussion of Other Traffic Items
Northeast Campus Construction Truck Staging Area

Mr. Schofer had reported a backup of construction trucks to the OCL. He said he had received a nice e-mail reply from Mr. Mitton. On the next day, Mr. Schofer said that trucks were backed up on Rockville Pike. He asked Ms. Serras-Fiotes to explain the situation. Ms. Serras-Fiotes said that she has been coordinating information between Mr. Mitton and the project team. She said that typically the construction staging area held eight trucks on-site, and that other vehicles were marshaled in a specific manner. She said this was a one-time occurrence. On that day, Ms. Serras-Fiotes said trucks could not proceed onto the Campus because a crane had broken and they could not be sent back due to an accident elsewhere. Consequently, she said the trucks sat on Rockville Pike. Following up, Ms. Serras-Fiotes said that this project would be completed in three weeks and she agreed to continue to monitor the situation.

Greentree Road at Old Georgetown Road
Nancy Hoos, Sonoma Citizens Association, mentioned the ongoing morning traffic situation on Greentree Road , in which residents could not leave or enter side streets due to backups at the South Drive employee entrance. She attributed this backup to the inability of vehicles to make a left turn onto Old Georgetown Road from Greentree. Randy Schools, Recreation and Welfare Association, said morning backups at South Drive had been caused by visitors and patients who, not realizing that this entrance was for employees only, pulled in and had to exit immediately. Ms. Hildebrand noted that in the afternoon cars streamed out of South Drive onto Greentree, and she thought the situation could be alleviated by installing a left-turn signal.

Ms. Miller noted that four or five years previous, residents on Greentree Road had requested speed bumps to slow morning traffic. She noted that drivers used this route from the I-270 exit to reach Bethesda locations. However, she said the County could not determine safe locations for bumps. Ms. Serras-Fiotes offered to take a vehicle count at this location. She noted that traffic lights at this intersection were under the purview of the State. Ms. Goldstein suggested that neighborhood associations contact the County about posting “do not enter” hours. Others noted difficulty in posting such a sign on a major access road. Ms. Hoos suggested that the NIH send a message to employees to be courteous drivers and to allow neighbors to proceed.

South Drive Curb Cut
Ms. Hildebrand requested that a curb cut be installed at the NIH southeast corner of Old Georgetown Road at South Drive to accommodate bike riders who cannot get to the walk signal. Mr. Hayden said he would check on this.

West Cedar Lane Parking
Mr. Robertson suggested that West Cedar Lane , a four-lane road with two parallel lanes used for parking during work hours, could instead be converted to 90-degree angle parking on one side. He surmised that this would allow three vehicles to be parked in the same space as one vehicle parked parallel. He noticed that this configuration had been used successfully in the popular Adams-Morgan area of D.C. Ms. Serras-Fiotes said that the NIH does not control parking configurations on County streets or State roads. Mr. Robertson hoped that the NIH would have some influence on this matter and noted that it would have an impact on NIH employee and contractor parking. Mr. Schofer commented that a traffic engineer suggesting angled parking on this street would have his or her license suspended. He felt that it would be dangerous to back out of a parking space onto this high-speed, highly trafficked route.

Presentation on the Drop-off at Garden Lane on West Cedar Lane
by Tom Hayden, Transportation Planner, Department of Facilities Planning, ORF, NIH

Mr. Schofer asked Ms. Serras-Fiotes why the drop-off plan had not been discussed with the CLC before installation. Ms. Serras-Fiotes recalled that this drop-off had been discussed when the overall fence project was presented to the CLC. She noted that the project had passed through all the required reviews.

Using a poster-sized map and sketch of the intersection of the south side of West Cedar Lane and Garden Lane, Mr. Hayden indicated where an employee drop-off and pick-up area have been installed next to a pedestrian gate on the north side of the Campus.He described the new eastbound curb cutout, including entrance, staging area, and an exit, with a right turn only lane heading east toward Rockville Pike. He noted the location of a refuge island where pedestrians could cross West Cedar Lane to enter the pedestrian gate.

Dr. Gallagher asked about egress to the westbound lane of West Cedar Lane . Mr. Hayden said that a no left turn sign would be installed at the exit for the drop-off. Ms. Gries said the refuge island would be situated on West Cedar Lane west of Cedar Crest. Mr. Schofer asked Ms. Gries about the size of the island. Ms. Gries said that the nine-foot island would fit in the center lane. She added that its placement would allow for vehicles on Cedar Crest and for the resident whose driveway was nearby to make left turns onto West Cedar Lane . Dr. Gallagher asked whether there would be a sufficient waiting area for those picking up NIH employees. Mr. Hayden said those waiting would have designated waiting space and this would allow for others to pull up and exit quickly.

Mr. Oberlander thought the lineup between the island and the curbcut should be adjusted. He recommended more study of the turning situation, because he thought it would be very easy to proceed unlawfully and cause a traffic problem. Ms. Gries said there would be an enforcement issue, but she added that after monitoring signs and curbs had been adjusted, the County would install legally enforceable no U-turn signs to discourage drivers from exiting and heading west on West Cedar Lane. Ms. Gries said that the County had counted activity at this intersection. She reported that two vehicles had turned left at the peak hour and 13 vehicles had made left turns there over an entire day. Mr. Schofer was worried about increased traffic in the future. He said that there was new construction at the Goodwill property and exit from that property would be via Cedar Crest.

Mr. Schofer requested a map of the West Cedar Lane/Garden Lane/Cedar Crest area.

Ms. Serra-Fiotes thanked Ms. Gries for her efforts to work on this project and she expressed how well they had worked together.

OTHER DISCUSSION ITEMS
Share the Health
Ms. Rice asked about the date of Share the Health. Sharon Robinson, OCL, OD, said the event would take place on Saturday, April 24, 2004, at Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring. Dr. Gallagher added that Walter Mitton, OCL would present an overview of the event during the April 16, 2004, CLC meeting.

Children's Inn
Mr. Schools said construction at the Children’s Inn was making progress. He invited CLC members to attend a Community Day event on Sunday, May 16, 2004, (tentatively). In addition, he said that the R&W had secured the entire MCI Center on March 24, 2004, to hold an event on the first night of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. He said this event would be offered to those who could not afford the regular price of admission. Mr. Schools announced that the NIH would bring in college fellows who would need housing during their summer internship stay from May through July. He said those with spare room should contact the R&W.

Letter to Dr. Elias Zerhouni, Director of NIH, from Chris Van Hollen, Maryland Congressman
Ms. Hildebrand asked Dr. Gallagher when he thought a response to a letter from Congressman Van Hollen would be forthcoming from Dr. Zerhouni. Dr. Gallagher responded that he had neither been copied on the letter nor had Dr. Zerhouni sent it to him directly. J. Paul Van Nevel, NIH Alumni Association, said his experience was that it often took a couple of months to receive replies from officials. Dr. Gallagher said that he would try to find out on Friday, February 20, 2004 , and reply to Ms. Hildebrand.

MINUTES APPROVAL
Dr. Gallagher asked the members if there were any changes to the November 2003 or January 2004 meeting minutes. No corrections or additions were forthcoming and the minutes were accepted.

ADJOURNMENT
Dr. Gallagher adjourned the meeting at 5:50 p.m.

ACTION ITEMS

• Mr. Floyd agreed to make a full presentation about the NIH Hazardous Waste Permit.
• Ms. Serras-Fiotes and Dr. Gallagher said that after the meeting on February 20 with prime contractors about parking a report would be made to the CLC.
• Ms. Serras-Fiotes agreed to search for a high school auditorium to hold the public meeting about the MPU.
• Mr. Hayden agreed to check on a curb cut that Ms. Hildebrand requested to be installed at the NIH southeast corner of Old Georgetown Road at South Drive.
• Mr. Schofer requested a map of the West Cedar Lane/Garden Lane/Cedar Crest area.
• Ms. Serras-Fiotes agreed to continue monitoring the construction staging area on the north side of the Campus.
• Dr. Gallagher said he would try to find out and reply to Ms. Hildebrand about any response from Dr. Zerhouni to a letter from Congressman Van Hollen.

ATTENDEES

CLC Members

• Lorraine Bell , Palladian Partners, Inc.

• Amy Blackburn, OCL, OD, NIH

• Jack Costello, Bethesda Parkhill Citizens Association

• Harvey Eisen, Edgewood Glenwood Citizens Association

• Tom Gallagher, OCL, OD, NIH

• Jeanne Goldstein, Montgomery County Civic Federation

• Lesley Hildebrand, Huntington Terrace Citizens Association

• Nancy Hoos, Sonoma Citizens Association

• Marilyn Mazuzan, Town of Oakmont

• Ginny Miller, Wyngate Citizens Association

• George Oberlander, Huntington Parkway Citizens Association

• Lucy Ozarin, Whitehall Condominium Association

• Eleanor Rice, Locust Hill Civic Association

• Tom Robertson, Parkwood Residents Association

• Stephen N. Sawicki, Edgewood Glenwood Citizens Association

• Ralph Schofer, Maplewood Citizens Association

• Randy Schools , Recreation & Welfare Association, NIH

• Deborah Snead, Bethesda-Chevy Chase Services Center

• Stella Serras-Fiotes, Office of Research Facilities Development and Operations

• J. Paul Van Nevel, NIH Alumni Association

Guests

• Anthony Clifford, ORF/NIH

• Kenny Floyd, Division of Environmental Protection, OD, NIH

• Officer Denise Gill, Montgomery County Police

• Jean Gries, Montgomery County Department of Public Works and Transportation

• Tom Hayden, Office of Facilities Planning, OD, NIH

• Howard Hochman, NIH/ORF/DFP

• Joan Kleinman, U.S. Congressman Van Hollen's Office

• Ellen Pak, Gazette

• Ronald Wilson, Office of Facilities Planning, NIH