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National Institutes of Health |
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Community
Liaison Council Meeting Minutes Draft WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS: Ms. Hedetniemi welcomed members and guests. HANDOUTS:
PRESENTATIONS: Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement: Stella Serras-Fiotes, Office of Research Services, NIH Ms. Serras-Fiotes presented the draft report and outlined the schedule for submitting it. The draft goes to the Federal Register on April 30 for a 45-day review process, ending on June 15. It will then be submitted to the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) for review at its July 1 meeting. Following the NCPC meeting, there is a 30-day period before the decision is recorded. Ms. Serras-Fiotes said that, since this Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) represents no substantial impact on the community, there will be no public hearing unless one is requested. Ms. Serras-Fiotes guided the Council through the document. The projects under review are in the northwest sector of the campus where the need to re-route Center Drive displaced sites for several structures proposed in the 1995 Master Plan. The projects in review are a new parking garage, a day care center, an adult guest house, a fire station, and a PEPCO substation. During the Council's February meeting tour, the new locations for these buildings were pointed out. For this meeting, Ms. Serras-Fiotes included maps and reviewed the locations with the Council members. Before the present locations were selected, NIH reviewed 12 possible sites, all of which were eliminated for various reasons. The criteria for choosing the final locations were primarily concerned with traffic, safety, and visual impact. Ms. Serras-Fiotes said traffic considerations indicate the new locations are actually better than the original ones for flow, movement, pick-up and delivery, as well as safety. The Fire Station study indicates minimal difference in the response time. The Day Care Center will actually be more accessible in the chosen location. Ms. Serras-Fiotes will make the final EIS available to the Community Liaison Council and to the list that received the original 1995 draft EIS. Ms. Hedetniemi said she would place it in the Environmental Reading Room and at the Bethesda library. ACTION ITEM: Ms. Des Roches asked the height of the adult guest house and was told it is planned to be two stories. Ms. Hedetniemi pointed out it will be constructed in a low-lying area so the visual impact of the two stories would be lessened. Ms. Serras-Fiotes said none of the new buildings would be more than two stories. The PEPCO substation will be built by PEPCO with designs approved by NIH. Mr. O'Rourke asked if it would be the same as the one near Whitehall. Ms. Serras-Fiotes said that PEPCO structure is a switching station, while the new one was a substation. She assured the group that the PEPCO substation will not make noise. Announcement of Fence Panels designed by Children's Inn and Pathfinder School: Ms. Serras-Fiotes announced that her Leadership Montgomery group has put together a community project. This project will be to decorate the construction fences at NIH with panels based on art work submitted by children staying at the Children's Inn and children enrolled in the Pathfinder School. These panels were made by Medical Arts at NIH by the process of scanning in the children's drawings and blowing them up onto 6 foot by 9 foot weatherproof panels that will be installed paid for by the NIH Division of Engineering Services. Ms. Serras-Fiotes invited the Council and the community to an unveiling ceremony on April 30 at 10:00 a.m. at the Children's Inn. Ms. Serras-Fiotes said she is seeking funding for more panels and hoped to involve more schools in the area. Ms. Hedetniemi agreed to sponsor a panel and offered Emily Rieken's assistance to Ms. Serras-Fiotes in public relations for the project. Ms. Hedetneimi suggested Mr. Schools could assist with finding sponsors. ACTION ITEM: Ms. Hedetniemi will pay for a panel, and Ms. Rieken will assist Ms. Serras-Fiotes. New Day Care Center:
Ms. Hedetniemi introduced Mr. Horton, who is head of the Day Care oversight board. Mr. Horton said that day care is one of the key components of quality of work at NIH. NIH operates a Day Care center on Executive Blvd that is the largest in the General Services Administration system, serving children from 6 weeks to 13 years of age. On campus there are two centers for children, one in Building 35 and one, for infants, in a trailer. Mr. Horton turned the meeting over to Mr. Hines to present designs for a new structure to serve the children presently located in Building 35. Mr. Hines showed the Council plans for the structure which will be located in what is now a parking lot near the Natcher Center and the Metro station. The new structure is scheduled for construction in December 2000 and will have places for 100 children - 80 pre-school and 20 in a certified kindergarten. The present center serves 66 children. The design for the building contains a central administration core with two fan shaped wings leading from it containing classrooms, storage areas, and children's toilets. The classrooms will open on playgrounds. The building and pay areas will be fenced and will have camera security. Mr. Hines said they are consulting day care specialists to ensure the design will meet all the children's needs. Mr. Horton said his office is consulting a specialist on day care alternatives in an effort to identify and meet other needs of employees which could include care for senior adults. He said a variety of quality of work life issues will be included in this study. Questions on Bioterrorism Ms. Hedetniemi asked if the Council would be interested in a presentation on the subject of bioterrorism. She had attended a meeting at which a number of experts from the county, the Centers for Disease Control, and the NIH had discussed aspects of preparedness. Ms. Hedetniemi said a panel could be assembled to facilitate dissemination of information on this topic. After a brief discussion, Ms. Hedetniemi asked that the group think over this possibility and get back to her individually. She asked them to reflect on this but not to discuss it widely. Reports from the members Ms. Hedetniemi announced pathway lighting will be installed with baffles to direct lights away from the neighborhood. Ms. Goldstein suggested that the lights be sodium for better directional capability and cheaper running cost. Ms. Des Roches thanked Ms. Hedetniemi for lowering the lights. Mr. O'Rourke, who was recently elected Vice President of Whitehall Citizens Association, said Whitehall is having trouble getting bids for work on a path to the new fence opening because it is such a small job but anticipate it will be in the works within a month. Ms. Hedetniemi asked to be notified when it is ready. Mr. O'Rourke thanked NIH for the addition of trees to the Whitehall area, but Ms. Hedetniemi said these are just there temporarily because somehow they were planted in the soccer court. They will be moved to a permanent location elsewhere on campus. Mr. Schofer brought a map and pointed to the location of a new Stop sign which he says is not being observed. He would like to see some warning notice put up about the new signage. He and Ms. Rice discussed their continuing issues with the guest house off Cedar Lane. ACTION ITEM: Ms. Hedetniemi will notify ORS about the need for a new sign notice. Ms. Rice has worked out the possibilities for a central business district shuttle that will combine the Ride-On 42 bus, the Bethesda Shuttle, and the NIH Shuttle to garage 57 to serve as a shuttle to get riders to downtown Bethesda. The shuttle that would run every 10 minutes and would be free to NIH employees. She has cleared the way for the county to pay for it and is looking for more community input. Ms. Miller asked why it was not free to Suburban riders, also. Ms. Rice said this might be possible. Ms. Rice encouraged everyone to come to the funding hearing. Ms. Hedetniemi asked to talk to her about who to work with at NIH. ACTION ITEM: Ms. Rice and Ms. Hedetniemi will talk about the shuttle bus. Mr. Grote asked if there will be another Women's Fair in the fall. Ms. Hedetniemi said she will sponsor the Women's Fair again in the Spring. There will be a Health Forum in the fall. Mr. Eisen thanked NIH for the cherry trees, and remarked that the trees on the west side of Rosewood Drive need trimming because, at the present time, some eye level branches represent a hazard to pedestrians. Ms. Hedetniemi said she would tell Lynn Mueller. ACTION ITEM: Ms. Hedetniemi will notify Mr. Mueller of the tree branches on Rosewood. Ms. Feinberg brought up the continuing problem of pet owners who do not pick up after their animals. Ms. Hedetniemi said she would suggest more signage asking them to do so. ACTION ITEM: Ms. Hedetniemi will request more signs about picking up after pets. A number of Council members thanked NIH for the pedestrian crossing signs. NEXT MEETING: NOTE CHANGE OF DATE AND PLACE: THE NEXT MEETING WILL BE ON THURSDAY, MAY 27 AT 4:00 P.M. IN BUILDING 1, ROOM 151. Attendees: |
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