HANDOUTS

• Agenda, November 21, 2002, Community Liaison Council (CLC)
  
• October 17, 2002, CLC Meeting Minutes
  
• National Institutes of Health Community Liaison Council Member Roster (as of October 18, 2002)
  
• The NIH Record, November 12, 2002, Vol. LIV, No. 23
  
• NIH Master Plan Update—Environmental Impact Working Group Recommendations
  
• NIH Master Plan Update—Transportation Working Group Recommendations
  
• Improving CLC Pipeline Safety Recommendations to the NIH Master Plan

WELCOME
Dr. Thomas Gallagher, Director of the Office of Community Liaison (OCL) and Community Liaison Council (CLC) Co-chair, welcomed CLC members, alternates, and guests.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

OCL Staff Changes
Dr. Gallagher informed the CLC that this meeting would be Walter Mitton's last meeting with the CLC. Mr. Mitton is moving to another NIH Management Intern rotational assignment. Dr. Gallagher also said that Ms. Jennie Kirby, who has been an assistant to Ms. Janyce Hedetniemi and Dr. Gallagher, resigned to return to her hometown, Little Rock, AR. Dr. Gallagher commended her service to the CLC, stating that she handled her position with the utmost courtesy and dignity. He said that Ms. Sharon Robinson continues in her position with the OCL, and that he appreciates having a staff member whose institutional memory is so helpful to understanding the background of the Office.

Maplewood Citizens Association Meeting
Dr. Gallagher said he had an opportunity to attend a meeting of the Maplewood Citizens Association and looks forward to attending other community association meetings, which are ideal opportunities for dialogue.

Future CLC Meetings
Dr. Gallagher announced that the December CLC meeting would include a brief business meeting followed by CLC's traditional holiday party. He said that at the January 2003 meeting he will continue to outline his plans for community outreach, to share information from the 27 NIH Institutes that has significant implications for its public constituents. Dr. Gallagher hopes to take information about NIH and its services to schools and churches in local communities for which NIH is the epicenter.

Share the Health Event
The 2002 Share the Health event attracted more than 700 attendees. Although this was an excellent turnout, Dr. Gallagher said it is a fraction of the number he would like to see at this event. In 2003 he hopes to sponsor a street fair in Bethesda to attract a larger number of participants.

CLC Membership Committee
Lastly, Dr. Gallagher said he appreciated the attendance of CLC members and neighborhood guests. Early in 2003 he plans to establish a Membership Committee to determine which organizations are eligible to become CLC members and which representatives would be liaisons to the Council. He encouraged CLC members to suggest potential group members.

PRESENTATIONS

Report and Recommendations of the CLC Environmental Impacts Working Group
by Dr. Morton Goldman, Environmental Impacts Working Group co-chair and CLC Member

Morton Goldman, Sc.D., of the Luxmanor Citizens Association said that the Environmental Impacts Working Group (EIWG) had changed the focus of its deliberations about the NIH Master Plan after the terrorist events of September 11, 2001, which raised community concern about potential risks for the Bethesda residential and NIH communities as well as the environmental impact of new initiatives and growth.

Dr. Goldman noted the scope and charter of the Group in relation to the Master Plan. He said some issues that concerned the Group were beyond the scope of the EIWG, such as public access to the Campus and regulatory requirements applicable to the proposed new gas supply pipeline. The EIWG recommends that the CLC ask NIH to include a quantitative assessment of risks associated with conducting research that involves possible bioterrorism agents, and of Campus operations for transporting and handling hazardous materials and fluids in the Master Plan Update (MPU) and Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

In reviewing the EIWG recommendations, Dr. Goldman said that the EIWG met seven times to discuss issues and develop the Group's final recommendations. Major issues included preserving the buffer zone around the Campus, the impact of Campus growth, and power plant emissions from the Campus as potentially affected by regional vehicular traffic. The Group also discussed the future expansion of NIH and its possible impact on the environment. They concluded that the current MPU should specifically commit to plan future expansion beyond the current year 2020 projections at one or more satellite campuses. In addition, the EIWG recommends that this information be presented in the next five-year MPU [2007].

The EIWG proposed the following environmental and safety recommendations:

• In terms of water use and sewer-capacity concerns, the NIH Master Plan should preclude modifications of the sanitary sewer capacity that would support further expansion of the Bethesda Campus beyond the current 2020 projections.
• EIWG endorses maintaining the buffer zone to the maximum extent feasible in its natural state, and to minimize the intrusion of the perimeter security fence and other security facilities into that zone.

• EIWG supports accepting NIH's current projections for demands for utilities such as steam, chilled water, gas, and electricity as the basis for determining the impact of emissions from the ultimate boiler capacity projected for development through 2020.

• The EIWG recommended that the MPU address the means for ensuring the security and safety of the on-campus gas service facilities and emphasized that these facilities should comply with all applicable federal and state recommendations and requirements.

• Ventilation exhaust from Campus laboratories are projected to remain within regulatory limits, and the noise impact from chillers should undergo analysis prior to 2020 as additional chillers are built. The EIWG also supports pursuing technology that will ensure chiller noise levels remain below county limits, even if background noise levels increase.

• The EIWG asked that the MPU include a list of current hazardous material pollutant levels in air and wastewater and disposal limits mandated by government guidelines. The EIWG recommends that the MPU and EIS include assurances that emissions are and will remain within regulatory limits.

• The Group recommended that the MPU address the alternatives that will allow the projected emissions from the NIH power plant to comply with campus emission limit caps under the Maryland AQ permit which are based on regional air quality concerns. The Group noted that these limits may be reached well before the end of the period covered by the MPU.

Alternatives for managing emission limits include installing new boilers that have lower emission rates, adjusting Maryland permit conditions, or drawing from a state emissions bank.

Dr. Goldman cited a recent article in the Washington Post referring to the pollution caused by vehicle emissions, in particular from the increase in numbers of sports utility vehicles (SUVs) and pick-up trucks. This is projected to cause the region to exceed limits on exhaust by 30 percent. He noted that pressure to reduce emissions would be placed on large facilities rather than on vehicle owners and manufacturers, and even though facilities such as NIH already have reduced emissions by encouraging and implementing several initiatives, relief from current Maryland permit conditions would not be likely for NIH.

• The EIWG requests the MPU/SEIS include a vehicle emission re-analysis using updated vehicle-use assumptions in models currently recommended by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

• The EIWG considered storm-water management projects. The Group recommended that close monitoring and reports to CLC about construction and operation of the Stoney Creek pond be implemented with respect to pest control and mosquito breeding.

• Other recommendations include (a) expanding and intensifying opportunities for internal recycling of solid waste; (b) continuing the current program for designating historic assets; (c) continuing the commitment to tree preservation and replacement; and (d) attending to the impact of exterior structure lighting on neighbors.

Questions and Comments
The Council was invited to ask questions and then to adopt the recommendations set forth. CLC members commented on safety issues associated with the gas pipeline. Stephen Sawicki, Edgewood Glenwood Citizens Association, emphasized that NIH said it would use the best technology available to ensure leak safety. Dr. Goldman said the bidders had to satisfy federal and state requirements.

Dr. Gallagher said supplemental recommendations would be attached as an addendum to the EIWG recommendations.

Pat Southerland, Huntington Parkway Citizens Association, recommended that EIWG recommendations mandate that NIH [in the Master Plan] adopt recommendations of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) regarding rapid shutoff valves and pipeline safety. He noted that the NTSB is not a regulatory agency and makes its recommendations independently.

Debbie Michaels, Glenbrook Village Homeowners Association, reported on a neighborhood incident in which Washington Gas workers had to enter each home to shut off and restart the gas supply to furnaces and water heaters. This was necessary because some citizens near Jones Bridge Road and Wisconsin Avenue have gas lines with newer valves and others do not.

Ginny Miller noted that the cheaper safety solution would prevail. Ms. Miller and Mr. Southerland felt that the EIWG recommendation should be that measures be adopted that exceed federal and state laws. Dr. Goldman cautioned restraint in including language in EIWG recommendations that addressed issues not understood by the CLC. He also noted his concern that CLC members are not professionals and may not understand the full implications of supporting the NTSB stance.

Stella Serras-Fiotes, OFP, ORS, NIH, said that although this safety issue had been addressed in previous meetings, she would take CLC's concerns back for discussion with the project team and the selected contractor.

George Oberlander, Huntington Parkway Citizens Association, emphasized that this is an environmental issue and should be included in the Master Plan.

Barry Weinberg, an EIWG member, asked that the issue be called to a vote.

Dr. Gallagher offered an insertion phrase and the CLC voted and adopted the following language to the Environmental Impact Working Group Recommendations on page 3, under the paragraph titled Utilities – Gas, the last sentence has been revised to read:

"In particular, the Master Plan Update should commit to comply with all federal and state recommendations and requirements applicable to the safety of these facilities (for example, the NTSB pipeline safety recommendations)."

He thanked the members of the EIWG for their hard work and deliberations that resulted in this report.

NIH Construction and Parking Issues
by Stella Serras-Fiotes, AIA, Office of Facilities Planning, Office of Research Services, NIH; Charlie O'Hanlon, Division of Engineering Services, Design, Construction and Alteration Branch (DCAB), NIH; Olga Acosta-Polston, Senior Contracting Officer, CCB, OAS, ORS, NIH; Tom Hayden, Office of Facilities Planning Office of Research Services, NIH; and Jean Gries, Montgomery County, MD, Department of Public Works and Transportation, Division of Traffic and Parking Services

Ms. Serras-Fiotes described two situations in which parking and traffic issues are associated with areas near NIH facilities. One situation occurs on neighborhood streets, where construction workers park and walk onto the Bethesda Campus. The other situation involves trucks traveling on rural roads near the Poolesville, MD, facility.

Bethesda Parking
Ms. Serras-Fiotes invited Olga Acosta-Polston to explain NIH contract office requirements for construction contractors to provide transportation to workers from satellite parking lots. Ms. Acosta-Polston said that for contracts of $10 million or more, contract language specifies that the contractor must find parking spaces and provide shuttle transportation for its workers. NIH also sells 100 spaces in Campus garages to these contractors. She said these parameters are covered in meetings with the contractors, who are told that they must not park on area streets.

For contracts of less than $10 million, workers can park on a lot at the Pooks Hill Marriott Hotel and take a shuttle to the Campus during the morning and afternoon. Sometimes these workers use parking garages or metered spaces on Campus. She said that some neighbors had asked parking violators to identify their employer and had written to the contracting company.

Mr. Oberlander wondered if neighbors on Cedar Lane or enforcement officials should monitor parking on their street. He urged that NIH persuade contractors to live up to their agreements and encourage employees to desist. Ms. Acosta-Polston said the NIH contracting office felt contractors were providing such encouragement to their employees.

Ms. Serras-Fiotes noted that Cedar Lane parking is not restricted to users—residential, commercial, or NIH employees—whereas other neighborhoods have parking restrictions noted by signage or permit. She added that jurisdiction is an issue and that NIH has sometimes been able to address the issue directly, but this is done on a voluntary basis. Dr. Gallagher said his office staff has left notes on windshields asking violators to park elsewhere. Eleanor Rice, Locust Hill Civic Association, said parking permits are inexpensive and seem to discourage non-permit holders from using spaces in residential areas. She said that both the permit and ticketing of illegally parked vehicles is a good income generator for Montgomery County.

Tom Hayden noted that satellite parking facilities used by NIH include the lot at Pooks Hill, and a 150-space lot in Rockville near Executive Plaza, of which 100 spaces are used every day. He said Colonial Parking monitors the use of these spaces and advises that spaces are available if the number of users declines by about 20 vehicles. Mr. Hayden reported that shuttles serve the Pooks Hill lot every 15 minutes, from 5:30 a.m. to 7 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. This lot is used at capacity. He added that if the ORS, OFP offices receive complaints, flyers printed in Spanish and in English are placed on the offending vehicles.

Jean Gries, Montgomery County Division of Traffic and Parking Services, said implementing permit parking requires only a petition signed by two-thirds of the households. She added that within 9 to 12 months the County will implement new residential parking areas and that the Division will try to work with residents by installing signs in designated areas, such as the Maplewood area. Although it is not an enforcement office, the Department of Public Works, Transportation Division, will continue to work with the CLC. She offered her office phone number: (240) 777-2190.

Dr. Kira Lueders, Parkwood Residents Association, expressed concerns about late-afternoon traffic and parking on Cedar Lane, where traffic backs up because one traffic lane is occupied by cars parked beyond the posted time limit. Mr. Randy Schools, NIH Recreation & Welfare Association, noted that parking is not restricted near the Children's Inn/Building 31 area.

Poolesville, MD Restricted Roadways
Charlie O'Hanlon, DCAB, NIH, noted that in the Poolesville area the state of Maryland, not NIH, has jurisdiction over the roads and bridge used illegally by contractors. He said that because the Poolesville NIH Animal Center is almost landlocked, some trucks have received waivers to use these roads without penalty. He added that the county compromised with contractors and their subcontractors who use these roads to provide emergency and other services to NIH. The roads are marked with special speed limits and routing instructions. NIH officials met with residential community representatives near Club Hollow Road and asked that law enforcement officers monitor these roads.

Other Traffic Issues
Dr. Lueders said that signs litter the island on Old Georgetown Road and obstruct the view of oncoming traffic. Mr. Hayden said he or someone else would make sure that the signs were removed.

Dr. Gallagher thanked those who have worked to resolve the vehicle situations.

National Cancer Institute Presentation
by Dr. Julia H. Rowland, Director, National Cancer Institute's (NCI) Office of Cancer Survivorship Division, Cancer Control and Population Studies

This presentation was cancelled with apologies for inconveniencing Dr. Rowland. The earlier agenda items took longer than anticipated, and it was imperative that the Council review and approve the recommendations from the Transportation Working Group (TWG). Dr. Rowland graciously agreed to return on another date to present information about NCI research activities.

Transportation Working Group Recommendations
by Ginny Miller, Co-chair, TWG

Ms. Miller presented the two goals of TWG, which address the following issues:

• Peak-hour vehicular trips [a.m. peak hour: 4,925; p.m. peak hour: 4,450] into and out of the Campus; and
  
• Managing the employee parking supply.

Ms. Miller said that a level of .45 parking spaces per employee [better than the .5 level indicated in the Goal] has been attained and that a level of .45 should be encouraged by NIH through its programs of car- and van-pooling and Transhare. She complimented NIH efforts to enroll 4,400 to 4,600 participants in these programs.

The TWG encourages NIH to continue to lead the effort to reduce the numbers of cars driven to the Campus through its communications media.

CLC members suggested the following wording changes to the recommendations. Numbers listed below correspond to the TWG recommendations:

6. Parking Management
Parking for NIH employees is free but visitors to the NIH campus are required to park in pay parking lots. NIH will maintain the current level of service; this allows NIH employees, patients, and visitors to spend less time searching for spaces.

7. Alternate Work Schedules
Employees may participate in alternate-work-schedule programs as long as the program area is not adversely affected. This program allows employees to work one additional hour each day to receive one additional day off from work every two weeks.

9. NIH/National Naval Medical Center/Suburban Hospital Work Group
This informal group meets quarterly and as needed to review transportation issues affecting the three business hubs. This group was instrumental in establishing the many express bus services to this area from Virginia and Montgomery and Prince Georges Counties. It is recommended that the Uniformed Services University be included in the title. It is further recommended that a representative from the Commercial Business District (CBD) participate in this group.

15. Vehicular Access
Campus access is now available through five entrances. It is recommended that these areas be reviewed for closure or limited access, thus requiring employees to use centralized entrance and exit points. As part of this, NIH would continue to monitor traffic flow through these areas, measure impacts on surrounding traffic arteries, and review areas for more entrances and exits according to future requirements.

16. Pedestrian Access
Proposed fence and access points may affect walking access to the metro from all sides of the Campus. NIH will give careful consideration to provide access to metro walking patrons. NIH will review additional pedestrian access for future consideration.

Questions and Comments
Item #19. Lesley Hildebrand, Huntington Terrace Citizens Association, said bus service had diminished by the county's elimination of the #35 Ride-on bus that used to traverse the NIH Campus. She encouraged the CLC to work with Montgomery County to replace this service with more effective service. She also requested that Mr. Hayden look into the placement of signs, which makes it difficult to pass the Lincoln Street (blocked) entrance on bicycle. Mr. Hayden agreed to do so.

Dr. Gallagher said he would be willing to work with the county on the bus service issue.

Item #21. Ms. Miller noted that the TWG had strong feelings about the expectation of employee parking entitlement and the number of parking spaces to target for employees. Council members thought parking fees would give the impression that those who paid would be assured of a parking space. In fact, this would not be possible or encouraged under the current TWG recommendation. Others noted that fee parking is often controlled by a lottery of available spaces.

Item #22. CLC members expressed concern over security checking of commercial vehicles and the possibility that these vehicles will add to traffic problems on Rockville Pike. Ms. Serras-Fiotes said there is a plan to use existing paving to provide ample queuing and multiple lanes for commercial vehicles. She said there is and will be careful monitoring of this situation.

Item #23. The TWG decided it would be advisable to reconvene the Group every two years to review items recommended for this five-year MPU.

Ms. Serras-Fiotes noted that although the NIH population has increased over the last five years, peak vehicle traffic has decreased since 1992. Dr. Lueders asked how often counts of vehicular traffic are taken. Ms. Serras-Fiotes said this is done twice a year, in May and October or November during peak rush hours.

Mr. Sawicki asked if the 1995 Master Plan addressed auto emissions and wanted assurance that NIH would continue to comply with any changes in standards. [This was addressed in the EIWG recommendations.]

Dr. Gallagher asked if the Council accepted the changes suggested by members and received their approval. He thanked TWG members for their efforts to help the Master Planners with updates.

The meeting was adjourned.

ACTION ITEMS

• The EIWG asked that the ORS clarify implications for expansion and the constraints of additions to the power plant.
  
• Ms. Serras-Fiotes will bring CLC concerns about gas-pipeline safety issues and NTSB recommendations for safety valves to the pipeline project team.
  
• Working Group co-chairs will make wording changes endorsed by the CLC to the EIWG and TWG recommendations and pass these documents on to the ORS planners.
  
• Mr. Hayden will check into removing signs on the island on Old Georgetown Road that obscure visibility of oncoming traffic.
  
• Dr. Rowland agreed to return to present information about NCI research activities.
  
• Dr. Gallagher will work with the County to improve Ride-On service around the Bethesda Campus.
  
• Mr. Hayden will look into the replacement of signs that make it difficult to pass the NIH Lincoln Street [blocked] entrance on bicycle.

FUTURE AGENDA TOPICS

• Establishment of a Membership Committee and a report of their recommendations
  
• Community outreach
  
• Presentations by the Institutes about their research and impact on public health
  
• Laboratory tour
  
• Presentation about the new research BSL-3 laboratory

ATTENDEES

CLC Members

• Tom Gallagher, Ph.D., Director, OCL, OD, NIH
• Lorraine Bell, Palladian Partners, Inc.
• Renate Bever, Bethesda Parkview Citizens Association
• Jeanne Billings, Ph.D., Wisconsin Avenue Condominium Association
• Harvey Eisen, Ph.D., Edgewood Glenwood Citizens Association
• Morton Goldman, Sc.D., Luxmanor Citizens Association
• Lesley Hildebrand, Huntington Terrace Citizens Association
• Terry LaMotte, Palladian Partners, Inc.
• Kira K. Lueders, Ph.D., Parkwood Residents Association
• Marilyn Mazuzan, Town of Oakmont
• Debbie Michaels, Glenbrook Village Homeowners Association
• Ginny Miller, Wyngate Citizens Association
• Walter Mitton, OCL, OD, NIH
• George Oberlander, Huntington Parkway Citizens Association
• Kristin O'Conner, Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission
• Lucy Ozarin, M.D., Whitehall Condominium Association
• Karen L. Pierce, Suburban Hospital Foundation
• Eleanor Rice, Locust Hill Civic Association
• Sharon Robinson, OCL, OD, NIH
• Stephen Sawicki, Edgewood Glenwood Citizens Association
• Randy Schools, Recreation & Welfare Association, NIH
• Stephanie Sechrist, National Capital Planning Commission
• Stella Serras-Fiotes, OFP, ORS, NIH
• Deborah Snead, Bethesda-Chevy Chase Services Center
• J. Paul Van Nevel, NIH Alumni Association
• Joseph H. Yang, Camelot Mews Citizens Association

Guests

• Olga Acosta-Polston, CCB, OAS, ORS, NIH
• Catherine Dolinski, Gazette
• Margot Durkin, Stone Ridge School
• Jean Gries, Montgomery County, Department of Public Works and Transportation, Division of Traffic and Parking Services
• Eliot Harvey
• Tom Hayden, OFP, ORS, NIH
• Charlie O'Hanlon, Design, Construction and Alteration Branch, ORS, NIH
• Julia H. Rowland, Ph.D.
• Barry Weinberg, EIWG Member
• Ron Wilson, OFP, ORS, NIH