Community Liaison Council Meeting
Minutes
May 19, 2005, 4:006:00 p.m.
Visitor Information Center, Building 45 (Natcher Building)
National Institutes of Health
HANDOUTS
- Department of Environmental ProtectionMontgomery
County, Maryland
- NIH Urban Forest Conservation PlanPart of the NIH
Bethesda Campus 20 Year Master PlanMay 2005
WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
Mr. John Burklow thanked Ms. Amy Blackburn and Mr. Walter
Mitton for their work with the Office of Community Liaison
(OCL) and for managing its recent annual health and fitness
event, Share the Health. Mr. Mitton stated that the
turnout for the fair was very good, and that the mall management
has offered to host our event again in 2006. Mr. Mitton informed
the committee that he will prepare a slide presentation of
the 2005 Share the Health fair for the June CLC meeting,
complete with photos.
Mr. Burklow updated the Council on the status of hiring a
new OCL Director. He informed the Council that he is in the
process of updating the position description for the OCL Director
and he requested input from the CLC. Mr. Burklow asked Council
members to submit to him a list of qualifications that they
would want the new OCL Director to possess. The Council informed
Mr. Burklow that it is their preference for the Office of
Community Liaison to remain a separate entity from the Office
of Communications and Public Liaison.
PRESENTATIONS
Updates
By Stella Serras-Fiotes, Director, Division of Facilities
Planning, ORF, OD, NIH
Ms. Serras-Fiotes updated the Council on the status of the
effort to abate the noise associated with Building 35's (Porter
Building) and Building 37's mechanical equipment. The installation
of the stack covers has been completed for the Porter Building,
and the sound insulation material has been delivered. The
Porter Building is on schedule and the next step is for the
sound insulation material to be installed. This process is
expected to be completed in a few weeks.
While installing the stack covers for Building 37, project
engineers discovered that the covers interfered with the HVAC
system and general air flow within the building. Consequently,
project engineers are investigating other avenues to mitigate
the Building 37 noise. It is estimated that the noise from
Building 37 will not be completely mitigated until the fall.
Ms. Lesley Hildebrand stated that, at this time, the noise
situation at her house has not improved. Ms. Serras-Fiotes
replied that once the sound insulation material is installed,
and the project is completed, she believes the noise will
be reduced.
NIH Security
Ms. Serras-Fiotes mentioned that the mid-July date for activating
the perimeter security fence has been changed. Last week,
Ms. Sharon Robinson of the OCL sent out an e-mail to the Council
which contained information about the upcoming testing of
the perimeter security fence, which will be performed during
off-peak hours and on weekends. It is expected that the perimeter
security fence will become operational in the late-summer
or early-fall.
Mr. Schofer inquired about the status of the temporary West
Visitor's Entrance. Ms. Serras-Fiotes responded that we are
still in the process of installing the visitor check-in structure.
Mr. Tony Clifford informed the Council about a hole in the
middle of the NIH South Lawn. Mr. Clifford stated that the
hole is actually a temporary storm water retention pond, and
part of the construction phase of the project. The pond will
not remain on the South Lawn and will be removed after the
project is complete. In addition, the fence surrounding the
South Lawn area will be removed as soon as the sod grows in
and the area is safe for general use. Mr. Clifford anticipates
this will take place in the near future.
Mr. Clifford announced to the council that on Monday, May
23, 2005, between the hours of 4:00 pm and 6:00 pm, there
may be an increase in noise from the NIH cogeneration facility.
The noise will emanate from the power plant. NIH engineers
need to test the thermo-crystal portion of the system by allowing
the facility to ventilate steam for a period of thirty consecutive
minutes. It is believed the damage that occurred to the turbine
when it went down was related to the heat build-up and the
friction of its blades. Engineers have decided to test the
new turbine before it is installed to see how hot the blades
get during operation. This test will only occur once, and
will not exceed one-half hour in duration.
NIH Bethesda Campus Forest Conservation Plan
By Ed Pfister, Environmental Compliance Officer, DEP, ORF,
NIH
Mr. Ed Pfister informed the Council that NIH continues to
abide by its "no net-loss" tree policy, which requires
NIH to replace any trees removed from the campus due to construction
or natural causes on a one-for-one basis. Based on the period
from 1991 to today, NIH is over the number of trees lost by
more than 2,000. One Council member asked if there is a requirement
that replacement trees be of a particular size. Mr. Pfister
replied that there is no requirement dictating the size of
replacement trees.
The NIH campus has a diverse collection of trees. There are
152 different tree species, with 92 species native to our
geographical area. One of NIH's primary focuses is to expand
the open space in the perimeter buffer, where possible, by
removing surface parking and replacing it with natural cover.
The amount of perimeter buffer zone area has increased in
size since the first Bethesda Master Plan.
In response to a CLC member's question regarding the presence
of several dead White Eastern Pine trees along the pedestrian
path on the southwest side of the campus, Mr. Mueller noted
NIH has decided to plant new seedlings in the area to replace
the dead greenery. NIH is planning to replace the trees with
a type of evergreen, but other than this, he has no specifics
as to the exact species that will be planted, except that
it will be native to the Washington, D.C., area. Mr. Mueller
informed the Council that if there are dead trees on campus
in an area where they do not pose a safety problem, NIH will
leave them erect as a natural habitat for campus wildlife.
These dead trees are known as snags and are located all across
the NIH campus. NIH staff monitor these trees to ensure that
they do not fall and/or harm individuals or structures.
NIH is active in bird monitoring, and has been documenting
the growth of the campus bird population since 1991. Since
that time, there have been over sixty bird and bat houses
installed on the campus and it has been determined that eight
of these houses are occupied by blue-bird nests. It has also
been noted that the campus is home to several chickadees,
red robins, bats, and swallows.
Mr. Pfister stated that another objective in the proposed
NIH Forest Conservation Plan is the reestablishment of the
forest floor, known as the duff layer. Wood chips and leaves
have been used to reestablish the forest floor and aid in
regeneration. These forest areas are located across the NIH
campus.
Mr. Mueller noted that the area outside of the fence, near
Wisconsin Avenue (Rt. 355) and North Drive, is now comprised
of grass and greenery. Approximately two years ago, this was
a parking lot for NIH employees. This green area helps NIH
satisfy its storm water management requirements. Last spring,
NIH lost a lot of seedlings to the cicadas, but the ones that
did survive seem to be much stronger. In addition, due to
embankment reinforcement and stream restoration efforts, the
creek that runs through the NIH campus is now "daylighted"
for over 2,000 feet.
Another goal of the NIH Forest Conservation Plan is to reach
and maintain a 20-percent campus-wide urban forest canopy.
NIH's forest canopy is currently in the fifteen percent range.
Ms. Hildebrand inquired if NIH uses satellite imagery to obtain
this count. Mr. Pfister replied that NIH does not use satellite
imagery, but instead uses geographic information system technology
and on-site surveys to count the campus tree population. Ms.
Hildebrand asked what our canopy was 20 years ago and ten
years ago compared to where we were are today. The Council
is concerned that there are not more trees on the NIH campus,
even though NIH is above county required numbers.
Dr. Lucy Ozarin inquired as to whether or not NIH has plans
to plant trees in the area in back of the Whitehall Condominium
property. Mr. Tony Clifford replied that location is a part
of the South Lawn area and we cannot place trees on the lawn,
but NIH will look in to planting them around the lawn.
County Regional Stormwater Management Facility
By John Hollister, Engineer, Montgomery County
Mr. John Hollister, an engineer with Montgomery County Department
of Public Works and Transportation, presented the planned
Stony Creek Pond Project. This project is designed to restore
water quality and stream habitat in the lower Rock Creek area.
The Bethesda downtown area drains through the NIH campus.
The stormwater management pond will be approximately six-feet
deep and there will be a temporary construction fence surrounding
the area for safety reasons. This construction safety fence
will be located outside of the NIH perimeter security fence.
The storm water management project is in the planning phase
at this time and in the fall there will be advertising for
the request for proposal (RFP). Pedestrian access to the footpath
along the perimeter security fence will be maintained. Engineers
with Montgomery County have determined that contrary to public
belief, there is a low probability of mosquitoes collecting
in and around the pond due to predatory insects.
Ms. Ginny Miller asked to be provided with a vision of how
the facility will appear upon completion. Ms. Miller inquired
about who would have access to the pond. Mr. Hollister responded
that the Montgomery County Park and Planning Commission has
over 900 stormwater management ponds located across the county,
and currently does not fence these ponds. If someone contacts
the County indicating that a safety problem exists at one
of its ponds, the County will consider the suggestion to add
safety measures to the pond.
Ms. Miller inquired who would be responsible for the maintenance
of the pond when it is completed. Mr. Hollister replied that
Montgomery County would be maintaining the pond area. Mr.
Hollister stated that the County would respond as soon as
possible to all maintenance requests.
ADJOURNMENT
The formal meeting ended at 6:05 p.m.
ACTION ITEMS
- Ms. Stella Serras-Fiotes will make a presentation on the
Campus Buffer Zone
- Mr. Walter Mitton will make a presentation on the 2005
Share the Health Exposition
Future suggested topics for the CLC
- Joint stroke program between Suburban Hospital and the
NIH
- "Meet and Greet" with NIH Director, Dr. Elias
Zerhouni
- Update on the new Edmond J. Safra Family Lodge
- Future traffic in the Bethesda area due to pending Department
of Defense base closure action affecting the National Naval
Medical Center
CLC Members Present
Amy J. Blackburn, OCL, OD, NIH
John Burklow, Acting Director, 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
Debbie Michaels, Glenbrook Village Homeowners Association
Ginny Miller, Wyngate Citizens Association
Adda Million, Camelot Mews Citizens Association
Walter Mitton, OCL, OD, NIH
Lucy Ozarin, M.D., Whitehall Condominium Association
Ralph Schofer, Maplewood Citizens Association
Randy Schools, Recreation and Welfare Association, NIH
Stella Serras-Fiotes, DFP, ORF, OD, NIH
Deborah Snead, Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center
Guests
Anthony Clifford, ORF, NIH
Daniel Harper, Montgomery County
Howard Hochman, ORF, OD, NIH
John Hollister, Montgomery County
Brian Kim, ORS, DEP, NIH
Anita Linde, OCPL, OD, NIH
Brad Moss, ORS, OD, NIH
Lynn Mueller, DPP, ORF, NIH
Ed Pfister, DEP, ORF, NIH
Stu Robinson, Consultant Engineer, A. Morton, Thomas, and
Associates
Chris Williams, Gazette News
Ronald Wilson, DFP, ORF, OD, NIH
back to top
|