Community Liaison Council Meeting Minutes
October 18th, 2007, 4:00-6:00 p.m.
Visitor Information Center, Building 45 (Natcher Building)
Conference Room D
National Institutes of Health

CALL TO ORDER & ANNOUNCEMENTS—Dennis Coleman, OCL Director, Co-Chair

Mr. Coleman opened the meeting and made the following announcements:

• Beth Volz was welcomed as the new representative from Locust Hill, replacing Eleanor Rice, who has moved and now represents the East Bethesda Citizens Association (replacing Kathryn Bender).

• November 1, the National Capital Planning Commission will consider phase 2 of the Porter Building, regarding approval of the final site and building plans.

• Preliminary construction started this week on the $2.4 billion inter-county connector between route I-270 and Georgia Avenue.

• Last year, in response to a local resident’s concern that dangerous foxes were living on the NIH campus, a consultant reported that there are no fox dens on the campus. On October 16, another red fox was sighted around the campus, but in the absence of resident concerns, no further follow up is planned.
  

FACILITIES—Ron Wilson, Acting Director, Division of Facilities Planning, ORF

Rte 355 Streetscape Planning Meetings and Next Steps
The study for the route 355 streetscape cannot be started until the FY2008 budget is passed which will allow us to spend appropriated funds. This study will cover the area along Rockville Pike from Woodmont to Cedar, will take about a year to complete. It will be conducted 4 phases with CLC involvement:

1. Project initiation: defining roles and responsibilities of the planning team and stakeholders; collecting background information with CLC input, including security projects and Gateway Center; and developing 3 alternatives for CLC review.

2. Draft streetscape plan: developing framework diagrams; reviewing diagrams with stakeholders; selecting the preferred option with CLC input.

3. Summarize design guidelines: developing a recommended palette of landscape materials.

4. Prepare final streetscape plan: finalizing the plan with CLC input.

Ms. Michaels reported she has been told that BRAC planners want to widen Route 355 between Jones Bridge and Cedar Lane, at least for additional turn lanes into the Navy site. Any widening will likely occur on the east side of 355, which would not affect existing NIH plantings, buildings, driveways, etc. Mr. Coleman reported that Phil Alperson, the Montgomery County BRAC coordinator, quoted the Navy as stating that lanes cannot be added on their side of 355 because the base frontage is historic. He later discovered, however, that only the central tower is historic, having been fashioned after a design concept developed by President Franklin Roosevelt. Mr. Schofer agreed, saying that the golf course that once occupied the front lawn area cannot have been historic since it was removed. Mr. Oberlander pointed out that Route 355 widening would require both federal and state review and approval in any event, so multiple hearings would take place.

CVIF Screening Procurement Status & Planting Schedule

Security
Ms. Rice concluded from last month’s CVIF inspection tour that NIH facilities seem well protected from a potential terrorist attack because the area outside the fence along route 355 would be the focus of any damage. She asked about the feasibility of building a blast-absorbing berm in front of the CVIF that would deflect any debris from an explosion. Mr. Wilson said the firm Rhodeside & Harwell of Alexandria has extensive design experience and would evaluate whether existing facilities would be adequately protected after any frontage changes. He thinks they could not get the height they would need for a berm because of the short distance between 355 and the existing frontage facilities.

Tree Planting
Mr. Wilson said that “Miss Utility” has surveyed the area were the 12 large (18- to 24-feet high) pines will go, and no issues were apparent, so transplanting can begin shortly. NIH will soon sign a second contract to install dozens of smaller shrubs and evergreens, and planting will begin afterwards. Lynn Mueller wants planting to be complete by the end of November so planting can benefit from wet weather. Mr. Oberlander commended Lynn for having a dead tree promptly removed from along the frontage. Mr. Wilson assured him that Dan Wheeland is mindful of the campus frontage appearance and has made it clear that staff should be proactive in maintaining it. Mr. Clifford reminded the group that it was at Mr. Wheeland’s directive that new plantings are being funded sooner rather than later.

Parking
Mr. Coleman reminded the group to Mr. Hayden’s discussion of parking capacity at the last meeting. For employers like NIH within 2000 feet of a Metro station, NCPC is promoting a standard of 1 parking place for every 3 employees instead of the previously applied standard of 1 place for every 2 employees. Ms. Lueders had brought up the issue of bench scientists and their special work shifts and wondered whether NIH could qualify for a relaxed standard since shifts can often last past the time when bus or Metro service is available.

Mr. Wilson indicated that NIH has no specific census on the number of bench scientists at the 27 ICs. Brad Moss thinks that up to 25% of the campus workforce (or 4500 people) could be bench scientists, but what that means parking-wise is debatable. Mr. Schofer said that although his main parking concern was NIH staff parking on Cedar Lane, he agreed that, before imposing a new parking space per employee standard, the number of people affected because they work irregular hours should be known. Mr. Moss thought the trend of encouraging flextime and telecommuting could further confuse discussions about new parking standards. Mr. Coleman asked Mr. Wilson to develop an approach to obtain the information about how many bench scientists work on campus.

South Fence Location
Last month Steve Sawicki asked whether the community could use more of the empty lawn space along the south fence for recreational purposes. NIH planning and security staff had responded that future building in that area is planned, and building site must allow at least 250 feet from the building for standoff space in the event of an explosion along the fence. Mr. Coleman tabled the item at that time since no one had a drawing of future building sites from the NIH master plan, and people were confused about what was being said. Mr. Wilson will present a graphic of the site at a future meeting.

ENVIRONMENT—Terry Leland, Division of Environmental Protection, ORF

NIH Environmental Management System
Environmental issues of concern for this area and NIH as well include:

• degradation of Chesapeake Bay and local waterways

• energy consumption (climate change air emissions from burning coal and other fossil fuels)

• limited options for disposing of waste

• health concerns (two-thirds of all cancer cases are linked to environmental causes; emerging medical concerns, e.g., Pfisteria, Lyme disease, asthma, allergies); ozone levels and other pollutants from cars, electricity production, etc

Environmental management is an issue for NIH because NIH’s mission is to improve the nation’s heath, and a healthier environment leads to healthier people. NIH’s Division of Environmental Protection (DEP) is following ISO14001, an international environmental standard. In response to an Executive Order that all federal agencies develop and implement environmental management systems, Dr. Zerhouni signed the NIH Environmental Policy in 2005. NIH is therefore in its first 4 year cycle of implementing NEMS (the NIH Environmental Management System.

To begin with, the NEMS work group has identified all NIH activities that could significantly affect the environment. They have recommended that NIH establish 5-year goals and annual objectives to attain them, determine operational controls, and create and implement action plans and environmental management plans.

One of the first effects of NEMS policy implementation is to require that NIH staff take an environmental awareness training course to encourage them to consider environmental impacts of their work, to empower them to make decisions to mitigate that impact, and to produce a culture of change and continual environmental improvement. Establishing such a policy affirms personal commitment to pollution prevention and to implementing NEMS.

The NIH main campus has 75 buildings on about 310 acres and provides facilities for some 18,000 employees. Implementing more environmentally sensitive procedures could make a significant impact on air emissions, energy and water conservation, storm water management, sustainability, and waste minimization. Environmentally sensitive employees may be further inspired to implement such attutudes in their homes.

The energy management objective is to reduce consumption by 3% annually, or 30% by 2015. DEP staff will audit 10% of NIH facilities every year and propose improvements as appropriate. Improvement measures include new software to remotely enable Energy Star computers and purchase of more efficient computers. In addition, the Cogen unit reduces future pollutant emissions by ~600 tons per year and reduces greenhouse gas emissions by ~100,000 tons per year. DEP staff will be metering buildings and undertaking nighttime surveys to limit unproductive lighting. By 2013, staff hopes to increase the purchase of renewable energy to 7.5% of total energy use. Currently, at least 3% of NIH energy comes from renewable resources, such as wind, sun, or biogas.

NEMS seeks to increase recycling of general solid waste to at least 50% and to include construction debris in that calculation. Currently, NIH composts cafeteria waste and sends animal bedding to FDA for recycling. DEP staff want to increase use of recyclable materials and biodegradable packaging in campus food service areas, as well as reduce food packaging from vendors. They also want to increase electronics recycling and the purchase of “green” computers by participating in a federal electronics efficiency challenge. Another activity is increasing awareness of stormwater pollution prevention activities, such as establishing a 20% forest canopy, replacing asphalt (runoff inducing) parking areas with multi-level parking structures, and installing green roofs like the one on NIH’s new Gateway Center. The ultimate goal is to make the campus more sustainable.

To increase employee awareness, DEP will develop a Zero Waste Event program. A Brown Bag Lunch lecture series (September 19, October 17, November 14, December 19) is underway to discuss topics such as stormwater effects on the Chesapeake Bay, energy awareness, composting, and how environment affects health. Fact sheets on how to green office, lab, and procurement processes are also available on the NEMS Website (www.nems.nih.gov).

Discussion

• Ms. Miller recalled that when the CLC first met in 1995, NIH was burning its trash in 3 on campus incinerators, which are now gone, so much progress has been made. She asked where hospital and lab waste are now disposed. Ms. Leland said medical waste that cannot be sterilized on site goes to a medical incinerator in Baltimore; radioactive waste is handled on campus or shipped off campus depending on its nature.

• Ms. Rice, who lives near Rock Creek, said she can attest that NIH is doing a better job in drainage management because flooding has decreased. Ms. Leland said NIH has stormwater treatment facilities, and that they also enhanced the stream so it could accommodate sudden influxes of water and better maintain its biodiversity.

• To Mr. Schofer’s question about noise pollution, Ms. Leland reported that NIH has an indoor noise management group, and voluntarily complies with County noise limits.

• Mr. Coleman gave an idea of the kinds of behavior modification issues the NEMS work group encounters by telling about the time they wanted to automatically turn off computer screensavers from a central control point. Employees resisted because they didn’t want “spyware,” or “big brother” intruding into their offices. As a result, the work group has to conduct a pilot project to demonstrate the effectiveness (50% energy savings) and non-intrusive nature of what was proposed. To illustrate the campus-wide reach of NEMS, he noted that this is the first year when all 180,000 employees are required to undergo environmental awareness training, and this training will be audited.

• Mr. Schools added that part of the recycling process should include ink cartridges, and other such office equipment supplies. The money gained from supplier recycling incentives ($4000 to $5000/yr) could go to needy Clinical Center patients for family visit travel and expenses.

• Ms. Lueders noted that it took 2 years to get NIH to start recycling and hopefully the EMS executive order will make that commitment permanent.

• Ms. Hildebrand noted that it has been about 3 years since the CLC received a hazardous waste management report and since Ms. Leland is not a subject matter expert in that area, an update seems warranted. Mr. Coleman will contact DEP about such an update.
  

TRANSPORTATION—Tom Hayden, ORS

SPECIAL PROJECTS—Tony Clifford, ORF

South Lawn

In response to numerous letters from NIH staff and neighbors, the Montgomery County Department of Public Works & Transportation (DPWT) finally agreed to a South Lawn drainage management meeting with ORF staff. DPWT Director Arthur Holmes and direct reports Bruce Johnston (Capital Projects) and Keith Compton (Maintenance) attended. Tony Clifford and Ed Pfister represented NIH and stated the NIH position that the South Lawn is NIH property dedicated for community recreation. It has drainage problems, which NIH has tried to correct without success, since the water source is on adjacent County property. Ultimately the County needs to participate in resolving this issue.

The County responded that the 21-inch storm pipe is on their land and it is indeed their water, although there may be other sources of water that affect the South Lawn for which the County is not responsible. In effect, the South Lawn acts to convey water from County subdivisions to the County’s underground drainage system. The County will work with NIH to address the issue.

Outcomes:

• NIH will provide a detailed field survey to county.

• Bruce Johnston was appointed to work with NIH on the resolution.

• Mr. Holmes concurs with involving the community, NIH, and the County in a workable solution.

• At this time, the County has not committed to a plan of action or funding, but seeks a fair outcome.

• Mr. Clifford will schedule a meeting with Bruce Johnston, NIH, and the CLC Drainage Committee (Steve Sawicki, Tom Gilbeau, Debbie Michaels, and Lucy Ozarin).

NIH staff do not want to simply relocate the problem. They want to make sure that Mr. Johnston understands what options would be acceptable to both NIH and the community. Redirecting the storm water into the County drainage system would also eliminate what has become an unwanted breeding ground for mosquitos and other insects. Mr. Clifford thanked CLC members for the letters they wrote, which helped elevate the issue to elected officials.

Discussion

• Ms. Rice noted that the County Council passed legislation that every new house must have a catchment basin on its lot, so they must recognize that storm water management is the landowner’s responsibility.

• Mr. Clifford said that Mr.Holmes’ people came prepared and with an attitude of rectifying rather than avoiding the problem. Mr. Johnston already thinks there are several solutions. Since it took the County a year to admit that the water is theirs however, neighbors must accept that the gears move slowly, especially when government agencies, politics, and money are involved. He added that, if NIH were a developer, the County would have been even less willing to involve itself in any solution.

• Mr. Overlander suggested that Mr. Clifford present a suggested remedy soon, since the iron is hot and the County operates on a annual budget cycle.
  

INFORMATION FORUM—Dennis Coleman, OCL, Co-Chair

Mr. Coleman referred the group to certain sections of this month’s Information Forum Handout.

Traffic congestion. Recent increases in local traffic congestion have been caused by several maintenance projects on route 355, occasional NIH events, and the approximately 500 additional Walter Reed medical staff now making regular visits to the Navy Medical Center. The highway operates so near capacity during peak commute hours (Service Levels “E” and “F” to be exact) that any incident has a ripple effect. In addition, NIH now has new gate entry procedures (automatic gate actuation as opposed to guards inspecting badges), but Mr. Moss thinks that these are not related to the traffic backups, since the system seems to be working more smoothly than the manual system.

Traffic may be impacted by an NIH event between October 29 and November 2. This is the first ever US meeting of the Global Health Security Initiative. Health ministers from 8 industrialized countries plus the World Health Organization and European Union will be meeting at NIH, along with extra security, press and associated vehicles.

Permitting process. The Wesern Montgomery County Citizens’ Advisory Board recently held a County Development Workshop whose handout material included a useful summary of County development permit procedures and contacts. Some CLC members had previously asked that such information be provided to the CLC.

BRAC. The BRAC mitigation list of Bethesda transportation projects now totals some $226M of work. Of the 30 people on the County’s BRAC Implementation Committee, 6 or 7 are community representatives. They announced at the most recent meeting that community members want more attention paid to community concerns, as opposed to the meeting being dominated by “agency” staff members who don’t live in the local BRAC impact area.

Noise issue. Mr. Coleman circulated the noise meter and calibration unit that NIH recently purchased. He summarized some of the information provided to the CLC Noise Committee. This included a 2-page summary of the noise issue, which is intended to make any CLC noise reduction request of NIH an informed one. This means effective (discernible to neighbors) and acceptable to NIH relative to cost and operations impact. He also sent the committee 2 technical reports; namely,

- Background information about the “science of sound”, explaining topics such as what is a decibel, how does sound propagate, how much of a change in sound is perceptible to human hearing, how do published decibel levels relate to sounds from everyday human experience (aka “noise yardsticks”), and how Bethesda’s many urban sources of sound result in the area having a relatively high “ambient” sound level (35-45 dBA), even if the NIH campus was not here.

- A noise meter performance report explaining how the meter readings are in basic agreement with various benchmarks, such as the theoretical effects of power and distance, the calibration unit, environmental impact report data, commonly used noise yardsticks and most importantly the highly detailed campus noise profile recently produced by NIH’s noise consultant (Colin Gordon Associates).

Mr. Coleman mentioned that even though summer “habitat” noise had interfered with his measurements in certain overgrown campus and neighborhood locations with more than normal insect (e.g. cicada and cricket) the noise meter was shown to generally produce data that reliably agreed with the available benchmark measurements.

As far as developing an informed noise reduction request to make of NIH, results indicate that the following request would be found reasonable; namely, that NIH identify the top 2 to 5 contributors to neighborhood noise and analyze the “reasonableness” of a 5 to 10 dBA reduction in each of those sources.

Noise reduction adjacent to the SW corner of the campus should be emphasized at this time since the detailed consultant noise map shows nighttime levels between 55 and 60 dB starting to creep into residential backyards in that area. The west side of the campus is not now emphasized since nighttime NIH noise between 55 and 60 dBA is reaching only as far as Old Georgetown Road, directly opposite Suburban Hospital and beside the future Porter Phase 2 building, both of which are likely to undergo significant noise changes within 5 years as expansion plans move forward. There were no objections to the recommended noise reduction request.

Mr. Coleman offered a copy of both Noise Committee reports to any CLC member who has an interest in how the recommended noise reduction request was developed.

ROUND ROBIN—Ginny Miller, CLC Co-Chair

Comments and Concerns

• Ms. Lueders reported that getting a new badge was easier this time, but customer relations skills were lacking. This was comparable to the experience of Ms. Michaels, who was sent various places without being helped.

• Ms. Bradford said that dog walkers on the southern trail complain that bicyclists approach too fast, come close to colliding with them and frighten their dogs.

• In response to Ms. Bradford’s question about NIH perimeter bus availability, Mr. Moss assured her that it is available to anyone without an ID; riders can get on or off at any of its stops.

Adjournment

Mr. Coleman adjourned the meeting at 6:00. The next meeting is November 15, 2007

Attendance

CLC Members Present
Ginny Miller, Wyngate
Marian Bradford, Camelot Mews
Jean Harnish, Whitehall Condominium
Lesley Hildebrand, Huntington Terrace
Darrell Lemke, Bethesda Parkview
Marilyn Mazuzin, Town of Oakmont
Deborah Michaels, Glenbrook Village
George Oberlander, Huntington Parkway
Lucy Ozarin, MD, Whitehall Condominium
Eleanor Rice, East Bethesda
Ralph Schofer, Maplewood
Beth Volz, Locust Hill

Liaison Representatives
Kira Lueders, NIH Alumni

NIH Staff Present
Anthony Clifford, OCL
Dennis Coleman, OCL
Howard Hochman, ORF
Brad Moss, ORS
Sharon Robinson, OCL
Randy Schools, NIH R&W
Ronald Wilson, ORFDO

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