CLC Meeting Minutes: July 2008

Community Liaison Council Meeting Minutes
July 17, 2008, 4:00–6:00 p.m.
Visitor Information Center, Building 45 (Natcher Building)
Conference Room D
National Institutes of Health

ANNOUNCEMENTS—Dennis Coleman, OCL Director, CLC Co-Chair; Ginny Miller, CLC Co-Chair

Mr. Coleman recognized the occasion of Ms. Robinson’s birthday.
The NIH Bike Club wrote to Dr. Zerhouni asking what NIH can do to ensure that BRAC traffic increases are mitigated with respect to maintaining safety for local cyclists and pedestrians, which include hundreds of NIH staff. ORS Director Dr. Johnson has replied that it will take a few weeks for staff to review future traffic forecasts and respond to the cyclists concerns.
A complaint about traffic backups at NIH’s entry gate was sent to the County BRAC Committee and forwarded to Mr. Hayden. He responded that after the Gateway Center opens on 8/23/08, visitors will exclusively use that entrance to the campus. Trucks, vans and most recently NIH shuttle buses will continue to enter via the Commercial Vehicle Inspection Facility (CVIF). Mr. Coleman stated that with ~7500 employee cars entering and leaving the NIH campus each weekday, directing ~700, sometimes lost visitor cars to Gateway Center is expected to reduce existing congestion. The CVIF (which since April 2007, has separated ~500 trucks/day from the car traffic) has had a similar effect.
Mr. Hayden added that NIH will explore widening the South Dr. entrance to facilitate campus entry & exit turns, especially for larger buses. Designs to expand the turning radius have been drafted, but there is no FY08 funding for implementation. When the drawings are suitable for review, they can be shown to the CLC. Mr. Coleman noted that space is constrained at the South Dr. entrance, and Mr. Hayden added that the biggest space issues are the guard booth and other existing structures near the driveway. Using the services of an architect and an engineer, thought is being given to various options. For example, it might be possible to reverse the flow of traffic during peak hours. Mr. Schofer noted that, if the turn radius is widened, cars could enter at higher speed, so additional pedestrian safety measures may be warranted.
It was further explained that passengers entering the campus on NIH shuttles are now screened at the CVIF, which provides visitor passes to those needing one. Also, shuttle busses exiting at South Dr. will continue to do so. Metro will provide signage for an improved kiss & ride (drop off) area. The existing Quonset hut (temporary vehicle inspection area) is scheduled for removal in the fall.
Concluding the entry gate discussion, Mr. Coleman announced that a recent community complaint had proven to be a false alarm. A commuting pedestrian entering the campus on OGR to get to Metro complained about the possibility of religious literature being distributed from the NIH guard shack, where a stack of publications entitled "The Messenger" was observed on the counter. Closer investigation by Mr. Moss revealed that this particular "Messenger" is a company newsletter distributed by an NIH security contractor. It is unrelated to any religious publication sharing that name.
The helicopter regulatory survey, part 1 of which Mr. Coleman presented last month, has been summarized in a front page story in the current NIH Record, which is in the packet.
The Bethesda Urban Partnership has announced that anyone using public park areas in the Central Business District now has free access to wireless Internet service from their communication-enabled laptop or palm-held device.
Mr. Coleman attended a mass casualty exercise held by USUHS (Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, a Navy base tenant) at Ft. Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania. The exercise involved realistic simulations of various scenarios, such as battlefield engagements and terrorist attacks. Participants included both entering and graduating classes at USUHS. Mr. Coleman was impressed by the ability of the students to communicate and tend to business amid the simulated noise & confusion.
Mr. Coleman provided CLC members with a newspaper announcement indicating that Montgomery County now requires certain types of resident associations to register with the Dept. of Housing & Community Affairs, subject to a $500 fine for not doing so. Notification was published in a recent edition of the Gazette. Mr. Schofer noted a legal difference between homeowners’ associations and citizens’ associations. Mr. Coleman noted that whatever types of association CLC members represent, he wanted to make sure that members had seen the announcement, which was not that visible given its placement in the classified advertising section at the back of the newspaper.

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

North Drive Pedestrian Safety Improvement—Dennis Coleman [for Lynn Mueller, Grounds Keeping Manager, ORFDO]
Beginning with an aerial view of North Drive, Mr. Coleman showed photos to summarize the issue and evolution of a remedy, which has converged on narrowing the entrance to slow down commuter traffic from the 35 mph limit on MD355 to the 5 mph limit on campus driveways. Permanently narrowing the entrance is not an option since 2 lanes may be needed in future emergency situations. However, replacement of the current orange cones and barrels with more visually appealing planters or other removable barriers is being considered.

Mr. Wilson noted that whatever is done must comply with State Highway Administration regulations since the entrance connects to 355. Mr. Oberlander suggested installing cobble stones that grass grows between, but Mr. Schofer disagreed, saying that cobble stones are slippery when wet.

Officer Ritch will present any further developments to the CLC. Mr. Moss reported that if planters are installed, they would have to be removed with a forklift if conditions ever warranted it, but that still might be preferable to setting out orange cones & barrels along part of the campus frontage.

Mr. Hayden said that even though pedestrians and bikers generally have the right of way with respect to motorized vehicles, they are not without safety responsibility. As a result, ORF and ORS are trying to help educate people by participating in the bicycle club’s Share-the-Road campaign and other activities. Mr. Moss noted that the current streetscape planning project could also impact pedestrian & bike safety if that plan resulted in trail, crossing or circulation changes.

Mr. Schofer thought that someone had originally designed this entrance as a slip-ramp, where a driver could pull off route 355 at 40 mph, which is an unfortunate under today’s circumstances. Now, every trick must be used to counter the poor design. Mr. Wilson said, in many respects, the state dictated what this entry looks like, so whatever happens to it in the future must comply with state requirements.

Lincoln Drive & OGR Pedestrian Safety Issue—Dennis Coleman [for John Ritch, Community Services Officer, ORS]

Last month, Ms. Miller reported that cars leaving the campus often violate the “no-straight-through” traffic signs on Lincoln Drive and Old Georgetown Road. Mr. Coleman showed an aerial photo of the intersection and provided information in an email from Officer Ritch. The bottom line is that since such a violation would occur on Old Georgetown Road, the Montgomery County police have jurisdiction. NIH Community Services Officer John Ritch has passed to them the information about some commuters going straight across OGR.

Also, NIH will eventually be placing variable message (electronic) signs at certain gates to make traffic directions more obvious. One of those will be placed at the Lincoln Drive exit to emphasize the left turn requirement.

Mr. Schofer noted that Suburban Hospital's expansion plan proposes to close Lincoln Drive on the other side of OGR from NIH, so this issue could conceivably solve itself given Suburban's submittal of its development application to the County earlier this year.

ENVIRONMENT—Kenny Floyd, DEP Director, ORFDO

Analysis of Campus Noise & CLC Noise Reduction Request
In 2007, Colin, Gordon & Associates (CG&A) presented the final report of their noise survey of NIH and several adjacent neighborhoods. Mr. Floyd summarized information CLC had received previously. In short, the CLC requested a determination on whether 5 dBA was a reasonable objective with respect to reducing NIH’s contribution to community noise. The evaluation criteria included operational impact, cost, net improvement or benefit, and degree of difficulty required to accomplish the improvement.

Previously reported research showed that a change of 3 dB or less is hard for human hearing to detect, whereas a change of 5 dBA is clearly discernible, and a 10 dBA change sounds half or twice as loud as before. The CG&A measurements and modeling showed that NIH already complies with the Montgomery County Noise Ordinance without doing much if anything further to reduce noise. Since the neighbors' noise reduction request was based on the CG&A data, independent measurements and reasonable assumptions however, NIH staff agreed to evaluate it.

Based on the CG&A work, the main existing sources of campus noise that could reach adjacent neighborhoods are the Building 11 (power plant) south face cooling towers and COGEN tower exhaust; the exhaust stacks for Buildings 35, 10, 41, 28, and 37; and the Building 33 rooftop mechanical room. Ambient noise levels were measured in the community and found to range between 39 and 57 dB. The contributions of NIH noise sources to adjacent residential areas was modeled and found to be small.

As an example, Mr. Floyd presented before-and-after maps showing that adding silencers to Building 35 would result in significant change on campus but relatively insignificant change off campus. He also made the point that both general and location-specific agreement was seen in comparisons between measured and modeled noise levels for both on and off campus locations. Therefore, confidence in the numerous "what if" scenarios modeled by CG&A is warranted.

CG&A evaluated various options to mitigate noise (e.g. applying additional silencers to Buildings 35, 10, 41, and 28; surrounding the Building 14 mechanical room with a 3-m-high wall; and sealing gaps in acoustical louvers of Building 11). Installing silencers on Buildings 10, 35, 18, and 41 is calculated to decrease the total neighborhood noise exposure by an undetectable 2 dB. Furthermore, adding a silencer can add significant friction to air being pushed through an air handling system. As a result, "silenced" fans have to work harder (and louder) and use more energy, and this occurs over long time periods (e.g. lab ventilation systems operate 24/7). On balance, the relatively undetectable benefit is not worth the cost incurred to achieve it.

With respect to the bottom line recommendations and conclusions of the most recent noise project,

CG&A recommended:

For upgrades and new buildings, specify low-emission mechanical systems.
Chose efficient HVAC systems to operate at minimum noise levels.
Evaluate environmental noise impacts both on & off campus.
Design quiet buildings from the start, rather than retrofit them later.
Conduct regular noise-level monitoring in sensitive areas.

CG&A concluded:

Community noise levels now meet the Montgomery County nighttime noise ordinance of 55 dB.
Dozens of sources contribute to the overall noise level at each monitoring site, including non-NIH sources, such as Suburban Hospital, local traffic, fire & police stations, aircraft, I-495 and trains.
Completely removing as many as 10 buildings would have only a modest impact on existing community noise levels, which are at least 40 dBA, even without NIH contributions.
Further reducing the noise from Building 35 (the closest source to adjacent neighborhoods) via silencers would have a negligible (3 dB or less) impact at most locations.
Practical mitigation schemes applied to a few of the major building noise sources could reduce the community noise at a few locations by 5 dB, at most.
To achieve a 10-dB reduction in adjacent community noise levels, Building 11 cooling towers would have to be shut down; and mechanical sources on dozens of buildings throughout the campus would have to be further mitigated with unreasonable cost and operational impact on NIH.
Challenges to further noise reduction remain: silencers on air handlers can reduce capacity; the competing priorities for maintenance funds; and minimal improvement would require significant capital investment with potential for additional impacts.

Mr. Floyd compiled a chart showing what might be done to which building, the cost, and likely results. In general, it was indicated that the existing noise environment does not pose significant enough community issues to warrant the cost and impact of modest or undetectable noise reductions that might be achieved by NIH mitigation measures. However, NIH

Will implement the CG&A recommendations to address noise for new projects and renovations.
Will ensure that any modifications to existing buildings conform to noise-reduction goals.

Will continue to monitor noise on and off campus to identify, characterize and manage the regular NIH noise sources and unplanned events, such as occasional drills & safety relief valve operation.
Will design future facilities to minimize neighborhood noise impact, for example, specifying quieter air handling equipment and more demanding noise limits for new buildings like Porter 2.

The open louvers on Building 14 will not be sealed because Building 14 contains extensive heat transfer equipment. Restricting air flow could cause condensate to form in such an environment, if it is overly sealed from outside air. Mr. Schofer understands the noise concerns of certain neighborhoods, but noted that Bethesda is a busy urban area and NIH is not the only source of noise. A map of local noise sources (fire stations, police stations, helipads, I-495, Metro, CSX train tracks, Nat'l Airport flight paths, etc) graphically supported this point.

In a more specific example, Mr. Schofer noted that County inspection last year indicated that Suburban Hospital is a significant contributor to noise in the surrounding neighborhood. He thinks that particular issue will be addressed when the hospital expands and gets newer facilities and updated equipment.

Mr. Wilson noted a similar (although less complex) issue at NIH's Rocky Mountain Lab in Montana. They conduct a noise survey before and after construction projects. As a result, measures can be taken to ensure that post-project noise will not exceed pre-project noise.

Mr. Coleman noted that the red zone of noise (i.e. noise greater than 55 dB, which exceeds Montgomery County’s nighttime standard) extending outward from the campus is actually very small and overlays Old Georgetown Road, not homes. In the southwest corner of the campus, there is also a red zone extending into a few backyards, but the small or undetectable reductions NIH could realistically achieve at that location involve the power plant and would be more trouble than they are worth.

With respect to the community's other noise concern (preventing future noise from becoming an issue) noise emission design requirements for the Porter Phase 2 building will be more demanding (45 dBA limit as opposed to 55 dBA, which means a 50% quieter building).

Mr. Oberlander supported Mr. Wilson idea of pre- and post-project monitoring.

TRANSPORTATION—Tom Hayden, Director, ORS, Division of Amenities & Transportation Services & Amy J. Blackburn, Special Assistant, ORF, Division of Facilities Planning

NIH Facilities in the Buffer
The master plan specifies that the 250 ft. buffer surrounding the campus perimeter is to be landscaped open space as much as possible. In response to CLC member questions about the current and future status of various facilities now located in the buffer, Mr. Hayden and Ms. Blackburn reviewed the CLC's list of 13 such facilities. Some are acknowledged to be grandfathered from past master plan implementation; some have already been restored since 2006 (date of the aerial photo used to identify buffer facilities); and some are required as a result off post-911 security measures.

Mr. Hayden and Ms. Blackburn reviewed recent photos of each of the 13 buffer areas and described their status as follows:

A. Children’s Inn
The Children’s Inn opened in 1990 and was expanded to 58 rooms in 2004. It is a private, non-profit, family-centered residence for pediatric outpatients, housing children from around the world, many of whom have rare diseases, and enabling them to meet others with those diseases. Topography prevented locating the inn outside the buffer, and its location was approved by both the County and the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC).

B. Campus residences
These houses, built between 1938 and 1940, were originally built to be used as “quarters” for the Officers during the period which NIH was a member of the Public Health Service. These homes currently serve as residences for senior NIH and DHHS leadership staff. They are grandfathered into the 1972 Master Plan.

C. Building 33 staging area
The area has been returned to green space through a reforestation program, although there is a small parking area in this location which is designated for approximately 20 NIH police vehicles. Previously there had been three parking lots located in this area, however since the construction of MLP-10, the three separate parking lots were replaced by the MLP 10 parking garage, which covers the footprint of one parking lot.

D. Commercial Vehicle Inspection Facility (CVIF)
The NIH CVIF is located in the buffer zone, however it replaced two previous employee parking lots along Rt. 355. The CVIF became operational in April, 2007, and it is a Department of Homeland Security requirement.

E. Temporary lots T-17 and T-17N
These parking lots are in the process of being restored to green space, one to include the bike path along Rockville Pike. The other will be restored when Metro installs its kiss & ride lot. A roadway from the PEPCO power plant to Route 355 must be retained, but it is screened. Detail can be provided at a future CLC meeting. Mr. Wilson added that the Streetscape Plan should facilitate consistency of any improvements, although this is not part of the plan per se. Consultants for the Streetscape Plan have begun meeting with Mr. Mueller and others involved in planning this area.

F. Gateway Center
The facility is scheduled to open in late August. The facility will replace the current visitor vehicle and individual screening process. This facility was also mandated by the Department to meet DHS security requirements for the agency. .

G. Sediment retention pond and/or Gateway construction exit lane
A construction fence runs along Gateway Center with plants obscuring it, so this area is partially restored and is anticipated to be completed by the end of 2008. The roadway serves cars that have gone through inspection and are entering the campus, but it is expected to have minimal traffic because most visitors will only be able to find visitor parking in the underground parking lot attached to the Gateway Center. This will serve taxi drivers or non commercial vehicles, employees who have forgotten their NIH badge, and visitors with a need to drive onto campus.

H. Portion of Lot 41
About 315 spaces remain within the buffer at the south edge of the campus. NIH is committed to eventually removing these spaces, but their closure must be phased with replacement parking. The lot also contains some unused equipment and containers, often stored there without review. NIH intends to clean up this area, and will deny contractors further using the lot for storage. Contractors and others who have left items there will be contacted to ascertain ownership and responsibility for removal.

Mr. Wilson noted that clean-up of Lot 41 storage will be quicker than getting replacement parking for the spaces. Parking use is now at a 0.46 ratio (# spaces/# employees), down from 0.5, but the National Capital Planning Commission wants NIH to achieve a 0.33 ratio (which would mean losing about 1300 spaces). NIH still has a 24/7 mission, and does not want to remove so much parking at once, which may force employees to once again start parking outside the fence. Mr. Schofer concurred with NIH’s obligation to provide adequate employee parking. Dr. Ozarin suggested more screening, since it does not appear possible to get rid of Lot 41 anytime soon. Mr. Mueller is now identifying trees and locations that would be appropriate for additional screening.

I. Perimeter fence staging area
This area, was created in 2003 as a staging area for the perimeter security system installation equipment. In the spring of 2006, it was returned to green space.

J. West substation parking
This parking area serves the staff at the original NIH PEPCO substation and was included in the 1972 Master Plan. The roadway to and from the PEPCO substation also leads to the NIH child care center, which is anticipated to relocate in several years. When this move takes place, the parking lot will be removed, but the roadway to the substation will remain.

K. Building 35 staging area
This area was used during the construction of Phase I of the Porter Neuroscience Building and will remain in place as the staging area for Porter Phase II. At this time, there are no plans to begin Phase II and complete the project due to a lack of funding for the project. NIH has fenced in the area and screened its view from the road. After Phase II is completed, this area will be returned to green space.

L. Building 61, greenhouse
This building was once the home of the caretaker of the old convent located on the campus. near the intersection of Old Georgetown Road and Center Drive. The home has been registered with the Maryland Historical Association. At one time, the area around it was used for limited employee parking, but is has now been returned and restored to green space. Currently the building is used for offices for Clinical Center patient volunteer recruitment. The building is included in the 1972 Master Plan and is grandfathered as a result.

M. Fire Station parking, Building 51
This parking lot is located on the NIH campus, behind the County Firehouse and subsequent parking lot. It was built in 2003 and was previously an employee parking lot, 10K. The parking area for the NIH Fire Department contains 23 spaces, of which, only the last row of the lot is located in the buffer zone. The lot is not for regular employee use, only for Fire Station personnel. Fire fighters work 48 hours on, 24 hours off, and the station is a residence for 15 shift workers each day. The Fire Chief says they use the spaces for joint fire activities, including training of Department of Homeland Security staff, County and State Fire Departments and the NIH staff (the firehouse has a basement that accommodates this). In addition, when the Montgomery County Fire Station was being restored, those fire fighters parked at the NIH lot. NIH is committed to adhering to the requirements set forth in the NIH Master Plan. NIH will review several areas in close proximity to the Fire House to determine if the Fire Department Parking Area can be relocated. If there is not a suitable location outside of the buffer zone, these spaces will not be relocated. It is possible that NIH Firehouse parking requirements will be revisited during the next master planning cycle (beginning ~2010).

In summary, NIH is implementing the buffer zone intended by the master plan to insulate adjacent communities from NIH activity, noise, light and facilities. Out of the 13 items mentioned during this review:

Three (items C, G and I) have been restored to green space, with one more (item E) in the process of being restored to green space.
Two items (D and F) were placed in the buffer zone based on a security requirement derived from White House directives.
Two items (B and L) were both grandfathered into the 1972 NIH Master Plan and were on the campus in the late 1930’s.
Three items (H, J, and K) are planned to be restored to green space in future years, once construction projects and new parking locations are identified.
One item (A) the NIH Children’s Inn was grandfathered into the 1995 Master Plan and will stay in its location.
The last item (M) the NIH Fire Station Parking Lot will be reviewed for alternative locations

Due to the numerous facilities that have come and gone from the buffer over the years, it was worthwhile to comprehensively review their status.

SPECIAL PROJECTS—Tony Clifford, Chief Engineer, ORF

No Topic Scheduled this month

INFORMATION FORUM—Dennis Coleman, OCL Director, CLC Co-Chair

Handout highlights
The packet today contains some interesting items, especially about Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC), which is now expanding the Navy base. A recent GAO report (summarized in the handout) says that high level DoD leadership is needed to ensure that communities seriously impacted by BRAC (Bethesda is one of 20 seriously impacted areas out of ~200 BRAC-affected bases nationwide) receive the assistance needed to accommodate BRAC.

ROUND ROBIN—Ginny Miller, CLC Co-Chair

Comments and Concerns

Dr. Ozarin asked about standing water on the South Lawn, which unnecessarily expands mosquito habitat. Mr. Coleman said that NIH has proposed a cooperative solution to the South Lawn drainage issue. It includes (1) NIH providing a pipe to transport excess storm water underneath and away from the field and (2) the County eliminating the pools that now form in front of their open pipe and connecting NIH drain lines to the County system. Progress has been slow during the past month due to unavailability of key NIH and County personnel.
Ms. Miller is thinking about encouraging more nearby associations to attend CLC meetings.
Children’s Inn is acquiring a property off campus. A public meeting to discuss its use will be held July 31 at 7 PM at the County Services Center, near the Bethesda Metro stop. The property in question is a residential house on Woodmont just south of the campus. There could be a future problem with vehicle access, but the house will accommodate only 3 to 5 pediatric patients who don't need to stay at the Childrens' Inn. These patients do not require daily treatment, but are treated once or twice a week for 2 to 4 months. A nearby house is planned to eventually become a private assisted living facility.

ADJOURNMENT

The meeting adjourned at 5:50 p.m.
There is no CLC meeting in August; the next meeting will be September 18, 2008

PARTICIPANTS

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

NIH Staff
Amy Blackburn, ORFDO
Dennis Coleman, OCL
Kenny Floyd, ORFDO
Tom Hayden, ORS
Brad Moss, ORS
Sharon Robinson, OCL
Ron Wilson, ORF

Liaison Rep
Joan Kleinman, Rep Van Hollen's Office

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