Community Liaison Council Meeting Minutes
June 15, 2006, 4:00–6:00 p.m.
Visitor Information Center, Building 45 (Natcher Building)
National Institutes of Health

HANDOUTS

• June 2006—NIH News in Health

WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

By Marin P. Allen, Deputy Director, OCPL, NIH

Dr. Allen gave a brief update on the new OCL Director, Mr. Dennis Coleman. Mr. Coleman has a degree in law and a background in land use, in addition to having been Mayor of Half Moon Bay, California. He has lived in Rockville and is familiar with the area. He has also familiarized himself with the Council, its history, and the problems jointly tackled by NIH and the CLC. Dr. Allen anticipates that he will arrive toward the end of August. She also announced that Mr. Burklow had officially been appointed to the position of Associate Director of NIH for Communications.

PRESENTATIONS

General Updates
By Ron Wilson, Acting Director, Division of Facilities Planning, ORFDO, OD, NIH
Mr. Wilson updated the Council on recent submissions to the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC). First was the renewal of an antenna located near the Metro that supports underground communication by Metro police with other agencies. This antenna was originally approved in 2001 and is already in place, but the approval must be renewed every five years. It was up for renewal in March 2006 and was approved about two weeks ago. Mr. Wilson provided the Council with architect’s drawings of the antenna. The other submission seeks approval for a new stair tower for Building 31, needed to allow emergency egress from the upper floors and required to bring the building up to current code. This submission was made two weeks ago and should be considered at NCPC’s July meeting. Mr. Wilson showed slides of the architect’s rendering of this new stair tower and pointed out that it altered the appearance of the building only slightly; it is made of the same brick and is about the same height. He anticipates no problems with NCPC approval.

Mr. Wilson also announced that no change is foreseen in the schedule for completion of the new Gateway Visitors Center and the Commercial Vehicle Inspection (CVI) Station. They are both on schedule. The CVI will open in September or October 2006, and the Gateway Center will open in May 2007.

He informed the Council that construction of the new deceleration lane into NIH off Rockville Pike will begin soon, necessitating removal of the current sidewalk. The plan is to build the new sidewalk first and then remove the old one, so there will be no loss of ability to walk along the edge of campus on that side.

Noise Abatement Update
By Kenny Floyd, Director, Division of Environmental Protection, ORF, OD, NIH
Mr. Floyd updated the Council on a meeting that he had with the noise consultant, which produced a list of recommended mitigations, some of which can be done before the noise abatement study is complete at the end of August. Mr. Floyd is assembling a team of technical staff, maintenance, project officers, etc., to study ways to move forward on implementation. He is also following up with the contractor to get the final study results. Mr. Ralph Schofer asked why the rooftop exhaust item was on hold. Mr. Floyd explained that this pertained to buildings not fully occupied at this time and that the list was only of initial recommendations. The power plant is very complex, and any action must await the final report.

Mr. Schofer asked if exhaust and air handling systems could be shut down for a few minutes to see if this is the problem or if noise actually stops. Mr. Floyd replied that ongoing research does not allow these systems to be shut down. For example, those who manage experimental animals could have problems. Dr. Allen suggested waiting for the final report and approaching the noise sources as the engineers recommend. Ms. Ginny Miller asked when the committee would be formed. Mr. Floyd replied that he was already working on the committee and that he was moving forward and expected the committee to be finalized shortly. Ms. Miller expressed her encouragement by this report.

Mr. Wilson introduced Mr. Bob McDonald, the Project Officer for the Building 36 demolition project.   The demolition is now down to ground level. Mr. McDonald explained that residents should now notice a reduction in noise levels. He said large piles of rubble are now visible. These include piles of rebar, steel, and unprocessed rubble. He explained that some preliminary sorting was being done at the site. The waste is being broken down for trucking off site, where it will be further sorted and recycled. The work that remains is to remove the lower foundation walls and the footers. Once this process starts, Mr. McDonald said he doubts much will be audible, but possibly more vibration will be felt than previously. This is because most of the work will be heavy pounding, largely underground, but the impact this has for ongoing research gives them a very big incentive to keep it down as much as possible. The project should be complete in September of 2006, but is currently ahead of schedule.

Mr. Schofer asked if there would be any blasting, and Mr. McDonald said there would be none. Mr. Schofer asked if the vibration would structurally affect any of the adjacent buildings. Mr. McDonald explained that this work should not affect anything because they had to keep the vibration below a level that could have an effect on research.  He also told the Council that the demolition noise levels had been sampled and that no measurements were in excess of Montgomery County limits. Mr. George Oberlander asked how many trucks were departing the campus with rubble each day. Mr. McDonald said he had no number, but comparing this to the Building 35 project, he estimated maybe one-fifth as many. He said that only two trucks were on the site at any time, one loading and one waiting. Mr. Oberlander wondered where the trucks were exiting. Mr. McDonald said this was at the Old Georgetown Road temporary commercial entrance. In response to Mr. Schofer’s question about how rebar is separated from the concrete, Mr. McDonald explained that this was done with munchers and with hoes, essentially shaking the slabs until the concrete breaks free of the rebar. Ms. Miller asked if noise levels would be lessened with this phase. Mr. McDonald said yes, for two reasons. First, the work is occurring much lower in the ground and noise is partially blocked by trees and buildings. Also, this phase involves less pounding and more hydraulic punching.
Mr. McDonald also responded to Mr. Schofer’s idea of turning off exhaust fans and other systems, reporting that this had actually been done with the Porter Building, but it had been very disruptive, and there was a risk of things not coming back up properly. This procedure is very difficult to do with a fully operational building.

South Lawn Update
By Tony Clifford, Chief Engineer, ORF, OD, NIH
Mr. Clifford explained that this lawn is outside the NIH security fence, and it has been and still is used by the community for recreation. The current problems resulted from construction. He said the new consultant was already on the site and working. A working group is the next step, made up of community members and NIH staff. He expects this group to meet soon and will send out e-mail announcements. The consultant would like to have the meeting on-site. Mr. Clifford gave the Council a list of the group’s members, including Mr. Steve Sawicki, Ms. Debbie Michaels, and Dr. Ozarin from the CLC, Tom Goubeaux, a community civil engineer, and NIH staff, including Mr. Lynn Mueller and Mr. Ed Pfister, along with himself. By the time of this meeting, the hydrologic assessment will be completed and available.

Mr. Schofer asked if they were coordinating with Montgomery County; he had read in the Gazette of a project to correct drainage problems in this area. Mr. Clifford said he wanted a clear understanding of the problems before he called Montgomery County. Mr. Oberlander suggested that perhaps somebody from the County should be on the working group. Mr. Clifford responded that this was a very good idea and thanked him. Mr. Oberlander wondered how long the effort would take. Mr. Clifford said that according to his schedule, a report from the working group would be ready for review by the CLC by the end of July. This report will then be opened to community comments. A formal presentation of the report will be made to the CLC no later than August. NIH must then develop an implementation plan. Ms. Miller wondered if interim reports would be available, with the formal presentation not until August. Dr. Allen noted that the CLC usually recesses in August. Ms. Miller observed that the process seems to be dragging and wondered if it could not be moved along more rapidly. Mr. Clifford expressed that we want the consultant to be fully informed so he can educate us on our next steps, to ensure that the meeting and end result will be productive. Mr. Clifford replied that the consultant is right on schedule and will continue his study.

Mr. Schofer wondered how long this process would take. Mr. Clifford said he could not predict a timeline. For example, if Montgomery County must be involved, he could not know how long it would take them to do their part. He assured the Council that he will do everything possible to expedite the process, but at this point, he simply does not know who the partners will be. He told the Council he would provide a schedule when he has the necessary information. He also said that money to complete any project is something that must be dealt with in this time of limited budget.  Mr. Clifford explained that the budget situation several years ago was completely different than it is now. Today he must use part of the facility budget to fix this problem, and this budget must also cover renovations, etc. He said that he could not know where the funding would come from until he saw what must be done. The possibility exists that funds might need to partially or entirely come from the County, and then it would be their money. Mr. Oberlander asked if information could be made available to the Council by e-mail because there was no meeting in August.

Mr. Clifford thanked the Council for the e-mail from a community member about the pathway lights that had been knocked down. He believes that they were most likely hit by lawn mowers. He said he was seeking to replace these low lights, but the first bid had been improbably high.

NIH Earth Day Overview Presentation
By Kenny Floyd, ORF, OD, NIH
Mr. Floyd reported that NIH had a big Earth Day celebration with many participants, and the Gazette had done a wonderful article covering it. One of NIH’s major efforts is recycling. Representatives of Montgomery County attended the NIH Earth Day to promote recycling, and they were very happy with the program, presenting a recycling award to NIH. The Institutes recycle more than 100,000 pounds of chemical wastes each year and process and treat more than 435,000 pounds on campus. In addition, NIH processes and treats 1,000 tons of medical waste off campus. Mr. Floyd also said that demolition projects on campus recycle metals and concrete which increased the overall recycling rate for the campus to 50%.

This year’s Earth Day coincided with “take your child to work day,” so it included many activities for kids. A number of NIH initiatives were highlighted, including energy conservation and the program to reduce mercury use on campus, replacing some products with non-mercury products. The Mad Hatter, symbol of the mercury reduction campaign, was present to talk about mercury, and a Lumex mercury sniffer was on display. Information was available on a variety of alternative transportation solutions, including car and van pools, public transportation, hybrid and alternative-fuel vehicles, and bicycles. The NIH bicycle club rode to work in support of Earth Day. An activity that attracted many participants highlighted the importance to the Chesapeake Bay of watershed pollutants, and included a tour of the stream through campus and a look at life in the storm water retention pond. Mr. Floyd pointed out that the majority of the Earth Day volunteers who made this event happen are NIH staff.

CLC ROUND ROBIN

Mr. Brad Moss informed the Council that the perimeter shuttle had attracted an average of about 102 riders each day. Mr. Schofer asked how to explain the fluctuation of riders from month to month. A Council member asked for a breakdown of cost per use.  Mr. Moss answered that it would be difficult to explain fluctuation, but that he would ask Mr. Hayden to compute the costs of the shuttle per rider.

Mr. Schofer mentioned the problem of poor visibility caused by headlight glare on the sidewalk on Rockville Pike during poor weather in the winter. Mr. Wilson explained that part of the problem should be solved when the CVI goes into operation, and it will then be possible to determine what other corrections are still needed. Mr. Schofer expressed his concern that this be corrected before the winter returns, when it will again be a problem. Mr. Wilson assured the Council that he was aware of the problem and that when the CVI opens, he will have a better idea of what remains to be done.

Ms. Amy Blackburn mentioned the OCL’s history of support for the Share the Health effort, but with today’s budget constraints, they sought a way to continue to bring such services to the community without as much expense. For that reason, Ms. Blackburn wanted the Council to be aware of NIH’s partnering with WJLA in support of the Family Health & Caregiver Expo, to be held July 29 and 30 at the Washington Convention Center. This event will be open to all at no cost. NIH will be represented by at least 13 institutes. Ms. Blackburn especially expressed her desire that the Council will support this NIH effort by letting their constituents know about it and by attending. She will send out fliers and e-mails.

Mr. Wilson announced that Mr. Hayden had been working with the Maryland State Highway Administration, and they plan to close the median off with flex posts at North Drive and Rockville Pike to restrict left-hand turns. This should be completed in about 90 days.

Ms. Eleanor Rice added a point of information for the Council regarding area traffic. She is a member of the coalition to build the intercounty commuter line (the “Purple Line”). She told the Council that if they had any interest in this project, or if their constituents did, they could come to her for information.

Ms. Miller wondered if any members had any questions they wished to put on the agenda. She said they were open to suggestions for new meeting topics. Ms. Blackburn mentioned that she was working with the NIH fire department to hold the July meeting in the firehouse. NIH has experts on hazardous materials, and it might be possible to go to the department and have a demonstration.

Mr. Oberlander mentioned that he was happy to see the National Naval Medical Center representatives at the meeting and asked if the Naval Hospital has a community association like the CLC. One of the guests answered that they were in the early stages of planning such a group. Mr. Oberlander said he hoped the Navy would have continuous liaison with the CLC on a monthly basis because they were NIH’s neighbors on the east side. Ms. Lesley Hildebrand mentioned that she would like an update on the non-technology badge previously discussed. Ms. Kathryn Bender wondered if it might be possible to have an institute highlighted at each meeting. Dr. Ozarin asked if information was available on the building numbers and what is housed in each. Mr. Wilson said he could provide this information, even though the mix of activities in some buildings might make it complicated.

Ms. Miller mentioned that Suburban Hospital continues to work on their hospital remodeling and enlargement and intends to have a committee similar to the CLC.

ADJOURNMENT

The formal meeting ended at 6:00 p.m.

ACTION ITEMS

• Mr. Kenny Floyd will assemble a committee to push forward the initial noise mitigation efforts while the acoustic engineer firm completes the final report.
• Mr. Tony Clifford will notify members of the South Lawn working group of the meeting time with the contractor.
• Mr. Clifford will make interim reports available to Council members by e-mail during the August recess.
• Mr. Ron Wilson will compile and make available to the Council information about each building on campus and its corresponding function.

FUTURE MEETING TOPICS

• Campus Tour to include
• Edmond J. Safra Lodge (Family Inn)
• Commercial Vehicle Inspection Facility

CLC Members Present
Marin Allen, Ph.D., OCPL, OD, NIH
Kathryn Bender, East Bethesda Citizens Association
Amy Blackburn, OCL, OD, NIH
Marian Bradford, Camelot Mews Homeowners Association
Anthony Clifford, ORF, OD, NIH
Harvey Eisen, Ph.D., Edgewood Glenwood Citizens Association
Lesley Hildebrand, Huntington Terrace Citizens Association
Darrell Lemke, Bethesda Parkview Citizens Association
Marilyn Mazuzan, Town of Oakmont
Debbie Michaels, Glenbrook Village Homeowners Association
Ginny Miller, Wyngate Citizens Association
George Oberlander, Huntington Parkway Citizens Association
Lucy Ozarin, M.D., Whitehall Condominium Association
Eleanor Rice, Locust Hill Civic Association
Sharon Robinson, OCL, OD, NIH
Ralph Schofer, Maplewood Citizens Association
Randy Schools, Recreation & Welfare Association, NIH
Deborah Snead, Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center

Guests
Jenna Caudillo, Backfence.com
Paula Cohen, OCPL, OD, NIH
John Eckenrode, National Naval Medical Center
Kenny Floyd, ORF, OD, NIH
Anna Franz, ORF, OD, NIH
Brian Hillis, National Naval Medical Center
Howard Hochman, ORFDO, OD, NIH
Joan Kleinman, Congressman Van Hollen’s Office
Bob McDonald, OD, NIH
LCDR Tamara Maeder, National Naval Medical Center
Brad Moss, ORS, OD, NIH
Pierre Noel, M.D., NIH Clinical Center
Shelly Pollard, OCPL, OD, NIH
Terry Taylor, Palladian Partners, Inc.
Chris Williams, Gazette News
Ronald Wilson, ORFDO, OD, NIH

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