CLC Meeting Minutes: October 2008

Community Liaison Council Meeting Minutes
October 16, 2008, 4:00–6:00 p.m.
Visitor Information Center, Building 45 (Natcher Building)
Little Theater
National Institutes of Health

ANNOUNCEMENTS—Dennis Coleman, Co-Chair; Ginny Miller, Co-Chair

Mr. Coleman made the following announcements:

Continuing the recent pace of high visibility awards to NIH management, Colleen Barros, Deputy Director for Management, received the Presidential Distinguished Executive Rank Award, the highest recognition for members of the federal government’s Senior Executive Service (SES).
According to the October 15 edition of the Gazette, the State of Maryland’s traffic mitigation fund for BRAC impacts on Bethesda started out at $45M, was reduced to $31M, and could be further reduced. The remaining BRAC mitigations include the base hiring a transportation coordinator, extended turn lanes and a possible signal at MD355 & N. Wood, and the possibility of Defense Access Roads funding for Metro access improvement.
The FY2009 defense authorization bill includes a directive for the Secretary of Defense to establish a committee to review the plans for BRAC-related expansion of Navy Med and Fort Belvoir. It is not clear what this committee will do if plans are found to be inadequate since both expansions have already been contracted to the tune of ~$1.8B and are already underway.
After the NIH campus smoking ban went into effect on October 1, some employees started going outside the campus gates to smoke. The grounds-keeping staff members have been asked to develop a solution to the problem of smoking litter being deposited near the gates. Mr. Moss explained that cigarette receptacles could be placed at two locations where smokers tend to gather. NIH does not intend to line the outside of the perimeter fence with ashtrays, since the implied message is inconsistent with the purpose of the smoke free campus campaign. Supervisors (not NIH police) are responsible for enforcing the policy administratively.
After NIH cut down some trees near McKinley Street because of an insect (wooly algedid) infestation, snags (tall stumps) were left as habitat for cavity-dwelling wildlife. A resident complained that the snags were not aesthetically pleasing, so NIH will make them shorter along the fence line of that particular backyard.
The farmers market will return to NIH every Tuesday from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. It will be located on the Building 31A patio, outside the cafeteria. The market will be open to the public, but members of the public will need a visitors badge to shop at the market.

FACILITIES

Overview of FY09 Projects—Susan Hinton, NIH Master Planner, ORF
Ms. Hinton explained that NIH’s plan for FY09 projects has not yet been formally approved. She described the projects that ORF expects to initiate in the coming year. The plan includes no new buildings, so community impacts like demolition, cranes and construction worker parking should not present any issues. The scope of facility projects will be significantly less than that undertaken during NIH's high growth period between 1998 and 2003.

Approximately $17.5 million will be spent on essential safety and regulatory compliance items. These include asbestos abatement, fire protection and life safety, environmental assessments/remediation, rehabilitation of animal facilities, and physical security improvements. ORF has a list of projects in each of these categories in priority order. Every year, NIH completes as many of the projects in the lists as that year’s budget allows. Ms. Hinton offered to share details on these projects when and if any are launched.

The remaining $108 million is allocated to repair and improvement funds. This will include renovations of 3 floors of Building 10 (the original 14 story NIH hospital built in 1953) to create anatomical pathology labs and an updated air handling system on the top floor. Although the National Cancer Institute is the primary sponsor of this project, other Institutes and Centers (ICs) will be able to use the facility.

Discussion
Mr. Schofer asked whether the rehabilitation of animal facilities will overlap with the renovations of Building 10. Ms. Hinton explained that these are separate projects in separate buildings. The animal facility rehabilitation projects involve upgrades to spaces in which animals are cared for. This will include the Building 14-28 complex, which is mostly animal facilities, as well as small areas in other buildings throughout the NIH campus. Although NIH plans to construct a new animal facility, this construction will not begin for at least 5 years. In contrast, the anatomical pathology facility will be housed on two or three floors of the old Building 10. This building is no longer used.

Mr. Schofer asked whether it would be cheaper to build a new building than to renovate the existing building. Mr. Moss explained that Building 10 is structurally sound but has been empty for years. NIH will gut the entire building and eventually renovate all floors. Ms. Hinton added that all of the building systems, including electrical, plumbing, and HVAC systems, are beyond their useful life. Many do not work and others do not work efficiently. Mr. Moss reported that NIH will install a brand-new HVAC system on the 14th floor, where the patient rehabilitation gym is currently located. The funds for the new HVAC system are included in the budget for the anatomical pathology facility.

Mr. Wilson explained that the $108 FY09 budget for repair and improvement will include approximately $82 million for the anatomical pathology facility. NIH might spend $21 million on the anatomical pathology facility in FY09 and $61 million in FY10. The utilities included in this project will support the remaining floors, once they are renovated.

ENVIRONMENT

No topic this month.

TRANSPORTATION—Brad Moss, Communications Officer, ORS

MLP-11 (Visitor Garage) Sign and Striping Update
Mr. Moss shared some photos of the road striping and signs at the entrance to the new visitor garage (MLP-11). Tom Hayden, Director of the Division of Amenities and Transportation Services (DATS), has installed temporary signs in some locations because the permanent signage is on order. The temporary signs help direct visitors to the MLP-11 garage or, if they want to drive onto campus, the vehicle inspection facility.

Discussion
Ms. Michaels commented that it is difficult for drivers and pedestrians to see one another in the area in front of the garage. Mr. Moss will discuss this issue with DATS.

Ms. Miller suggested adding a sign that directs visitors to park their cars in MLP-11 and walk onto campus or to take their vehicle onto campus. Mr. Moss explained that in the future, MLP-11 might end up being the only parking facility for visitors, other than patients and their families. Most people who drive onto campus are going to the hospital and they use the Cedar Lane entrance. NIH does not want to encourage patients and their visitors to use MLP-11 because they have their own garage underneath the hospital.

Mr. Schofer commented that south bound cars entering Gateway Center must make a U-turn when leaving to head back north, and north bound cars seeking to enter Gateway Center must make a U-turn first since the only entrance is for south bound traffic. This adds turning movements to local intersections that are already overloaded. Mr. Wilson explained that the Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) approved the new design. Moreover, NIH carefully considered other locations for the visitors center but the only viable option required U-turns, which the state said would be feasible. Mr. Schofer feels that rather than U-turns being SHA's idea, SHA merely acquiesced to what NIH proposed.

Mr. Coleman reported that Tom Hayden will bring an SHA representative to a future CLC meeting. Based on NIH contact to date, SHA is not yet ready to describe its plans for managing new traffic circulation patterns occurring as a result of new facilities and BRAC impacts. The latter (an estimated 8000 additional car trips per weekday) far exceeds the impact of new facilities.

Ms. Miller reported that people often stop in the Gateway Center turn lane on MD355 to drop off passengers. She suggested that NIH install a no-stopping sign at this location. Mr. Moss will discuss this with Mr. Hayden, but the CLC should understand that MD355 is not under NIH jurisdiction. He added that a new kiss-and-ride short-term parking facility will be constructed where the temporary vehicle inspection tent is now located on South Drive. This should create better opportunities to drop passengers off at the Metro station. Mr. Wilson added that NIH is in fact obligated to restore the Metro kiss-and-ride facility after the inspection tent is removed. The kiss-and-ride area will be restored to what it was prior to Gateway construction, although it will have slightly fewer parking spaces.

Closure of West Gateway Pedestrian Visitor Access on Old Georgetown Road
To explain the reasons for closing the West Gateway pedestrian access, Mr. Moss first described the procedure for developing the ORS budget. Unlike the ICs, ORS does not receive a direct appropriation from Congress. Instead, ORS submits a budget to the Office of the Director (OD) for a share of the OD budget. The ORS budget is reviewed by several committees of IC leaders who can approve or reject items in the budget or request amendments. The director’s steering committee reviews the recommendations of the IC committees and approves ORS’s final budget. ORS has the opportunity to appeal committee decisions at different points in the process.

ORS is required to allocate funding every year to both regulatory programs (such as radiation or laboratory safety requirements) and mandatory programs (such as campus security and sign-language interpreters). ORS uses the remaining funds for more discretionary programs, including the campus shuttle, cafeterias, and some staffing for campus entrances.

The West Gateway access has always been funded through this limited discretionary budget. Because ORS has had a flat budget for several years at a time of escalating costs, it has had to reduce or eliminate certain activities. Statistics show that West Gateway is no longer used for NIH purposes at all. The only pedestrians who enter the campus at this location are commuters from adjacent neighborhoods walking across campus to Metro.

The NIH study revealed that at most, only 38 people use the West Gateway entrance. The cost of staffing the facility is $1,821 per week per guard and the site requires two guards. These guards cost more than standard duty guards because they need special training to inspect pedestrians and use hand metal detectors.

Discussion
Ms. Hildebrand suggested that NIH issue extended visitor badges to the small number of community members who use this entrance. Mr. Moss explained that NIH does not issue badges to people who do not have a business purpose on campus. NIH cannot change this policy because it is under various federal directives and guidelines including Homeland Security Presidential Directive that dictate the NIH security protocol.

Ms. Miller asked Mr. Moss to identify the entrances that the public can use. Mr. Moss explained that West Gateway is now the only public entrance on Old Georgetown Road, and it is only for pedestrians. The other vehicular entrances on Old Georgetown Road (Lincoln and South Drives) are for employees only. The Cedar Lane entrance on the campus’s north side is only for patients and their visitors. Public pedestrians may enter at Gateway Center or be dropped off at the soon to be restored kiss-and-ride facility on South Drive. Only employees may use the vehicular entrances on Rockville Pike at South, Center, North, and Wilson Drives. The other entrance on Rockville Pike is for the commercial vehicle inspection facility.

Ms. Hildebrand asked whether the hours of the entrance could be condensed. Mr. Moss explained that the hours where already condensed a few years ago and a new fiscal year has started and the decision to close West Gateway has been made out of budgetary necessity. That necessity became apparent earlier but the Clinical Center had asked to preserve the entrance for some physicians from Suburban Hospital. Now that these physicians have extended visitor badges, no one is entering at West Gateway for NIH business purposes.

Mr. Moss explained that NIH provides extended visitor badges to its volunteers and a list of various volunteer opportunities is included in today's handout. NIH does not devote scarce resources to police volunteers, but volunteer are expected to keep their commitments and not simply pretend to volunteer to obtain an NIH badge.

Perimeter Shuttle
Mr. Moss reported that the NIH Director had previously promised to continue funding the perimeter shuttle. However, budget constraints require increased efficiency here as well. From now on, NIH will use a single vehicle for both the Perimeter and Campus Limited shuttle routes.

The shuttle hours will be:

Perimeter route: 6:30–9:30 a.m. and 3:00–7:00 p.m., Monday to Friday
Campus Limited route: 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Monday to Friday

The Perimeter route will run during rush hour only because it is virtually unused at other times. During rush hour, the Campus Limited route will not be available to NIH employees, so neighbors are not the only ones affected by the need to improve shuttle efficiency.

Average monthly ridership for the Perimeter route is 2,876, which is much smaller than the ridership on the Campus routes. The Perimeter route takes approximately 20-30 minutes. The proposed change will not affect the Campus route, which is NIH’s most heavily used route.

It is not clear exactly when the schedule changes will start, but the CLC will be notified.

SPECIAL PROJECTS—Dennis Coleman, OCL Director and Co-Chair (for Tony Clifford)

South Lawn Contract Kickoff Meeting
Patrick Brady, the project officer for the south lawn drainage repair, will attend the next CLC meeting. Mr. Brady will coordinate the design with Montgomery County to ensure that the NIH and County pipes connect to one another at the right angle of descent to promote proper drainage of storm water. The kickoff meeting for the project took place on October 15.

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

Regulation of Urban Helicopter Operations—Part 2: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Role
This session was a continuation of a session at the June meeting. Mr. Coleman distributed the complete report on the regulatory survey of urban helicopter operations and associated emergency medical transport services. He then reviewed a few slides from the earlier talk, including:

An aerial photo of the Navy base and Suburban Hospital helipads on both sides of the NIH campus
A summary of the design and engine characteristics that make helicopters unique
A table showing the size, power, and capacities of the 14 different types of helicopters that use the nearby helipads
Interior and exterior photos of the helicopter used for medical transport of accident victims by the Maryland State Police
A list of the five organizations that operate local air ambulance services (State Police, three private firms, and the military).

Mr. Coleman offered new information about the role of the FAA in regulating helicopter operations. The FAA basically regulates the safety and efficiency of national air space use. Its regulations focus on “scheduled, commercial” aviation because Congress has not authorized the FAA to certify (i.e., substantively regulate) “general” aviation, which includes non-scheduled, non-commercial aviation, which includes helicopter air ambulance service.

The FAA issues “advisory circulars” that recommend facility and flight standards for general aviation. State and local governments may require compliance with these standards. The standards can also provide operators with at least some liability protection. The FAA monitors and analyzes general aviation, especially in response to incidents or public comments on general aviation impacts. Finally, the FAA maintains a nationwide presence in the form of eight regional offices and numerous “flight standards” offices and “Safety Teams.” In general, the flight standards offices and Safety Teams receive and respond to public input on aviation issues. The local flight standards office is located at Baltimore-Washington International Airport. Contact information for that office and the Washington, DC, area Safety Team is in the report.

Mr. Coleman then showed tabular and graphical depictions of heliport design standards from the FAA’s 2004 Advisory Circular (150/5390-2B). He provided examples of both ground-level (Navy base) and rooftop (Suburban Hospital) design standards. In addition, Mr. Coleman showed the 4,000-foot “approach/departure surfaces” that the FAA requires.

Mr. Coleman used several exhibits to illustrate various aspects of helicopter noise impact. Helicopter noise (known as “blade slap”) is unique in that it is dominated not by the engine, but by pressure pulses from the relatively slow rotation of the main rotor blades. The amount of noise a helicopter generates depends on its size, engine, altitude, speed, maneuvers, and orientation, as well as weather (atmospheric) conditions like wind and humidity.

The FAA regulations pertaining to aviation noise again focus on “commercial airport facilities” with scheduled passenger or cargo operations., Mr. Coleman summarized various FAA Advisory Circulars and regulations for “general” aviation (which includes hospital helipads), including Noise Abatement for Helicopters (AC 91-66), Visual Flight Rules Near Noise Sensitive Areas (AC 91.36D), and Minimum Safe Altitudes (FAR 91/119). The bottom line is that (1) operators are responsible for minimizing noise with equipment and flight procedures and (2) the humanitarian duties of air ambulances make these flights eligible for special exceptions, such as permission for low-altitude (i.e. louder) flights as long as they pose no hazard to people and facilities on the ground.

Mr. Coleman showed actual noise measurements from air ambulance arrivals and departures at Union Memorial Hospital in Baltimore. The peak noises, between 80 and 90 dBA, are clearly in excess of the 55-65 dBA limits normally applied to urban areas. However, the air ambulance noise only lasts a few minutes and local ordinance limits tend to apply only to continuous noise sources. The Union Memorial measurements appear to explain the occasional 80-90 dBA peaks detected by NIH noise surveys in neighborhoods adjacent to the west side of the NIH campus near Suburban Hospital.

Mr. Coleman presented several exhibits concerning people’s sensitivity to various noise levels. Helicopter operators prefer “field” data because people are less sensitive to noise in their own homes than in a lab setting. The expected effects of distance and power were quantified as (1) a 20-30% noise increase or decrease for every 1,000 feet closer or farther from an operating helicopter and (2) a 5 dBA spread between the smallest and largest helicopters typically flying over Bethesda. Less expected effects included: (1) port and starboard sides of a helicopter generate slightly (2 dBA) different noise levels due to the tail rotor pointing in one direction; (2) ground structures cause a 4-5 dBA difference for the same helicopter flying over two different urban areas at the same altitude; and (3) a 4 dBA spread is caused by whether a helicopter is approaching, departing, or in level flight. As an extension of the “noise yardstick” idea developed during last year’s “Science of Sound” research, Mr. Coleman graphically showed the relationship between the range of helicopter noise from a distance of 1,000 feet (60-85 dBA) and the noise generated by traffic, lawnmowers, and chainsaws (60-115 dBA).

Mr. Coleman ended his presentation with a summary of conclusions from the FAA’s 2004 helicopter noise study. Public concerns center on low altitude (which cannot be avoided at Bethesda hospital helipads during takeoff or arrival), extended hours (which cannot be avoided during medical emergencies), inappropriate flight paths (choice of which is limited in an urban area like Bethesda), excessive hovering (which does not appear to occur in Bethesda during hospital drop off or pickup), and vibration of windows or items in nearby residences (which has been reported). The FAA will continue to monitor and model possible health effects of sleep disturbance and annoyance and to explore further operational mitigations, such as maintaining pilot awareness of preferred flight paths and procedures and promoting modern GPS and terrain awareness equipment. Given current air ambulance exemptions from normal altitude and flight path, and procedure requirements, the FAA believes that local standards and voluntary agreements between operators and affected communities are as effective as regulations in reducing helicopter impacts.

Discussion
Mr. Schofer asked whether helicopters come to the NIH or Suburban helipads only to refuel. Mr. Coleman explained that hospital helipads have no refueling, maintenance or crew facilities, so they are technically called "helistops". They are used only for dropping patients off and leaving.

ROUND ROBIN—Ginny Miller, CLC Co-Chair

Comments and Concerns

The Maryland State Highway Administration is considering increasing the speed limit on Wisconsin Avenue and Rockville Pike to 40 miles per hour. Concerned residents should contact SHA directly.
The new road behind Natcher (Bldg 45) connects to the new Gateway Center and was constructed to provide access for large vehicles. This road is not in the NIH master plan. As a result, Mr. Wilson plans to find out more about its purpose, schedule and rationale.

ADJOURNMENT

Meeting adjourned at 6:07 p.m.
Next meeting: November 20, 2008

PARTICIPANTS

CLC Members
Harvey Eisen, Edgewood Glenwood
Jean Harnish, Whitehall
Lesley Hildebrand, Huntington Terrace
Marilyn Mazuzan, Oakmont
Debbie Michaels, Glenbrook Village
Ginny Miller, Wyngate
Steve Sawicki, Edgewood Glenwood
Lucy Ozarin, Whitehall
Eleanor Rice, East Bethesda
Ralph Schofer, Maplewood
Beth Volz, Locust Hill

NIH Staff
Dennis Coleman, OCL
Susan Hinton, ORF
Brad Moss, ORS
Sharon Robinson, OCL
Ron Wilson, ORF

Contractor Staff
Debbie Berlyne, Writer, Audio Associates

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