October 2, 2008

Washington Union Station – Perimeter Security
(File Number 6855)

The National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) reviewed and approved a submission from the Federal Railroad Administration, AMTRAK, and the Union Station Redevelopment Corporation for preliminary and final site development plans for perimeter security at Union Station. The approved plans involve a line of bollards and other security elements around the south, east, and west sides of the portico at the front of Union Station, along with widened sidewalks at the south and east sides of the station and associated modifications to the curb line.

The perimeter security plans include 194 fixed and 11 removable bollards measuring approximately 5 feet on center and 30 inches in height. The bollards will be painted black to correspond to the historic rostral columns in Columbus Plaza. Four new granite neoclassical elements will be added to punctuate the bollard line at prominent piers on the station’s façade.

The Commission based its approval on both a threat assessment and an Environmental Assessment provided by the applicants. The project design was developed and modified through the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) processes to balance urban design and pedestrian circulation requirements with the security requirements for the station.

See the Commission Action and Staff Recommendation

Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial – Motion to Amend the Commission’s September 4, 2008 Action
(File Number 5907)

The National Park Service withdrew its request for the Commission to consider a proposed amendment to the Commission’s final approval on September 4, 2008 of site and building plans for the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial.

Memorial to Victims of Ukrainian Manmade Famine of 1932-1933
(File Number 6863)

The Commission today approved a parcel of federally owned land west of Union Station as the site for the Memorial to Victims of the Ukrainian Manmade Famine conditioned upon mitigation required in the Executive Director’s Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the site selection. Reservation 78, which is 3100 square feet in size, was one of two sites submitted by the National Park Service on behalf of the Government of Ukraine. The site is located at the intersection of North Capitol Street, Massachusetts Avenue, and F Street in Northwest Washington, DC near the National Postal Museum.

The Commission selected the site over the National Park Service’s preferred site, Reservation 196; a 3800 square-foot triangular park that is located four blocks north of the U.S. Capitol along New Jersey Avenue.

The proposed memorial has not yet been designed, but the applicant has stated that it is expected to be a contemplative space with a small-scale memorial element appropriate for a landscaped setting.

See the Commission Action and Staff Recommendation

National Capital Planning Commission Strategic Plan, Fiscal Years 2009-2014
(File Number 6400)

The Commission adopted the Strategic Plan for the National Capital Planning Commission for Fiscal Years 2009-2014. The final plan reflects comments received during the 45-day public comment period, as well as consultation with Congress and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

The Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA) requires each agency to submit a strategic plan spanning a minimum six-year period—the fiscal year it is submitted and five years forward. The new version, which reflects the views and comments of the NCPC staff, is a comprehensive reworking of the current strategic plan covering FYs 2004-2009.

The new strategic plan articulates NCPC’s functions and operations, with revised vision and mission statements and five strategic goals to guide the agency’s work over the next six years. It also sets out the specific means for fulfilling the strategic goals and identifies performance targets for measuring the agency’s progress toward achieving its objectives.

See the Commission Action and Staff Recommendation

Consent Calendar: The Commission voted on Consent Calendar items without staff presentations or public testimony.

Delegated Decisions: Projects for which the Commission delegated decision-making authority to the Chairman, Executive Committee, or Executive Director.