94-25149. Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the Relocation of Navy Reservists From the Naval Reserve Readiness Center at Lake Union and the Replacement of the Army Reserve Center at Fort Lawton, Seattle, WA

[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 196 (Wednesday, October 12, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-25149]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: October 12, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Navy

 

Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the 
Relocation of Navy Reservists From the Naval Reserve Readiness Center 
at Lake Union and the Replacement of the Army Reserve Center at Fort 
Lawton, Seattle, WA

    In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and 
40 CFR 1500-1508, the Army Reserve and Navy Reserve will prepare an EIS 
for the relocation of the Naval Reserve Readiness Center at Lake Union 
and the replacement of Army Reserve training facilities currently 
located in the 500 Area of Fort Lawton.
    Acting as Joint Lead Agencies, Chief of the Naval Reserve and the 
U.S. Army Reserve will analyze the environmental impacts of alternative 
approaches to meeting each agency's needs. In conducting the analysis, 
the lead agencies will involve the public and other agencies. The 
process will be documented in Draft and Final Environmental Impact 
Statements (EISs).
    Currently, the Navy reservists in the Seattle area train at the 
Naval Reserve Readiness Center at Lake Union, located near the center 
of the city. The City of Seattle wishes to acquire that facility and 
incorporate it into a development project called the Seattle Commons. 
In light of this, Congress has requested that the Navy identify and 
evaluate alternative locations for a new Reserve Center to replace the 
Lake Union facility.
    In addition, the Army Reserve training facilities located within 
the 500 Area of Fort Lawton are in deteriorating condition and require 
replacement. The Army Reserve will consider replacement alternatives of 
these facilities in the same EIS.
    The agencies' preferred alternative is to construct and operate a 
new, 120,000 square foot Joint Use Reserve Center at Fort Lawton. This 
new facility would be at a different location from the facilities the 
Army Reserve presently uses for weekend training and would accommodate 
the indoor training needs of approximately 1,300 Army and Navy 
Reservists. The Chief of Naval Reserve and the U.S. Army Reserve 
propose that the new Joint Use Reserve Center site be in the southwest 
corner of Fort Lawton, near the existing Army Reserve Headquarters 
offices.
    The EIS will evaluate other sites within Fort Lawton, as well as 
other Federally-owned sites in the Seattle area. The agencies' 
decisionmakers will also consider alternatives involving separate, 
rather than joint facilities. They will also consider the alternative 
of taking no action. The evaluations of the reasonable alternatives 
will be documented in the EIS and made available for public review and 
comment before the agencies reach a decision as to how they will meet 
their needs for new facilities.
    The agencies will hold a public meeting in November to help 
determine the scope of the EIS. At this meeting the Navy and the Army 
will describe the proposed action and will solicit comments from 
citizens, agencies and organizations about the issues and the 
alternatives to be addressed in the EIS. The date and time of the 
meeting will be publicized in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and the 
Magnolia News.
    The Navy Reserve and the Army Reserve welcome comments on the 
process. Questions about the EIS process may be directed to Mr. Don 
Morris At [phone]. Comments may be addressed to: Engineering 
Field Activity, Northwest, Naval Facilities Engineering Command, (Attn: 
Don Morris, Code 232DM), 3505 N.W. Anderson Hill Road, Silverdale, WA 
98383-7929. Please provide comments by 15 December 1994.

    Dated: October 6, 1994.
Saundra K. Melancon,
Alternate Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 94-25149 Filed 10-11-94; 8:45 am]
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