[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 214 (Monday, November 7, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-27420]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: November 7, 1994]
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GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION
Renovation of the U.S. Plaza at the Rainbow Bridge, Niagara
Falls, New York; Notice of Draft Environmental Impact Statement
Availability and Public Hearing
AGENCY: General Services Administration (GSA).
ACTION: Notice of Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS)
Availability and Public Hearing.
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SUMMARY: A DEIS concerning the proposed renovation of the U.S. plaza at
the Rainbow Bridge has been prepared by the GSA under Section 102(2)(C)
of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The DEIS has been
released for public review and comment, and a public hearing is
scheduled.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Mr. Peter Sneed, Director, Planning Staff, U.S. General Services
Administration, Public Buildings Service, 26 Federal Plaza, Room 1609,
New York, NY 10278, (212) 264-3581.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A Draft Environmental Impact Statement
(DEIS) has been prepared to evaluate the potential impacts of the
proposed renovation of the U.S. plaza at the Rainbow Bridge in Niagara
Falls, New York. The GSA is acting as NEPA lead agency in this project,
which will be funded and constructed by the Niagara Falls Bridge
Commission (NFBC). The construction of new inspection and toll booths,
new office spaces, and a widened bridge approach at the existing site
are proposed. Existing plaza facilities, which do not provide
sufficient space for tenant agencies, will be demolished. Upon its
completion, the new plaza would provide approximately 49,800 net square
feet (nsf) of interior and exterior space, which will be leased to GSA
for the essential functions of the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization
Service (INS) and the U.S. Customs Service.
The DEIS for this project contains detailed background information,
an overview of the alternatives considered, a description of the
affected environment, and a discussion of the project's potential
environmental impacts. Potential impacts identified include visual
impacts to the Niagara Reservation--a National Historic Landmark, the
demolition of National Register-eligible plaza buildings, and higher
peak hour traffic volumes on streets within the City of Niagara Falls.
Mitigation measures have been proposed for these potential impacts.
Impacts to the Reservation will be mitigated through adherence to
review procedures outlined in Section 106 of the National Historic
Preservation Act of 1966 and Section 6(f) of the Land and Water
Conservation Fund (L&WCF) Act. The demolition of National Register
eligible plaza buildings will be mitigated by recording the buildings
to Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) standards prior to
demolition, as documented in the National Park Service's ``Schedule of
Documentation for Recording of Rainbow Toll Plaza.'' Increasing the
maximum green time at two intersections near the bridge has been
recommended to accommodate traffic volumes associated with the
renovated plaza. More importantly, the elimination of bridge queues
from city streets will significantly improve traffic operations at
intersections adjacent to the bridge.
The DEIS for the project was released on November 2, 1994, to
Federal, state, and local agencies, interested persons, and community
groups. The DEIS and supporting documents are available for public
review at the locations listed below:
Niagara Falls Public Library, Earl W. Brydges Library Building, 1425
Main Street, Niagara Falls, NY
General Services Administration, Public Buildings Service, 26 Federal
Plaza, Room 1609, New York, NY 10278
Written comments are invited and may be submitted to GSA at the
informational contact listed in this notice December 19, 1994. A public
hearing will be held to formally present the DEIS to the public and to
provide an additional opportunity for public comment.
Public Hearing
Date: November 29, 1994.
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Place: Orin Lehman Visitor's Center, Niagara Reservation, Niagara
Falls, NY.
Purpose: To receive comments concerning the potential environmental
impacts of the proposed plaza renovation.
Instructions: Those interested in commenting orally at the public
hearing may register at the desk outside the auditorium on the night of
the hearing. Speakers will be heard in the order they register. Each
speaker will be allotted a maximum of five (5) minutes to allow all who
are interested the opportunity to speak. Oral comments may be
accompanied by written statements or by an additional oral presentation
after the list of registered speakers is complete. A verbatim
transcript will be prepared and will be summarized in the Final
Environmental Impact Statement.
Dated: October 26, 1994.
Karen R. Adler,
Regional Administrator.
[FR Doc. 94-27420 Filed 11-4-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6820-23-M
