[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 22 (Thursday, February 1, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Page 3714]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-2123]
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GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION
Notice of Availability DEIS
The General Services Administration (GSA) announces the release of
the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), for the siting and
proposed construction of a new Courthouse Annex in the Central Business
Area (CBA) of Savannah, Georgia, A 45-day public comment period begins
February 2 and runs through March 18, 1996.
The DEIS has examines the impacts of constructing an Annex of the
existing Courthouse in the Savannah CBA. This includes impacts to
historic and cultural resources, traffic and parking, and socioeconomic
(including the impacts of local businesses). The DEIS examines ways to
mitigate unavoidable adverse impacts of the proposed action. Concurrent
with implementation of the National Environmental Policy Act
requirements, GSA has also implemented its consultation requirements
under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, regarding
the impacts of historic properties as a result of undertaking the
proposed action. GSA is very much aware of the potential for adverse
affects to the National Historic Landmark District as a result of the
proposed action, and has made every effort to identify and take into
account such affects while planning this project.
The New Courthouse will house approximately 250 employees in an
165,000 to 180,000 occupiable square feet (osf) structure(s) that will
meet the 10-year and 30-year space requirements of the US Courts. The
project will contain four courtrooms, and office space for Court-
related agencies, as well as space for GSA. After an exhaustive process
of site identification and site screening, three potential sites and
four alternative configurations, and the ``No Action'' alternative,
were considered technically feasible and analyzed in the DEIS as
follows:
1. ``No Action,'' that is, undertake no new construction.
2. Construction of a single 165,000 osf building 80 feet
tall on the sites of the current Juliette Gordon Low Federal Buildings
A & B including building over President Street. This is the GSA
preferred alternative.
3. Construction of two buildings with a total of 180,000
osf, 133 feet tall, on the sites of the current Juliette Gordon Low
Buildings A & B and not building over President Street.
4. Partial demolition and construction of the site of the
Juliette Gordon Low Building currently housing the US Army Corps of
Engineers.
5. Construction north of the existing Courthouse on a 1.4
acre parcel bounded by State, Bull, Broughton, and Whitaker Street,
leaving undisturbed the two buildings facing Bull, Street, demolishing
the remaining structures, and closing and building over Broughton Lane.
As part of the public comment process, you are encouraged to
contact GSA in writing at the following address with your comments
regarding the DEIS: Mr. Philip Youngberg, Regional Environmental
Officer--4PT, 401 West Peachtree Street, NW., Suite 3015, Atlanta, GA
30365-2550; or FAX your comments to Mr. Youngberg at 404-331-4540.
Comments should be postmarked no later than Monday, March 18, 1996.
GSA will conduct a Public Meeting to solicit comments for the DEIS.
A Notice of this meeting and all subsequent public meetings conducted
by GSA for this project will appear in the Savannah News-Press at least
two weeks prior to the meeting date.
Dated: January 23, 1996.
Phil Youngberg,
Regional Environmental Officer (4PT).
[FR Doc. 96-2123 Filed 1-31-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6820-23-M
