Section A. Parklandproperty Transfers: THE Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission
Section A. Parklandproperty Transfers: THE Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission
-- _u_---
MONTGOMERY
___un
THE MARYLAND-NATIONAL
-- _--n---
COUNTY
CAPITAL
Intercounty Connector
-
This memorandum is ICC Status Report #6 to the Planning Board under condition #16 of
the ICC mandatory referral. M-NCPPC staff will briefly present this report to the
Planning Board as part of the roundtable discussion on March 8 and will be joined in the
discussion by State Highway Administration staff. This status report includes four
sections:
A. A summary of the process and schedule for all parkland property transfers
between the state and the Commission
B. An update on our Environmental Management Team staffing and the process to
find a replacement for Tom Hay
C. An update on project schedule and next steps for both the ICC design-build
project and the Compensatory Mitigation/Environmental Stewardship projects
This status report will be presented prior to the Planning Board consideration of the
transfer of parkland for Contract A (agenda item #14 on the 3/8/07 agenda).
The Planning Board's Agenda item #10 for March 8 includes the staff recommendation
to transfer approximately 28 acres of property to State Highway Administration. Per the
ICC Record of Decision, the parkland property transfer will be mitigated by an exchange
of properties between the two agencies, including those that the Planning Board
determined in September 2005 to be fair compensation for parkland needed for the ICC.
Exhibit 1 summarizes the property transfer process and schedule between SHA and the
Commission. The key element in the property transfer schedule is that on most of the
properties SHA is committed through the Record of Decision to implement either
compensatory mitigation or environmental stewardship projects on these properties.
Staff continues to recommend that the properties remain in SHA ownership during the
completion of these projects and that we accept the property only aftertheprojectshave
been successfully completed.
July 2006
2007
2007
23 SHA owns the property. M-NCPPC and SHA coordinating on facility planning process -2009
for recreational park, including five ballfields to be provided by SHA. Construction of
those ballfields ex ected to take a roximatel two ears.
Peach Orchard 118 SHA owns the property. Site restoration and reforestation process and establishment -2010
Allnut Pro e ex ected to re uire a roximatel three ears.
Casey Property at 459 SHA currently III acquisition process. Subsequent reforestation process and -2010
Ho les Mill establishment ex ected to re uire a roximatel three ears
Unused SHA 8 SHA owns property in Upper Paint Branch SVP acquired prior to 1981 master plan -2011
roe ali ment ad'ustment.
Unused SHA Unknown Through the use of incentives in construction contracts, it may be possible to reduce the -2011
property post- roadway construction footprint so that land could be offered to the Commission at the
construction com letion of construction activities
Our Environmental Management Team (EMT) representative, Tom Hay, has accepted a
promotional opportunity within his corporation with different work program
responsibilities. The study team is therefore working to establish Tom's replacement and
transition activities. As was the case with bringing Tom on board during spring 2006, the
ICC Corridor Partners are identifying candidates for our staff to interview so that we can
select an appropriate replacement for this very important role.
The presentation of the project schedule and next steps is presented in four sections:
Attachment Three summarizes the Planning Board's ICC briefing schedule since 2003.
Contract A
Bids for Contract A were due December 19, 2006. SHA is in the process of reviewing
the proposals to select a design-build contractor. SHA expects to award a contract
shortly and a Notice-to-Proceed would likely be issued within 45 days of contract award.
Recent pre-award activities by SHA have included continuing archeological,
geotechnical, and utility investigations.
On February 26, 2007, DPS issued a concurrence statement that the SHA process to
establish water quality criteria in the Upper Rock Creek SPA meets the intent of the
Montgomery County code for water quality plan requirements. Attachment Four
contains the DPS concurrence statement. Planning staff is developing details for
submission materials for our review, per the agreement discussed during Status Report
#5, that will provide additional detail not contained in the January 2007 Mandatory
Referral Package for the Upper Rock Creek SPA. Some of the needed information will
only become available after the selected design-build contractor prepares more detailed
plans.
Contracts B and C
Contracts B and C cover the portion of Montgomery County east of Georgia Avenue
(MD 97). Contract C includes the US 29 interchange and the 1-95 interchange in Prince
George's County and will be the second contract in the phased implementation of the
3
--- - - --- - - --- - -- u- --u
ICC. Contract B includes the area between Georgia Avenue and US 29 and will be the
last of the Montgomery County portion to be constructed.
The anticipated dates for issuance of the Request for Proposals are March 2007 for
Contract C and late fall 2007 for Contract B. Recent activities by SHA have included:
. Development of the RFP for Contract C. The RFP specifications are based on
those developed for Contract A.
. Resolution of the Cross Creek Club property impact associated with a slight
realignment to Briggs Chaney Road. As discussed with the Planning Board at
project status reports during fall 2006, all parties now concur that the most
practical approach to the realignment is for the Cross Creek Club to complete its
full park dedication prior to SHA property acquisition. This process will
introduce a Contract C parkland transfer process of approximately 0.15 acres
(previously there were no parkland impacts in Contract C).
. Investigation of a modification to the 1-95 interchange that would shift the
roadway slightly north and relocate ramps- to reduce impacts to wetlands
associated with sand and gravel quarry operations. This modification would not
affect the design in Montgomery County.
All three involved parties; M-NCPPC, SHA, and the National Capital Trolley Museum
(NCTM) continue to pursue a process to expedite the planned museum relocation. The
process will include a three-party agreement so that SHA can base funding levels on the
cO,stof a functional replacement, NCTM can design and construct the replacement, and
M-NCPPC will continue in our role as property owner.
In December 2006, SHA advanced $lOOK to NCTM to pursue design work for the
planned relocation. On January 5, 2007, NCTM held the first design meeting with staff.
In February 2007, SHA and NCTM agreed on an acceptable funding package, subject to
approval of a written agreement by NCTM board of trustees. Also in February 2007,
SHA delivered the site topographic survey, which will allow the NCTM railway designer
to begin work on the relocated rail loop adjacent to the ICC right-of-way.
The three-party agreement and the development agreement update are in progress. In
March 2007, the PDF will be transmitted to the Executive and Council and NCTM will
share the concept plan with staff for our review. Also in March 2007, construction will
begin on the long-awaited new carbarn.
Staff will provide a more detailed summary of this project for the Status Report #7, to be
scheduled in April.
4
Compensatory Mitigation and Environmental Stewardship (CWES) Proiects
The ICC ROD contains some 90 individual CM and ES projects. SHA has developed a
schedule for taking each of the projects from the conceptual stage through to the
development of bid documents. Both Parks Department and Planning Department staff
are involved in the review and development of each of these projects, with a greater role
for those projects affecting park property. Highlights of current CM/ES project activities
include:
5
A TTACHMENT ONE
Sell J. Pedersen
Administrator
SUte Highway Admimstratlon
"70; N. Calvert Street, C--400
Baltimore. ?\.faryland 21203
The ~1ontgomery County Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) appreciates the
opportunity to comment on the mitigation for parkland being required for the Intercounty Connector
nCC). v.;e take our obligation as stewards of the 33.000-acre ~fontgomery County park system seriously.
Our predecessors established a system that is admm:d throughout the nation. We believe that the state has
presented a mmgatJon package that mamtams the integrity of the park system.
The ICe has been recommended in :VfasterPlans and the General Plan in the County for decades.
Pursuant to those Plans and ArtIcle 28 of the Annotated Code of ~larylarld, M-NCPPC has been
purchasing land for the purpose of assunng nght-of-way for the ICC since the 1970s. The constructIon of
the ICC ISreq:.JJredto meet the transportation needs of the county and the region. We recognize that the
state, while: working toward that purpose. is gomg to exceptlOnal lengths to mmirrnze impacts to the
environment and to owned land by ~-NCPPC.
First. we:have examined the land you wIsh to acqUIre from our park system. The follo'wmg table
:rom our staff report IndIcates ~he~uantl:atl\'e r::easures ..:nt:caJ to our evaluation of the 1111tigation
package.
( .--.----
1- t )
---/
~eil J. Pedersen
September 21, 2005
Page 2
!
Park Section 4(f) I
Interior Active I Zoning I
Environ-
Land II Forest Recreational mcotal
' !
Amenities ButTen !
(Acres) Impact I
(Acres) , i
!
I !vhllCreek Stream Valley 2 I I None R-90, R-200 2 I
I T I
Ii None IRE-I, RE-2, 2
RockCreekReglona; ! I
j I I R-lOO, R.C
Norrh Branch Stream Valley IS ! 39 None: IRE-I, RE-l 8
I I
Layhill Local 3 0 I Soccer Field I RE-2, R-200 I
i orrhwest Branch Recreanonal 22 0 1 Softball Field RE.2, R.200 10
The standards we have established for mitigation are based upon the Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU) betWeen M-NCPPC and the State Highway Administration. We seek land of at
least equal value. at least equal acreage, and equivalent envIronmental value. The MOU was not based
specifically upon Section 4(£) but on total lands acquired and impacted. There is no definition of
environmental equivalency, so we have used interior forest as the most significant measure. Interior
forest is the forest surrounded by at least 300 feet of buffering forest. The ICC requires the use ofparks
whose principal purpose is conservation. Being certain that we have no net loss of forest interior is a
cntical factor 10our satisfaction with the mitigation package. We have also reviewed the combined
extent of stream buffers, steep slopes, erodible soils, and wetlands (indicated in the table above as
environmental buffers) to satisfy ourselves of environmentally equivalent land. Final1y, we have a
parricular desire to obtam land WIth10the Paint Branch Special Protection Area.
We find that your offer to mitIgate 82 acres that you require for the ICe with 698 acres of the
Casey, Llewellyn, Dungan, McNeill, Southern Asia, and Peach OrchardiAlnutt properties meets and in
many aspects exceeds the land compensation necessary. The Dungan property is unique in that the
County ~1aster Plan anticipates that property coming to the park system by way of a possible subdivision.
That evenruality would still result 10 a sufficIent compensation package for ICC impacts to parkland. We
'Willwork with you YOensure that the Dungan property WIll be added to the park system as part of the ICC
Section 4(£) mitigatIon. We will be recelv1ng 206 acres of intenor forest in exchange for 181 acres
impacted. We will be receIving 157 acres of environmentally sensitive land in exchange for 43 acres
impacted.
We have been less focused on the total acreage of land and more focused on the land's attributes.
In particular our requirements are disproportIonate to the dIrect park loss in the Paint Branch watershed.
This is in recognition of the watershed's hIgh qualIty. We believe your mitigation package described
above addresses that concern.
~
Neil J. Pedersen
September 21, 2005
Page 3
We also have a concern for the park system as a whole. The Casey Property at Hoyles Mill is the
single best natUral resource addition that can be made to the park system. It is a highly valued
replacement for interior forest.
I must note that Commissioner Wellington believes that the definition of parkland is inadequate
and that, inter alia, the criterion of "forest interior loss" does not satisfy the environmental equivalency
standard required by the MOU betWeenour agencies. As she came to the conclusion that the land offered
in mitigation is not the environmental equivalent of the land taken, she did not vote in favor of the
mitigation package.
Sincerely,
~'~fJ
~erlage . ~[y
Chairman
DPB:JZ:ss
cc: M. Wel1ington
@
ATTACHMENT TWO
Table 5
782.6 acres
(total); * The total of the properties listed above is 782.6 acres. However, it is expected that approximatelysix acres of
TOTAL land (total) locatedon the SouthernAsia Adventistand McNeillPropertieswould be reserved for the plannedwideningof
776.6
MD 198. Whenthis acreageis subtracted,the net total is 776.6acres"
(net)*
~--
~~
- - --- - d_--.
ATTACHMENT THREE
Intercounty Connector
Planning Board Briefing Schedule
March 8, 2006
. Joint Location & Design / Section 404 Public Hearing - January 29,2005
Interim Activities
.. ., '. '.- .. . ..,~".. "', . '. ,., '" . - ."., " '. '.-C='=C'~h==.~iT' ~
Interim Activities
Interim Activities
, 'cotfunitnlents
MCPIJ-Itesofutloo:'
-Fe~ruaryUf5,i(ij)'l~;COM~LEfiD:;
Resunipti~n.of
+ - "
ta61~d:1217/P6
K '. agenda
, , . jte~-
- " ':,' -'~
-', , <', -,'
R<ID1romng.
po.n~o~ qfALARF pa,reels,ne~ded fot tije ;~CC ;;r
ATTACHMENT FOUR
~~
~C .Iy, .
... ..
:
. H.-..
Re .-. d ett _
-- .
.-
. .
RJ:dm
~.t5' .~
* IiiiI' *
C'°-itMu"t
~ ~
( L/ -\ '\