[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 127 (Tuesday, July 5, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-16114]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: July 5, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Navy

 

Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement/
Environmental Impact Report For Disposal and Reuse of Marine Corps Air 
Station, Tustin, CA

    Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act as implemented by 
the Council on Environmental Quality regulations (40 CFR Parts 1500-
08), and pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CA 
Public Resources Code Sections 21000 et seq.), the U.S. Marine Corps 
and the City of Tustin intend to prepare a joint Environmental Impact 
Statement/Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) to evaluate the 
environmental effects of the disposal and reuse of Marine Corps Air 
Station (MCAS) Tustin. This action is being conducted in accordance 
with the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Act of 1990, and the 
specific 1993 base closure and realignment decisions approved by the 
Congress in September 1993.
    The proposed action to be evaluated in the EIS/EIR is the disposal 
of land, buildings, and infrastructure of MCAS Tustin for subsequent 
reuse. The Marine Corps and City of Tustin intend to analyze the 
environmental effects of the disposal of MCAS Tustin based on the 
reasonable foreseeable reuse of the property, taking into account uses 
to be identified by the City of Tustin Base Closure Task Force.
    The Task Force has developed a Specific Plan/Reuse Plan to guide 
the reuse of MCAS Tustin in a variety of uses, including public and 
private housing, commercial, light industrial, and recreation uses. 
Some of the existing structures and facilities, including housing, are 
anticipated to be reused. A number of facilities, including the 
airfield operation facilities, are proposed for removal. Agricultural 
and vacant areas on MCAS Tustin are proposed to be developed with urban 
uses.
    Full buildout of the proposed land uses will result in a maximum of 
4,601 dwelling units and about 12.3 million square feet of non-
residential uses such as commercial business, light industrial, and 
recreational uses (about 2.1 million square feet is existing floor area 
on the base, and 10.2 million square feet is potential new floor area). 
It is also currently estimated that about 25 percent of the site would 
be used for public uses.
    The project also will include the extension of major arterials 
through the base including Tustin Ranch Road to Von Karman, Warner 
Avenue from Red Hill to west of Jamboree Road, and creation of a 
secondary interior loop roadway and local roadways to facilitate local 
circulation. The Specific/Reuse Plan will also address possible 
variations to the Tustin Ranch Road and Warner Avenue extensions in the 
event the southerly blimp hangar is removed.
    Alternatives to be addressed in the EIS/EIR can be characterized as 
follows:
    1. Arterial Grid Pattern/High Residential--land uses are driven by 
a grid pattern of major arterial extensions. This alternative has the 
greatest number of residential units. This alternative also has no 
community core land use flexibility. The alternative could pose 
limitations in responding to market absorption and soil clean-up 
phasing.
    2. Ideal Interior Loop Pattern/Low Residential--the alignment of 
arterial highways and the proposed looped system would be modified to 
show its optimum alignment if the southeast blimp hangar could not be 
reused, and would include possible variations to the Tustin Ranch Road 
and Warner Avenue extensions. This alternative would have the fewest 
number of residential units and would result in the highest commercial 
retail and office square footage, particularly at the southerly portion 
of the site.
    3. No action--retention of the property by the Marine Corps in a 
caretaker status. However, because of the process mandated by the Base 
Closure and Realignment Act, selection of the no action alternative 
would be considered impracticable for the Marine Corps to implement.
    Major environmental issues that will be addressed in the EIS/EIR 
include land use, housing, utilities, noise, transportation/
circulation, public services, airfield operations, hazardous materials, 
water resources, air quality, biological resources, and cultural 
resources.
    The Marine Corps and City of Tustin will initiate a scoping process 
to determine the extent of issues to be addressed and identifying the 
significant issues related to this action. The Marine Corps and City of 
Tustin will hold a public scoping meeting on July 20, 1994, beginning 
at 7:00 p.m., at the City of Tustin Community Center located in the 
Tustin Civic Center, 300 Centennial Way. This meeting will be 
advertised in area newspapers.
    A brief presentation will precede the request for public comment. 
Marine Corps and City of Tustin representatives will be available at 
this meeting to receive comments from the public regarding issues of 
concern to the public. It is important that federal, state, and local 
agencies and interested individuals take this opportunity to identify 
environmental concerns that should be addressed during the preparation 
of the EIS/EIR. In the interest of available time, each speaker will be 
asked to limit oral comments to 5 minutes.
    Agencies and the public are also invited and encouraged to provide 
written comment on scoping issues in addition to, or in lieu of, oral 
comments at the public meeting. To be most helpful, scoping comments 
should clearly describe specific issues or topics which the author/
speaker believes the EIS/EIR should address. Written statements and 
questions regarding the scoping process should be mailed to: Christine 
Shingleton, Assistant City Manager, City of Tustin, 300 Centennial Way, 
Tustin, CA 92680, telephone number (714) 573-3116. All comments must be 
received no later than August 5, 1994.

    Dated: June 28, 1994.
Lewis T. Booker, Jr.,
LCDR, JAGC, USN,
Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 94-16114 Filed 7-1-94; 8:45 am]
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