[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