[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 108 (Tuesday, June 4, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28185-28188]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-13807]



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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Navy


Record of Decision for the Disposal and Reuse of Naval Air 
Station Glenview, IL

    The Department of the Navy (Navy), pursuant to Section 102(2)(c) of 
the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), 42 U.S.C. 
Sec. 4321 et seq., and the regulations of the Council on Environmental 
Quality that implement NEPA procedures, 40 CFR Parts 1500-1508, hereby 
announces its decision to dispose of Naval Air Station (NAS) Glenview, 
Illinois.
    Navy intends to dispose of the property in a manner that is 
consistent with the Glenview Naval Air Station Consensus Reuse Plan 
submitted by the Village of Glenview, the Local Redevelopment Authority 
(LRA) for NAS Glenview, described in the Final Environmental Impact 
Statement (FEIS) as the preferred alternative. The Consensus Reuse Plan 
proposed a mixed use approach of commercial, residential, recreational, 
public service, and open space land uses.
    In deciding to dispose of NAS Glenview in a manner consistent with 
the Consensus Reuse Plan, Navy has determined that mixed land use will 
meet the goals of local economic redevelopment and creation of new 
jobs, while also maintaining the Village of Glenview's character and 
fiscal integrity, minimizing adverse environmental impacts, and 
ensuring land uses that are compatible with surrounding properties. 
This Record Of Decision does not mandate a specific mix of land uses. 
Rather, it leaves selection of the particular means to achieve the 
mixed use redevelopment to the acquiring entity and the local zoning 
authority.

Background

    The 1993 Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission 
recommended closure of NAS Glenview. This recommendation was then 
approved by President Clinton and accepted by the One Hundred Third 
Congress in 1993. Operations at NAS Glenview ceased on September 9, 
1995, and the property has been in caretake status since that date.
    NAS Glenview is located entirely within the Village of Glenview and 
consists of 1,121 acres of fee-owned land with 110 buildings that 
contain 1,332,138 square feet of office and storage space. Navy has 
reserved 78 acres containing military family housing and open space for 
use as family housing that will serve the Naval Training Center at 
Great Lakes, Illinois. The remaining property is surplus to the needs 
of the Federal Government and can be conveyed.
    Navy published a Notice of Intent in the Federal Register on 
February 3, 1994, announcing that Navy would prepare an Environmental 
Impact Statement that would analyze the impacts of disposal and reuse 
of the land, buildings, and infrastructure at NAS Glenview. A 30-day 
public scoping period was established, and a scoping meeting was held 
on February 17, 1994, in the Village of Glenview.
    On July 14, 1995, Navy distributed a Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement (DEIS) to Federal, State, and local agencies, elected 
officials, special interest groups, and interested persons. Navy held a 
public hearing on August 17, 1995, in the Village of Glenview. Federal 
agencies, Illinois State agencies, local governments, and the general 
public commented on the DEIS. These comments and Navy's responses were 
incorporated in the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) which 
was distributed to the public on December 1, 1995, for a review that 
concluded on January 2, 1996. Navy did not receive any comments on the 
FEIS.

Alternatives

    NEPA requires Navy to evaluate a reasonable range of alternatives 
for disposal and reuse of this Federal property. In the NEPA process, 
Navy analyzed the environmental impacts of various proposed land uses 
that could result from disposal of the Air Station property. As the 
basis for this analysis, Navy relied upon the reuse and redevelopment 
alternatives identified by The Glenview Community Reuse Planning Group, 
an organization created by the Village of Glenview in its capacity as 
the LRA. The Community Reuse Planning Group analyzed various 
redevelopment scenarios and land uses and prepared the Glenview Naval 
Air Station Consensus Reuse Plan which was presented to the Department 
of the Navy on June 21, 1995.
    The Community Reuse Planning Group initially considered ten 
preliminary scenarios for redevelopment that it described as: (1) 
General Aviation, which based reuse on continued use of the Air Station 
as a general aviation airport with compatible industrial, office, and 
warehouse uses; (2) Inherent Land Use Suitability, which based reuse on 
a variety of physical characteristics such as accessibility, area 
requirements, adjacent land use, site attractiveness, and environmental 
constraints; (3) Core Area Prominence, which based reuse on maximizing 
adaptive reuse of the core area buildings and related development of 
other areas; (4) Residential Neighborhood Focus, which based reuse on 
the establishment of new neighborhoods and the introduction of other 
uses compatible with the residential neighborhoods; (5) Open Space 
Focus, which dedicated half of the Air Station to open space and 
recreation; (6) Public Use Focus, which based reuse on recreational, 
cultural, educational, and public service facilities; (7) Major 
Institution Focus, which based reuse on the presence of a major 
institution such as a university campus, regional government center, or 
medical facility; (8) Commercial/Industrial Focus, which based reuse on 
revenue-generating activities that would create jobs, maximize revenue 
flow, and minimize government costs; (9) Sports/Leisure Complex Focus, 
which based reuse on the development of private and public sports and 
recreational facilities of regional interest; and (10) A Comprehensive 
Plan, which based reuse on the Village of Glenview's 1990 Comprehensive 
Plan that emphasized

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residential development of the entire Naval Air Station property.
    The Community Reuse Planning Group evaluated these ten 
redevelopment scenarios by considering the central theme of each 
scenario, the configuration of the scenario, its economic feasibility, 
its impact on the quality of life, and its potential for creating new 
jobs. Based upon these factors, the Community Reuse Planning Group 
selected four of the ten scenarios for further detailed analysis. These 
four scenarios were Inherent Land Use Suitability, Open Space Focus, 
Major Institution Focus, and Sports/Leisure Complex Focus. The Group 
then evaluated these four scenarios in light of twenty-two community 
redevelopment objectives.
    The Community Reuse Planning Group's analysis examined the extent 
to which each of these four scenarios reflected community goals and 
objectives. The Group then adopted aspects of each scenarios and 
combined them into one land use plan designated as the Glenview Naval 
Air Station Consensus Reuse Plan. Navy selected the Consensus Reuse 
Plan as the preferred alternative in the FEIS. Navy also considered a 
``No Action'' alternative in the FEIS that proposed continued Navy 
ownership of the property in caretaker status with Navy maintaining the 
physical condition of the property, providing a security force, and 
making repairs essential to safety.
    The Consensus Reuse Plan proposed mixed use of the Naval Air 
Station property to achieve local economic redevelopment. Light 
industrial, commercial, retail, and sports and leisure activities would 
occupy about 354 acres. Residential uses would occupy about 245 acres. 
Open space and public recreational uses would occupy about 342 acres, 
and the remaining 104 acres of the Air Station property would be 
occupied by public service uses such as public works facilities and a 
commuter rail station.

Environmental Impacts

    Navy analyzed the potential impacts of the ``No Action'' 
alternative and the Consensus Reuse Plan alternative for their effects 
on earth resources, transportation, air quality, noise, water 
resources, hazardous materials and hazardous waste, historical and 
archaeological resources, biological resources, socioeconomic 
resources, and environmental justice. This Record of Decision focuses 
on the impacts that would likely result from implementing the Consensus 
Reuse Plan.
    In order to implement the Consensus Reuse Plan, it would be 
necessary to change the topography of some areas on the Naval Air 
Station property by grading, filling, and excavating land. It would 
also be necessary to change the elevation of some areas of the property 
to permit construction of facilities, roadways, and stormwater 
retention areas. None of these changes would result in significant 
environmental impacts.
    Based upon the redevelopment proposed by the Consensus Reuse Plan, 
vehicular traffic in the area would increase. The proposed 
redevelopment would generate 52,821 average daily trips in the vicinity 
of the Air Station by the year 2010. This increase in traffic would 
require roadway and intersection improvements. Additionally, this 
region is projected to grow in the future and this future growth would 
account for most of the increased traffic in the area. Thus, most of 
these improvements would be needed even if the Naval Air Station were 
not redeveloped. Roadway and intersection improvements that are 
currently planned and roadway and intersection improvements on the 
Naval Air Station property recommended by the LRA should adequately 
mitigate impacts caused by the increased traffic.
    The long term impact on air quality that would arise from 
stationary emission sources, including heating units, will depend upon 
the nature and extent of the activities conducted on the property. The 
Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) will have jurisdiction 
over these emission sources, and it will be necessary for all such 
sources to comply with IEPA standards. Certain sources will require 
appropriate permits fro IEPA. The elimination of aircraft operations 
and maintenance activities at the Air Station will reduce mobile 
sources of emission from the area. The projected increase in vehicular 
traffic would increase mobile source emissions of nitrogen oxides and 
volatile organic compounds. The extent of this increased would be 
mitigated by the proposed commuter rail station, bike paths,pedestrian 
paths, and shuttle buses.
    The cessation of military aircraft activity will also result in a 
substantial decrease in noise. Construction and demolition activities 
arising out of redevelopment would cause a temporary increase in 
ambient noise levels. The long term noise that would be generated under 
the proposed reuse plan would be typical of that present in the 
community that now surrounds the Air Station.
    Redevelopment of the Naval Air Station property would increase the 
surface areas that will not absorb rainwater, largely by the 
construction of buildings, roadways, and parking lots on land that was 
previously undeveloped. In turn, this would increase stormwater runoff. 
To address this problem, the LRA proposed in its resue plan to build a 
stormwater management system consisting of 25 to 60 acre lake and 
drainage swales. Together with existing drainage areas, these systems 
should adequately manage normal stormwater runoff. While a 25-acre lake 
would adequately manage stormwater runoff for the redeveloped Naval Air 
Station property, the proposed larger lake would also meet the 
stormwater drainage requirements of the surrounding area, resulting in 
a positive impact on the area's stormwater management and water 
quality.
    Navy has identified several hazardous waste sites on the Air 
Station property and is developing methods for remediating the sites. 
Navy has already initiated cleanup at some of these sites. Navy, the 
Environmental Protection Agency, and the Illinois Environmental 
Protection Agency will continue to review and approve the risk 
assessments developed to ascertain the potential impacts of existing 
contamination on human health and the environment before Navy 
remediates the contaminated sites and conveys the property.
    Aircraft Hanger One, known as the Curtiss-Reynolds Building, is the 
only building or site on the Air Station that is eligible for listing 
on the National Register of Historic Places. Navy, the Advisory Council 
on Historic Preservation, and the Illinois State Historic Preservation 
Officer entered into a Programmatic Agreement on May 13, 1996. Under 
this Agreement, Navy will encourage adaptive reuse of this historic 
structure and maintain and preserve the building until conveyance. Navy 
will include protective covenants in the deed for the parcel that 
contains this historic building.
    While some wetlands may be drained or filled as a result of 
redevelopment, the net amount of wetlands would increase from 
construction of the stormwater retention lake and the drainage swales. 
Among the existing wetlands, the Naval Air Station also contains small 
areas of prairie. The proposed commercial and industrial redevelopment 
in the northern part of the Air Station may eliminate most of this 
remnant prairie. However, since the State of Illinois' Department of 
Natural Resources has classified this prairie as moderately heavily 
disturbed, its loss would not cause a significant impact on local 
biological resources.

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    There are no threatened or endangered species listed under the 
Federal Endangered Species Act, 16 U.S.C. Sec. 1531 et seq., that 
inhabit the Air Station property.There are two State-designated 
endangered and two State-designated threatened species that may be 
adversely affected by implementation of the Consensus Reuse Plan. The 
upland sandpiper and the golden sedge are endangered, and the mountain 
blue-eyed grass and early fen sedge are threatened. Thus, it will be 
necessary for future developers to coordinate with the Illinois 
Department of Natural Resources before conducting activities that may 
have an impact on these endangered and threatened species. Two of the 
species (the golden sedge and the early fen sedge) occur in wetlands 
and may be afforded additional protection under Sections 401 and 404 of 
the Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C. Sec. 1252, et seq., which establishes a 
permitting process that is administered by the United States Army Corps 
of Engineers.
    Redevelopment of the Naval Air Station would result in the creation 
of new jobs and improved socioeconomic conditions. Although the 
redevelopment would generate a demand for additional infrastructure and 
community services, the Consensus Reuse Plan projects that public 
revenue generated by the redevelopment would be sufficient to fund the 
additional infrastructure, i.e., roadway improvements and public 
utilities, and services, i.e., schools and police and fire protection.
    Navy also analyzed the impacts on low income and minority 
populations pursuant to Executive Order 12898, Federal Actions to 
Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income 
Populations, and found that there would be no disproportionately high 
and adverse human health or environmental effects on minority and low 
income populations. Any impact related to reuse of the Naval Air 
Station would be experienced equally by all groups within the regional 
population.

Mitigation

    No mitigation measures are required to implement Navy's decision to 
dispose of the Naval Air Station property. Navy's FEIS identified and 
discussed the actions that would be necessary to mitigate the impacts 
associated with reuse and redevelopment. The acquiring entity, under 
the direction of Federal, State and local agencies with regulatory 
authority over protected resources, will be responsible for 
implementing necessary mitigation measures.
    Absent statutory authority, Navy cannot impose restrictions on the 
future use of this surplus Federal property. Navy will, however, 
include appropriate notification in the deeds for any parcels that are 
inhabited by endangered or threatened species protected under State law 
and that contain wetlands or lie within floodplains that are protected 
under Federal and State laws.

Comments Received on the FEIS

    Navy did not receive any comments on the FEIS.

Regulations Governing the Disposal Decision

    Since the proposed action contemplates a disposal action under the 
Defense Base Closure and Realignment Act of 1990 (DBCRA), Public Law 
101-510, 10 U.S.C. Sec. 2687 note, selection of the Consensus Reuse 
Plan as the preferred alternative was based upon the environmental 
analysis in the FEIS and application of the standards set forth in 
DBCRA, the Federal Property Management Regulations (FPMR), 41 CFR Part 
101-47, and the Department of Defense Rule on Revitalizing Base Closure 
Communities and Community Assistance (DOD Rule), 32 CFR Parts 90 and 
91.
    Section 101-47.303-1 of the FPMR requires that the disposal of 
Federal property benefit the Federal government and constitute the 
highest and best use of the property. Section 101-47.4909 of the FPMR 
defines the ``highest and best use'' as that use to which a property 
can be put that produces the highest monetary return from the property, 
promotes its maximum value, or serves a public or institutional 
purpose. The ``highest and best use'' determination must be based upon 
the property's economic potential, qualitative values inherent in the 
property, and utilization factors affecting land use such as zoning, 
physical characteristics, other private and public uses in the 
vicinity, neighboring improvements, utility services, access, roads, 
location, and environmental and historical considerations.
    After Federal property has been conveyed to non-Federal entities, 
the property is subject to local land use regulations, including zoning 
and subdivision regulations and building codes. Unless expressly 
authorized by statute, the disposing Federal agency cannot restrict the 
future use of surplus Government property. As a result, the local 
community exercises substantial control over future use of the 
property. For this reason, local land use plans and zoning affect 
determination of the highest and best use of surplus Government 
property.
    The DBCRA directed the Administrator of the General Services 
Administration (GSA) to delegate to the Secretary of Defense authority 
to transfer and dispose of base closure property. Section 2905(b) of 
DBCRA directs the Secretary of Defense to exercise this authority in 
accordance with GSA's property disposal regulations, set forth at 
Sections 101-47.1 through 101-47.8 of the FPMR. By letter dated 
December 20, 1991, the Secretary of Defense delegated the authority to 
transfer and dispose of base closure property closed under DBCRA to the 
Secretaries of the Military Departments. Under this delegation of 
authority, the Secretary of the Navy must follow FPMR procedures for 
screening and disposing of real property when implementing base 
closures. Only where Congress has expressly provided additional 
authority for disposing of base closure property, e.g., the economic 
development conveyance authority established in 1993 by Section 
2905(b)(4) of DBCRA, may Navy apply disposal procedures other than the 
FPMR's prescriptions.
    In Section 2901 of the National Defense Authorization Act for 
Fiscal Year 1994, Public Law 103-160, Congress recognized the economic 
hardship occasioned by base closures, the Federal interest in 
facilitating economic recovery of base closure communities, and the 
need to identify and implement reuse and redevelopment of property at 
closing installations. In Section 2903(c) of Public Law 103-160, 
Congress directed the Military Departments to consider each base 
closure community's economic needs and priorities in the property 
disposal process. Under Section 2905(b)(2)(E) of DBCRA, Navy must 
consult with local communities before it disposes of base closure 
property and must consider local plans developed for reuse and 
redevelopment of the surplus Federal property.
    The Department of Defense's goal, as set forth in Section 90.4 of 
the DOD Rule, is to help base closure communities achieve rapid 
economic recovery through expeditious reuse and redevelopment of the 
assets at closing bases, taking into consideration local market 
conditions and locally developed reuse plans. Thus, the Department has 
adopted a consultative approach with each community to ensure that 
property disposal decisions consider the Local Redevelopment 
Authority's reuse plan and encourage job creation. As a part of this 
cooperative approach, the base closure

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community's interests, e.g., reflected in its zoning for the area, play 
a significant role in determining the range of alternatives considered 
in the environmental analysis for property disposal. Furthermore, 
Section 91.7(d)(3) of the DOD Rule provides that the Local 
Redevelopment Authority's plan generally will be used as the basis for 
the proposed disposal action.
    The Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949, 40 
U.S.C. Sec. 484, as implemented by the FPMR, identifies several 
mechanisms for disposing of surplus base closure property; by public 
benefit conveyance (FPMR Sec. 101-47.303-2); by negotiated sale (FPMR 
Sec. 101-47.304-8); and by competitive sale (FPMR Sec. 101-47.304-7). 
Additionally, in section 2905(b)(4), the DBCRA established economic 
development conveyances as a means of disposing of surplus base closure 
property. The selection of any particular method of conveyance merely 
implements the Federal agency's decision to dispose of the property. 
Decisions concerning whether to undertake a public benefit conveyance 
or an economic development conveyance, or to sell property by 
negotiation or by competitive bid are committed by law to agency 
discretion. Selecting a method of disposal implicates a broad range of 
factors and rests solely within the Secretary of the Navy's discretion.

Conclusion

    The Consensus Reuse Plan proposed by the Village of Glenview 
presents the highest and best use of the NAS Glenview property. The 
Village of Glenview, as the LRA, has determined in its Consensus Reuse 
Plan that the property should be used for several purposes, including 
commercial, light industrial, retail, residential, recreational, public 
service, and open space uses. The property's physical characteristics 
and the current uses of adjacent lands make it appropriate for this 
mixed use redevelopment.
    The Consensus Reuse Plan responds to local economic conditions, 
promotes rapid economic recovery from the impact of the Naval Air 
Station's closure, and is consistent with President Clinton's Five-Part 
Plan for revitalizing base closure communities, which emphasizes local 
economic redevelopment of the closing military facility and creation of 
new jobs as the means to revitalize these communities. 32 CFR Parts 90 
and 91, 59 Fed. Reg. 16,123 (1994). The resultant environmental impacts 
can be mitigated by the acquiring entity under the direction of 
Federal, State and local regulatory authorities.
    Although the ``No Action'' alternative has less potential for 
causing adverse environmental impacts, this alternative would not 
constitute the highest and best use of the Naval Air Station property. 
It would not take advantage of the property's physical characteristics 
and the current uses of adjacent property. It is not compatible with 
the LRA's Consensus Reuse Plan. It would not foster local economic 
redevelopment of the Air Station and would not create new jobs.
    Accordingly, Navy will dispose of Naval Air Station Glenview in a 
manner that is consistent with the Village of Glenview's Consensus 
Reuse Plan for the property.

    Dated: May 28, 1996.
William J. Cassidy, Jr.,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Conversion and Redevelopment).
[FR Doc. 96-13807 Filed 6-3-96; 8:45 am]
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