[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 143 (Tuesday, July 27, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40580-40581]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-19090]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Navy


Notice of Public Hearing for a Joint Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement/Environmental Impact Report for Disposal and Reuse of Marine 
Corps Air Station, Tustin, CA

AGENCY: Department of the Navy, DOD.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of the Navy, United States Marine Corps and the 
City of Tustin, Orange County, California have prepared and filed with 
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, a Joint Draft Environmental 
Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) for the disposal 
and reuse of Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Tustin, located in Tustin 
and Irvine, California. In accordance with the National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA) and the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) 
Regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-1508) and the California Environmental 
Quality Act (CEQA) (Calif. Public Resources Code Sec. et seq. 21000), 
this notice announces the dates and locations of public hearings for 
the DEIS/EIR.

DATES: The meeting date is Thursday, August 11, 1999, at 7:00 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting location will be held at the Tustin City Council 
Chambers, Tustin Civic Center, 300 Centennial Way, Tustin, California 
92780.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Additional information concerning this 
notice may be obtained by contacting Ms. Melanie Ault, Environmental 
Planner, Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Base Realignment and 
Closure Operations Office, 1220 Pacific Highway, San Diego, California 
92132-5190, telephone (619) 532-4744.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Draft EIS/EIR has been distributed to 
various Federal, state, and local agencies, as well as other interested 
individuals and organizations. In addition, copies of the Draft EIS/EIR 
have been distributed to the following libraries for public review: 
Tustin Library, 345 E. Main Street, Tustin, CA; Heritage Park Regional 
Library, 14361 Yale Avenue, Irvine, CA; and the University of 
California, Irvine, Government Information Department, Main Library, 
contact: Yvonne Wilson, (949) 824-7362. Additional copies may be 
requested by contacting Mr. Dana Ogdon at (714) 573-3116.
    The federal action evaluated in the Draft EIS/EIR is the disposal 
and reuse of approximately 1585 acres, MCAS Tustin property which has 
been declared surplus. An approximate 17-acre parcel of MCAS Tustin was 
not declared surplus and will remain in federal ownership as an Army 
Reserve Center.
    Under NEPA and Defense Base Closure and Realignment Act (DBCRA), 
the DON has two disposal options for MCAS Tustin; no action or disposal 
of the surplus 1585 acres.
    Under the No Action Alternative, DON would retain ownership of the 
surplus federal property. DON properties have been closed, all mission-
related activities have ceased, and all buildings are vacant. Site 
environmental cleanup would continue until completed. This caretaker 
condition would remain indefinitely.
    The local action is the reuse of MCAS Tustin under an economically 
viable and balanced reuse plan that will provide housing and employment 
opportunities, solve existing community circulation and recreation 
parkland deficiencies, and generate sufficient revenue to support the 
investment in infrastructure required for reuse of the site. The City 
of Tustin, acting as the Local Redevelopment Authority (LRA), included 
the Army Reserve Center and a privately-owned parcel within the 
boundaries of the reuse plan in order to provide zoning and general 
plan designations. Therefore, the local action includes approximately 
1602 acres, which includes 95 acres within the City of Irvine.
    The City of Tustin, as the local lead agency may certify the EIS/
EIR to implement a civilian reuse plan, i.e., amend the City of Tustin 
General Plan, amend its Zoning Ordinance, and adopt a Specific Plan and 
other discretionary actions. The City of Irvine has assigned lead 
agency responsibility for the preparation of the EIS/EIR to the City of 
Tustin as it affects MCAS Tustin property in Irvine. Under CEQA 
statute, the City of Irvine is considered a responsible agency, and may 
certify the EIS/EIR to adopt similar discretionary actions needed to 
implement the Reuse Plan for MCAS Tustin property located within 
Irvine's jurisdictional boundary.
    Federal disposal would precede implementation of the reuse 
alternatives. Three reuse alternatives are evaluated in detail in the 
Draft EIS/EIR: LRA Reuse Alternative; Arterial Grid Pattern/No Core/
High Residential; and Arterial Loop Pattern/Reserve Area/Low 
Residential.
    The LRA Reuse Alternative would result in a maximum of 4,601 
dwelling units; Transitional/Emergency Housing for the homeless; an 
Urban Regional Park developed around the northern blimp hangar; a large 
Community Core developed with mixed uses; and specialized educational, 
social service, and law enforcement facilities within a Learning 
Village; and a Golf Village with hotel and ancillary retail uses. It 
would permit reuse of some of the recreational facilities and 1537 
housing units. Approximately 11.4 million square feet of non-
residential uses such as commercial business, light industrial, public 
and recreation uses (approximately 2.2 million feet is existing floor 
area on the base and 9.2 million square feet is potential new floor 
area) would be developed. Both of the blimp hangars could be reused, if 
financially feasible. 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 Avenue to west of Jamboree Road and 
creation of a secondary interior loop roadway and local roadways to 
facilitate local circulation.
    The Arterial Grid Pattern/No Core/High Residential would result in 
a maximum of 6205 dwelling units; approximately 9.2 million square feet 
of commercial and business uses, Village Mixed-Uses, and Public 
Institutional/Commercial functions (approximately 1.5 million square 
feet is existing floor area and 7.7 million square feet is potential 
new floor area). A large Cultural Center would be developed and the 
northern blimp hangar would be incorporated, if financially feasible, 
and be reused to support regional cultural activities in the form of 
special events center, museum, or other permitted uses. The southern 
blimp hangar would be demolished. 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 Avenue to west of 
Jamboree Road and creation of a secondary arterial grid pattern road 
network to facilitate local circulation.
    The Arterial Loop Pattern/Reserve Area/Low Residential would result 
in a maximum of 4340 dwelling units, approximately 10.9 million square 
feet of commercial, institutional, and

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recreational uses (approximately 1.5 million square feet is existing 
floor area and 9.4 million square feet is potential new floor area). A 
large Cultural Center would be developed and would incorporate the 
northern blimp hangar, if financially feasible. It would also include a 
Reserve Area for residential, commercial/business, and institutional 
uses in large-scale development. A large golf course would also be 
developed. 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 Avenue to west of Jamboree Road and 
creation of a secondary interior loop roadway and local roadways to 
facilitate local circulation.
    The Draft EIS/EIR analyses potential environmental impacts relating 
to land use; socioeconomics; utilities; public services and facilities; 
aesthetics; cultural and paleontological resources; biological 
resources; agricultural resources; soils and geology; water resources; 
hazardous wastes, substances, and materials; traffic/circulation; air 
quality; and noise. Potentially significant and not mitigable impacts 
associated with the three reuse alternatives are related to conversion 
of Farmland, elimination of two historic districts, demolition of 
historic blimp hangars (possibly one or both hangars), air quality 
emissions, and traffic/circulation.
    The Marine Corps and the City of Tustin will conduct a public 
hearing on Thursday, August 11, at 7:00 p.m. for those individuals who 
would like to provide written or oral comments on the Draft EIS/EIR. A 
brief presentation will precede a request for public information and 
comments. Marine Corps and City representatives will be available at 
the hearing to receive information and comments regarding environmental 
issues of concern. Federal, state, and local agencies and interested 
parties are invited and urged to be present or represented at the 
hearing. Oral statements will be heard and transcribed by a 
stenographer. To assure accuracy of the record, all comments should 
also be submitted in writing. In the interest of time and to ensure all 
who wish to give an oral statement have the opportunity to do so, 
speakers are requested to limit their comments to three minutes. If 
longer statements are to be presented, they should be summarized at the 
public hearing and submitted in writing either at the hearing or mailed 
or faxed to Mr. Dana Ogdon, Senior Project Manager, City of Tustin, 300 
Centennial Way, Tustin, California 92780, telephone (714) 573-3116, fax 
(714) 573-3113.
    Written comments must be postmarked by August 22, 1999. All 
comments, both oral and written, will become part of the public record 
in the EIS/EIR.

    Dated: July 16, 1999.
Ralph W. Corey,
Commander, Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Navy, Alternate Federal 
Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 99-19090 Filed 7-26-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3810-FF-P