[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 146 (Tuesday, July 30, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36927-36928]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-16134]
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GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION
Notice of Availability and Announcement of Public Meeting for the
Final Environmental Assessment for the Edward J. Schwartz Federal
Building Structural Enhancements Project in San Diego, California
AGENCY: Public Building Service (PBS), General Services Administration
(GSA).
ACTION: Notice of availability; announcement of public meeting.
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SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of the Final
Environmental Assessment (EA) for the proposed structural enhancement
improvements to the existing Edward J. Schwartz Federal Building and
United States Courthouse located at 880 Front Street in San Diego,
California (Project). The Final EA describes the reason the Project is
being proposed; the alternatives that were evaluated; the potential
impacts of each of the alternatives on the existing environment; and
the proposed avoidance, minimization, and/or mitigation measures
related to those alternatives. Based on its finding of no significant
impacts, GSA has determined that an Environmental Impact Statement need
not be prepared.
DATES: A public meeting to solicit comments and provide information
about the Final EA will be held on Tuesday, August 20, 2019 from 4:00
p.m. to 7:00 p.m., Pacific Standard Time. Interested parties are
encouraged to attend. The availability period for the Final EA ends on
August 28th, 2019.
ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held at Union Cowork East
Village, 704 J Street, San Diego, CA 92101. Further information,
including an electronic copy of the Final EA, may be found online on
the following website: https://www.gsa.gov/about-us/regions/welcome-to-the-pacific-rim-region-9/buildings-and-facilities/california/edward-j-schwartz-federal-office-building#CurrentProjects.
Questions or comments concerning the Final EA should be directed
to: Osmahn Kadri, Regional Environmental Quality Advisor/NEPA Project
Manager, 50 United Nations Plaza, 3345, Mailbox #9, San Francisco, CA,
94102, or via email to [email protected].
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Osmahn Kadri, Regional Environmental
Quality Advisor/NEPA Project Manager, GSA, at 415-522-3617. Please also
call this number if special assistance is needed to attend and
participate in the public meeting.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The Project is proposed in order to improve structural safety for
the public traveling underneath the building and for the tenants
occupying the building above the Front Street underpass, located at 880
Front Street in San Diego, California. The portion of Front Street that
extends below the building is referred to as the Front Street
underpass. The existing building has five stories of federal office
building space spanning above the roadway and two levels of parking
structure beneath the roadway.
The Final EA addresses the Proposed Action Alternative and the No
Action Alternative. The Action Alternative consists of structural
enhancement improvements to the portion of the existing Edward J.
Schwartz Federal Building over Front Street between E and F streets.
Existing columns and beams supporting the building at the Front Street
underpass would be reinforced with new steel beams and column support
structures and pre-cast concrete paneling. Construction would require
full and partial closure of Front Street between Broadway and F Street.
Street closure options during construction of the Action Alternative
are being considered and a comprehensive Traffic Control Plan will be
prepared in coordination with the City of San Diego to address the
street closure.
The No Action Alternative assumes that structural enhancements to
the existing building would not occur. The Draft EA was made publicly
available on November 16, 2018 for a 30-day period. The public review
period closed on December 17, 2018. The Notice of Availability for the
Draft EA was published in the Federal Register at 83
[[Page 36928]]
FR 58252 on November 19, 2018. A public meeting took place on November
28, 2018 in the Downtown San Diego community. In preparing this Final
EA, GSA considered public comments received regarding the Draft EA
during the public review period.
After careful consideration of the environmental analysis and
associated environmental effects of the Proposed Action Alternative and
No Action Alternative, the purpose and need for the Project, and
comments received on the Draft EA, GSA will be implementing the
Proposed Action Alternative.
Finding
Pursuant to the provision of GSA Order ADM 1095.1F, the PBS NEPA
Desk Guide, and the regulations issued by the Council on Environmental
Quality (CEQ; 40 CFR parts 1500 to 1508), this notice advises the
public of our finding that the Proposed Action will not significantly
affect the quality of the human environment.
Basis for Finding
The environmental impacts of constructing the proposed structural
enhancements were considered in the Final EA pursuant to the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the CEQ regulations implementing
NEPA. No significant impacts on the environment would occur with
implementation of best management practices and avoidance,
minimization, and mitigation measures identified in the Final EA.
The Final EA is available for review at the San Diego Central
Library, 330 Park Boulevard, San Diego, CA 92101. The Final EA and
FONSI can also be viewed on the GSA website at https://www.gsa.gov/real-estate/environmental-programs/gsa-nepa-implementation/nepa-library.
The Finding of No Significant Impact will be signed thirty (30)
days after the publication of this notice, provided that no information
leading to a contrary finding is received or comes to light during this
period.
Dated: July 24, 2019.
Jared Bradley,
Director, Portfolio Management Division, Pacific Rim Region, Public
Buildings Service.
[FR Doc. 2019-16134 Filed 7-29-19; 8:45 am]
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