• By Stephen Staudigl
• April 08, 2021

NCPC Provides Feedback on Plans for a New Bureau of Engraving and Printing Facility

At its Thursday, April 1, 2021 online meeting the National Capital Planning Commission provided feedback to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) on concept plans for a new currency production facility on a 100-acre site owned by the federal government in Beltsville, Maryland. The 921,600 square foot building would replace an existing downtown Washington, DC printing facility built in 1914 that no longer efficiently supports manufacturing needs. A new facility would be less expensive than renovating the existing one.

Plans call for a one-story, 40-to-50-foot-tall secure building located on 20 acres with 1,234 parking surface parking spaces (50 for visitors). An ornamental fence will surround the perimeter. 1,427 people will work at the new building over three shifts. The building will be designed to fit into its agricultural setting and have several environmental components, including a 50 percent green roof, rainwater harvesting, permeable pavement in the parking lots, and bio-grass swales along the access roads. It is anticipated that 18 percent of the building’s total energy requirements will be provided through its photovoltaic cells. The site is located on a piece of land that used to be part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC).

The Commission’s comments were organized around several themes that need to be addressed in preliminary review, the next review phase. While noting that the building location is meant to minimize impacts to adjacent forests, 125 trees would be removed, and NCPC requested a tree survey and replacement policy, as well as more information about how the applicant will address stormwater regulations and protection of nearby wetlands. The Commission also requested a lighting site plan, more information about the building design and its program, including why the building needs to be so big and tall and if it could be partially constructed below ground.

Commissioners had a robust discussion about proposed parking, noting that the parking ratio of 1 (parking space) per 1.1 (employee) is not consistent with the 1:2 ratio prescribed by the Comprehensive Plan for the National Capital for this site. They had concerns about the amount of parking, wondering why so much was needed with employees spread out over three shifts. The proposed surface parking also conflicts with a Comprehensive Plan policy to use structured parking. The Commission asked for two information presentations before it reviews preliminary plans. In the first they want to learn about ideas for how the project could meet the Comprehensive Plan’s parking ratio and why the applicant team believes the proposed surface parking design is more environmentally friendly than structured or underground parking. The second presentation would be on the BARC campus master plan and any plans for its future. The public testimony provided ranged from support for the project from state agencies and several civic associations, along with concern about the project’s environmental impacts.

The Commission then provided feedback to the U.S. National Arboretum on a concept master plan for its 446-acre research and education facility located in Northeast Washington, DC. Established in 1927 as the U.S. Department of Agriculture's premier horticulture research facility, it opened to the public in 1959.

The plan will guide improvements to, and development on, the grounds. The concept plan proposes changes to existing vehicle and pedestrian circulation (including removing 3.29 miles of existing roadway and adding 2.29 miles of new roadway), construction of new research buildings in the main administrative building complex, and a plan to build a new more formal main entrance from Bladensburg Road while closing the existing vehicle entrances on New York Avenue and R Street, NE.

The Commission responded favorably to the concept plan’s overall approach that would reposition and redevelop the Arboretum’s core landscape to improve its mission to connect people to plants in one of Washington’s great open spaces. While Commissioners supported the plan’s goals, they requested more detailed information to properly review the master plan and proposed individual site and building projects, including on current and future parking for employees, visitors, and special events, along with anticipated staffing changes.

Commissioners noted that a new pedestrian entrance is proposed along M Street, but is not funded, and that accessible improvements to the M Street spur would need to be made to accommodate it. They requested that the Arboretum coordinate with the District Department of Transportation on the proposed vehicle and pedestrian entrances and continue to coordinate with the National Park Service to identify opportunities to connect the trail network from Anacostia Park and the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens to the Arboretum and adjacent neighborhoods. They also asked for an update on the status of the National China Garden which NCPC approved in 2016.

Before adjourning, NCPC heard an information presentation from Tim Canan, Director of Planning Data and Research for the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG)’s Transportation Planning Board on COVID-19’s impacts on transportation and related topics in the National Capital Region. While the presentation was not intended to predict future changes, it did provide an overview of impacts to date. NCPC is evaluating these impacts and how they will affect updates of the Comprehensive Plan for the National Capital’s Federal Elements. No official Commission action is taken on information presentations.

The presentation was not intended to be a deep dive but an analysis of current data. COG conducted several surveys to learn about telework and transportation. Presentation highlights include the following:
• Regional unemployment nearly tripled from 3.3% to 9.8% at the pandemic’s beginning (nearly five points less than the rest of the country) and in December was still below the national average.
• Job losses were mostly in hospitality, retail, and several service industry sectors.
• Office vacancy and retail vacancy rates increased slightly in the region.
• 96% of worksites shut down or reduced on-site operations either completely (81%) or partially (15%) since the pandemic began.
• Survey results of regional employees indicated that they anticipate the following regarding post-pandemic telework:
• Continue telework at pandemic levels: 20%
• Continue telework more than before the pandemic: 37%
• Continue telework at pre-pandemic levels: 12%
• Continue telework but less than before the pandemic: 23%
• Not likely to continue telework: 8%
• 66% reported that daily travel has changed a lot since the pandemic.
• Surveys indicated current telecommuter preferences: 65%: telework some days and commute to work other days; 26%: telework full-time; 9% return to work location full-time
• Regional traffic volumes in April 2020 were 50% below 2019 volumes; by July 2020 they were at 80% of 2019 volumes and continued a slow recovery through October. Volumes decreased region-wide in November and December.
• Metrorail and Metrobus ridership decreased as due to reduced demand and reduced transit capacity, which shows the complex interrelationship of supply and demand on transit.
• The biggest transit decreases were on commuter rail and bus services.

This month’s agenda included two consent calendar items (no presentations were given). Unless otherwise noted, all projects are in Washington, DC.
1. Preliminary site and building plans for the Humphreys Engineer Center Maintenance and Supply Facility, 7701 Telegraph Road Alexandria, Virginia. (8089)
2. A report to the Zoning Commission of the District of Columbia for a Text Amendment to Subtitles A-K, U, and X Modifications and Clarifications to Penthouse and Rooftop Structure Regulation. (ZC 14-13E)

The Executive Director approved five items under authority delegated by the Commission. Unless otherwise noted, all projects are in Washington, DC.
1. Preliminary site and building plans for the renovation of Fort McNair's Building 60, 100 C Street, SW. (8252)
2. Preliminary building plans for the renovation of Fort McNair's Building 17, 262 3rd Avenue, SW. (8257)
3. Preliminary and final site and building plans for Southeast Federal Center Parcel H Redevelopment – The Yards, SEFC Redevelopment Zone. (8255)
4. A report to the Zoning Commission of the District of Columbia for a Text Amendment to Rename PDR5, PDR-6, and PDR-7 Zones with Associated Conforming Subtitles. (ZC 19-27B)
5. A report to the Zoning Commission of the District of Columbia for a Text Amendment to Allow Special Exception Relief to Certain Vehicle Parking Dimensional Requirements. (ZC 21-04)

Commission actions and related materials are available online.