[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 25 (Thursday, February 6, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5620-5621]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-3008]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Navy


Notice of Public Hearing for the Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement (DEIS) for the Disposal and Reuse of the Department of 
Defense Housing Facility, Novato, CA

SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 as implemented by the Council on 
Environmental Quality regulations (40 CFR Parts 1500-1508), the 
Department of the Navy has prepared and filed with the U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency a Draft Environmental Impact Statement 
(DEIS) for the disposal and reuse of the Department of Defense Housing 
Facility (DoDHF) Novato property and structures in Novato, California. 
The DEIS is being prepared in compliance with the 1993 Base Realignment 
and Closure (BRAC) directive from Congress to close DoDHF Novato. DoDHF 
Novato closed on September 30, 1996.
    The DEIS assesses the potential impacts to the environment that may 
result from Navy disposal of the DoDHF Novato property and subsequent 
community reuse. Surplus properties will be disposed of in accordance 
with the provisions of the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Act 
(Pub. L. 101-510) of 1990 as amended and applicable federal property 
disposal regulations. The ``Spanish Housing'' parcel will be 
transferred to the U.S. Coast Guard and therefore will not be included 
in this documentation.
    The Hamilton Reuse Planning Authority (HRPA) developed a Final 
Reuse Plan (Hamilton Army Airfield Reuse Plan) for the DoDHF Novato 
property that was adopted by the City of Novato in October 1995. The 
Reuse Plan was subsequently revised in February 1996, and again in 
November 1996. The Revised Reuse Plan stresses adaptive reuse of 
existing facilities. It includes housing, open space, community 
facilities, and small amounts of neighborhood commercial development. 
This ``Revised Reuse Plan'' was presented in the DEIS as the preferred 
alternative.
    Another alternative analyzed in the DEIS is an ``Open Space'' 
option that would be similar to the preferred alternative Plan but 
would have 500 fewer housing units, more open space, and more community 
facilities. A ``No Action'' alternative that would result in the DoDHF 
Novato property remaining in federal government ownership in a 
caretaker status was also analyzed.
    The DEIS is available for review at the following public libraries 
in the vicinity of DoDHF Novato: (1) Novato Public Library, 1720 Novato 
Blvd., Novato, CA; (2) Marin County Library, Marin Civic Center, San 
Rafael, CA; (3) Petaluma Regional Library, 100 Fairgrounds Drive, 
Petaluma, CA; and (4) Sonoma County Central Library, 3rd and E Streets, 
Santa Rosa, CA.

ADDRESSES: The Navy will conduct a public hearing on Thursday, February 
27, 1997, at 7:00 p.m., at the San Marin High School Student Center, 15 
San Marin Drive, Novato, California to inform the public of the DEIS 
findings and to solicit comments. Federal, state and local agencies, 
and interested individuals are invited to be present or represented at 
the hearing. Oral comments will be heard and transcribed by a 
stenographer. To assure accuracy of the record, all comments should be 
submitted in writing. All comments, both oral and written, will become 
part of the public record in the study. In the interest of available 
time, each speaker will be asked to limit oral comments to five 
minutes. Longer comments should be summarized at the public hearing and 
submitted in writing either at the hearing or mailed to the address 
listed below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: All written comments must be submitted 
no later than March 17, 1997 to Mr. Gary J. Munekawa (Code 1852GM), 
Engineering Field Activity West, Naval Facilities Engineering Command, 
900 Commodore Drive, San Bruno,

[[Page 5621]]

California 94066-5006, telephone (415) 244-3022, fax (415) 244-3737. 
For information concerning the community reuse planning process, please 
contact Mr. Ken Bell at telephone (510) 906-1460, or fax (714) 472-
8122.

    Dated: February 3, 1997.
D.E. Koenig,
LCDR, JAGC, USN, Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 97-3008 Filed 2-5-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3810-FF-P