Department of Commerce Boulder Laboratories

Draft Master Plan

Boulder City Council Briefing

October 18, 2016

United States Department of Commerce
2

• Delineates a 20-year vision and framework 

for future development

• Maintains all Protected Areas and trails

• Fully adheres to the Memorandum of 

Agreement:

 All proposed construction and site 

improvements within Development Zone

 Complies with square footage, parking 

and height limits, and views to the Mesa

• Incorporates public input

• Funding not anticipated before 2020 with 

exception of current improvements to two 

lab buildings
3

• Comprehensive and coordinated 

framework for future development 

(20 years)

• Appropriate facilities and 

infrastructure for advanced research

• Respects its location, historic context, 

and agreements with community and 

tribes

• Facilities that encourage 

collaboration, welcome outside 

colleagues

• Attractive campus that advances 

sustainable design goals

• A plan for gradual change, complete 

at each step

• Compliance with NEPA through 

development of Environmental 

Assessment
4

• Campus Established in 1950 

Purchased & donated by Boulder Chamber of Commerce & citizens

• Department of Commerce (DOC) Agencies on the Boulder Campus:

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)

National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

• Boulder Campus:

206 Acre site

34 Buildings & Structures; 1,254,000 GSF

Approximately 1,760 personnel

• Mission for Advancing Science & Technology:

Requires flexible, integrative, collaborative space

Requires highly controlled research environments
5

• 1992 Master Site Development Plan and 1995 Environmental Impact Statement

New NOAA facility – David Skaggs Research Center 

Improvements to NIST facilities:

New research facility - Katharine Blodgett Gebbie Laboratory

New Central Utility Plant & Site Utility Distribution System

Renovations to older laboratory buildings

• 1995 Agreement with Native American Tribes

Protected area: Approximately 50 acres

Easement for use, management and maintenance 

• 1995 Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with 

City of Boulder, with 1998 Update

Defines research, development and protected zones 

Sets limits on development, parking, building heights

Protects approximately 54 acres for public use; Preserves view of Long Mesa
6
7

Phase I

• Data Collection

• Contextual Analysis

• Historic Assessment

• Program Development

• Alternatives Development

• NEPA Scoping/Public Participation

Phase II:

• Draft Master Plan document

• Draft Environmental Assessment

• Public Comment Period

Phase III:

• Final Master Plan

• Final Environmental Assessment
8

• Aging and obsolete buildings

• Lack of environmental control for many labs

• Inefficiency of small and modular buildings

• No campus organizing principle; limited 

connectivity

• Challenges associated with hosting public 

conferences

• Scattered administration & support functions

• Limited collaboration opportunities

• Circulation and screening conflicts
9
10

Existing

Master Plan

Added Removed Total Difference

Personnel

NIST 743 112 855 112

NTIA 70 40 110 40

NOAA 939 60 999 60

GSA 9 0 9 0

Total 1,761 212 1,973 212

Space, GSF

NIST/NTIA 882,174 259,500 (145,672) 996,002 113,828

NOAA/GSA 372,000 32,600 0 404,600 32,600

Shared incl. above 26,800 (7,776)* 19,024 19,024

Total 1,254,174 318,900 (153,448) 1,419,626 165,452

* Additional shared space is removed from existing buildings, allowing renovation for other functions

Note: MOA permitted additional space is 198,241 GSF (Mechanical structures are excluded)

212

165,452

198,241 GSF
11

Campus Center

A new central campus service 

building consolidates 

administration, services and 

amenities, to encourage 

collaboration and link the research 

buildings. Replacement research 

buildings organized around a quad.

Discrete Research Centers

A second research zone 

organizes the research buildings 

and Campus center opens up for 

services and recreation. 

Pedestrian Linkages

A new entrance pavilion supports 

public and conference center 

space. Management resources 

offices located adjacent. This 

focal point anchors a pedestrian 

link to new and existing buildings. 
12
13
14

Building 81

New Labs

Building 24

Campus Green

Building 3 CUP

• Welcoming Entry

• Cohesive Campus 

• Modest Growth

• Advanced Research Facilities

• Conference Center Enhancement

• Consolidated Support Facilities

• Campus Center

• Connected Laboratories

• Historic Preservation

• Natural and Sustainable Campus

• Energy Conservation Emphasis

• Structured Parking

• Open Space Preservation

• Flexible, Incremental Change
15

• Campus green 

linking the 

buildings

• Native & adaptive 

species plantings

• Sustainable 

design emphasis

1

2

5

6

3

7

8

4

1. Central Promenade 5. Shared street

2. Central Lawn 6. Building terraces

3. Terrace with bosque

of trees, water feature

7. Vegetated Arroyo

(stormwater management)

4. Entry Court 8. Decking over arroyo
16
17
18

NEPA:

• Serves as the basic national charter for 

protection of the environment

• Ensures that environmental information is 

available to public officials and citizens before

decisions are made

• Helps public officials:

−Make informed decisions that are based 

on understanding of environmental 

consequences

−Take actions that protect, restore, and 

enhance the environment

• Applies to actions of all Federal agencies

Photo: Anderson Ditch?
19

Categorical Exclusion (CE)

Greater impacts = more review

• Actions with no significant effect on 

human environment, individually or 

cumulatively

• Predefined categories of actions

Environmental Assessment (EA)

• Actions that do not qualify for a CE

• EA determines if action would have significant impacts

− If yes/maybe  Environmental Impact Statement

− If no  Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI)

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)

• Actions with significant and/or highly controversial impacts

• Most detailed environmental review

• Most extensive public involvement, including comment response

DOC has 

prepared 

an EA

Categorical Exclusion (CE)

• Actions with no significant effect on 

human environment, individually or 

cumulatively

• Predefined categories of action 
20

• Summarizes alternatives considered

• Reviews environmental consequences of:

• Proposed Action Alternative (i.e. the Master Plan)

• No Action Alternative

• Identifies effects (if any) on various resource areas such as: 

Land use Utilities Air Quality

Socioeconomics Waste Generation Climate Change 

Biological Resources Transportation Sustainability

Land /Water Noise Levels Cultural Resources

• Summarizes cumulative effects and finds that:

• For most resource areas, impacts are positive overall, with some minor 

temporary adverse effects during construction 

• For others, impacts are generally minor and can be managed and/or 

mitigated 
21

• Projected increase: 12% in staffing; 13% in facility space - over 20 years

• Moderate changes in heating /cooling and electric load (1-3%)

• Improved viewscapes - no obstruction in the visibility of the top 1/3rd of the Mesa 

from Broadway and 27th Street

• Slight decrease in impervious surfaces (4.8%); targeted improvement in 

stormwater management through BMPs

• Landscape includes native vegetation, additional tree cover and shade

• No direct impact on wetlands; removal of building from 100 year flood plain; 

• Minor economic benefits from staff increase, construction, and increased 

productivity from campus improvements

• Improved campus connectivity; reduced in-campus trips; no impacts on trails and 

open spaces 

• Improved energy efficiency through removal or modernization of obsolete or 

inefficient buildings & systems 

• Net-zero energy facilities, renewable energy 
22

Draft Master Plan and Draft EA Comments

• Comment period ends December 5, 2016 

• Submit written comments to:

Dept. of Commerce Boulder Laboratories 

Master Plan Comments

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

325 Broadway, MS-194.00

Boulder, CO 80305-3328

Or

BldrLabsMPcommentsPublic@nist.gov

The Draft Master Plan and Draft 

Environmental Assessment are available at:

https://www.nist.gov/ofpm/boulder-master-plan

Hard copies are available at the:

Boulder Main Library 

1001 Arapahoe Ave, Boulder, CO 80302
23

Send Comments to: BldrLabsMPcommentsPublic@nist.gov

https://www.nist.gov/ofpm/boulder-master-plan