Commission Action

April 5, 2018

PROJECT

Draft Gaithersburg Campus Master Plan

National Institute of Standards 

and Technology

100 Bureau Drive

Gaithersburg, Maryland

SUBMITTED BY

United States Department of Commerce

REVIEW AUTHORITY

Advisory

per 40 U.S.C. § 8722(a) and (b)(1)

NCPC FILE NUMBER

MP23

NCPC MAP FILE NUMBER

3115.10(05.00)44725

APPLICANT’S REQUEST

Approval of comments on draft 

master plan

ACTION TAKEN

Approved comments on draft 

master plan

The Commission:

Approves the following comments on the draft campus plan for the National Institute of Standards 

and Technology (NIST) Gaithersburg campus.

Supports the Alternative F development concept, which concentrates new development in the 

campus center (historic core) to facilitate research; preserves the campus’s open space character; 

and adds more programmable outdoor spaces to facilitate professional collaboration.

Finds that Alternative F most successfully provides for NIST’s research mission, while preserving 

the historic campus core and integrating new sustainable development measures.

Historic Preservation

Notes that the Maryland Historic Trust (State Historic Preservation Office) has determined the 

campus is eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places “for its association with 

events that made important contributions to the broad patterns of history under the Science and 

Technology and Postwar Research Campus Design themes, and as a recognizable entity that 

embodies the characteristic of Post War Research Campus design.”

Finds that Alternative F best preserves the campus core’s existing grid pattern of development, 

formal landscape, large-scale monumental buildings, and general/specialized laboratories, 

identified as hallmarks of postwar research campus design.

Commends NIST’s careful consideration of the campus’s unique historic character throughout the 

planning and design process.
Commission Action Page 2

NCPC File No. MP23

Sustainability

Supports the National Institute of Standards & Technology’s effort to meet federal and State 

sustainability goals at its Gaithersburg campus through integrated, campus-wide strategies related 

to stormwater management, landscaping, and energy-efficiency.

Finds that all of the proposed alternatives, including Alternative F, convert significant amounts of 

manicured property to new forests and meadows; identify a campus-wide system of rain gardens, 

bioswales, and planter boxes; and identify future solar panel installations and net-zero energy 

buildings.

Access/Transportation

Supports NIST’s plans to develop a new pedestrian promenade between the adjacent Corridor 

Cities Transitway station and campus core, new interior campus trail network, additional 

sidewalks/crosswalks, bikeshare stations, and new external bicycle trails to encourage pedestrian, 

bicycle, and transit travel.

Supports the planned development of Gate F to accommodate future commercial vehicle 

inspections, shipping/receiving, and conference visitor screening based on site compatibility.

Requests that NIST continue refining the project’s design to minimize impacts to the campus 

setting and off-site neighborhoods through landscaping, reconfiguring access roads, and light 

control measures.

Notes that NIST will improve its overall parking ratio from 1:1.5 to 1:1.9 with the implementation 

of the campus plan. The proposed ratio for federal employees, who comprise approximately 70 

percent of the total population on campus, is 1:2. The proposed ratio for non-federal employees 

(contractors, guest researchers), who comprise 30 percent of the total population, is 1:1.7.

Requests that NIST prioritize development of a detailed Travel Demand Management plan with 

future mode share goals, program implementation steps/schedules, and regular commuter travel 

monitoring program for both federal and non-federal employees. The TDM plan should contain 

programs, strategies, goals, and implementation information specifically directed at encouraging 

more sustainable travel behavior by non-federal employees. 
Commission Action Page 3

NCPC File No. MP23

Requeststhat NIST submit a transportation progress report to NCPC for review prior to submitting 

the new parking garage and Building 411 lot expansion projects with the following information:

• Status of programs included in the future NIST Travel Demand Management plan, which 

demonstrate progress towards attaining future non-single occupant vehicle mode share 

goals; and

• Travel trend information based on commuter surveys given between 2016 and most recent 

survey prior to submission of the new garage and Building 411 lot expansion projects.

//Original Signed//

Julia A. Koster

04/05/2018

Date

Secretary to the National Capital Planning Commission