Opinion ID: 297805
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Design Hearing.

Text: 14 Prior to August 23, 1968, Section 128 of Title 23, U.S.C. (1966) required that a State highway department submitting plans for a federal-aid highway project in an urban area certify to DOT that it had held public hearings or had afforded the opportunity for such hearings, and considered the economic effects of the project's location. 7 The 1968 amendment requires additional certification that the social and environmental effects of the proposed project have been considered, as well as the project's consistency with the goals and objectives of such urban planning as have been promulgated by the community. 8 DOT Policy and Procedure Memorandum 20-8, entitled 'Public Hearing and Location Approval', issued January 4, 1969 (hereafter, PPM 20-8), sets out certain procedures and requirements to effectuate the hearing provisions of amended 128. Paragraph 6(a) of PPM 20-8 requires that both a 'corridor public hearing' and a 'design public hearing' be held on federal-aid highway projects, such as the project here in question. 9 It is not disputed that a design hearing was not held on the Mo-Pac Expressway project. 15 PPM 20-8, paragraph 6(d)(2) provides that 'with respect to those projects which have not received design approval: 16 (a) If design approval is not requested within 3 years after the date of the hearing or an opportunity for a hearing, compliance with the design hearing requirements is required. 17 (b) If design approval is requested within 3 years after the date of the hearing or an opportunity for a hearing, compliance with the design hearing requirements is nevertheless required unless the division engineer finds that the hearing adequately dealt with design issues relating to major design features.' 18 The appellants rely strongly on the case of D.C. Federation of Civic Associations, Inc. v. Volpe, D.C.Cir., 434 F.2d 436 (1970), which held that a federalaid highway project which had not received design approval prior to the 1968 amendment of Section 128 and the promulgation of PPM 20-8 was subject to the corridor/design hearing requirements set out in the regulations. On remand, the district court held that 6(d)(2) required that a new design hearing be held before construction work on the project, which was then in the preliminary stages could proceed any further since no request for design approval within the meaning of the PPM was made within three years of the original hearings, held in 1964, nor was any design approval granted prior to the adoption of the PPM in January, 1969. D.C. Federation of Civic Associations v. Volpe, D.D.C., 1970, 316 F.Supp. 754, 785. 19 The appellees contend that design approval had been given by the Federal Bureau of Public Roads prior to the effective date of PPM 20-8. The record indicates that the schematic layout for the project was submitted for approval in December of 1967 and that initial approval was granted, contingent upon four specified modifications, by letter from the Division Engineer to the State Highway Department dated July 22, 1968. Revised schematics were then submitted and approved contingently by letter on October 24, 1969, with one design modification required and upon the deferment of final approval of the design of one interchange pending further studies. It is stipulated that: 20 38. The revised design schematics for at least one of the eleven interchanges on the plan for the Mo-Pac Expressway between Town Lake and U.S. Route 183 were not complete as of the date of these stipulations. 21 39. On October 24, 1969, Federal defendant Cary stated in writing to the Texas Highway Department that approval of revised schematic designs portions of the Mo-Pac project located in and around Clarksville and located in and around U.S. 183 was contingent upon two factors: (1) Completion of additional studies to determine the most practical design for the U.S. 183 interchange. (2) Reduction of the width of the northbound structure over Enfield Road until the exact location of the on-ramp for the Crosstown Expressway is established. Subsequent to October 24, 1969, the Texas Highway Department eliminated from the design plan for the Mo-Pac Expressway project and accommodation for an interchange in or around Clarksville with the proposed Crosstown Expressway. 22 The appellants contend that while this contingent approval has been given, no final approval of the project design was given by the Bureau of Public Roads prior to the effective date of PPM 20-8, as required by D.C. Federation of Civic Associations, Inc. v. Volpe, supra, 434 F.2d at 436, n. 56, and the district court's interpretation thereof. 316 F.Supp. at 782. Agreeing with the proposition that the design approval contemplated by PPM 20-8 is final approval, we feel that, although termed contingent, final design approval had been given the Mo-Pac Expressway project prior to the effective date of the PPM, except as to those design aspects specifically excluded from approval. Cf. D.C. Federation of Civic Associations, Inc. v. Volpe, supra, 434 F.2d 462 (concurring opinion, Bazelon, C.J.). Indeed, any other result would lead to chaos. It has been well over a year since the design of the project was approved, contingent, as it turns out, only as to a deferred decision on the design of one interchange. Although the displacement of persons in the path of the project was enjoined for a short time, neither the actual construction nor any preparatory steps related to the construction process have been judicially halted. It would be inequitable to now enjoin the entire project, long after it is well on its way, in order to hold a hearing to reconsider decisions already made and acted upon in compliance with the requirements of the then existing law. Cf. Road Review League, Town of Bedford v. Boyd, S.D.N.Y., 1967, 270 F.Supp. 650, 664. 23 Since the record indicates that the design of the U.S. 183 interchange had not been approved as of the effective date of PPM 20-8, even though the initial request for design approval was made within three years of the 1968 hearing, the case must be remanded for the district court to order the Division Engineer of the Bureau of Public Roads to determine whether the 1968 hearing 'adequately dealt with the design issues relating to the major design features' of the interchange, and, if he finds the 1968 hearing did not do so, order the Texas Highway Department to hold a public hearing regarding the design of the interchange in accordance with the requirements set out in PPM 20-8. 24