FRA hosted the Washington Union Station Expansion Project’s sixth Consulting Party Meeting on April 30, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. at 750 First Street NE Washington, DC in the 9th floor conference room. This meeting was an opportunity for the consulting parties to review and provide feedback on the Draft Assessment of Effects Report, prepared by FRA to assess effects of the project to historic properties in accordance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. FRA also shared information on the content of a Programmatic Agreement to be prepared for the project.

**Please note that due to changes in project alternatives presented during Consulting Party Meeting #7 (please see Consulting Party Meeting #7 materials), FRA is currently updating the Assessment of Effects report. Therefore, changes to the effect determinations presented during Consulting Party Meeting #6, and summarized below, may change.

Consulting Party Meeting #6 Summary

Due to the year long interval between the fifth and sixth Consulting Party meetings (on April 24, 2018 and April 30, 2019, respectively), FRA reviewed the Action Alternatives as first presented to Consulting Parties during Consulting Party Meeting #5. FRA then summarized the determination of effects as outlined in the draft Assessment of Effects report, which was shared with the Consulting Parties prior to the Consulting Party Meeting #6. Findings of the draft Assessment of Effects report include: 

• 23 historic properties and five viewsheds received a determination of no effect. Such properties and viewsheds would not experience physical effects, do not have a line of sight to the Project Area, and are outside the operational and construction noise and vibration study areas. 
• 23 historic properties and one viewshed received a determination of no adverse effect. Such properties would not experience physical effects. Visual effects would not significantly change the character of the view or diminish integrity of setting, and potential noise and vibration effects (including those from traffic) during operation and/or construction would not affect or diminish integrity of setting. Of the 23 properties with a no adverse effect determination, ten would likely experience noise and vibration effects from Project construction and operation, including the Capitol Hill Historic District and the L’Enfant-McMillan Plan. 
• Three historic properties received a determination of adverse effect, including the REA Building, Washington Union Station (WUS), and the WUS Historic Site (proposed designation expansion). 
  • The REA Building would experience physical effects from vibration during construction and would require monitoring. Visual effects caused by the physical and visual changes within the Terminal Rail Yard would affect the property’s integrity of setting, feeling, and association. Noise effects from construction would not affect the integrity of setting and there would be no noise or vibration effects from operation. 
  • WUS would experience physical effects from the construction of the new concourse and Train Hall, which would affect the property’s integrity of design. Visual effects would affect the property’s integrity of setting, feeling, and association. Noise effects from construction would not affect integrity of setting, however potential vibration effects during construction would require monitoring. 
  • WUS Historic Site would experience physical effects that would affect the integrity of design, materials, and workmanship. Visual effects would affect the integrity of setting, feeling, and association. Noise effects from construction would not affect integrity of setting; however, potential vibration effects during construction would require monitoring. 

Following the summary of the determination of effects made in the draft Assessment of Effects report, FRA explained that a Programmatic Agreement would be prepared to resolve adverse effects. A Programmatic Agreement is a document used to resolve adverse effects when effects cannot be fully determined prior to approval and is developed as a template or model agreement to address projects in a consistent manner. A Programmatic Agreement provides stipulations or negotiated measures to avoid, minimize, or mitigate adverse effects to historic properties. 

Consulting Party Meeting #6 Comment Period

In order to foster collaborative discussion at the meeting on the draft effect determinations made in the report, FRA provided the Draft Assessment of Effects Report to Consulting Parties two weeks in advance of the meeting. The comment period ended on May 14, 2018. Comments received during the comment period will be considered in the preparation of the Final Assessment of Effects Report. 

Comments received following CONSULTING PARTY Meeting #6:

Following the meeting, comments received from the Consulting Parties related to the effects of increased traffic to the historic residential neighborhoods. Consulting Parties expressed their opinion that noise and vibration created by traffic has the potential to affect the integrity of feeling and association of historic neighborhoods. Several Consulting Parties disagreed with the draft report’s determination of “no adverse effect” on the Capitol Hill Historic District. Having received the Consulting Party comments, FRA is in the process of revising the draft Assessment of Effects report.