FEDERAL PUBLIC NOTICE
The District Commander received a joint application and pre-construction notice for Federal and State permits as described below:
APPLICANT
Town of Abingdon
WATERWAY AND LOCATION OF THE PROPOSED WORK: The project is located in waters and wetlands associated with Town Creek which is part of the South Holston River drainage basin. “The Meadows” is proposed on the eastern side of the intersection of Cummings Street and Green Springs Road in the Town of Abingdon, Washington County, Virginia.
PROPOSED WORK AND PURPOSE: The project is being evaluated under the State Programmatic General Permit program (SPGP). The Town of Abingdon submitted a Joint Permit Application to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Norfolk District for authorization, pursuant to Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, for proposed permanent impacts to waters of the U.S., specifically 0.16 acres of wetlands and 648 linear feet of stream channel, for the purpose of constructing the Green Springs Road Realignment and “The Meadows” multi-use development project, which includes commercial buildings, parking, public recreation facilities and associated infrastructure.
PURPOSE OF PUBLIC NOTICE: The Corps’ permit action associated with this project is subject to Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). Procedures have been established which must be followed in order for the Corps to comply with the NHPA and other applicable historic preservation laws. The Corps of Engineers is soliciting comments from the public; Federal, state, and local agencies and officials; Native American Tribes; and other interested parties in compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). This public notice provides an opportunity for members of the public to express their views on the undertaking’s effects on historic properties and resolution of adverse effects. Comments are requested to assist in evaluation of the effects of the project on historic properties and evaluation of alternatives or modifications which could avoid, minimize or mitigate adverse effects on historic properties.
Historic Property Identification: The identification of historic properties has been conducted on the proposed development site. A report of the survey was prepared and is titled, “Historic and Archaeological Resources Survey, The Meadows,
Abingdon, Washington County, Virginia,” dated June 5, 2017, by S&ME, Inc. The survey and report are a reasonable and good faith effort to identify historic properties. Historic resource 140-5032 (The Meadows), determined eligible for listing in the NRHP by the Corps and VDHR, is a historic farm property consisting of a circa-1930 house and outbuildings from the early nineteenth century through the twentieth century.
The survey also identified 10 archeological sites (previously recorded archaeological site 44WG0117 was re-located; nine new archaeological sites (44WG0595, 44WG0596, 44WG0597, 44WG0618, 44WG0619, 44WG0620, 44WG0621, 44WG0622, 44WG0623) and three isolated finds (IF-1, IF-2, and IF-3). All archeological sites within the Corps Permit Area (area of potential effects (APE)) were determined ineligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) by the Corps. In a letter dated July 26, 2017, the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (VDHR) concurred that these sites are ineligible for NRHP listing. In summary, the only historic property identified within the APE is 140-5032 (The Meadows).
The Corps submitted the project information and survey to the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians (EBCI), Cherokee Nation and the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians, as well as the Friends of Abingdon (consulting party), for their consideration and comments.
ADVERSE EFFECT DETERMINATION: In consultation with the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), and in consideration of views concerning effects provided by consulting parties, the USACE applied the criteria of adverse effect to historic resource No. 140-5032 (The Meadows) within the APE. The USACE is consulting further to develop and evaluate alternatives or modifications to the undertaking that could avoid, minimize, or mitigate adverse effects on historic properties. In a letter dated July 17, 2017, the applicant outlines their proposed treatment plan and mitigation measures for the historic property; this letter and associated plans are included with this Notice as attachments. The US Army Corps of Engineers (Norfolk District), Virginia Department of Historic Resources, the permittee and other consulting parties are proposing to enter into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.
COMMENT PERIOD: Comments on this project should be in writing and can be sent by either email to Jennifer.S.Frye@usace.army.mil, or by regular mail, addressed to the Norfolk District, Corps of Engineers (ATTN: CENAO-WRR-W), Western Virginia Regulatory Section, Regulatory Branch, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Norfolk District
Richard H. Poff Federal Building, Room 749, 210 Franklin Road SW, Roanoke, Virginia 24011, and should be received by the close of business on August 16, 2017.
PRIVACY & CONFIDENTIALITY: Comments and information, including the identity of the submitter, submitted in response to this Public Notice may be disclosed, reproduced, and distributed at the discretion of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Information that is submitted in connection with this Public Notice cannot be maintained as confidential by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Submissions should not include any information that the submitter seeks to preserve as confidential.
If you have any questions about this project or the permit process, contact Jennifer Frye at (540) 344-1498 or by email Jennifer.S.Frye@usace.army.mil.