Soapstone Connector Environmental Assessment Public Hearing: Nov. 8, 2017

1. County of Fairfax, Virginia
Soapstone Connector
Environmental Assessment
Public Hearing
November 8, 2017
Presented by:
Audra K. Bandy, P.E.
Fairfax County Department of Transportation

2. County of Fairfax, Virginia
Overview
• Current Conditions
• Project History
• Environmental Reviews
• Improvement Options
• Purpose and Need
• Environmental Considerations
• Results of Environmental Analysis
• Schedule and Next Steps
• Comments
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3. County of Fairfax, Virginia
Current Conditions
• Major roadways in area include Wiehle Avenue, Sunset Hills Road
and Sunrise Valley Drive.
• Two crossings of Dulles Corridor on either side of Wiehle-Reston
East Metrorail Station.
• Vehicles traveling to and
from Wiehle-Reston East
Metrorail Station (open
July 2014) and entering
and leaving the Dulles
Corridor compete for
same road space on
Wiehle Avenue.
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4. County of Fairfax, Virginia
Project History
• 2008 Wiehle Avenue/Reston Parkway Station Access Management
Plans Final Report, April 2008
– Initiated to consider current status and future needs in vicinity of the two
proposed Metrorail stations in the area.
– Soapstone Connector was included in list of recommended roadway projects.
• Soapstone Connector Feasibility Study, November 2013
– Assessed engineering feasibility of a multimodal roadway that would provide
connection between Sunset Hills Road and Sunrise Valley Drive.
– Identified and screened 31 alternative alignments.
– Conducted community information meetings to ensure public input on
alternatives.
– Identified most promising alignment for Soapstone Connector.
• Board of Supervisors endorsed advancing Preferred Alignment to
Preliminary Design Phase on May 13, 2014
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5. County of Fairfax, Virginia
Environmental Reviews
• National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires:
– Consideration of potential environmental consequences of transportation
improvements
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– Documentation of
analyses
– Making information
available to the public
for comment before
final decision making
and implementation

6. County of Fairfax, Virginia
Improvement Options
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7. County of Fairfax, Virginia
Purpose and Need
• The purpose of the project is to provide additional multimodal
capacity on a new north‐south alternative to mitigate
congestion on Wiehle Avenue.
• The project will address:
– Inability of Wiehle Avenue to accommodate current and forecasted traffic
demand.
– Delays on Wiehle Avenue at the intersections with Sunset Hills Road and Sunrise
Valley Drive.
– Lack of direct access for buses to the Wiehle-Reston East Metrorail Station
without requiring travel on Wiehle Avenue.
– Lack of connectivity for pedestrians and bicyclists to the Wiehle-Reston East
Metrorail Station, from Soapstone Drive and Sunrise Valley Drive on the south
and Sunset Hills Road on the north.
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8. County of Fairfax, Virginia
Environmental Considerations
• Resources/issues studied included:
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– Section 4(f) Park and Historic
Sites
– Historic and Archaeological
Resources
– Communities and
Neighborhoods
– Environmental Justice
– Potential Relocations
– Forests, and Farmlands and
Agricultural/Forestal Districts
– Air Quality
– Noise
– Hazardous Materials
– Water Resources
– Threatened and Endangered
Species
– Indirect Effects
– Cumulative Effects

9. County of Fairfax, Virginia
Environmental Impacts
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10. County of Fairfax, Virginia
Section 4(f) Park and Historic Sites
• Includes publicly owned public parks, recreation areas,
historic properties, wildlife or waterfowl refuges.
• The W&OD Railroad Regional Park is a Section 4(f) park and
historic property.
• No Build Alternative requires no right of way acquisition and
has no direct adverse impacts to any park or recreation areas.
• Alternatives 1 and 2 would not require temporary or
permanent use of land from the park.
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11. County of Fairfax, Virginia
Historic Properties
• Phase IA and Phase IB cultural resources surveys prepared for EA.
• One historic district within area of potential effects (APE).
– Washington & Old Dominion (W&OD) Railroad Historic District.
– Previously identified Wiehle/Sunset Hills Historic District removed, due to lack of
formal eligibility in National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).
• Soapstone Connector would have no adverse effect on historic
properties.
– Soapstone Connector would not create any additional visual intrusions.
– W&OD Historic District currently used as regional park and surrounding area
already subjected to suburban development.
– Grade of trail is below the grade at which the end of the Connector would
intersect Sunset Hills Road.
– Virginia Department of Historic Resources (VDHR) concurred with this
determination in January 2017.
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12. County of Fairfax, Virginia
Archaeological Resources
• Prior disturbance in the area is associated with previous
transportation improvements including:
– Dulles Toll Road and associated overpasses
– Sunrise Valley Drive
– Sunset Hills Road
– Metrorail Silver Line
• Past clearing and grading for construction of buildings and parking
lots and installation of underground utilities also likely diminishes the
potential for undisturbed land with the potential for intact
archaeological deposits.
• Indicated no archaeological sites within the area of potential effects
(APE).
– Virginia Department of Historic Resources (VDHR) concurred with this
determination on April 12, 2016.
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13. County of Fairfax, Virginia
Communities and Neighborhoods
• The project is located in a combination of retail, commercial
and industrial areas on either side of the Dulles Corridor.
• Not expected to be adversely affected by the project.
• Soapstone Connector may even improve the connectivity of
the residential communities and the developments north of
the Dulles Corridor.
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14. County of Fairfax, Virginia
Environmental Justice
• Per Council on Environmental Quality’s (CEQ) guidelines, the
Census tracts surrounding the project have a percentage of
minority populations lower than the County as a whole,
therefore:
– A minority population is not considered present so,
– No disproportionately high and adverse effects to the minority
populations will occur as a result of the project.
• Neither of the Census tracts used have a median household
income at or below the poverty threshold, therefore no
disproportionately high and adverse effects to low-income
populations will occur as a result of the project.
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15. County of Fairfax, Virginia
Potential Relocations
• For the EA, it was assumed that the entire 200-foot-wide
corridor would be affected.
• Alternatives 1 and 2 have the potential for 2 business
relocations.
– National Association of Secondary School Principals (1904 Association
Drive)
– Musica LLC owned property (11501 Sunset Hills Road)
• Right of way may be needed from up to 6 additional parcels.
• Further analysis will be conducted and refined during the
design phase.
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16. County of Fairfax, Virginia
Forests, and Farmlands and
Agricultural/Forestal Districts
• Forests
– No commercial forest resources exist in the project corridor.
• Farmlands and Agricultural/Forestal Districts
– According to the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), no
prime or statewide important farmland exists in the project area; the
project area is committed to urban uses.
– No agricultural or forestal districts are within the project corridor.
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17. County of Fairfax, Virginia
Air Quality
• Assessment of potential impacts was conducted consistent with
VDOT and FHWA protocols and other applicable guidance.
• Air Quality Analysis included:
– Carbon Monoxide (CO)
– Fine Particulate Matter
– Mobile Source Air Toxics (MSAT) – human made sources
– Construction Emissions
– Regional Conformity Considerations
• Project would not cause or contribute to a new violation, increase
the frequency or severity of any violation, or delay timely
attainment of the national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS)
established by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
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18. County of Fairfax, Virginia
Noise Analysis
• Project divided into 6 areas of common noise environment (CNE).
• Areas are used to evaluate traffic noise impacts and potential
noise abatement options to residential developments and
communities, as a whole, and to asses the feasibility and
reasonableness of the measures for these communities.
• For Alternatives 1 and 2, without mitigation, 7 noise receptors
impacted.
• Noise Barriers determined to be feasible and reasonable for one
CNE.
• Conclusions are preliminary, because analysis is based upon
conceptual design and topographic information.
• Additional detailed analysis to be conducted during design phase.
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19. County of Fairfax, Virginia
Hazardous Materials
• For Alternatives 1 and 2, two parcels contain facilities with the
potential for hazardous materials/wastes.
– Due to location of these buildings, it is possible for facilities to be
avoided.
• Transcontinental Pipeline
– Alternatives 1 and 2 would cross the easement, four pipelines, and
potentially a mainline valve.
– Uncertain which alternative would have a greater impact at this time.
– Coordination with Williams Gas Company will continue throughout
design and construction phases.
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20. County of Fairfax, Virginia
Hazardous Materials
• Hazardous
Materials Sites
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21. County of Fairfax, Virginia
Water Resources
• Streams
– No Build Alternative would not require alteration of any streams or open
water
– Alternative 1 would impact up to 259 linear feet of tributary to Colvin Run
– Alternative 2 would impact up to 278 linear feet of tributary to Colvin Run
• Wetlands
– No impacts are anticipated for Alternatives 1 or 2.
– Any potential impact would be mitigated with the use of credits from an
approved mitigation bank or payments to the Virginia Aquatic Resources
Trust Fund
• Water Quality
– Potential short term increase in sedimentation and possible spills during
project construction for Alternatives 1 and 2
– Effects would be minimized by erosion and sediment control
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22. County of Fairfax, Virginia
Threatened & Endangered Species
• Only species impacted by Alternatives 1 and 2 is the northern long-
eared bat.
– Tree removal would disturb potential summer roosting habitat for Build Alternatives
– Time of year restrictions may be placed on tree clearing to protect habitat
Common Name Scientific Name Status Habitat
REPTILES
Wood turtle Glyptemys insculpta State Listed Threatened
Forested floodplains, fields, wet
meadows, and farmland, with nearby
streams
MAMMALS
Northern long-eared bat Myotis septentrionalis Federally listed Threatened
Caves and cave-like structures
(hibernacula), forests, trees (roosting and
foraging)
BIRDS
Bald Eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus
Not Listed, Protected by
Bald and Golden Eagle
Protection Act
Nest in tall hardwood trees with open
canopies in close proximity to water
bodies where they forage
Special Status Species Potentially Occurring in Corridor
Source: USFWS, 2016a; VDGIF, 2015; VDOT 2015a
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23. County of Fairfax, Virginia
Indirect Effects
• Noteworthy Indirect Effects
– Water Resources
• Alternatives 1 and 2 have potential temporary indirect impacts during construction
on an unnamed tributary.
• These indirect impacts include increased downstream sedimentation and turbidity
from in-stream work and possible spills and pollutants entering groundwater or
surface water from storm runoff.
– Wildlife and Threatened and Endangered Species
• Indirect impacts to water resources could potentially affect habitat quality for
aquatic species in streams and wetlands downstream of the alternatives.
• Indirect Effects would be avoided, minimized or mitigated
– Water effects would be short-term and minimized by erosion and
sediment control.
– Wildlife effects during construction would be minimized by following
provisions in VDOT’s Road and Bridge Specifications.
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24. County of Fairfax, Virginia
Cumulative Effects
• Defined as the impact on the environment that results from the
incremental impact of the action when added to other past, present,
and reasonably foreseeable future actions regardless of what agency
(federal or non-federal) or person undertakes such other actions.
• Overall Impacts
– No Build Alternative does not contribute adversely, but does not benefit from
reduced congestion, improved accessibility, mobility and multimodal connectivity.
– Alternatives 1 and 2 and No Build are anticipated to have adverse cumulative
effects from past, present and future projects, however, these are largely due to
past actions that occurred prior to current protective environmental regulations.
– In the context of the project, magnitude of effects would not contribute
substantially to cumulative impacts.
– Current regulations and planning practices would help to avoid or minimize
effects.
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25. County of Fairfax, Virginia
Schedule
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26. County of Fairfax, Virginia
Next Steps
• Study team review of public comments.
• Revision of EA, as appropriate, to reflect changes or new
information resulting from comments received on the EA.
• Submission of EA to FHWA, along with a copy of the public
hearing transcript and a request that a decision be made by
FHWA.
• Receipt of decision document from FHWA.
• If a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) is issued,
tentative project timeline:
– Hand off to VDOT – 2018
– Ad Date – 2024
– End Construction – 2026
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27. County of Fairfax, Virginia
Thank you!

28. County of Fairfax, Virginia
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