Notice of Public Hearing for a Joint Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report for Disposal and Reuse of Marine Corps Air Station, Tustin, CA

The Draft EIS/EIR has been distributed to various Federal, state, and local agencies, as well as other interested individuals and organizations. In addition, copies of the Draft EIS/EIR have been distributed to the following libraries for public review: Tustin Library, 345 E. Main Street, Tustin, CA; Heritage Park Regional Library, 14361 Yale Avenue, Irvine, CA; and the University of California, Irvine, Government Information Department, Main Library, contact: Yvonne Wilson, (949) 824-7362. Additional copies may be requested by contacting Mr. Dana Ogdon at (714) 573-3116. The federal action evaluated in the Draft EIS/EIR is the disposal and reuse of approximately 1585 acres, MCAS Tustin property which has been declared surplus. An approximate 17-acre parcel of MCAS Tustin was not declared surplus and will remain in federal ownership as an Army Reserve Center. Under NEPA and Defense Base Closure and Realignment Act (DBCRA), the DON has two disposal options for MCAS Tustin; no action or disposal of the surplus 1585 acres. Under the No Action Alternative, DON would retain ownership of the surplus federal property. DON properties have been closed, all mission- related activities have ceased, and all buildings are vacant. Site environmental cleanup would continue until completed. This caretaker condition would remain indefinitely. The local action is the reuse of MCAS Tustin under an economically viable and balanced reuse plan that will provide housing and employment opportunities, solve existing community circulation and recreation parkland deficiencies, and generate sufficient revenue to support the investment in infrastructure required for reuse of the site. The City of Tustin, acting as the Local Redevelopment Authority (LRA), included the Army Reserve Center and a privately-owned parcel within the boundaries of the reuse plan in order to provide zoning and general plan designations. Therefore, the local action includes approximately 1602 acres, which includes 95 acres within the City of Irvine. The City of Tustin, as the local lead agency may certify the EIS/ EIR to implement a civilian reuse plan, i.e., amend the City of Tustin General Plan, amend its Zoning Ordinance, and adopt a Specific Plan and other discretionary actions. The City of Irvine has assigned lead agency responsibility for the preparation of the EIS/EIR to the City of Tustin as it affects MCAS Tustin property in Irvine. Under CEQA statute, the City of Irvine is considered a responsible agency, and may certify the EIS/EIR to adopt similar discretionary actions needed to implement the Reuse Plan for MCAS Tustin property located within Irvine's jurisdictional boundary. Federal disposal would precede implementation of the reuse alternatives. Three reuse alternatives are evaluated in detail in the Draft EIS/EIR: LRA Reuse Alternative; Arterial Grid Pattern/No Core/ High Residential; and Arterial Loop Pattern/Reserve Area/Low Residential. The LRA Reuse Alternative would result in a maximum of 4,601 dwelling units; Transitional/Emergency Housing for the homeless; an Urban Regional Park developed around the northern blimp hangar; a large Community Core developed with mixed uses; and specialized educational, social service, and law enforcement facilities within a Learning Village; and a Golf Village with hotel and ancillary retail uses. It would permit reuse of some of the recreational facilities and 1537 housing units. Approximately 11.4 million square feet of non- residential uses such as commercial business, light industrial, public and recreation uses (approximately 2.2 million feet is existing floor area on the base and 9.2 million square feet is potential new floor area) would be developed. Both of the blimp hangars could be reused, if financially feasible. The project also will include the extension of major arterials through the base including Tustin Ranch Road to Von Karman, Warner Avenue from Red Hill Avenue to west of Jamboree Road and creation of a secondary interior loop roadway and local roadways to facilitate local circulation. The Arterial Grid Pattern/No Core/High Residential would result in a maximum of 6205 dwelling units; approximately 9.2 million square feet of commercial and business uses, Village Mixed-Uses, and Public Institutional/Commercial functions (approximately 1.5 million square feet is existing floor area and 7.7 million square feet is potential new floor area). A large Cultural Center would be developed and the northern blimp hangar would be incorporated, if financially feasible, and be reused to support regional cultural activities in the form of special events center, museum, or other permitted uses. The southern blimp hangar would be demolished. The project also will include the extension of major arterials through the base including Tustin Ranch Road to Von Karman, Warner Avenue from Red Hill Avenue to west of Jamboree Road and creation of a secondary arterial grid pattern road network to facilitate local circulation. The Arterial Loop Pattern/Reserve Area/Low Residential would result in a maximum of 4340 dwelling units, approximately 10.9 million square feet of commercial, institutional, and

recreational uses (approximately 1.5 million square feet is existing floor area and 9.4 million square feet is potential new floor area). A large Cultural Center would be developed and would incorporate the northern blimp hangar, if financially feasible. It would also include a Reserve Area for residential, commercial/business, and institutional uses in large-scale development. A large golf course would also be developed. The project also will include the extension of major arterials through the base including Tustin Ranch Road to Von Karman, Warner Avenue from Red Hill Avenue to west of Jamboree Road and creation of a secondary interior loop roadway and local roadways to facilitate local circulation. The Draft EIS/EIR analyses potential environmental impacts relating to land use; socioeconomics; utilities; public services and facilities; aesthetics; cultural and paleontological resources; biological resources; agricultural resources; soils and geology; water resources; hazardous wastes, substances, and materials; traffic/circulation; air quality; and noise. Potentially significant and not mitigable impacts associated with the three reuse alternatives are related to conversion of Farmland, elimination of two historic districts, demolition of historic blimp hangars (possibly one or both hangars), air quality emissions, and traffic/circulation. The Marine Corps and the City of Tustin will conduct a public hearing on Thursday, August 11, at 7:00 p.m. for those individuals who would like to provide written or oral comments on the Draft EIS/EIR. A brief presentation will precede a request for public information and comments. Marine Corps and City representatives will be available at the hearing to receive information and comments regarding environmental issues of concern. Federal, state, and local agencies and interested parties are invited and urged to be present or represented at the hearing. Oral statements will be heard and transcribed by a stenographer. To assure accuracy of the record, all comments should also be submitted in writing. In the interest of time and to ensure all who wish to give an oral statement have the opportunity to do so, speakers are requested to limit their comments to three minutes. If longer statements are to be presented, they should be summarized at the public hearing and submitted in writing either at the hearing or mailed or faxed to Mr. Dana Ogdon, Senior Project Manager, City of Tustin, 300 Centennial Way, Tustin, California 92780, telephone (714) 573-3116, fax (714) 573-3113. Written comments must be postmarked by August 22, 1999. All comments, both oral and written, will become part of the public record in the EIS/EIR.

Dated: July 16, 1999. Ralph W. Corey, Commander, Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Navy, Alternate Federal Register Liaison Officer. [FR Doc. 99-19090 Filed 7-26-99; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3810-FF-P