07-98
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
OFFICE OF
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
FACILITIES MANAGEMENT
VA FACILITY:
PROJECT NO.:
PROJECT TITLE:
ASSESSED BY:
TRANSPORTATION AND PARKING
IMPACTS
ATTRIBUTES
S M MI N
ALTERATION OF PUBLIC
ALTERATION OF EXISTING
TRANSPORTATION
ON-SITE ROADS OR PARKING
ALTERATION OF FACILITY
CONSTRUCTION OF NEW ROADS
ACCESS ROADS
OR PARKING
ADVERSE
LONG TERM
BENEFICIAL
SHORT TERM
COMMENTS
The medical center is visible from I-95, situated 70 feet higher than Campbell Ave.
Recent improvements to the Campbell Ave. entry have reinforced the visual identification
of this as the main entrance for visitors. Traffic then climbs the grade to the level
areas of the main buildings. The West Spring St. entry serves patients, visitors, and
staff. Its location in the southwest corner of the site allows access to the
visitor/patient parking areas along the west Spring St. edge of the campus and the 2
drop-off areas at buildings 1 and 2. The medical center is easily reached from I-95,
exit 43, one-half mile away. A ring road will function as the main road with patient and
visitor parking located within. This will direct pedestrian traffic to the main entrance
with minimal vehicular conflicts.
The main entrance will be at the northwest corner of Building 2. Limited access will be
provided at the existing building 1 entrance during daytime hours. After-hours access
will be controlled at the emergency room.
Visitor/patient parking are to be located off the main ring road at the west end of
the campus near the new main entrance. The larger of these two areas will accommodate the
bulk of the visitor/patient parking with a small percentage assigned to staff.
The smaller lot adjacent to the emergency room will be for daytime ER use and after-hours
access. Smaller parking areas are planned along the south rim of the ring road
to serve short term needs associated with patient discharging. Staff and employee
parking will continue in the balance of existing spaces and in the expanded north lot.
Although 183 spaces will be constructed as part of this project, the end results will be
a reduction of 200 available parking spaces within the project limits. The VA Parking
Analysis prepared for this project indicates a need of 1,366 spaces. Given the current
capacity, the facility has a deficit of 174 spaces. Considering existing parking spaces
and the permanent loss of 200 spaces to construction, the facility will have a deficit of
361 spaces at project completion. By the year 2005, the facility will need a total of
1322 spaces creating a 330 space deficit.
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