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01/19/96 14:~7 $50~ 588 6094 MID wILL VAL COG ~~i M C FACIL MGMT f~o0a SAMTD SALEM, OREGON DOWNTOWN TRANSIT CENTER CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION: TECHNiCAL ANALYSlS INTRODUCTION ln response to their long-term office and parking facil'rty needs, Marion County, Oregon is proposing to redevelop the Senator Block (of which the Coun-ty owns 85°10) in downtown Satem, Oregon in a pubiic/private parinership with a deve[oper to be selected by the County. As part of this project, the Sa[em Area Mass Transit District ~SAMTD), the transit property in the SalemlKeiier urban area, has been invited to participate by re(ocat+ng its downtown Salem transit transfer operation one block north of its cun'ent, interim on-street location to a District owned, off- street, semi-enc[osed sp~ce on the ground floor of the nEw building. They woufd also move customer senrice and administrative functions to office space also owned the district {see below) within the structure. ~ We believe tha't the proposed "Courthouse Square° transit project represents an action which complies with the definition cantained in 40 CFR 1508.4 and qualifies as a Class I[ action tf~at does not have a signiftcant environmental effect, satisiying ifie criteria for being determined a Categoricaf Exclusion (CE) pursuant to 23 CFR Sec. 771.117(d) and referenced in the FTA circuiar, "Capitat Program: Grant App[ication Instructions," Chapter 111.6b, page [!f-3. We are providing the fol(owing technical analysis ~o document our assessment of the lack of potential impacts associated with this project. BACKGROUND [n 1995, SAMTD contracted with Nefsort-Nygaard Consulting Associates to analyze the area's transit needs and recommend a iong-term transit service strategy. This study conf[rmed the continued suitability of a"radial-pulse" transit rott#e system currently in place in .the Salem/Keizer urban area. The he~rt of this service system is a~convenient, visible, safe and operaiiona[ly efficient transit transfer center in downtown Salem. In 1978 and 1981, studies underta[cen by the C'rty of Salem identified the Senator Block as the preferred site for a ~entra! transit transfer stafion. In 1983, ifie Ccty of Salem, SATD and Marion County authorited the deveEopment of an interim, on-street uansit facrlity on High Street one block south of the Senator Block. This temporary solution resulted in the vacating of two Ianes (one traveI, one parking) on Wigh Street and the approval for the faci[ity was (imited to 10 years with the understanding that deveEopment of the Senator Block wou[d p~oceed expeditiously. SAMTD was recently granted a three-year time extension for ~the existing transit center. An additional series of public forums was