Not since World War II has Fort Meade had an expansion such as the upcoming Base Realignment and Closure, which is slated to bring 22,000 jobs to the Odenton installation. The Examiner sat down with Army Col. Kenneth McCreedy, Fort Meade?s commander, to talk about BRAC and the fort?s future.
Q: Experts and officials have said that transportation is the biggest issue facing Fort Meade?s BRAC influx. What role does the fort face?
A: In the last BRAC of 1988, Fort Meade was on the negative side of the balance sheet.Now, Fort Meade stands to have some significant gains. It?s like I?m a city manager of 30,000 to 50,000 people. What [Gov. Martin] O?Malley and [Anne Arundel County Executive John R.] Leopold do on a daily basis, so do I.
Let?s face it , the jobs are going to be here before the roads are able to handle them. That?s why we need to look at transit as a solution. We?re going to give land to build a bus center and look at ways to shuttle employees.
The [National Security Agency] has a successful vanpool and carpool program, and we need to emulate that.
I?m very bullish on opportunities for mass transit. When I used to take the MARC train into Washington, I noticed full trains going in and empty trains going to Baltimore. It seems the Washington and Baltimore transit systems work in isolation. BRAC likely will bridge the two, and that?s going to be a big challenge for state planners.
Q: What role does Fort Meade play in the Army?s operations?
A: When the 1988 BRAC gave 9,000 acres of Fort Meade property to the Department of Interior, which is now the Patuxent Wildlife Refuge, that changed the fort?s role from no longer being home to the frontline soldier. We are now an integral part of national intelligence. Fort Meade now specializes in combat support. It?s part of the Army?s approach. And we?re a joint installation with the Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard all working here.
Q: Concerns have been raised about the Trammell Crow Co., which is developing fort property, having the advantage of not paying taxes or infrastructure fees. What is being done to quell those concerns?
A: Fort Meade will provide the vast majority of services for which the county normally charges fees or assessments, including building permits, electrical permits, mechanical permits, gas permits, plumbing permits, grading permits, water and sewer, and fire and law enforcement. The [enhanced-use lease] developer will pay Anne Arundel County for any services it does receive from the county and state. Fort Meade will be compensated for the value of the land and services we are providing in the form of services in kind from the developer; this payment to the fort will ensure that the developer builds and leases at market-based rates. Fort Meade has been ? and will continue to be ? a solid partner in Anne Arundel County, and it will make a significant contribution to the community by supporting Anne Arundel County schools and the county?s public safety, social services and infrastructure.
Q: The Army?s final environmental report raised concerns about the environmental impact of construction, including the loss of trees and addition of impervious surface. What steps will the Army take to make the BRAC expansion as environmentally sound as possible?
A: It is important to first understand that an environmental-impact statement by design is written as a worst-case scenario. The [report] specifically states that 230 acres of land could be affected by the preferred alternative. Since construction is not planned on every acre of buildable land in the sites and because we would not want to clear-cut timber at any rate, a significant number of trees on these 230 acres will be preserved. It is inevitable in any construction, however, that some trees will be lost. The installation has a policy of replanting 20 percent of these trees. If the trees cannot be replaced on site, then trees will be planted in another area on post. The Army takes every possible step to minimize, avoid or compensate for any adverse effects identified in the environmental-impact statement. All practical means to avoid or reduce environmental harm … have been adopted.
Q: Thousands of contractors will come to the fort due to BRAC. Will there be issues regarding security clearance?
A: It is a major concern of the incoming workforce. There?s a high percentage of people requesting clearance and can?t get it because they don?t meet the qualifications. The state education system, as well as institutions such as Anne Arundel Community College, are really engaging their student body about the importance of character and action as critical factors in getting security clearance. We have to make sure they are helping future employees with getting the right qualifications.
Q: What role does ? or should ? the community play in BRAC at Fort Meade in terms of support, impact and input?
A The whole process of the environmental-impact study afforded the community multiple opportunities to be informed, to submit questions, to make statements and to have input into impacts that growth might bring to the area. The process lasted for well over a year with several public meetings held for community engagement. Fort Meade is an active partner with the state, local jurisdictions and community organizations in preparing for BRAC growth ? serving on task forces, conducting meetings and providing public information. We will continue to engage the community in an effort to find more opportunities to partner.
Q: What do you think are some important factors in Fort Meade?s preparation for BRAC?
A: I think a pivotal issue is education. It?s an exciting time regionally, and now is the time to come up with better solutions to prepare local students. Finding ways to increase studies in languages, math, science and technology in the region will give students a better chance to get the jobs BRAC will bring. I?m encouraged so far by the discussions.
BRAC plan to be presented to governor today
Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown today will present to Gov. Martin O?Malley the finalized report on how the state will handle Base Realignment and Closure at Fort Meade and Aberdeen Proving Ground. BRAC is expected to bring thousands of jobs and new residents, as well as traffic and strain on public infrastructure. The report lays out planning methods, transportation projects and other initiatives such as teaching students how to gain security clearance.
