Goddard Official Selects Eastern Alternative for Soil Conservation Service Road as "Preferred" in New Master Plan

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Director A. V. Diaz announced this week that the eastern alternative for realigning Soil Conservation Service Road (SCS) will be designated as "preferred" when the Center submits its proposed Master Plan for federal review and public comment. That action was taken after additional engineering studies were completed and in consultation with local officials and affected communities.

Realigning Soil Conservation Road is the first project scheduled under a new Facilities Master Plan that Goddard plans to submit to the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) in early summer. Once the proposed plan is submitted, local, state and federal agencies, and the public will have an opportunity to review it and provide formal input.

A final decision on realigning SCS Road and specific details of where the road will be built and how it will intersect with other roads will emerge from that NCPC review process and as the SCS project goes through its preliminary and final design stages.

Neighboring communities, interested because SCS is a well-traveled road, had preferred the eastern alignment to the western alternative.

"Since we began the Facility Master Plan effort, we have focused on providing very reliable information to interested stakeholders including employees and neighbors" said Mr. Diaz. "Inputs received from both employees and members of the community along with engineering analysis shows an easterly realignment of the road works best."

In order to ensure clear and effective communication with the external community, GSFC has met regularly with a Community Council that was formed in October 2001 to represent the interests of nearby residents. At the most recent Community Council meeting, held March 21, the members and Director Diaz said that they appreciated the cooperation and effort that has gone into working together over the past several months.