The upcoming commission meeting regarding the Bureau of Engraving and Printing’s (BEP) facility at the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC) is scheduled for tomorrow, March 2, 2023, at 1 pm. The appointment is to take place online and will be live-streamed for public viewing.
The stream link will be found here at the start of the meeting.
The final plan can be found on pages 23 to 86 of the “Executive Director’s Recommendation.”
Attached is the final agenda and recommendation from the National Capital Planning Commission’s executive director.
Mary Cook
I attended this lengthy meeting yesterday. Although the building, should it be built will not be obtrusive, it architecture does not blend with such natural surroundings. Twenty acres of trees will be razed although the BEP planners assured the National Capital Planning Commission that when the trees are mature (key word) the tree canopy will be larger than what is there now. Of particular concern is the traffic which lead of course to air and noise pollution. More than 1,000 cars will be entering and exiting the facility daily. In the end the commissioners were not convinced that an industrial facility should be in an area zoned agricultural.