TR Circular E-C058_9th LRT Conference_2003.pdf - Florida ...

542 Transportation Research Circular E-C058: 9th National Light Rail Transit Conference
NEGOTIATION PROCESS
The negotiation process with each of the agencies was a unique experience. Each agency has
different management structures and different rules for the transfer of the land. Learning these
rules was sometimes difficult because the situation was novel, and agency representatives
themselves sometimes struggled with determining what needed to be done.
In all cases, the local representatives of each agency were completely cooperative with
the project and worked hard to make the project possible. This is because the local
representatives could see the value of bringing the LRT alignment and a station directly into their
midst, connecting the base to not only downtown but particularly to the airport. The greatest
challenge came when actions needed to be taken at other locations, either regional or national
offices. In some cases it became necessary to rely heavily on assistance from Congressional staff.
United States Army Reserve
The first priority in working in the federal area was to secure ownership of what was then known
as Building 230. This USAR-owned building was not only situated directly over the proposed
location of the tracks, it was the location of the north portal of the airport tunnel. Construction on
the tunnel was scheduled to begin in April 2001; the building needed to be cleared of its
occupants, cleared of hazardous materials, and demolished before that time. It also needed to be
acquired from the USAR. In order to do this, a property exchange agreement had to be
negotiated with the USAR and either an easement or title needed to be secured by the Council
for the building and surrounding property.
USAR is structured around several Regional Support Commands that oversee the
activities of the wide variety of Reserve units in its geographic area. A Regional Support
Command is somewhat analogous to a division in the active army. The 88th Regional Support
Command (RSC), formerly the 88th Division, has its headquarters at Fort Snelling. From there,
the 88th RSC commands units in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio.
The engineering section of the 88th RSC is responsible for maintaining existing USAR facilities
in this region as well as the development and construction of new facilities and the disposition of
unused facilities and excess property. The point of contact for the USAR was the 88th RSC
Division Engineer.
Negotiations with the USAR had been on going since early 2000. In August 2000, the
basic terms of the agreement were that in exchange for the Building 230 site, the land necessary
for the highway interchange and a small parcel, the Council would temporarily relocate the three
units and construct a new building on the main campus of the USAR.
The property exchange agreement was negotiated with the local division engineer but
approval of the agreement was necessary at several levels. This included the Army Corps of
Engineers in Omaha, USAR Command in Atlanta, the Office of the Army Reserve (OCAR) in
Washington, D.C., and the Department of the Army at the Pentagon. The draft agreement was
finalized in the fall and agreed to by the local authorities. It then began the long process of
gaining approvals through the chain of command. Since this was to be a direct sale, it was also
necessary for two congressional committees to review the agreement. At this point the office of
Congressman Sabo was enlisted to help track the progress of the approvals and the congressional
review. Through regular communication with USAR and prodding from the congressman’s
office, the agreement progressed until finally it reached the Department of the Army.