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Expansion and Upgrade of Port Alsworth Visitor Contact and Maintenance Facilities
Lake Clark National Park & Preserve » Expansion and Upgrade of Port Alsworth Visitor Contact and Maintenance Facilities » Document List
The National Park Service (NPS) is considering facility improvements at the Lake Clark field headquarters site in Lake Clark National Park and Preserve. The proposed project would entail expansion and upgrade of the visitor contact and maintenance facilities at the developed �airstrip� administrative site adjacent to the airstrip in Port Alsworth. The maintenance function would be transferred from the existing maintenance shop to the existing visitor center/hangar. Visitor contact functions would be transferred from the existing visitor center/hangar to the existing maintenance shop. The existing visitor center/hangar footprint would be expanded to approximately double its present size. The interiors of both buildings would be renovated and upgraded to better serve their new functions.
In addition, the park�s incinerator would be moved from its current location near the access road and airstrip to a new building to be constructed in the present storage yard. A new warehouse would be constructed in the storage yard. The cleared area that constitutes the storage yard would be expanded to replace the outdoor storage space that would become occupied by the two new buildings and to provide sufficient storage and staging areas for boats, vehicles and materials. The entire storage yard would be fenced. Utility work related to these improvements would include providing water, sewer and fuel service to the new maintenance building and new visitor center. An underground fuel line would be installed for the existing warehouse. Fuel service to the new warehouse and the new incinerator would be provided from a new, shared 500-gallon double-wall aboveground tank with new underground piping to each building. Underground electrical service would be installed for the new incinerator building and new warehouse.
The purpose of this proposed project is to (1) improve the park�s visitor contact facilities to allow greater visitor satisfaction and (2) improve the park�s maintenance facilities to better accommodate the growing needs of park programs and satisfy regulatory health and safety requirements.
The proposed improvements are needed for several reasons. The current visitor contact room in the existing visitor center/hangar building is unfinished, poorly lit and crowded. It can only accommodate a few visitors at a time and there is no room for visitor groups to sit and rest. The visitor center has inadequate storage space available for collections, visitor contact information and library materials. Presently, no public restroom is available for visitors within the visitor center/hangar building. Visitors must walk uphill approximately 50 yards to use a single outhouse with no running water. No meeting space is available for interpreters to serve school groups that visit the park. Interpreters have no office space to assemble and store interpretive programs and displays. Collections of cultural resource materials cannot be safely stored in a secure area, risking the rapid deterioration of valuable items. Lack of proper collections storage at the park limits future on-site collections, as they must be transported to safe storage locations off-site. The park has no finished, large meeting space with a public restroom to hold public meetings and gatherings within the headquarters area.
The existing maintenance shop does not comply with current building utility codes and OSHA regulations regarding workplace safety. Maintenance employees have no restroom or safety shower facilities in the shop. The existing workspace and storage areas are inadequate to accommodate the minimal requirements of park facility operation and maintenance programs. The incinerator facility is located in close proximity to the airstrip and access road. Due to crowding, bags of recyclable materials are stored outside of the incinerator building, creating an unsightly distraction for park visitors who walk the area footpaths.
In addition, the park�s incinerator would be moved from its current location near the access road and airstrip to a new building to be constructed in the present storage yard. A new warehouse would be constructed in the storage yard. The cleared area that constitutes the storage yard would be expanded to replace the outdoor storage space that would become occupied by the two new buildings and to provide sufficient storage and staging areas for boats, vehicles and materials. The entire storage yard would be fenced. Utility work related to these improvements would include providing water, sewer and fuel service to the new maintenance building and new visitor center. An underground fuel line would be installed for the existing warehouse. Fuel service to the new warehouse and the new incinerator would be provided from a new, shared 500-gallon double-wall aboveground tank with new underground piping to each building. Underground electrical service would be installed for the new incinerator building and new warehouse.
The purpose of this proposed project is to (1) improve the park�s visitor contact facilities to allow greater visitor satisfaction and (2) improve the park�s maintenance facilities to better accommodate the growing needs of park programs and satisfy regulatory health and safety requirements.
The proposed improvements are needed for several reasons. The current visitor contact room in the existing visitor center/hangar building is unfinished, poorly lit and crowded. It can only accommodate a few visitors at a time and there is no room for visitor groups to sit and rest. The visitor center has inadequate storage space available for collections, visitor contact information and library materials. Presently, no public restroom is available for visitors within the visitor center/hangar building. Visitors must walk uphill approximately 50 yards to use a single outhouse with no running water. No meeting space is available for interpreters to serve school groups that visit the park. Interpreters have no office space to assemble and store interpretive programs and displays. Collections of cultural resource materials cannot be safely stored in a secure area, risking the rapid deterioration of valuable items. Lack of proper collections storage at the park limits future on-site collections, as they must be transported to safe storage locations off-site. The park has no finished, large meeting space with a public restroom to hold public meetings and gatherings within the headquarters area.
The existing maintenance shop does not comply with current building utility codes and OSHA regulations regarding workplace safety. Maintenance employees have no restroom or safety shower facilities in the shop. The existing workspace and storage areas are inadequate to accommodate the minimal requirements of park facility operation and maintenance programs. The incinerator facility is located in close proximity to the airstrip and access road. Due to crowding, bags of recyclable materials are stored outside of the incinerator building, creating an unsightly distraction for park visitors who walk the area footpaths.