Military installations and state and local governments should coordinate efforts to maintain or expand the infrastructure
needed to keep communities vibrant and competitive. Without adequate transportation systems, telecommunications networks,
power and energy infrastructure, and water systems, a community risks losing the ability to sustain a strong economy, attract
military-related support businesses, and provide the amenities that contribute to a good quality of life for its citizens.
The below examples describe how communities and military installations can work together to maintain the infrastructure needed
to support military readiness, as well as the surrounding community.
Relevant Compatibility Factors: Extensions Road Capacity/Congestion, Infrastructure and Capacity, Energy Development, Financing Tools
Best Practices in Maryland
- St. Mary's County Grant Award from the OLDCC Defense Community Infrastructure Program (DCIP)
- MD 355 Crossing (BRAC): Bethesda/Montgomery Co.
- Fort Detrick Microgrid as a Service (MaaS) Public-Private Partnership (P3)
The St. Mary's County Departments of Economic Development and Public Works and Transportation collaborated with NAS Patuxent
River to develop and submit a grant proposal for OLDCC's
Defense Community Infrastructure (DCIP) Program. This grant application illustrates that DCIP is designed to address
not only deficiencies in community infrastructure, but also supports a military installation by enhancing its value,
resilience, and quality of life for military families.
St. Mary's DCIP grant request focuses on infrastructure improvements to address pedestrian safety near base entrances. OLDCC
awarded the county $395,118 to extend a sidewalk that links Gate 2 to an existing sidewalk and build a signaled crosswalk
across Route 235 at Gate 1. These improvements allow safe foot and bicycle access to the base and the Lexington Park
commercial district. The Lexington Park commercial district provides base personnel with convenient access to restaurants
and other businesses within walking distance. The DCIP grant award is matched with $169,336 in county funds.
OLDCC publishes and hosts resources and guidance for communities looking to pursue the funding opportunity, including a FAQ
document, pre-proposal webinars, and
funding fact sheets. Interested communities are encouraged to review the
DCIP website for additional information on funding timelines and eligibility. There is also information on several
additional grant opportunities offered by OLDCC located in the
Federal Agency tab.
Read the 2021 St. Mary's County News Release for the DCIP Award.
Read the St. Mary's County DCIP Award Case Study
The 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) consolidated Walter Reed Medical Center and National Naval Medical Center into
Naval Support Activity Bethesda (NSAB). This increased personnel by 45% and doubled the number of campus visits to one
million annually. Consequently, pedestrian crossings at Rockville Pike rose from 3,000 to 7,000 each day, exacerbating
traffic congestion and safety concerns.
To alleviate problems, the Maryland Department of Transportation and the Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT)
initiated a multi-year project to enhance capacity and access to the Medical Center Metro station and improve pedestrian
and bicycle safety across MD 355/Rockville Pike at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Walter Reed National Military
Medical Center (WRNMMC). The project also improved the MD 355 and Jones Bridge Road intersection. More than 95% of project
costs were funded by the federal government, including funds acquired through the DoD budgeted Defense Access Roads program
and numerous awards from OLDCC for transportation projects at BRAC-impacted military medical facilities. The Maryland
Department of Transportation's State Highway Administration also financially supported the MD 355/Jones Bridge Road improvements,
bringing the overall funding to more than $102 million.
While MCDOT funded the environmental assessment and led project design and construction, many other agencies were involved,
including the Department of Defense/U.S. Navy, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, National Institute of Health,
Federal Highway Administration, Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration, and WMATA.
Improvements were completed in 2020 and details on project completion can be found in this press release. The project demonstrates how extensive collaboration and cooperation between agencies can successfully
identify needs, develop solutions, and improve safety and quality of life.
In 2008, Fort Detrick formed a Public Private Partnership (P3) using a Microgrids-as-a-Service (MaaS) approach to construct
a five-phase, energy microgrid to serve the base. MaaS is a financing mechanism that enables organizations to deploy
energy microgrids without major upfront investments. MaaS providers arrange project financing and operation and maintenance
agreements to make microgrid deployment a more affordable solution. At Fort Detrick, the P3 partner secured a $105M,
25-year bond for the initial development phase, allowing construction costs to be transferred from a slow and unwieldy
Military Construction (MILCON) program to the private sector. The P3 partner provided microgrid build-out and operations
in exchange for
Enhanced Use Leasing (EUL). EULs allow a P3 partner to lease underutilized base property with rent paid in the form
of cash or in-kind services. Together, these approaches relieved Fort Detrick of operating duties and associated risks.
The energy microgrid allows Fort Detrick to decouple from the electric grid and the natural gas distribution system and run
72 hours without fuel replenishment. Decoupling also improves resiliency and helps prevent cyber-attacks and other threats
on base infrastructure. In 2017, all five phases were completed with each timed to coincide with new laboratory construction.
The microgrid configuration and MaaS approach freed up an additional 15% of building area at Fort Detrick for laboratory
space, instead of equipment such as boilers, chillers, and backup generators. More information on the use of P3, MaaS,
and EULs is in the ADC publication Beyond the Fence Line: Strengthening Military Capabilities Through Energy Resilience
Partnerships."
