Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow, Calif. -- About a dozen people were guided in a two-day workshop on Nov. 19 and 20 in the Environmental Division Conference Room on how to begin the process of assessing the base’s master plan.
The workshop was facilitated by Barry Gordon, chief operating officer of The Urban Collaborative, a limited liability company, in Eugene, Ore. He provided hands-on activities such as site visits and map-making to help personnel develop an overall vision for how they want to see the base improve in the future. Then they can develop strategies for achieving that vision.
According to Marine Corps Order (MCO 11000.12), installations must have Department of Defense Unified Facilities Criteria-compliant plans by Oct. 1, 2018. The National Defense Authorization Acts of 2013 and 2014 require master plans to address sustainability and community-centered development, rather than the helter-skelter and automobile-centered design that characterizes many bases, as depicted in Gordon’s slide presentation. In other words, the idea is to make installations friendlier to people, the environment, and the budget.
The session opened with remarks by the base executive officer, Lt. Col. Tom Favor, who said, “We (MCLBB) have strategic importance for the region. Our main focus is providing world-class facilities for our tenants and the Marine Corps.”
When asked by Gordon what the base’s planning challenges were, he answered, “Our infrastructure is antiquated and we want to retrofit that. We also have the capacity to expand our mission by developing training areas and training opportunities.” Favor added, “We want to maximize our real property.”
Gordon said military facilities have typically been “energy inefficient” on several levels. Not only does poor building design create higher energy costs, but car-centered landscapes create large patches of asphalt, expensive transportation costs for personnel, and a sterile feel to the environment.
The need to keep strategic facilities safe from terrorist attacks should be balanced with the desirability of creating a sense of community, said Gordon. Planning should allow for buildings that can be re-purposed when the mission or need changes. Modifying existing design and adding greenbelts can make a base more pedestrian-friendly and aesthetically appealing. Good design also helps meet energy, waste, and water mandates, particularly with the challenges of climate change. Plus, good master planning can save money.
The session concluded with participants briefing Favor on their assessments of both the Nebo and Yermo Annexes, with maps and sticky notes covering nearly every wall. The last base master plan was completed in 2006. This visioning workshop has given participants and the command the tools necessary to do the hard work of converting their vision into a document to guide planning and development in the future.