Land Port of Entry Facility Site Design

Fuss & O’Neill was contracted by the Department of Homeland Security, Custom and Border Patrol office for a design/build project that included replacement of an existing Land Port of Entry (LPOE) facility and construction of a new, state-of-the-art micro-port facility. The existing LPOE was a double-wide trailer along a narrow gravel roadway nestled between River de Chute and a steep hillside rising 70 feet to a ridge where an existing residence was located. It encompassed approximately 1/3 of an acre of the 8.5-acre parcel on which it sat. The existing residential driveway crossed the federal property through an easement, and relocation off-property was not feasible.

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Solutions

The typical LPOE footprint was too large for this site due to the steep terrain and adjacent residence, so we evaluated numerous alternatives and developed intricate grading to minimize the footprint of the building, site, and roadway. This allowed for design of a relocated gravel driveway with a retaining wall to maintain access to the residence and to accommodate field equipment owned and operated by the property owner.
The new site construction disturbed more than two acres of the parcel and required detailed stormwater treatment design to meet state regulations and LEED criteria. To provide suitable treatment within the limited project site adjacent to a primary natural resource, we designed an infiltration basin and subsurface soil amendments to treat stormwater prior to discharge to the river. To minimize impacts and maintain all existing operations throughout the duration of construction, we provided construction phasing of improvements. Construction had to begin before northern Maine weather conditions became an obstacle, so we performed our work under an expedited schedule.

Practice Areas Involved

Collaboration

We worked with lead architect Design Group Collaborative (DGC) and general contractor Sheridan Corporation. We met with the property owners to review proposed work, impacts during construction, and negotiate the improvements. This project included design team meetings in Washington D.C. to collaborate with government stakeholders and to negotiate between competing interests of security and LEED certification.

Outcome

This 4,400 ft2 LPOE facility includes work areas, inspection and detention facilities, a primary inspection sallyport, and a government garage. Alternative energy sources include ground-source heat pumps and evacuated tube solar hot water. This project received LEED Silver Certification, exceeding expectations.