CAMP ZAMA, Japan (June 21, 2019) - Camp Zama's Directorate of Public Works hosted a four-day workshop from June 10 through 13 to discuss the future area development plan for the "Industrial District," comprised of Sagami General Depot and Yokohama North Dock.
Kenneth Estabrook, the chief Sagami sub-facilities engineer for DPW, said the main purpose of the area development plan workshop was to capture the information while DPW works and discusses collectively with the Garrison team, contractors and tenant organizations, and to "put ideas to paper" for the future plan.
Estabrook conducted a site survey tour on Sagami General Depot and showed the participants around the installation while providing knowledge of the facilities, buildings and future missions there.
It was critical to bring the customers in to allow them to see the current conditions and to welcome their input for the future planning process, Estabrook said.
"It was the perfect opportunity for [DPW] to not only work on our needs and what we think the future will be, but also bring our customers into it," said Estabrook.
Daniel Raymond, a facility engineer for Sagami Depot and North Dock, said some of the older facilities on both installations were built as early as the 1940s, and building code requirements were not the same as they are for modern facilities, including safety functions, power distribution and mission requirements.
The workshop allowed the organizations involved to plan for the future, which will in turn allow them to make improvements to the installations, Raymond said.
Navy Lt. Cmdr. Dirk Sonnenberg, assigned to the Military Sealift Command Ship Support Unit-Japan, briefed USAG Japan leadership on which projects should be prioritized on North Dock, based on his unit's day-to-day experiences.
"[This workshop] is a good opportunity for the Navy to have its voice and be heard, and to look for what we can do to improve the quality of life and the quality of the facilities," said Sonnenberg.
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