T.F. Green Airport Improvement Program - FEIS Chapters - PVD

T.F. Green Airport Improvement ProgramEnvironmental Impact Statement and Final Section 4(f) Evaluationsubject to the City of Warwick’s zoning regulations. RIAC projects are not subject to local zoning to the extentthat the zoning is inconsistent with the State Guide Plan. For each Alternative, this section provides anevaluation of the amount of residentially zoned land that would be exposed to noise levels of DNL 65 dB andabove as residential uses would be considered incompatible (under federal guidelines) under this level ofnoise. 322 As documented in Chapter 6, Mitigation, the land will be reused in a manner that is reasonably consistentwith local zoning through noise mitigation (sound insulation and land acquisition).No-Action AlternativeTable 5-46 presents the residential zoning district acreage that would be exposed to noise levels of DNL 65 dBand above in 2015, 2020 and 2025 under the No-Action Alternative. Figure 5-23 shows the No-ActionAlternative noise contours for 2015, 2020, and 2025 with generalized zoning.Table 5-46No-Action Alternative: Residential Zoning Districts Exposed to DNL 65 dB and Above2015 2020 2025Zoning District Acres Percent of Total Acres Percent of Total Acres Percent of TotalResidential 1 228 70% 286 72% 387 73%Sources: RIGIS; Field verification by VHB, Inc., 2005; City of Warwick Assessor’s Parcel Data.1 Includes Residence A-7 and A-10 zoning districts.Under the No-Action Alternative, areas that are currently zoned residential, according to the City of Warwick’szoning, would not be compatible with predicted noise levels according to federally defined land use compatibilityregulations for noise levels. 323 Residential zones (specifically, A-7 and A-10 zones) are most affected by the noiselevels of DNL 65 dB and above under the No-Action Alternative representing approximately 70 percent in 2015,72 percent in 2020, and 73 percent in 2025 of all zoning districts within the DNL 65 dB noise contour. Theseimpacted areas should be considered by the City for rezoning to include compatible (non-residential) land usesthat would be consistent with Airport operations.Alternative B2Under Alternative B2, a number of land use changes to the City of Warwick’s current zoning would be needed,including:• By 2015, the RSA enhancements for Runway 16, would require that land currently zoned residential,commercial, and industrial be converted to Airport land.• By 2020, the extension of Runway 5-23, would require that land currently zoned office is converted toAirport land.• The Future Build VLAP (residential acquisition as noise mitigation for noise impacts in 2020) would requirethat land currently zoned residential is converted to Airport land.• The land acquisitions for the FAA-recommended RPZ clearing, would require that land currently zonedresidential and industrial is converted to Airport land.322 FAA Order 1050.1E, Environmental Impacts: Policies and Procedures, March 20, 2006, 11b.1 (8).323 14 CFR Part 150, Airport Noise Compatibility Planning, paragraph 150.7.Chapter 5 - Environmental Consequences 5-65 July 2011\\mawatr\ev\09228.00\reports\FEIS_Final_July_2011\PVD_CH05_Environmental_Cons_JUL_2011.doc