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

T.F. Green Airport Improvement ProgramEnvironmental Impact Statement and Final Section 4(f) EvaluationUnder Alternative B4, areas that are currently zoned residential would not be compatible with predicted noise levelsaccording to federally defined land use compatibility regulations for noise levels. 325 Table 5-48 presents the residentialacreage in the district that would be exposed to noise levels of DNL 65 dB and above for Alternative B4 in 2015, 2020,and 2025 compared to the No-Action Alternative. Figures 5-25 and 5-26 show the Alternative B4 noise contoursfor 2015, and for 2020 and 2025 with generalized zoning, respectively.Table 5-48Alternative B4: Residential Zoning Districts Exposed to DNL 65 dB and Above (acres)No-Action Alternative Alternative B4 Change (%)Zoning District 2015 2020 2025 2015 2020 2025 2015 2020 2025Residential 1 228 286 387 274 323 396 20% 13% 2%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 Alternative B4 in 2015, there would be an increase of 46 acres, or 20 percent, of residentially zoned landthat would be exposed to noise levels of DNL 65 dB and above when compared to the No-Action Alternative.This increase is partially due to the timing of residential land acquisitions beginning in 2015 (through 2020) and,therefore, are not removed from the zoning districts in 2015. Alternative B4 would result in an increase of37 acres representing a 13 percent increase in 2020 and, in 2025, Alternative B4 would result in an increase ofnine acres representing a two percent increase of residentially zoned land that would be exposed to noise levelsof DNL 65 dB and above when compared to the No-Action Alternative. Alternative B4 would change theexisting land use by introducing a non-compatible use (airport operations) within residential areas. The amountof incompatible land (zoned residential) is reduced in 2020 and 2025 due to the land acquisitions for noisemitigation. It is anticipated that this land will be made reasonably consistent with local zoning throughimplementation of RIAC’s Part 150 NCP, including sound insulation and land acquisition for project-relatednoise mitigation, as documented in Chapter 6, Mitigation.5.4.6 Temporary Impacts from Short-Term Construction ActivitiesImpacts to land use due to construction activities for the Improvement Program would be temporary and wouldbe associated with construction staging areas and road closures or relocations. Construction activities associatedwith the Alternatives B2 and B4 would be concentrated predominantly in areas that are currently residential, withsome commercial and industrial land located north and south of the Airport at the Runway 5-23 Ends due toextending Runway 5-23 to the north and relocating Airport Road (under Alternative B2), or due to extendingRunway 5-23 to the south and realigning Main Avenue (under Alternative B4). For construction of Alternative B2,acquisition and relocation of mostly commercial properties located at the Runway 16 End would be required by2015 for construction of the safety enhancements. Also under Alternative B2, 67 residential units and fourbusinesses would occur be acquired and relocated over multiple years (between 2015 and 2020), which wouldcause community disruption during this time. Additionally, there would be some disruption to businessesnorth of the Airport related to partial land acquisitions due to construction of Partially Relocated Airport Roadunder Alternative B2.325 CFR Part 150, Airport Noise Compatibility Planning, 14 CFR, definitions, paragraph 150.7.Chapter 5 - Environmental Consequences 5-67 July 2011\\mawatr\ev\09228.00\reports\FEIS_Final_July_2011\PVD_CH05_Environmental_Cons_JUL_2011.doc