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

T.F. Green Airport Improvement ProgramEnvironmental Impact Statement and Final Section 4(f) Evaluation(i)(ii)The ability to mitigate adverse impacts to each Section 4(f) property (including any measures that result inbenefits to the property);The relative severity of the remaining harm, after mitigation, to the protected activities, attributes, orfeatures that qualify each Section 4(f) property for protection;(iii) The relative significance of each Section 4(f) property;(iv) The views of the official(s) with jurisdiction over each Section 4(f) property;(v)The degree to which each alternative meets the purpose and need for the project;(vi) After reasonable mitigation, the magnitude of any adverse impacts to resources not protected bySection 4(f); and(vii) Substantial differences in costs among the alternatives.As documented in this chapter, there are no feasible or prudent avoidance alternatives that avoid all Section 4(f)resources. Impacts to Winslow Park can be mitigated under both Alternatives B2 and B4 through thereplacement of impacted park facilities at a different location. After consulting with representatives from theCity of Warwick, RIAC has selected the Cedar Swamp Road location as the site for the relocated park facilities.Under Alternatives B2 and B4, impacts through demolishing Hangar No. 1 would be the same and cannot beavoided. Alternative B2 would result in the substantial impairment of public access and views to the eligibleairport historic district and the two remaining contributing elements (after the removal of Hangar No. 1).Without Fully Relocated Airport Road, Alternative B4 would not have the same impacts to public access andviews to the eligible airport historic district but would directly impact the landscaping of the Rhode IslandAirport State Terminal, a NRHP-listed property, and block views of it from a public way.The FAA has identified Alternative B4 as the Preferred Alternative. The Preferred Alternative includes allpossible planning to minimize harm (as defined by 23 CFR 774.17) and after balancing all of the differentaspects of the project, there is no “feasible and prudent avoidance alternative,” as defined by 23 CFR 774.17. Afull description of measures to minimize harm is provided in Chapter 6, Mitigation, under each specific elementof the environment. All possible planning means that all reasonable measures identified in the Section 4(f)evaluation to minimize harm or mitigate for adverse impacts and effects must be included in the project.While Alternatives B2 and B4 would meet the Purpose and Need and provide the same aviation andcommunity benefits, the FAA has identified Alternative B4 as the Preferred Alternative because Alternative B2would have substantially greater impacts to community resources (i.e., disruption to community, mandatoryrelocation of businesses, and mandatory relocation of residences), and higher construction costs thanAlternative B4. Alternative B4 would be substantially less disruptive to residential properties and businesses,and would impact fewer wetlands. Alternative B4 would meet the Purpose and Need for the T.F. Green AirportImprovement Program, providing the same aviation and community benefits as Alternative B2; howeversocioeconomic benefits would begin in 2015 with the extended Runway 5-23 coming on line. From aconstructability perspective, Alternative B4 would also be more feasible to construct than Alternative B2Chapter 7 – Final Section 4(f)/Section 6(f) Evaluation 7-23 July 2011\\Mawatr\ev\09228.00\reports\FEIS_Final_July_2011\PVD_CH07_4(f)_JUL_2011.doc