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

T.F. Green Airport Improvement ProgramEnvironmental Impact Statement and Final Section 4(f) Evaluationbecause it would have the lower construction costs by $85 million. All significant impacts that would occurunder Alternative B4 could be mitigated (see Chapter 6, Mitigation). When compared to Alternative B2,Alternative B4 is preferable for the following reasons:• Alternative B4 would result 80 percent greater economic gains between 2015 and the end of 2020 thanAlternative B2 because of the expedited construction schedule. Potential economic gains for Alternative B4between 2015 and the end of 2020 would total $680 million more for the State of Rhode Island than underAlternative B2.• Alternative B4 would require the acquisition of 97 fewer residential units, all of which are considered“affordable.”• Alternative B4 would impact 26 fewer businesses.• Alternative B4 would impact 250 fewer jobs, including 50 fewer “most threatened” jobs. 516• Alternative B4 would introduce 782 total jobs in the City of Warwick in 2015. (Alternative B2 would notresult in job growth until 2020.)• Alternative B4 would remove 99 fewer housing units and 26 fewer businesses from the tax role preserving$606,476 more in annual City of Warwick property taxes in 2020.• Alternative B4 would preserve the Spring Green Neighborhood because it would not include FullyRelocated Airport Road.• Alternative B4 would expose 102 fewer residential units to roadway traffic noise impacts (when comparedto No-Action noise levels).• Alternative B4 would impact 0.8 fewer acres of wetlands and would not impact Buckeye Brook.• Alternative B4 would cost $77 million less to construct and mitigate for impacts.In this FEIS, the FAA has identified Alternative B4 as the Preferred Alternative and the alternative that wouldresult in the least overall harm. However, the final decision selecting the FAA’s Preferred Alternative will bemade in the Record of Decision (ROD).7.11 Section 6(f) ConsiderationsSection 6(f) of the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965, as amended 16 U.S.C. 4601, et. seq., whichprovides funds for buying or developing public use recreational lands through grants to local and stategovernments, states that property purchased or developed with funds under the Act may not be converted toother than outdoor public recreation uses without approval of the DOI and the NPS:516 Businesses and jobs unlikely to relocate within the City of Warwick due to limited vacant/developable industrial lands.Chapter 7 – Final Section 4(f)/Section 6(f) Evaluation 7-24 July 2011\\Mawatr\ev\09228.00\reports\FEIS_Final_July_2011\PVD_CH07_4(f)_JUL_2011.doc