Volume 2: Draft Gorst Planned Action Environmental Impact Statement

GORST PLANNED ACTION EIS | AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT, SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS, AND MITIGATION MEASURESLand Use CompatibilityAs described in Chapter 2.0 Alternatives, Alternative 2 would apply new land use designations to the Gorst UGA.Similar to the No Action Alternative, most of the central and southern portions of the UGA would be designated forcommercial development, as well as those parcels adjacent to SR 3 in the northeastern corner of the UGA. Asdescribed under the No Action Alternative, much of the central and southern portions of the Gorst UGA arecurrently occupied by residential development, despite the applied commercial zoning. Continued designation ofthese areas for commercial development could result in localized land use incompatibilities as the area transitions.These incompatibilities would primarily consist of commercial development located adjacent to previously existingresidences as infill development of vacant parcels, lot consolidation for commercial development, andredevelopment of individual residences occurred.In limited circumstances where existing residences are adjacent to an industrial use, redevelopment of theindustrial property for commercial use could potentially result in greater compatibility compared to currentconditions. New commercial development under Alternative 2 would include the application of landscaping,streetscape improvements, and design guidelines, thereby reducing incompatibilities with adjacent residentialuses. Transitions such as this are most likely to occur near the mine site once it is reclaimed and redeveloped forMedium Density Residential, as well as in the residential neighborhood south of SR 16.Alternative 3Land Use PatternsUnder Alternative 3, the Gorst Watershed Plan would be adopted, and new low-impact development andstormwater standards would be applied throughout the watershed, though no significant changes to land usepatterns are anticipated outside the Gorst UGA. Within the Gorst UGA, new land use designations and associatedzoning would be applied as shown in Figure 2-8 Gorst UGA Land Use: Alternative 3 in Section 2.5 StudyAlternatives. Under Alternative 3, the land use pattern in the Gorst UGA would shift toward a focus on mixed usesand a balance between residences, commercial development, recreation, and the natural environment.Alternative 3 would result in relatively subtle changes to the overall land use pattern of the Gorst UGA. Becausethe proposed land use designations would allow for a broader range of uses to be intermixed than is allowedunder current zoning, the Gorst UGA is unlikely to experience the large-scale conversion of residential propertiesto commercial use, which is anticipated under both Alternatives 1 and 2. Industrial properties in the central andsouthern portions of the UGA, however, are still anticipated to gradually convert to commercial, office, residential,or a mix of these uses in accordance with the proposed Gorst Mixed Use designation. Properties along the SinclairInlet waterfront would also be redeveloped over time, replacing industrial and high-intensity commercial uses withlower-intensity uses featuring reduced impervious cover and integrated shoreline habitat and recreation features.Similar to Alternative 2, the existing mine site in the northern portion of the UGA would be reclaimed andredeveloped. Under Alternative 3, this area would be converted to neighborhood-scale mixed use developmentfeaturing low and medium-density housing, as well as small commercial uses designed to serve local residences.Land Use CompatibilitySimilar to Alternatives 1 and 2, localized incompatibilities could potentially arise as the Gorst UGA transitions fromthe current land use pattern to the proposed land use designations. Commercial development occurring underAlternative 3 would be designed for a mixed-use environment with associated design guidelines, thereby reducingthe potential for incompatibilities with existing residential development or other sensitive uses. Similar toAlternative 2, existing incompatibilities could potentially be alleviated as industrial properties adjacent toresidences are redeveloped to more compatible uses, such as low-intensity commercial, office, or multi-familyresidential.Draft | June 2013 3-108