Volume 2: Draft Gorst Planned Action Environmental Impact Statement

GORST PLANNED ACTION EIS | AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT, SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS, AND MITIGATION MEASURESMitigation MeasuresIncorporated Plan Features• Gorst Alternatives 2 and 3 show County-purchased Open Space/Recreation land along Sinclair Inlet. Theproperty on the south shore could allow for some recreation activities consistent with environmentallimitations. Property on the north shore is inaccessible but provides open space and environmentalprotection.• Kitsap County. The County’s 2012 PROS Plan sets forth strategies, goals, and objectives for development andmanagement of parks, open space, and recreational facilities for a 5-year planning period.ooAcquisition. The County plans to acquire new trails, shoreline, and open space as part of the Parks Plan.One of its highest priorities is a partnership to acquire 7,000 acres known as the Kitsap Forest and BayProject, which would effectively double the County’s current park ownership and allow the County tomeet all of its LOS standards in the next 20+ years with this increase in Open Space. This potentialacquisition is not included in the analysis above because the details have not been finalized and thereforeit is not included in the Parks CFP.Partnerships. In cases where the County has identified a need and has determined they will not be able toprovide adequate capacity to meet demand, they will work to partner with other agencies to meet thedemand. Partner agencies can assist with acquisition, funding upgrades, and providing technical expertise.• City of Bremerton. The City has also developed a PROS Plan that aims to refine and improve its LOS standardsgoing forward. Under this Plan, the City would create LOS standards that are geographically based in order tobetter measure how accessible parks are to residents. If the City adopts this Plan, it should review its LOSstandards in relation to the location of the Gorst UGA to ensure its residents are being adequately served.Applicable Regulations and Commitments• Kitsap County. Impact fees are applied to all new housing developments. Fees could be reassessed to reflectincreased costs of land for park acquisition, or increased impacts within areas of significant intensification suchas the Silverdale or Port Orchard UGAs.Other Potential Mitigation Measures• Kitsap County. The County could adopt updated Base LOS targets that will accommodate the eventualpreferred alternative’s growth in the Gorst UGA through 2035. This would involve changing the Base LOS foropen space, regional parks, community parks, and potentially heritage parks, depending on the adoptedalternative. The County would not need to adjust levels of service for shoreline access or trails.• City of Bremerton. The City could require that master planned developments within the Gorst UGA provideparks and/or open space as part of the development in order to serve the residents of that development andoffset the need for the City to acquire and develop additional facilities.Significant Unavoidable Adverse ImpactsWith the increase in population and urbanization of the Watershed and UGA under any of the alternatives, andparticularly the action alternatives, there would be greater demand for parks, recreational facilities, and programs.To avoid impacts, the County and City could work with other agencies and regularly monitor population growth,service levels, and demand to bring supply and demand into balance; this can be accomplished with regular CFPupdates as appropriate.Neighborhoods surrounding existing, new or expanded parks would experience more activity in the form ofvehicles and pedestrians. Cost for acquiring parks is expected to rise with the increased demand for urban land inthe UGA over time.Draft | June 2013 3-213