Volume 2: Draft Gorst Planned Action Environmental Impact Statement

GORST PLANNED ACTION EIS | AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT, SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS, AND MITIGATION MEASURESGorst UGATelecommunications services in the vicinity of the Gorst UGA are provided on a regional basis. As such, existingservice conditions within the UGA are the same as for the watershed as a whole.ImpactsIMPACTS COMMON TO ALL ALTERNATIVESWatershedNo land use changes are proposed for the Gorst Creek watershed outside the Gorst UGA. Updated stormwater andhabitat regulations in this area are not anticipated to have significant effects on the rate of population growth inthis area or the demand for telecommunication services. Therefore, no significant impacts are anticipated underany of the alternatives.Gorst UGAAs population and employment increases in the Gorst UGA, telecommunication service providers will experienceincreased demand for service. Funding for necessary system improvements or expansions would be generated byuser fees.Alternative 1Under the No Action Alternative, residential, commercial, and industrial growth in the Gorst UGA would continueaccording to adopted land use designations and zoning, bringing an additional 82 residents and 742 jobs to thearea. Growth in the UGA would increase demand for telecommunications services. While the No Action Alternativewould result in the least increase in residential demand, it would increase commercial demand to a greater degreethan either of the Action Alternatives. Compared with the size of the regional customer bases for each of theservice providers, the anticipated growth in the Gorst UGA is relatively small and is unlikely to have any significantimpacts on the regional provision of telecommunication services in Kitsap County.Alternative 2Under Alternative 2, residential and commercial growth in the Gorst UGA would increase in accordance with theproposed land use designations and zoning, bringing an additional 985 residents and 606 jobs to the area. Growthin the UGA would increase demand for telecommunications service. The increased demand could potentiallyrequire additional infrastructure or upgrades to existing infrastructure, particularly in previously undevelopedportions of the UGA, such as the existing mine site. This infrastructure would be upgraded or installed at the timenew development occurs, and connections would be made at the time of customer request.While Alternative 2 would create a higher demand for residential service than the No Action Alternative, it wouldcreate less demand than Alternative 3. Alternative 2 would create greater commercial demand than Alternative 3,but less than then No Action Alternative. Compared with the size of the regional customer bases for each of theservice providers, the anticipated growth in the Gorst UGA is relatively small and is unlikely to have any significantimpacts on the regional provision of telecommunication services in Kitsap County.Alternative 3Under Alternative 3, residential and commercial growth in the Gorst UGA would increase in accordance with theproposed land use designations and zoning, bringing an additional 1,082 residents and 333 jobs to the area.Growth in the UGA would increase demand for telecommunications service. The increased demand couldpotentially require additional infrastructure or upgrades to existing infrastructure, particularly in previouslyundeveloped portions of the UGA, such as the existing mine site. This infrastructure would be upgraded orinstalled at the time new development occurs, and connections would be made at the time of customer request.Draft | June 2013 3-236