Volume 2: Draft Gorst Planned Action Environmental Impact Statement

GORST PLANNED ACTION EIS | AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT, SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS, AND MITIGATION MEASURESAdditionally, Action Alternatives 2 and 3 would meet County land use policies that assign the Gorst UGA toBremerton and that promote joint planning with UGAMAs. Action Alternatives 2 and 3 would meet City ofBremerton policies that support subarea planning for different types of centers in the community; the subareaplanning concept allows the City of Bremerton to apply community specific land use and zoning designations.Alternatives 2 and 3 also promote as Gorst as the southern gateway to the City of Bremerton, a concept in the Cityof Bremerton’s Comprehensive Plan. Alternatives 2 and 3 also plan for capital improvements and services to meetcurrent and projected needs of the population, as well as governance transition to Bremerton.Urban Growth AreasAs noted above, all alternatives would meet GMA goals for compact growth in the current UGA boundaries. Byincreasing housing choices and densities on the mine site, Alternatives 2 and 3 would exhibit reasonable measuresto increase growth in current boundaries.Population and Employment EstimatesAlternatives 2 and 3 assume greater population allocations than found in the CPPs. Consistent with County policiesthat would allow for exchanges of population, a portion of the excess population in East and West Bremertoncould be reallocated to Gorst. However, growth allocation modifications may be possible in the upcoming 2014-2016 Comprehensive Plan Update cycle through a regional process with the KRCC.Job growth estimates can be locally determined since there is no formal jobs target, and studying 310 to 1,100jobs, including the “No Action” level of 742 jobs, appears appropriate.SEPAAll alternatives are undergoing review in this Draft EIS as part of the watershed and subarea planning effort. Asallowed in SEPA, Alternatives 2 and 3 would implement a planned action for the Gorst UGA, which wouldstreamline environmental review. Alternative 2 would have a planned action boundary west of the highways onSinclair Inlet while Alternative 3 would have a planned action boundary including the whole Gorst UGA. A draft ofthe planned action ordinance is found in Appendix B Draft Planned Action Ordinance. For more information on theplanned action process, please also see Section 2.5 Study Alternatives: Planned Action.VISION 2040 and Transportation 2040VISION 2040 Framework PoliciesUnder all alternatives, Bremerton would remain a Metropolitan city, and SKIA as a Manufacturing Industrial Centeras designated in VISION 2040. The consistency of the alternatives with VISION 2040’s overarching goals isdescribed below.• Environment: All alternatives would implement shoreline and critical area regulations. Alternatives 2 and 3use a science-based and landscape level approach to identifying areas of protection, restoration, anddevelopment with BMPs to protect water processes and habitat.• Development Patterns: All alternatives encourage development in urban areas, particularly the Gorst UGA,where added commercial and residential growth is anticipated. Public facilities and services will be providedconsistent with analysis in Section 3.12 Public Services of this Draft EIS. The recent installation of sewers willmake urban growth more possible. No changes are proposed to the SKIA UGA which was the subject of itsown plan in 2012. Under all alternatives, densities in the rural area will remain at one unit per five or 10 acres,a rural density that avoids sprawl. The Watershed Characterization & Framework Plan proposed underAlternatives 2 and 3 will help the County and cities make informed choices about the best locations fordevelopment and avoid inappropriate conversion of land.Draft | June 2013 3-256