Volume 2: Draft Gorst Planned Action Environmental Impact Statement

GORST PLANNED ACTION EIS | SUMMARYTopic Alternative 1 Alternative 2 Alternative 3residential uses would bedisplaced by more intenselydeveloped commercial usesof a substantially differentcharacter.existing low-density residentialuses would be converted tomore intense commercialdevelopment, and the mine sitewould be converted from itspresent resource extraction useto a residential neighborhood.New Gorst Subarea Plan policiesand urban design conceptswould result in new designguidelines that mitigate manyof the negative aestheticqualities frequently associatedwith the Gorst UGA.out, and the overall positiveeffect of new design policiesand concepts.Within mixed use areas, thegreater amount ofresidential may ease someof the potential transitionconflicts in currentlyresidential areas.The Low IntensityWaterfront zone wouldhave the effect oftransitioning this area fromits current condition to onemore characterized by lowimpact commercialdevelopment with lessimpervious area, greatershoreline setbacks, morevegetation, and more publicaccess.Building Height, Bulk, andScale: Gorst UGAIn those areas of existinglow density residential orundeveloped land that areidentified for commercialand mixed uses, thepotential exists for negativeimpacts related to buildingheight, bulk, and scale asthese areas transition fromresidential to commercialduring the course of theplan horizon.Similar to Alternative 1, someconflicts of scale may occur asareas currently occupied bylow-density residential usestransition to more intenselydeveloped commercial uses.Subarea Plan policies anddesign concepts should mitigatemuch of this conflict byencouraging a more consistentbuilding-street relationship andavoiding the often haphazardnature of development thatcurrently characterizes much ofthe UGA.Similar to Alternative 2.Views: Gorst UGAViews of Sinclair Inlet maybe negatively affected aswaterfront areas are moreintensely developed withcommercial and industrialuses. Given the extent ofdevelopment alreadypresent, however, theseimpacts are not expected tobe significant.Similar to Alternative 1 somelocalized view impacts mayoccur as sites develop;however, these impacts are notexpected to be significant.Development of the mine siteas a residential neighborhoodwould have positive (for newsite users) and negative (due toclearing) view impacts.Similar to Alternative 2.Cultural ResourcesConstruction, Operations,Indirect, and CumulativeImpacts: Gorst UGADevelopment andassociated constructionactivities would result inground disturbance within41 net developable acres,New development on currentlyundeveloped parcels has thepotential to impact significantcultural resources on up to 70net developable acres, which isThe area of net developableland identified forAlternative 3 isapproximately 69 acres,roughly the same as underDraft | June 2013 1-17