Volume 2: Draft Gorst Planned Action Environmental Impact Statement

GORST PLANNED ACTION EIS | ALTERNATIVESCurrent ConditionsThe 6,000-acre Gorst Creek Watershed is diverse with thousands of acres of intact forest land, miles of streamsand acres of wetlands, recreation at the Gold Creek Mountain Golf Course and Jarstad Park, as well as regionalcommercial uses along State Route (SR) 3 and 16, and unincorporated rural residential in between.The Gorst Creek Watershed feeds the headwaters of Sinclair Inlet in the Puget Sound. While the overall watershedis largely undeveloped and forested, existing development is concentrated in the downstream areas around themouth of Gorst Creek and along the shoreline of Sinclair Inlet. The Gorst Creek estuary is a major passageway andnursery for Puget Sound Chinook, Coho, and Chum salmon, along with Steelhead, and Sea-Run Cutthroat trout.The Suquamish Tribe and the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife co-manage a hatchery on GorstCreek. The Tribe takes an active role in managing the natural resources within the watershed.Having sub-optimal land use and environmental regulations for decades, development in the Gorst UGA, andespecially along the Sinclair Inlet shoreline has occurred haphazardly. Upland residential development andassociated clearing and lack of stormwater management have impacted water quantity and quality in thelowlands. Commercial and industrial activities have maximized impervious pavement resulting in pollutant runoffdirectly into adjacent receiving waters.Historically, Gorst Creek has not met fecal coliform standards. Sewers were recently installed to address waterquality concerns associated with fecal coliform. Sewers are also anticipated to make the developed land in theGorst UGA more viable for redevelopment. Likewise, heavy traffic on State Routes 3 and 16 impacts the naturaland built environment, but also may be attractive for future commercial development, with high volumes of trafficcreating an economically desirable location.Gorst Watershed Characterization & Framework PlanThe Watershed Characterization &Framework Plan is intended to promote environmentally and economicallysustainable development in the Gorst Creek Watershed. The Draft Watershed Characterization &Framework Plandescribes watershed conditions and objectives regarding appropriate places for development, restoration, andprotection. The Draft Watershed Characterization & Framework Plan also identifies common goals for stormwater,habitat, and land uses. Both Kitsap County and City of Bremerton intend to adopt the Watershed Characterization& Framework Plan.No UGA boundaries are proposed for change. Also no rural land use and zoning are proposed for change. However,the Draft Watershed Characterization &Framework Plan includes proposed goals addressing stormwater and LIDmeasures. Kitsap County would implement the goals in the watershed through code amendments. Similarly, theCity of Bremerton would apply stormwater management and LID measures in the watershed primarily on CULs.Within the existing Gorst UGA boundaries, however, land use patterns are proposed for change through differentland use alternatives described below under the Gorst Subarea Plan.Gorst Subarea PlanThe City of Bremerton and Kitsap County have been developing a subarea plan to more directly and fully addressfuture land use, urban design, stormwater, transportation, habitat protection, and other activities in the GorstUGA. A subarea plan is an optional element of a comprehensive plan allowed under the GMA. Subarea plans applyto smaller focused areas than the comprehensive plan, which addresses the whole City of Bremerton or KitsapCounty and its assigned unincorporated UGAs. Subarea plans are typically more detailed than a comprehensiveplan and often establish specific visions, goals, policies, land use plans, design guidelines, zoning, infrastructure andpublic service needs, and other development regulations.The Bremerton Comprehensive Plan includes several subarea plans for Downtown, Manette, SKIA, and severalother locations; the City of Bremerton is now considering a subarea plan for the Gorst UGA to facilitateDraft | June 2013 2-7