DOE/EIS-0332; McNary-John Day Transmission Line Project Draft ...

BPA McNary-John Day Transmission Project
Draft EIS
February 2002
Land Use and Recreation
crosses the Columbia River also is located on land that is designated as Urban
Environment by the Benton County Shoreline Management Master Plan. Utilities such
as transmission lines are a conditional use in areas with this designation. Bonneville
would comply to the maximum extent practicable with any general regulatory standards
from the Shoreline Plan. Thus, the proposed action would likely not conflict with the
County’s Shoreline Plan (Shuttleworth pers. comm.).
In Klickitat County, the project corridor is located on land designated as Agricultural
Forest and Rural Center by the Klickitat County Comprehensive Plan. The project
corridor in Klickitat County is on land designated as Agricultural Forest, except for land
around Roosevelt, which is designated as Rural Center. Utilities such as transmission
lines are consistent with the policies of the land use designations of the Comprehensive
Plan. The proposed action would therefore not conflict with the County’s
Comprehensive Plan. The majority of the corridor in Klickitat County is zoned as
Extensive Agriculture by the Klickitat County Zoning Ordinance. The rest of the project
corridor is located in land zoned as Open Space (near the river crossing), Industrial Park
(Goldendale vicinity), and Rural Residential (near Roosevelt) (Frampton pers. comm.).
Utilities such as transmission lines are conditional uses in the Open Space, Extensive
Agriculture, and Rural Residential zones. Utilities are permitted outright in the Industrial
Park zone.
When the project corridor crosses the Columbia River, it is located on land that is
designated as an Urban/Industrial Environment of the shoreline area by the Klickitat
County Shoreline Master Plan. Utilities such as transmission lines are permitted in areas
with this designation. Bonneville would comply to the extent practicable with any
general regulatory standards from the Shoreline Plan. Thus, the proposed action would
not conflict with the County’s Shoreline Plan.
In Sherman County, the project corridor is located on land designated as Exclusive Farm
Use in the Sherman County Comprehensive Plan, and is zoned as Exclusive Farm Use,
(EFU) F-1 by the Sherman County Zoning, Subdivision, and Land Development
Ordinance. A noncommercial utility facility necessary for public service is a permitted
use in this zone. The County Ordinance also identifies a Natural Hazards overlay zone
for an area along the bluffs downstream from John Day Dam. The portion of the corridor
that crosses the bluffs is located in this overlay zone. Utilities are a conditional use in the
overlay zone. The transmission line would be located, constructed, and operated in a
manner generally consistent with the relevant provisions of the Natural Hazard overlay
zone.
See the section on State, Areawide, and Local Plan and Program Consistency, Chapter 4,
for more information.
Temporary impacts on land use would be due to construction activities such as heavy
equipment causing soil and crop disturbance, noise, and dust. The construction activities
that could cause impacts would include placement of towers, access roads upgrades and
construction, and conductor tensioning sites.
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