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<br />Marian Meadows Rezone and Subdivision Final Environmental Impact Statement 2-1 <br />How were the Proposal and Alternatives <br />Developed? <br />The SEPA guidelines requires <br />agencies to identify, evaluate, and <br />require or implement, where <br />required by the act and these rules, <br />reasonable alternatives that would <br />mitigate adverse effects of proposed <br />actions on the environment <br />according to WAC 197-11-030(2)(a). <br />As part of the scoping process for <br />the EIS, input from the public and <br />agencies was solicited. <br />One of the alternatives the public <br />comments consistently requested to <br />be analyzed was development under <br />existing zoning. <br />Other alternatives have been <br />developed to mitigate specific <br />adverse impacts of the proposal. <br />Reasonable alternatives are those <br />which an agency with jurisdiction <br />has authority to control impacts <br />either directly or indirectly through <br />requirement of mitigation measures <br />according to WAC 197-11- <br />440(5)(b)(iii). <br />Limits on the range of alternatives <br />considered for a private party <br />generally do not apply to this <br />proposal because it involves a <br />rezone WAC 197-11-440(5)(d). <br />CHAPTER 2 Description of Alternatives <br />1 What is proposed by the applicant? <br />Alternative 1 is the applicant’s proposal. As presented in this FEIS, it includes a “pro-forma” <br />subdivision layout in the eastern portion of the site. This is designed to provide a reasonable worst-case <br />scenario of the full development potential for the maximum of 443 lots allowed with the PUD provisions <br />for the analysis of potential impacts. No proposal for development of this portion of the site has been <br />submitted by the applicant. A portion of the site along the northeast side of the BPA easement has been <br />excluded from the PUD by the applicant and has received permit approval for development of up to 300 <br />mini-storage units. <br />Alternative 2 generally meets the goals of the applicant but <br />substantially changes the character of the development through <br />placing all development on the western portion of the site. In <br />order to accommodate the maximum number of lots allowed with <br />PUD provisions, it includes substantially smaller single family <br />lots and also includes a component of multi-family use. The <br />development of up to 300 mini-storage units northeast of the BPA <br />easement is included in this alternative. <br />The Marian Meadows rezone and subdivision is located in <br />unincorporated Kittitas County on a 520-acre site on the west- <br />facing slopes of Easton Ridge (Figures 2-1 and 2-2). The site is <br />divided topographically into an almost level western portion <br />(about 120 acres) and a sloping area to the east (about 400 acres). <br />The existing BPA 345-kV transmission line is at the approximate <br />boundary line between the flat and sloped portions of the site. <br />These alternatives consist of two elements: <br />Element 1 - Rezone <br />A rezone of 520 acres of the property to a PUD zoning district is <br />proposed as provided in Chapter 17.36 of the Kittitas County <br />zoning code. An area at the bottom of the steep slope east of the <br />BPA transmission line easement is excluded from the PUD <br />application. The purpose of the PUD zone is to provide for and <br />encourage a harmonious mixture of land uses with greater <br />flexibility in land use controls, as well as to: <br /> Encourage innovative design; <br /> Provide for more economical and efficient use of land, <br />streets, and public services;