[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 85 (Monday, May 3, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24179-24180]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-9776]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-4912-N-04]


Notice of Availability of a Final Environmental Impact Statement 
for the Greenbridge Redevelopment Master Plan Project, King County, WA

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and 
Development, HUD.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) gives 
this notice to the public, agencies, and Indian tribes on the 
availability for public review of the Final Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) for the redevelopment of Park Lake Homes public housing 
community (Greenbridge) in King County, WA. HUD gives this notice on 
behalf of the King County Department of Development and Environmental 
Services (DDES) acting as the Responsible Entity for compliance with 
the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) in accordance with 24 CFR 
58.4. Also HUD gives this notice on behalf of the DDES and King County 
Housing Authority (KCHA), jointly acting under their authority as lead 
agencies in accordance with the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) 
(RCW 43.21). The NEPA/SEPA Final EIS will be available for a 30-day 
period beginning today. A NEPA Record of Decision (ROD) will be issued 
after the 30-day availability period. This notice is given in 
accordance with the Council on Environmental Quality regulations at 40 
CFR parts 1500-1508. The King County Housing Authority's SEPA 
regulations (KCHA Resolution 3185) provide a 21-day appeal period. The 
NEPA review period and SEPA appeal period will run concurrently from 
the issuance date of the Final EIS.

DATES: Comments must be received 30 days from the date of publication 
of this notice in the Federal Register. Comments are to be submitted to 
Greg Borba at the below address or [email protected].

ADDRESSES: The Final EIS is available on the Internet and can be viewed 
or downloaded at http://www.metrokc.gov/ddes/lusd/gb. Hard copies of 
the Final EIS may be purchased for the cost of reproduction. Copies are 
available at the King Housing Authority's office (600 Andover Park, W., 
Tukwila). Please contact Oksana Winstead at the King County Housing 
Authority (206.574.1197) to make arrangements to obtain a copy. The 
Final EIS can also be reviewed at the King County Housing Authority's 
office (600 Andover Park, W.) Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 
p.m.; at the Park Lake Homes HOPE VI Office (206) 574-1160); and at the 
following public libraries:
     Boulevard Park Library (12015 Roseberg Avenue 
South, Boulevard Park community);
     Burien Public Library (14700 Sixth, SW., City of 
Burien);
     Foster Public Library (7614 S. 126th, Skyway 
community);
     White Center Public Library (11220-16th, SW., 
White Center community);
     King County Library System, Documents Branch 
(690 Newport Way, NW., City of Issaquah);
     Seattle Public Library Central Library (800 Pike 
Street, City of Seattle);
     Seattle Public Library Central Library, 
Documents Branch (800 Pike Street, City of Seattle);
     Seattle Public Library Southwest Branch (9010-
35th Avenue, SW., Westwood community);
     Seattle Public Library West Seattle Branch 
(2306-42nd Avenue, SW., West Seattle community).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Greg Borba, Planning Supervisor, King 
County Department of Development and Environmental Services, 900 
Oaksdale Avenue, SW., Renton, WA 98055-1219, Phone (206) 296-7118, Fax 
(206) 296-7051.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The King County DDES, acting under authority 
of Section 104(g) of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 
(42 U.S.C. 5304(g)), Section 26 of the United States Housing Act of 
1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437x), and HUD's regulations at 24 CFR part 58, in 
cooperation with other interested agencies, has prepared a Final EIS to 
analyze potential impacts of redevelopment of the Park Lake Homes 
public housing community (Greenbridge Redevelopment Project-Proposed 
Master Plan). The Final EIS is a joint NEPA and Washington SEPA 
document intended to satisfy requirements of federal and state 
environmental statutes. HUD has allowed the assumption of its NEPA 
authority and NEPA lead agency responsibility by King County (DDES) as 
the Responsible Entity in cooperation with the Recipient, KCHA, as the 
SEPA lead agency.
    Park Lake Homes is KCHA's oldest and largest public housing 
development. Built in 1942 to serve as temporary housing for World War 
II defense workers, structures have been renovated several times. The 
KCHA received a HOPE VI grant award from HUD in November of 2001 to 
initiate planning for the revitalization of this public housing 
development.
    The Proposed Master Plan includes redevelopment of the existing 
approximately 94-acre project site located in the White Center area of 
unincorporated King County, Washington. The proposed redevelopment is 
consistent with requirements for a mixed-use, mixed-income housing 
project as described in the HOPE VI grant. The project site currently 
contains 569 residential units, a Community Center, a maintenance shop, 
a Head Start School, and a secondary building containing a food bank 
and administrative offices. The residential units are in primarily 
single story duplex structures.
    The plan is to replace all existing low-income housing either 
within the site or elsewhere in King County through construction of 
public housing units on-site and project-based Section 8 vouchers in 
existing or new housing complexes. Existing residents would be 
relocated and assisted with benefits according to the provisions of the 
Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies 
Act. Where possible, displaced residents in good standing would be 
allowed to

[[Page 24180]]

return to the public housing units once redevelopment is complete.
    Most of the current buildings on the site would be demolished in 
phases, unless renovation for community services use is feasible. The 
existing Jim Wiley Community Center building will likely be renovated. 
In addition, much of the existing infrastructure would be demolished, 
abandoned, or replaced, also in phases. The project site would be 
redeveloped to provide approximately 900 to 1,100 dwelling units of 
rental and for-sale housing, in attached and detached forms, to meet a 
wide range of needs. Rental housing could include public housing units 
(attached townhouses, over/under flats, over/under townhouses, 
cottages) and workforce housing (attached townhouses, over/under flats, 
over/under townhouses, and apartments). For-sale housing could include 
single family detached cottages, attached townhouses, condominium flats 
and condominium townhouses.
    An estimated 2,235,000 square feet of net buildable area is 
associated with the Proposed Master Plan. Non-residential development 
would include an estimated 80,000-100,000 square feet of community-
oriented uses. Such uses may include: A branch library, renovated 
community center, youth and family facilities, Head Start and child 
care facility, Sheriff's office, food bank, career development center 
and meeting/gathering space. Approximately 22,300 square feet of 
neighborhood-scale retail, to meet the everyday needs of residents, is 
also proposed. A new elementary school (White Center Heights 
Elementary) is presently under construction; this is an independent 
proposal for purposes of land use permitting and SEPA review (although 
the site is included within the Greenbridge Preliminary Plat). A SEPA 
Determination of Nonsignificance was published on September 18th and 
25th, 2002, for the new elementary school.
    No significant unavoidable adverse impacts are anticipated for all 
elements of the environment analyzed in the Final EIS. The Proposed 
Master Plan would generate impacts to various elements of the 
environment that can be mitigated so as to not be significant. Existing 
traffic noise levels on SW. Roxbury Street, which affect the 
Greenbridge site, exceed levels generally considered desirable by HUD 
guidelines.
    The State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) concurs with the 
Heritage Resources Report (Appendix I of the Draft EIS) finding that 
the project site is not eligible for the National Register of Historic 
Places (see Section IV and Appendix 2 of the Final EIS). The SHPO 
response letter also states that further coordination with the Office 
of Archaeology and Historic Preservation is not necessary unless 
additional information becomes available or any archaeological 
resources are uncovered during construction.
    The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine 
Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries) concur with the BE determination of 
``may affect, but not likely to adversely affect'' for Puget Sound 
chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), which is listed as ESA 
``threatened'' species (see Section IV and Appendix 2 of the Final 
EIS). The NOAA response letter also states that because the habitat 
requirements for the Magnuson Stevens Fisheries Conservation Act (MSA) 
managed species are similar to that of Endangered Species Act (ESA) 
``listed'' species, and because the conservation measures that the DDES 
included as part of the Proposed Action to address ESA concerns are 
also adequate to avoid, minimize or otherwise offset potential adverse 
effects to designated Essential Fish Habitat, conservation 
recommendations pursuant to MSA are not necessary.
    Noise control measures (site planning, noise attenuation, or 
construction techniques) will be required and implemented to reduce 
noise from traffic on SW. Roxbury Street so that day-night sound levels 
at outdoor use locations and onsite residences would meet HUD 
requirements for attenuation, and/or would satisfy HUD's criteria for 
exceptions (24 CFR 51.105).
    Some consider the HOPE VI program and implementing projects to be 
controversial. Similarly, land use changes, socioeconomic issues, and 
housing displacement/relocation associated with redevelopment may also 
be viewed as controversial. Relevant land use, socioeconomic, and 
housing issues are discussed in Section 4.9 of the Draft EIS and are 
summarized in Section I of the Final EIS.
    Issuance of the Final EIS will trigger a 30-day review period, 
after which the ROD will be issued. Issuance of the ROD will conclude a 
planning and environmental review process that started with the Notice 
of Intent (NOI) to prepare an EIS, dated January 24, 2003. A 30-day 
scoping period was initiated subsequent to the NOI and a public scoping 
meeting was held on February 26, 2003. The Draft EIS was made available 
on November 21, 2003 for a 45-day comment period. A public comment 
meeting to take oral comments on the Draft EIS was held on December 17, 
2003.
    Questions may be directed to the individual named above under the 
heading FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

    Dated: April 26, 2004.
Roy A. Bernardi,
Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development.
[FR Doc. 04-9776 Filed 4-30-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210-29-P