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Process Master Planned Community City of Yelm Community Development Department   Thurston Highlands Master Planned Community and Environmental Impact Statement Process The City of Yelm has received a Conceptual Master Site Plan application for a 1,200-acre mixed-use development to be known as Thurston Highlands. The project area is located in the southwest section of Yelm. The Yelm Community Development Department will be coordinating the review of this application, including the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement and the conceptual master site plan process. The City’s review and consideration of the development proposal is expected to occur over a period of approximately eighteen months. Notice of Application, Determination of Significance, and Scoping Notice. Notice of the proposed action will be mailed to all property owners within 1,000 feet of the project, and to Federal, State and local agencies. General public notice will also be advertised in the Nisqually Valley News. The notice will include: Notice of Application, to let interested parties know that the City has received an application and where to review the application and supporting documents. Determination of Significance pursuant to the State Environmental Policy Act, which triggers the requirement that an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) be prepared to describe and evaluate the potential impacts of the proposed development. Proposed “scope” of the EIS, to identify the elements of the environment and alternatives that will be reviewed in the EIS. The City will invite comments on the proposed scope of the EIS for a period of at least three weeks (21 days). During this comment period – the first of several opportunities to comment on the proposal – the City and Thurston Highlands will hold at least two open houses at which the public will be encouraged to help the City determine the potential impacts and alternatives that should be analyzed in the EIS. Draft Environmental Impact Statement Process. Once the scope of the EIS is finalized through public and agency comment, work will begin on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement. This process is anticipated to take approximately one year. While the Draft EIS is being prepared, project updates will be posted on the City’s website and provided in periodic newsletters. The next formal opportunity for public comment will occur during a 45-day (or longer) period following the issuance of the Draft EIS. The City’s website (www.ci.yelm.wa.us) will include a provision for accepting electronic comments at any time during the process. The City’s goal for the Draft EIS is to prepare a comprehensive, clearly written, and easily understood document. The purpose of an Environmental Impact Statement will be to inform decision makers (the Hearing Examiner and City Council) regarding potential adverse impacts and effective mitigation measures that can be implemented, to make the development compatible with the City’s goals and policies, and to minimize potential adverse effects on the environment and community. When the Draft Environmental Impact Statement is issued, notice of its availability will be sent to adjacent property owners within 1,000 feet of the development, to Federal, State and local agencies, and to anyone who commented on the project during the EIS scoping process. Notice of availability of the Draft EIS will also be published in the Nisqually Valley News. During the 45-day (or longer) comment period on the Draft EIS, anyone can critique the analysis or conclusions of the Draft EIS. It is anticipated that there will be several open houses during the Draft EIS comment period to solicit feedback on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement. Final Environmental Impact Statement. All comments received on the Draft EIS will be reproduced in the Final EIS. Each and every comment will be reviewed by City staff and will receive a written response in the Final EIS. If comments require any changes to the description of the proposed action, alternatives, or analysis presented in the Draft EIS, these changes will be described in the Final EIS. The Draft and Final EIS, as companion documents, will be provided to the Hearing Examiner and City Council for their use (along with other information about the proposal) during the decision making process on the Thurston Highlands Master Planned Community. Master Site Plan Review Process. Approval of a Master Plan Development is a three-step process. Step 1. The City will review a Conceptual Master Site Plan. (Additional description of this process is provided below.) The purpose of conceptual review and approval is to establish general land use policies to guide detailed planning for and development of the master plan area. The conceptual plan will identify the generalized land uses, transportation circulation routes, and services proposed for the site. Review of a Conceptual Master Site Plan will be performed initially by the Hearing Examiner. The Examiner will review the application for consistency with the Comprehensive Plan and other City plans and policies. The Examiner will make a recommendation regarding the Conceptual Master Site Plan to the City Council for final action. Upon conceptual approval by the City Council, the proposed master plan boundaries, proposed land use districts, transportation routes, and case file number will be identified on the official zoning map. Step 2. The City will review a Final Master Site Plan that will consist of maps and text indicating major development features and services for the entire site encompassed by the Final Master Site Plan (which may not be the entire site). A complete Final Master Site Plan for the entire Conceptual Master Site Plan area must be submitted within 10 years of conceptual approval. The master plan will be reviewed by the Hearing Examiner, who will make a recommendation to the City Council. The Examiner will conduct a public hearing and determine whether or not the plan is consistent with the conceptual approval and complies with the policies of the Comprehensive Plan. Step 3. Finally, development applications within the Master Plan Development will be reviewed through normal review processes like subdivision and site plan reviews. Each development application will be reviewed for consistency with the provisions of the Conceptual and Final Master Site Plan approvals. Conceptual Master Site Plan Process. The developer will most likely make modifications to the proposal in response to the conclusions of the Final Environmental Impact Statement and comments received during the EIS process. After a revised conceptual plan is prepared, the City will schedule a hearing before the Hearing Examiner (Step 1 above). Adjacent property owners within 1,000 feet and any person requesting notice through the Environmental Impact Statement process will receive notice by mail. In addition, the notice will be published in the Nisqually Valley News. It is anticipated that there will be several open houses prior to the official hearing to answer questions and receive comments on the revised proposal. After the hearing, the examiner will make a recommendation to the City Council, who will also hold a public hearing on the proposed development (Step 2 above). Only after this considerable review by the public, regulatory agencies, City staff and decision makers will site development applications be accepted and processed for construction to proceed (Step 3 above). At the earliest, construction may begin in late 2007, and full build-out is projected to occur over a period of 10 to 20 years.