At the current time, the 4,943 acre Brooktrails Specific Plan area is not being utilized to its potential as envisioned in the Specific Plan. Some parcels are not improved for residential use, and there are other parcels that are located on slopes greater than 30 percent or in areas prone to slippage that would be difficult to develop. Implementation of the Specific Plan would improve public safety as well as create changes in productivity, intensify land use and alter visual character of the Township as defined in the respective sections of this EIR, and would be long-term, extending well into the next century. Assuming future land development and population growth trends within Mendocino County in general and within Brooktrails Township in particular, there would be a commitment of land and natural resources to use and development which would be irreversible.
For example, among these irreversible changes would be the commitment of non-renewable energy resources and of non-recyclable (by present technology) material resources used for the construction and operation of residences and related commercial space within the Specific Plan area. In addition, Specific Plan buildout would involve the irretrievable commitment of existing and expanded infrastructure facilities such as electricity, water supply and sewer services to Township residents.
Visual change in the Township would be irreversible because of the development of structures and roads. Another irreversible environmental change associated with Specific Plan area buildout would be increased traffic volumes on local roadways including Sherwood Road, U.S.101, State Route 20 and existing neighborhood roads in the Specific Plan area. There would also be increased levels of noise and air emissions from project-related construction and traffic. However, with the exception of certain unavoidable adverse impacts, mitigation measures are established to mitigate all other identified impacts to less than significant or insignificant levels (see Section 5 for a listing of Unavoidable, Significant Adverse Impacts).
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