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Transcript - EIS 101

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TEXT	English
Slide one	As part of the Redmond 2050 project (where we’re planning for the future of our community) we completed an Environmental Impact Statement as part of our research on options and alternatives for how we can accommodate the growth of our community for the next few decades. This video explains what is an Environmental Impact Statement, or EIS, what it is used for, what is in the Redmond 2050 EIS, and how you can share your opinions on the options studied.
Slide two	What is an EIS? An EIS is an Environmental Impact Statement, commonly referred to as EIS for short. This is a document that outlines different ways a plan or project can affect the natural and built environment.
Slide three	The City prepared an Environmental Impact Study and a draft EIS because Redmond is growing. Washington state intentionally sets some areas aside for growth in housing and jobs, this is the urban growth area, and other areas for preservation of agriculture and natural resources. The EIS will help us make decisions on where we grow and what it will look like. This will include things such as building heights, different types of housing, and more.
Slide four	The EIS tests how much and where we would grow if we don't make any changes and compares this with two growth alternatives. What is an Alternative? Alternatives test different ways of achieving objectives. Our objectives are creating a comprehensive plan that meets state and regional requirements to accommodate our expected share of growth and advancing equity and inclusion, sustainability, and resilience. The EIS compares these growth alternatives to test how they meet or don’t meet our goals.
Slide five	An EIS can answer critical questions for a community such as – How do we want to distribute growth between our urban centers in Overlake, Downtown, and Marymoor? Do we want to include growth opportunities along some of our major corridors near those centers? Do we want to growth go up (allow taller buildings) or spread out (grow more out and with buildings not quite as tall)? Or a bit of both? Do we want to protect and preserve the industrial and manufacturing lands in Southeast Redmond or change direction and allow housing and mixed-use in that area? Do we want to add a new local center at 90th Street & Willows Road? What are the impacts of those decisions? How can we avoid or limit negative impacts? And what are the positive impacts that allow us to achieve community goals including sustainability, affordable housing, and more ? These are the questions asked and answered in the Redmond 2050 EIS.
Slide six	We need to build a preferred alternative – combining what we like from each option for growth to meet our community preferences. We need your feedback on: How should we distribute growth to different areas of our city? Do we want to go up or out, meaning do we want taller buildings or not quite as tall but more buildings? Or a bit of both? Do we protect our industrial and manufacturing lands in Southeast Redmond or change direction and allow housing and other businesses in that area? You can get involved and join the conversation by visiting the Redmond 2050 website – Redmond.gov/redmond2050 to take a questionnaire or learn about upcoming workshops.