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LAND USE <br />Comments: The comment was made that thoroughfare planners needed to work more <br />closely with land -use planners to assess the impacts of road plans on land use since road <br />construction can influence changes in land. Another comment was made that if the <br />thoroughfare plan was unacceptable, the land use plan should be modified to direct <br />growth where it is wanted, and thus, a more acceptable thoroughfare plan could be <br />prepared. <br />Response: The recommended Thoroughfare Plan is based on adopted land use plans of <br />all local jurisdictions and on projections of land use made by the local planners. The plan <br />is an effort to reserve right -of -way in areas where it is anticipated that roads will be <br />needed in the future due to growth. Very rarely is a road constructed before it is needed. <br />The plan. is updated every five to ten years. If a revised land use plan is adopted, the <br />thoroughfare plan should be revised to reflect those changes. Additionally, the <br />Thoroughfare Plan is revised as thoroughfare proposals are changed by periodic land use <br />changes. <br />ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENTS (EIS) <br />Comments: The comment was made that environmental impact statements should be <br />prepared prior to the development of the recommended thoroughfare plan. <br />Response: Environmental impact statements, when appropriate, are prepared after <br />functional designs are drawn and alternative alignments are considered prior to <br />construction. It would not be possible to undertake an environmental analysis until an <br />idea of one or more alternative alignments has been developed. The alignments shown <br />on the thoroughfare plan are only approximate and illustrate corridors, not details. To <br />date, functional designs have been prepared for only a few of the proposed roads. An <br />environmental impact study must look at the details of the functional design to evaluate <br />the specific impacts of the various alternatives. In addition, environmental impact <br />statements (EIS) are very expensive, however an EIS will be prepared prior to <br />construction of any major highway facility. Where facilities are proposed in extremely <br />sensitive areas, it may be desireable to proceed with an EIS as soon as possible. <br />2.4 <br />