DATE: August 8, 2023
AGENCY: USDA – RD, Community Programs
SUBJECT: Notice of Finding of No Significant Impact
Randolph County Development Authority
Railyard Events Center Project
Summary: The USDA-RD RUS has made a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) with respect to a request for possible financing assistance to Randolph County Development Authority for the construction of the Railyard Events Center Project in Randolph County, West Virginia.
Further Information: To obtain copies of the Environmental Assessment (EA) and the FONSI are available for public review at USDA – Rural Development, ATTN: Logan Mongold, Area Specialist, 1200 Harrison Avenue, Suite 150, Elkins, West Virginia 26241, [email protected]; or The Thrasher Group, 600 White Oaks Blvd, P.O. Box 940, Bridgeport, WV 26330 800.273.6541, Chad Riley, P.E.
Supplementary Information: construct a 16,000 square foot events center at the former Elkins Railyard site. The project will consist of a single-story building with half of the building dedicated to theater style seating that is flexible for a variety of performances and events. The other half of the building will be designed for flexible open space for exhibition, event setup, and the capabilities to create breakout rooms for conferences. A catering kitchen, restrooms, heritage exhibition space, and administrative/ operational spaces have also been factored into the preliminary design. The project will also include the construction of surface parking for vehicles and buses, driveways, green space, and utility infrastructure necessary to operate the building. The total land disturbance for this project to construct the building, parking, and roads associated with the events center will be 4.6 acres. The project construction and staging will take place entirely on property owned by the Randolph County Development Authority and will not impact access to other businesses or services in the area. All proposed work will take place within previously disturbed areas.
The availability of the EA for public review was announced via notice in the following newspaper: Intermountain, Elkins July 17, 18, and 19, 2023. A 15-day comment period was announced in the newspaper notice (July 17, 2023). The EA was also available for public review at the USDA – RD office in Morgantown, WV and The Thrasher Group office in Bridgeport, WV. There were no comments received to date of this FONSI.
Based on its EA, Commitments made by Randolph County Development Authority, and public comments receive, USDA – Rural Development has concluded that the project would have no significant Impact (or impacts) to water quality, wetlands, floodplains, land use, aesthetics, transportation, or human health and safety.
No other potential significant impacts resulting from the proposed project have been identified. Therefore, USDA – RD has determined that this FONSI fulfills its obligation under the National Environmental Policy Act, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), the Council on Environmental Quality Regulation (40 CER sections 1500-1508), and USDA Rural Development’s Environmental Policies and Procedures (7 CFR 1970) for its actions related to this project.
USDA – RD is satisfied that the environmental impacts of the proposed project have been adequately addressed. USDA – RD’s federal action would not result in significant impacts to the quality of the human environment, and as such will not prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for its action related to the proposed project.
Ryan Thorn
State Director
8/12