Fountaingrove Environmental Impact Report - City of Santa Rosa ...

2.0 LIST OF COMMENTERS AND RESPONSE TO COMMENTS
using the west intersection of Thomas Lake Harris Drive and Fountaingrove Parkway; this
will limit construction traffic in the adjacent neighborhoods.
Impact 3.13-3 considers whether the Project could result in an increase in hazards due to a
design feature (e.g., sharp curves or dangerous intersections) or incompatible uses. While
the impact analysis determined that the Project would not result in a significant increase in
traffic along Thomas Lake Harris Drive, to further reduce potential hazards to pedestrians
who want to cross Thomas Lake Harris Drive, a new pedestrian crossing will be included as
a condition of Project approval. This is not considered a mitigation measure under CEQA
because it is not being implemented to lessen a significant impact. The Applicant will install
a speed table to reduce potential hazards to pedestrians who want to cross Thomas Lake
Harris Drive; the crossing would be a raised speed table marked as a pedestrian crossing
equipped with a pedestrian-activated flasher (Draft EIR p. 3-165).
2.2.6 Visual Resources
A number of the comments raise concerns that the analysis in the Draft EIR does not
properly account for the visual effects of the grading that will occur on the site, the retaining
walls that will be required, and the massing of the buildings. In some cases, these comments
suggest that the analysis is deficient because the EIR does not include a grading plan or
cross sections of the site. Other comments question the accuracy of the simulations,
suggesting that they do not accurately portray the site grading, retaining walls, and
structures.
As indicated in Section 3.1.3 of the Draft EIR, the analysis of the Project’s visual effects was
based on review of the visual simulations presented in Figures 3.1-4 through 3.1-7. As the
text in Section 3.1.3 indicates, these simulations were prepared using a high-end threedimension
(3-D) visualization software. This software was used to integrate the data
available from the site grading plan, the architectural plans for the buildings, and the
landscape plan to create a highly accurate 3-D digital model of the Project. This model, in
turn, was used as part of a systematic process to create accurate simulations of the Project as
it would appear in the views from the four analysis viewpoints, including removal of trees
required for Project construction. Given the reliance on the detailed data on Project design
to build the 3-D model of the Project, the use of a widely accepted software program to
create the 3-D model and simulations, and the systematic protocol followed to permit
proper scaling of the Project features and placement in the views, the resulting simulations
provide highly accurate depictions of the Project’s appearance. The simulations provide an
accurate depiction of the end results of the proposed grading of the site and the construction
of the retaining walls and buildings; these aspects of the proposed project have been taken
into account in the analysis of the Project’s visual impacts.
The trees and other landscaping visible in the simulations were rendered to reflect the size
and level of maturity they would have approximately 5 to 10 years after their installation.
Thus, the simulations represent the appearance that the Project would have in 5 to 10 years
when the trees would be small and provide limited screening but before the trees attain
their full maturity and provide a more complete level of screening. More detail on tree
replanting is included in Master Response Oak Trees and Oak Woodland.
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