4.0 CUMULATIVE IMPACTS - Sacramento District - U.S. Army

4.0 Cumulative Impacts
effect. As the effects of the Proposed Action on scenic vistas, visual character, and light and glare could
cumulate with the effects of other projects in the vicinity, those are discussed below. The Proposed Action
will not damage scenic resources and therefore has no potential to contribute to cumulative effects on
scenic resources.
Current Status of the Resource
The project site is located in the western portion of the City of Roseville. At the present time, the area to
the east of Fiddyment Road across from the project site is already developed with residential
subdivisions. Residential subdivisions also exist to the north of the project site. Areas on both sides of
Baseline Road west of Fiddyment Road are currently sparsely or not developed and appear as
undeveloped range land. No prominent natural features are located in the vicinity of the project site.
Prominent man-made features in the vicinity of the project site include the Western Area Power
Authority (WAPA) corridor located within the project site (City of Roseville 2010a).
Significance Thresholds
The contribution of the Proposed Action or an alternative to a cumulative impact would be considered
significant if the Proposed Action or an alternative would:
Result in an unmitigated substantial change in the visual character of the study area or an
unmitigated substantial increase in light and glare.
Cumulative Impact AES-1
Effect on Visual Resources
Proposed
Action
The Proposed Action would have a significant cumulative effect on scenic vistas and the
visual character of the project vicinity by altering views of open rangeland, foothills, and
Sierra Nevada, and by converting undeveloped rangeland to urban development as
viewed from Fiddyment and Baseline Roads.
With the development of both the Proposed Action and the Placer Vineyards Specific
Plan area, the areas on both sides of Baseline Road west of Fiddyment Road would
change from a primarily rural landscape to urban development, thereby permanently
altering the visual character of the area, both under daytime conditions and at night.
Similarly, the Proposed Action would place urban uses on the west side of Fiddyment
Road and this development, in conjunction with existing development on the east side of
Fiddyment Road, would alter the visual character of the area as viewed from that
roadway. The Proposed Action and Placer Vineyards Specific Plan development would
also introduce new sources of light and glare. Although the Proposed Action would be
required to meet the City’s Community-wide Design Guidelines, ensuring that proposed
development would be visually compatible with surrounding development, it would, in
conjunction with existing and other proposed projects, nonetheless permanently and
substantially alter the environment. No feasible mitigation measures are available to fully
address the effect. Therefore, the Proposed Action’s contribution to the cumulative effect
would be significant.
Impact Sciences, Inc. 4.0-24 Sierra Vista Specific Plan Draft EIS
USACE #200601050 July 2012