Draft EIS/EIR for the San Luis Reservoir SRA Resource ...

5. Environmental Analysis
space land to developed urban uses including residential, commercial, and public
facilities. Depending on the development and area, permanent adverse effects to
views of the Diablo Range (a local scenic vista), views from SR 152 (a state and
county scenic highway), and the general viewshed of the development areas could
occur. Full implementation of the three community plans would also introduce
new light sources in the western portion of Merced County, which could obscure
views of stars and other features of the night sky.
Of the three community plans, the only development that has taken place as of
July 2012 is in the Santa Nella Community Specific Plan area, where 184 singlefamily
homes have been completed to the northeast O’Neill Forebay. However,
partial or full implementation of these plans is reasonably foreseeable during the
25-year planning horizon for the San Luis Reservoir RMP/GP. At approximately
3 miles from Los Banos Creek Reservoir, the Fox Hills Community is unlikely to
result in major adverse impacts to the viewshed for visitors to Los Banos Creek
Use Area. Both the Santa Nella and Villages of Laguna San Luis community plan
areas are immediately adjacent to San Luis Reservoir SRA (specifically Medeiros
Use Area, O’Neill Forebay, and O’Neill Forebay Wildlife Area). Both
developments would include measures to minimize light intrusion as well as
design, architectural, development, and landscaping standards to lessen the impact
from the conversion of open space and agricultural land to urban development.
However, residual impacts to distant views from Medeiros Use Area, O’Neill
Forebay, and O’Neill Forebay Wildlife Area toward the northwest, west, and
southwest are likely to remain.
Both construction and operation of the Quinto Solar PV Project (Section 3.3.15.2)
would affect the visual setting of the San Luis Creek Campground at the San Luis
Use Area. Temporary nighttime construction lighting and permanent security
lighting for the operations and maintenance building, switchyard, and substation
would be visible to campground visitors and cause “sky glow” effects. In addition
to requiring that temporary nighttime construction lighting be shielded to reduce
sky glow, the project’s Draft EIR states that construction lighting would be
prohibited after 7 PM within 500 feet of campsites unless agreed upon by the CSP
Superintendent for the Four Rivers Sector. If the nighttime construction lighting is
powered by diesel generator or another noise-generating source, the use of such
lighting near the San Luis Creek Campground could be more restricted (Merced
County Planning and Community Development Department 2012).
Solar arrays and the substation and switchyard of the Quinto Solar PV Project
would be highly visible to visitors to the San Luis Creek Campground, especially
to campers staying at campsites closest to the common boundary between the
campground and Quinto Solar PV Project Site Area 1 to the west and north. The
Quinto Solar PV Project Draft EIR includes mitigation measures for long-term
visual effects to the San Luis Creek Campground. The measures include a lighting
plan to prevent light spillover and sky glow effects from the substation and
switchyard from affecting nighttime views at the campground. Landscape
planting would also be installed to shield views of project facilities from the San
Luis Reservoir Plan Area (Merced County Planning and Community
5-80 San Luis Reservoir SRA
Draft RMP/GP and Draft EIS/EIR