Saticoy & Wells Community Plan & Development ... - City Of Ventura

Saticoy & Wells Community Plan and Code EIRSection 4.1 Aestheticsfrom key roadways. The specific impacts to affected view corridors associated with this changein land use are described below.SR 126. Development that could be facilitated by the Project along SR 126 consists of acombination of retail, single-family residential, multi-family residential, and mixed-usedevelopments. Development adjacent to SR 126 would potentially include the Hansen SpecificPlan Area, Parklands Specific Plan Area, and future development at the Broome Site. SR 126provides the main access to the Project Area and thus the most viewers traveling through theProject Area. The majority of the development accommodated under the Project along SR 126would be on agricultural lands and vacant lands and would increase density along the viewcorridor. Development would be required to comply with the 2005 General Plan policies anddesign guidelines. Development facilitated by the Project could potentially add sound walls inorder to address noise along SR 126. Such walls would have the potential to block viewsdepending on siting and height.The Parklands Specific Plan includes a sound wall along the south side of Blackburn Road.Second story development would also be visible above the wall. SR 126 Westbound viewerswould be approximately 60 feet from the sound wall. The mountains to the north are located atelevations approximately 800 feet higher than the freeway elevation at a distance ofapproximately one mile from the freeway. Based on the wall height, distance from the viewersto the wall, and distance to the hillsides behind the wall, views of the hillsides from the portionof SR 126 adjacent the Project Area would be obstructed by a continuous and potentiallymonolithic wall. The creation of a monolithic structure along the freeway edge wouldpotentially create an aesthetically offensive condition and is therefore a potentially significantimpact.The Hansen Specific Plan proposes a sound wall to be constructed immediately south ofBlackburn Road adjacent to the northern boundary of SR 126. The wall has the potential tomarginally obscure views of the mountains to the north. Existing vegetation locatedimmediately south of the proposed sound wall currently blocks most, but not all, views of themountains. Based on the wall height, distance from the viewers to the wall, and the hillsidesbehind the wall, it is likely that a viewer from motor vehicles would not be able to see above thesound wall. The sound wall would, therefore, obstruct backdrop views of the hillsides. Thecreation of this sound wall along the freeway edge would potentially create an aestheticallyoffensive condition and is therefore a potentially significant impact.Future development on the 29-acre Broome Site southeast of SR 126 may necessitate a soundwall. Unlike views to the north side of the freeway, a sound wall constructed in this locationwould not block any views of significant ridgelines from SR 126 as the site is south of thefreeway and ridgelines. Also, views of the hillsides to the north are negligible because theeastbound lanes of the freeway are depressed and views to the north are minimal. Constructionof a sound wall could however, be considered as adding a monolithic structure along thefreeway edge that would potentially create an aesthetically offensive condition and wouldtherefore be a potentially significant impact.4.1-13City of Ventura