RES 06035 - Laserfiche WebLink

Chapter 5 Alternatives to the Project accommodate. At the height and scale shown, the Dublin Hills remain visible as a strong horizontal in the background, pierced only by the largest structural element of the complex. This is not an "adverse" effect because (a) the building is anchored within that important visual element of the setting while (b) creating the "visual focal point" the Specific Plan suggests. Depending on the ultimate design of the CAC, its potential to be perceived as an "architectural landmark" is more evident in this Alternative 2 location than was the case in its project location. . Viewpoint 3 This view, the closest of the five, is toward the south from Valley Avenue near the middle of the Central Area. While from this viewpoint the potential height of the CAC would be part of the skyline (i.e., it would appear taller than buildings and vegetation behind it), the presence of tall trees in front of the building soften that effect and maintain a proportionality that prevents the CAC from appearing unduly prominent. . Viewpoint 4 This view is from the south edge of Bernal Avenue, just east of the new fire station, looking south. From this point, the CAC roofline is nestled well under the background of slopes below Pleasanton Ridge. It does not seem out of scale in comparison to either the Phase I residential buildings at the right side of the image or the elevation of the Knoll toward the left side of the image. . Viewpoint 5 This viewpoint is the most distant of the five, presenting a view from Bernal Avenue at the northeast corner of the Central Area near the Bernal Avenue overcrossing at the railroad tracks (a vista identified in one of the Plan's visual resources guidelines, p. 52). From this distance the presence of the CAC as an element in the visual landscape is not distinct. With the land contouring and landscaping that would be part of the grand park creation, its visibility from the point would be further reduced. The conclusions of this viewpoint analysis are similar to those for the project in Chapter 4: in this setting, in the complex form in which the CAC is represented in these simulations, it does not appear unduly large or dominant over the landscape, suggests that other, smaller buildings that may be built would also blend into the visual setting. Since the simulations do not show the kind of land forms (low mounds) and landscaping (considerable tree canopy) that would be an integral part of the site development, it is reasonable to conclude that the visual impact of the CAC (or any smaller, lower-profile structure) would be considerably less even than these initial simulations show. 169