| Draft Environmental Impact Statement Shorts School Road Am Antenna Structures 53 of 0.55 miles. The seven 199-foot antennas, painted in neutral colors, would be mostly seen against the background landscape, with only their top portions emerging into the skyline. In the background, the Snohomish foothills and the Cascade Mountains would be visible. Please note that houses at this location would likely have wider views of the valley and mountains than shown in the simulation. Views of the valley and the mountains would remain striking under the Preferred Alternative. The eight antennas would encroach on views of the valley and mountains. The scale and orange and white markings of the 349-foot antenna would make it a dominant element in the view and reduce the level of intactness. The neutral colors and smaller scale of the seven 199-foot antennas would make them appear less dominant, because they could meld into the background landscape more easily. Likewise, although the antennas would repeat existing vertical elements, such as the trees seen in the foreground, the scale and markings of the tallest antenna would disrupt the coherent visual pattern and diminish the level of unity in this view. The construction of the Preferred Alternative is determined to result in a significant adverse impact to views from this viewpoint based on the degree of visual change observed in the visual simulations. Lighting In the evening, the two blinking, red hazard warning lights at the apex of the tallest antenna and the three smaller marker lights at the mid-point of the antenna would be visible in the middleground from Viewpoint 14. Because of the approximate 200-foot elevation and of the viewpoint and its proximity (0.55 miles) to the proposed project, the blinking lights on the 349- foot antenna would be close and could cause a minor visual distraction, ameliorated by distance. The non-blinking lights mid-way up the antenna would likely be visible as well, along with lights on Lords Hill across the valley. Final Adjusted Visual Quality Rating: 2.1 (down from 5.5) Viewpoint 15 Under the Preferred Alternative, neighborhood houses, landscaping, and driveways would remain visible in the foreground from Viewpoint 15 (Figure A.15). The Snohomish River Valley, Lord Hill, and the eight radio antennas would be visible in the middleground. Approximately a third of 349-foot antenna, marked in orange and white, would project up into the sky at a distance of 0.54 miles. The seven 199-foot antennas, painted in neutral colors, would be mostly seen against the background landscape. In the background, the Snohomish foothills and the Cascade Mountains would be visible. Please note that houses at this location would likely have wider views of the valley and mountains than shown in the simulation. Views of the valley and the mountains would remain striking under the Preferred Alternative. The eight antennas would encroach on views of the valley and mountains. The scale and orange and white markings of the 349-foot antenna would make it a dominant element in the view and reduce the level of intactness. The neutral colors and smaller scale of the seven 199-foot antennas would make them appear less dominant, because they could meld into the background landscape more easily. The eight antennas would disrupt the visual pattern created by natural elements in the middleground and background like the river, the valley, Lord Hill, and the mountains. As a result the level of unity in this view would be diminished by the Preferred |