| Draft Environmental Impact Statement Shorts School Road Am Antenna Structures 55 Viewpoint 17 Under the Preferred Alternative, the 349-foot antenna, marked in orange and white, and the seven 199-foot antennas, painted in neutral colors would be visible in the field in the foreground at a distance of 0.25 miles (Figure A.17). In the middleground, the deciduous trees that line the river dike and Fiddler�s Bluff (with houses) are visible. Fiddler�s Bluff screens all background views. The open views of the valley would remain striking under the Preferred Alternative. Because of the viewpoint�s close proximity to the proposed project site, and the scale of the antennas, the Preferred Alternative would visually encroach on the integrity of the view and reduce the intactness level. The antennas would also disrupt the coherent visual pattern created by repeated natural elements such as the field, the trees, and Fiddler�s Bluff. As a result, unity level would also be reduced. 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 foreground from Viewpoint 17. However, because the red lights would be vertically shielded to reduce the visibility from the ground at this distance, the visual impact of the lighting would be greatly diminished. Final Adjusted Visual Quality Rating: 3.9 (down from 5.9) Viewpoint 18 Under the Preferred Alternative, foreground views of the golf course, a chain link fence, houses, and residential landscaping and backyard storage would remain visible from Viewpoint 18. The Snohomish River Valley, Lord Hill, and the eight radio antennas would be visible in the middleground. Approximately one-third of the 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, low lying foothills and the Cascade Mountains would be visible against the skyline from this viewpoint. Views of the Snohomish Valley and Cascade Mountains would remain memorable under the Preferred Alternative. The radio antennas would visually encroach on the view and decrease the intactness level. Likewise, the antennas would disrupt the existing compositional harmony created by the repeated linear elements in the view and decrease the level of unity. 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 18. Because of the approximate 200-foot elevation and of the viewpoint and its proximity (0.54 miles) to the proposed project, the blinking lights on the 349- foot antenna would be close and generally at eye level, and would likely cause a visual distraction. However, the Kenwanda Golf Course typically operates between 6:00 am and 8:00 |