| Draft Environmental Impact Statement Shorts School Road Am Antenna Structures 63 3.1.7 Mitigation Measures It has been determined that a small number of residences within the adjacent Kenwanda subdivision would have significant visual impacts as a result of the proposed alternatives. These are homes which have been sited to take advantage of the dramatic and often panoramic views to the east and north-east, facing the Cascade Mountains and the peaks around Glacier Peak. The Deputy Hearing Examiner noted in his decision (Decision A, 107495) of July 31, 2002 that any substantial visual impacts would be restricted to approximately 30 residences within the central section of Kenwanda. Based on close observation and the previous analysis, those experiencing adverse significant impacts are fewer than that, estimated to be approximately 7 to 8 residences, based on views available from public rights-of-way. Other residences there would have an indirect view of the antennas, but the visual impacts would not likely be significant. The view from each property is different, depending on the quantity and maturity of existing vegetation to the east. Views also vary depending on the season, because much of the vegetation is deciduous. For this reason, the photos used in the photo-simulations were taken in the winter, with the leaves off of the trees, to depict a worst case scenario. Many of the impacts depicted therein will be less than shown for a good part of the year. Viewpoints from residences represented by the following addresses appear to be very similar to those depicted in the simulations associated with Viewpoints 14 and 15, where significant visual impacts were identified: 13527, 13601, 13615, 13531, and 13701 Kenwanda Drive, all on the eastern, downhill side of the street. With the exception of 13527 Kenwanda Drive, these are houses on deep lots which bridge between Kenwanda Drive and 106th Drive SE to the east. Residential lots to the east with mature screening vegetation are thus well downhill. Also impacted to a similar degree appear to be 13622, 13606, and 13600 Kenwanda Drive, located on the west side, and more elevated than the view from the simulation viewpoints. All of these residences have several things in common that others in Kenwanda lack: they are on a part of the hill that is topographically aligned such that the houses face in the general direction of the proposed antennas; and they sit above the street in such a way that there is no other property between them and the street (excepting 13527 Kenwanda Drive). Consequently, their yards are mostly clear of vegetation that blocks the view, as these residents generally have minimized view-obstructing landscaping. While the proposed antennas will clearly be visible from more residences in Kenwanda than just these, the visual impact will be of a lesser magnitude, for a variety of reasons. In some cases, existing vegetation will screen all but the occasional glimpse of the antennas. In most other cases, the antennas will not be visible from within the house, where the majority of the residents spend their time, but only parts of the yard or deck, as the houses themselves are not oriented towards the proposed antenna site. Few other residences in Kenwanda are oriented directly towards the antenna site, and those that are, other than the ones cited above, experience significant screening vegetation between them and the proposed site. Several measures have been identified which have some potential to partially mitigate the significant visual impacts to some of the Kenwanda neighborhood residences under both the Preferred Alternative and Alternative 2, as follows: Plant a tree farm surrounding the proposed antennas that would generally screen views of the lower parts of the antennas from key viewpoints in the project area. Fast-growing poplar (black |