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<br />Chapter 4 <br />Environmental Setting, Impacts, and Mitigation Measures <br />A. Aesthetics and Visual Resources <br /> <br />dominating forested edges, and complex patterns of vegetation will shape the environment <br />within which planned cultural and recreational uses and informal open spaces will share a <br />woodland/meadow setting that will not appear overly programmed or developed, <br /> <br />Where the Specific Plan and the Bernal Community Park Master Plan provide for constructed <br />uses, the Plans call for a design strategy and for care in avoiding adverse visual impacts: <br /> <br />. Constructed Uses, Only the potential cultural arts center would be designed as a <br />"landmark" building; "other cultural and social buildings should be designed as <br />subtle focal points reflecting the more dominant natural character of the landscape <br />natural setting in which they are to be located; and all other buildings and structures <br />should blend into the surrounding planned natural setting in terms of form, materi- <br />als, and colors and become 'transparent' in effect" (Grand Park Design Element, <br />Public Facilities Policy 3, p, 30), <br /> <br />Illumination, Outdoor lighting fixtures in lighted sportsfields, parking lots and build- <br />ings are to be screened from view, and lighting is to be directed downward (Conserva- <br />tion and Environmental Mitigation Element, Visual Resources Policy 2, p, 52), <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />The Bernal Community Park Master Plan has been designed consistent with these Specific <br />Plan policies by clustering active sports facilities within a framework of linear forested open <br />space, The Master Plan includes lighting of at least three of the four proposed baseball <br />fields in order to allow their nighttime use. Six 70-foot-talllight poles will be installed at the <br />largest fields and four 60-foot-talllight poles will be installed at the smaller fields, As shown <br />in the Phase II site plan, Figures 5 and 6 (pp, 13 and 24), the ballfields are situated in a <br />central portion of the site, where they will be buffered from existing neighboring uses by a <br />distance of more than 800 feet. Other sports fields would also have the potential to be <br />lighted at night. Illumination could be as frequent as six nights per week during each sports <br />season, weather permitting, Early morning lighting may also occur for the maintenance <br />activities, Canopy trees will be installed around the sports fields perimeters to provide visual <br />screening, <br /> <br />Other project uses will involve limited areas of nighttime lighting including interior and <br />exterior building lighting and low profile outdoor lighting along pathways in the new park, <br />All areas subject to illumination (including parking lots) will be landscaped, Pleasanton <br />Avenue, to be extended from Bernal Avenue to Valley Avenue, will have streetlights, <br /> <br />b. Significance Criteria <br /> <br />Significance criteria for program-level aesthetic impacts are drawn from CEQA Guidelines <br />Appendix G (Items XII (a), (b), (c), and (d)), Impacts on aesthetics and visual resources <br />would be significant: <br /> <br />(1) [If the project would] have a substantial adverse effect on a scenic vista, <br /> <br />(2) [If the project would] substantially damage scenic resources, including, but not <br />limited to, trees, rock outcroppings, and historic buildings within a state scenic <br />highway corridor. <br /> <br />35 <br />