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EIR. He noted that they wanted to see vibration testing for Hearst Drive with respect to <br />the heavy equipment that would use the road for construction. He noted that there were <br />already problems in foundations in the neighborhood and was concerned about the size <br />and weight of the equipment. They also repeatedly addressed the photomontage and did <br />not know whether they had seen the actual depiction. When he reviewed the layout and <br />topography, he wondered whether any of the units could be relocated to reduce the visual <br />prominence of some of the homes. <br /> <br />Commissioner Olson noted that he was less concerned about the visuals in the EIR and <br />noted that would be addressed later in the process as each home was contemplated in the <br />design review. He was concerned about the seeming fluidity of the EVA, and he did not <br />see how the EIR could be certified without knowing where the EVA would be located. <br />He recalled his comment during the Draft EIR process that there should be another access <br />to this project in addition to Hearst Drive. He would like to examine moving Lots 2, 3, 4, <br />and 5 lower relative to access from Benedict Court or Red Feather Court. He noted that <br />he was not able to recommend certification of the EIR. <br /> <br />Commissioner Pearce noted that the EVA concerns relating to safety and visual impact <br />were her two main concerns. She relied on the Fire Chief to assess when he considered <br />something to be safe and trusted his judgment regarding the safety and adequacy of the <br />EVA. She appreciated the input and time expended by the residents and was satisfied <br />that the stated safety of the EVA would satisfy CEQA’s analysis. With respect to the <br />visual impact, she realized that reasonable people would disagree with methodology. She <br />examined the City’s methodology and found it to be consistent with an accepted method <br />of practice. She was comfortable with the use of the 28-mm. lens. She understood from <br />walking the site that some of the areas were chosen despite their visual impact because of <br />the environmentally sensitive areas. She would prefer to mitigate the visual impacts of <br />the individual houses in order to respect the environmentally sensitive areas as much as <br />possible. <br /> <br />Commissioner Narum agreed with Commissioner Pearce’s comments and was also <br />comfortable with the judgment expressed by the Fire Chief regarding the EVA safety. <br />She acknowledged that there would be a visual impact of the houses and noted that the <br />design guidelines would be very important. She was prepared to certify the EIR at this <br />time. <br /> <br />Chairperson Fox concurred with the concerns expressed by Commissioner O’Connor and <br />Commissioner Olson, especially with respect to the fluid EVA. She did not believe the <br />other alternatives were thoroughly examined. She believed the circulation in and out of <br />the site was not thoroughly discussed with respect to access points. She expressed <br />concern about the photomontages and believed that there was a concern about the 28-mm <br />lens issue and that the simulated houses were also scoped to be 6,700 square feet and <br />were much larger than what would be allowed to be built. It was her experience that <br />people built to the largest size they could. She did not believe that addressing the visual <br />impacts of the houses individually would address the impact of the project as a whole. <br />She would like to see shots of the site with a 50-mm lens. She did not believe the visuals <br />PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES June 27, 2007 Page 24 of 28 <br /> <br /> <br />