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Finally, the result of these measures, taken individually and in the aggregate, is that <br />the best engineering and sound fire prevention practices have been employed to <br />ensure an appropriate level of safety and fire protection to the community. <br />• Home Size and FAR <br />Home Size/Visuals <br />During the public hearing, members of the public asked if the visual simulations <br />adequately represented the size of the homes to be built, given the proposed FAR's. <br />The intent of the simulations, however, was to show whether or not a structure would be <br />visible, not to represent precisely the size of the house on the lot. The text of the Draft <br />EIR and Draft EIR Errata provided in the Final EIR that there will be a visual impact, that <br />it can be mitigated by landscaping, and that additional lots should be added to the list of <br />"visible lots" such that these lots would be required to follow the site design landscaping <br />criteria rather than the less onerous criteria for those lots not considered highly visible. <br />The purpose of the visual simulations was to graphically represent a large home on the <br />site and its location within a building envelope. For that purpose, staff does not believe <br />that any difference between a 7500-square foot home and a 10,000-square foot home <br />would be significant. Accordingly, staff believes that the questions related to visibility of <br />the homes have been addressed, including additional conditions of approval requiring a <br />property owner to provide visual simulations at the time a particular house design <br />comes forward. That is the appropriate time to evaluate those visual impacts which will <br />be buttressed by true engineering analysis and fine lot grading necessary to optimize <br />the building set into the site by landscaping, by ensuring that only two stories would be <br />visible at any grade and by assuring acceptable scale and placement of any accessory <br />structures proposed as part of the primary home development. <br />Staff believes the simulations accurately depict what will be seen, and that has <br />translated into understanding that structures will be visible. Staff believes the process <br />proposed requiring a first evaluation by the development's architectural review board, <br />then City review, will be successful as it has been in other recent developments in the <br />City, notably Mariposa Ranch. <br />A similar approach has been taken on a smaller scale for other developments the City <br />has recently reviewed and approved. The Planning Commission did not have concerns <br />related to visual impacts from the Austin development because the simulations <br />effectively showed, as Oak Grove has done, views from adjacent neighbors without <br />landscaping, with five years' growth, and finally with 15 years' growth. The visual <br />analysis of the Austin development was very similar in that it demonstrated clearly that <br />the homes would be seen while showing that over time, the visual effects would be <br />mitigated by the extensive landscaping provided. <br />PUD-33, Oak Grove Planned Unit Development Planning Commission <br />Page 13 <br />