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Italy; retaining walls of natural stone up to the house and around the driveway and washed split- faced to look like real stone on the back side which faces the Reznick and Roberts homes. Tim Collins, project visual consultant, stated that he had worked on the Austin project photo simulations. He presented an overview of the process he utilizes to create his images, which is different from the techniques for photomontages. He indicated that his images are based on real 3-D data from civil engineering to which he adds new data from the architect, creating a surface for the data with existing terrain, matched to make all the coordinates correct and to scale exactly real scale. He stated that the photos are taken from a specific location, using actual GPS coordinates, with a 50-mm. lens. In response to Chairperson Fox inquiry regarding what software he uses, Mr. Collins replied that he uses 3-studio max as well as autocad which comes from the engineers. He continued that he uses trees located in a 3-D space and places then in the terrain model, sizing them per the landscape architect's specs. Mr. Collins then displayed the visual representation of the landscaping plans and the photo simulation aerial, which represented the tree growth over time from Year 1 through Year 10, to show the impact over the years where the top ridgeline of the house is barely visible. He indicated that he did not show the growth progress of the existing trees because older trees do not grow at the same rate as new trees. In response to Commissioner Narum's inquiry regarding the brown strip seen from the Roberts home, Mr. Collins replied that it was the retaining wall mentioned earlier. He explained that by Year 10, some of the lower brush would grow to obscure it. Commissioner Narum inquired how the dark space above would be hydroseeded; Mr. Collins replied that it probably would not be hydroseeded but would remain as natural as it is. In response to an inquiry by Chairperson Fox regarding the length and height of the retaining wall, Mr. Collins replied that it varied from three feet to six feet high -three at bottom and six at the top. It would be continuous and not be broken up into segments, starting up short and getting taller as it wraps around the hillside. Mr. Collins continued that he used the photo simulation as a design tool for placing the trees, putting much bigger 60-inch-box trees in certain vulnerable spots. These trees would be 25 feet tall at initial installation and would grow to 35 feet tall in 10 years, approximately one foot per year. He noted that there were a total of five trees of that magnitude. Chairperson Fox inquired what kind of trees, how tall, and where on the landscape diagram were the couple of trees obscuring the house. Mr. Collins replied that these were Coast Live Oalc trees and pointed them out on the display. He noted how they had been strategically placed, down-slope a bit, with their canopy covering most of the house. He added that the planting elevation of these particular trees is high and that the photo is looking at the house at an angle from the Roberts home. Chairperson Fox inquired why they were taller than the existing mature oaks already in property. Mr. Collins replied that he did not advance the existing trees because it is difficult to determine how the other trees will grow. He explained that the oak trees are irrigated a certain amount, they would grow at a certain rate in a year, about one foot a year, maturing at 35 feet in ten years. EXCERPTS: PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES, November 14, 2007 Page 8 of 19