Capital Hill PUD Page 29 of 67 <br />Planned Unit Development Application - Tentative Stage - Written Statement <br />March 3, 2017 (Revised:June 19, 2017, August 22, 2017) <br />2. To encourage preservation as open space those areas characterized by: <br />a. Intermediate and steep slopes <br />b. Higher elevations <br />c. Significant amounts of vegetation <br />d. Significant visual impact. <br />Open space preservation is proposed for the steepest slopes with significant trees and other <br />vegetation and provides a continual buffer where the highest visual impact would occur. The <br />higher (yet minimal) visual impact will be into the site from the east and only by users of the <br />Ribbon Trail looking straight up the hill looking for houses. <br />Seeing houses in an urban environment is not an unexpected occurrence. The land that the <br />Ribbon Trail borders was zoned as low density residential long before the Ribbon Trail existed <br />(opened March 2010). <br />See attached video of view walking along the Ribbon Trail. <br />The video depicts a view walking from the south end of the trail adjacent to the development <br />site to the north end adjacent to the development site. The camera is held facing up the slope <br />perpendicular to the Ribbon Trail. This is not a natural way someone would view the site if <br />walking along but the video takes a closer look to highlight the existing screening. <br />As previously stated, the higher elevations west of the development site have the advantage of <br />having a significant forest of existing trees that have matured over time and screen the view <br />into the highest elevations almost completely. To the north is the 80+ acres of Hendricks Park, <br />which also provides significant screening with its mature trees. <br />Therefore the topography of the area, coupled with the preservation area, provides an <br />excellent visual buffer between the proposed development and off site users. <br />This is a still shot from the animation that was submitted with this application. <br />This is a view walking north on the Ribbon Trail. Off to the left and high up on the slope is a <br />small white sign that marks the eastern property boundary of the development site. Some of <br />the proposed houses are barely visible through the trees. <br />Schirmer Satre Group • 375 West 4 m Avenue, Suite 201, Eugene, OR 97401 • (541) 686-4540 <br />