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Home My WebLink AboutVIDEO MEMOAO WPlanning Date: September 27, 2017 To: Interested parties From: Nicholas Gioello, Associate Planner Subject: Capital Full PUD (PDT 17-1) applicant submitted videos Two videos are referenced in the following letter from the applicant dated September 14, 2017. A third video was originally submitted with the initial application materials. Unfortunately the City's online Land Use Application Search page does not support the viewing of videos. Staff has made these videos available for public viewing on Youtube by using the following links: https:Hyoutu.be/dSEW_SfUgNQ https://youtu.be/kXZahgM62cM https://youtu.be/oPU_G4Ld-EU If you experience any difficulties or are unable to view the videos, please contact: Nicholas R. Gioello, M. Adm. Associate Planner I Planning Division City of Eugene Planning & Development 99 West 10th Avenue Eugene Oregon 97401 p 541.682.5453 nick.r.gioello@ci.eugene.or.us City of Eugene 99 W. 1 Oth Ave. Eugene, OR 97401 ~ 541-682-5481 * 541-682-5572 Fax wwv.eugene-or.gov/planning September 15, 2017 Nick Gioello *Received Planning and Development City of Eugene 99 West 10tH Avenue S F 15 2011 Eugene, Oregon 97401 RE: Capital Hill PUD: Video Images City of Eugene Manning Division Nick: In an effort to provide some clarity to the visual aspects of the Capital Hill PUD project I am submitting these videos for the project. I know it can be difficult for decision makers to visit the site so thought I would bring the site to the decision makers. The videos were taken on September 14tH The videos are as follows: Ribbon Trail At the very beginning of the video you can see a house. That is the house that sits on Lot 4 (see Site Plan) due south of the project site's south property line. This was my starting point. I am looking up the hill looking west. walked the Ribbon Trail beginning at a point that aligns approximately with the southeast corner of the subject property. I walked north until I reached a location that is the approximate location of the north east property corner. walked holding my phone parallel to the Ribbon Trail as if someone walking on the trail stopped and turned to look directly up the hill at the property. If you walk trails at all you know this is not how people walk. They are typically looking at their surroundings and typically looking at an oblique angle to the path they walk. I thought by directing the camera directly up the hill it is as if someone stopped and was trying to see the development site and the existing buildings on the site. During the walk I was unable to see any of the existing buildings on the property. You will notice as you view the video that: • The vegetation on the Ribbon Trail property is fairly dense. • The topography on the Ribbon Trail property between the Ribbon Trail and the development site is so steep in places that you are unable to see over the topography to even see up the hill. • The vegetation on the project site adjacent to the Ribbon trail property is also very dense. This helps address the concern that was voiced by some of the participants in the formal and informal meetings with respect to visual intrusion by homes on the Ribbon Trail experience. While this is not a criteria of the South Hills study we thought it was worth addressing as it was expressed as a concern. • The vegetation off the property is quite thick. • The vegetation that is on the property that is in the Conservation Zone is quite thick. • Together these 2 area create an extensive visual buffer (see Site Plan for actual distances) • Proposed homes will be situated close to the proposed road and will be a great distance from the Ribbon Trail. 5W PLANNERS - LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS ENVIRONMENTAL SPECIALISTS 600r, Jar, I + LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS + 375 West 4th, Suite 201, Eugene, OR 97401 SCHIRMER Phone: 541.686.4540 Fax: 541.686.4577 I www.schirmersatre.com = ® Existing topography is steep and also provides a visual barrier. Capital Hill In this video I walk from north to south. I have submitted a Site Plan with this video showing the approximate path I walked. I am looking west from the site. As you can see there is one place where there is a good view of Downtown. This view is from in front of the existing pink house. In other words, this is already an existing condition. The remainder of the site is well hidden by the existing vegetation and the existing homes across the street to the west on the existing developed lots that are not part of this project. Those existing elements screen views into the site from Downtown or on the valley floor. If you pause the movie at about 1:15 you will see the view from the pink house front lawn to downtown. In that view is the Citizens Building and next to it is the Downtown Athletic Club where I shot the still picture looking back up to the site attempting to spot the pink house. That still picture is included in the written statement that was submitted previously. In a couple of places I stopped and panned upwards to show the height of the existing coniferous trees that are to our west off the property and not affected by this project. The existing houses and existing vegetation to the west have been there for some time and will remain. These existing trees contribute to the natural characteristics of the south hills and will contribute to softening any effects that might be seen from the removal of some of the trees on the property. At approximately 2:44 you see a green Subaru. That is parked in the area where the loop road will begin. The remainder of the video is from the front lawn of the other existing home on Lot 20 on the Site Plan. That house is remaining as are the majority of the trees on that lot. Eight of the 33 proposed lots have any possibility of affecting views to the valley floor through either construction of homes and removal of existing vegetation. Looking at the existing vegetation and existing homes off site, coupled with the fact that the development is uphill (looking up through existing trees and homes obscures even more views), the possibility for any view into the development site is remote and minimal. These factors will minimize visual impacts to insure the development blends with rather than dominates the natural characteristics of the south hills. If you can't see out of the site you certainly can't see into it. Please let me know if you have any questions about what was submitted. Sincerely, Schirmer Satre Group Carol Schirmer Principal