Visual Resources
CONIFER/285 AREA CORRIDOR PLAN LANGUAGE
These are the existing goals and policies in the Conifer/285
Corridor Area Community Plan.
ACTION
Action options:
 Keep in Area
Plan
 Modify/Add
to CMP
 Remove,
duplicated in
CMP
 Remove,
covered by
regulations
 Remove,
other reason
REASON FOR ACTION
Why staff is proposing the specified action.
Introduction language
The perception of open space is enhanced by unrestricted views.
The visual resources of the Conifer/285 Corridor Area are among its
most important values. Views of the area’s beauty attract people to the
community and provide pleasure to its residents.
Keep in Area Plan
Goal
Preserve the area’s visual resources.
Remove,
duplicated in CMP
CMP language:
Visual Resources element of the Development Review Section, page 48:
Goal: Protect the Visual Resources and unique natural features of the County.
Webster’s definitions:
Preserve – To keep safe, to maintain unchanged, to keep or maintain intact.
Protect – To keep from harm, attack, or injury.
Policies
1.
Landscapes that have special qualities, e.g., major rock
outcrops, meadows, ridgelines and peaks, should be treated in an
environmentally sensitive manner during the development review
process.
Remove
duplicated in CMP
CMP language:
Visual Resources element of the Development Review Section, page 48:
A. General
1. New Development in areas with Visual Resources should attempt to integrate development into the natural environment.
2. Visually sensitive areas should be identified, and proposed Mitigation should be determined at the time of rezoning.
3. Protect Visual Resources by making use of the site’s existing vegetation and topography to screen development.
Glossary, page 131:
Visual Resources
Include meadows, ridges and peaks, steep slopes, hillsides, waterways, significant vistas, unique vegetation, historic
structures, valleys, view corridors, visual foreground along roads, views across fields, views along bodies of water, and rock
outcroppings.
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Visual Resources
CONIFER/285 AREA CORRIDOR PLAN LANGUAGE
2.
Development in visually sensitive areas should be allowed only if
visual impacts can be adequately mitigated. Visually sensitive areas
include:
a.
The visual corridor foreground along transportation routes;
b.
Steep slopes;
c.
Ridgelines and peaks; and
d.
Meadows.
ACTION
Keep in Area Plan
REASON FOR ACTION
CMP addresses, but not as strongly. But revise the policy to make the distinction between Visually sensitive areas and Visual
Resources. Visually sensitive areas would be a subset of Visual resources.
CMP language:
Visual Resources element of the Development Review Section, page 48:
A. General
1. New Development in areas with Visual Resources should attempt to integrate development into the natural environment.
2. Visually sensitive areas should be identified, and proposed Mitigation should be determined at the time of rezoning.
Glossary, page 131:
Visual Resources
Include meadows, ridges and peaks, steep slopes, hillsides, waterways, significant vistas, unique vegetation, historic
structures, valleys, view corridors, visual foreground along roads, views across fields, views along bodies of water, and rock
outcroppings.
Update from meeting 11-13-14: Combine policies 1 and 2 to say:
Visually sensitive areas, and landscapes that have special qualities, (e.g. major rock outcrops, meadows, steep slopes,
ridgelines and peaks) should be treated as an environmentally sensitive area, and New Development in these areas should
only be allowed if visual impacts to the neighboring properties can be adequately mitigated.
3.
Structures, roads and utilities should be designed so they do not
visually dominate the landscape. Techniques that should be considered
include:
a.
Structures should be below the ridgeline, and natural materials
and colors should be used;
b.
Roads should be constructed parallel to contours, rather than a
bold cut on a hillside; and
c.
Utilities, when possible, should be located below ridgelines,
along contours, or underground.
a. Keep in Area
Plan
b. Keep in Area
Plan
c. Remove,
duplicated in CMP
Ridgelines and roads are addressed in the CMP, however, this language is much more specific and should be kept.
CMP language:
Visual Resources element of the Development Review Section, page 49:
D. Site Design
6. Minimize the impacts of road cuts, building footprints, and other grading activities on their surroundings.
8. Avoid or minimize development impacts on ridgelines and steep hillsides.
9. Encourage buildings to be stepped to fit with the natural terrain, rather than creating large flat building pads.
Other Utilities element of the Development Review Section, page 56:
B. Location and Extent of Utilities
1. Construct Utilities and communication equipment to minimize visual obtrusiveness by utilizing Stealth Technology, burying
lines, coloring equipment, and/or screening to blend with the background.
4.
Development within village centers should be designed to
achieve a visually cohesive appearance by using natural materials and
colors compatible with the mountain backdrop of the area.
Keep in Area Plan
5.
Current county Zoning Resolution regarding signs and outdoor
advertising devices should be enforced. The community should be
involved and represented as these regulations are updated.
First sentence –
Remove, other
reason
Closest policy in CMP is :
Activity Centers element of the Development Review Section, page 39:
A. General
2. Provide for each Activity Center to work as a unit by: a) Coordinating vehicular and bicycle circulation between and within
developments;
b) Constructing pedestrian connections between all buildings, and all uses; and
c) Integrating development into the surrounding community through design and appropriate uses.
Do not add to CMP because this may not be appropriate in the Plains Activity Centers since they are very large.
We are no longer referencing language that talks about enforcing existing regulations. This is completed through the zoning
enforcement process. The County is complaint driven and does not actively look for violations.
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Visual Resources
CONIFER/285 AREA CORRIDOR PLAN LANGUAGE
ACTION
Second sentence
- Add to CMP
REASON FOR ACTION
Add second sentence to Outreach chapter of the Long Range Planning Issues section.
Remove,
duplicated in CMP
Site Design element of the Development Review section, page 40:
A. General
1. Integrate the project into the existing community development pattern and prevailing topography.
Design Guidelines
1.
Development should be integrated, through its location and
design, with the existing natural character, i.e., color, line, texture, and
form, of the site.
Visual Resources element of the Development Review section, page 49:
D. Site Design
1. Use color, form, and placement to minimize visual impacts.
3. Promote site design and Intensity that is compatible with Visual Resources and the natural environment.
Glossary, page 131:
Visual Resources
Include meadows, ridges and peaks, steep slopes, hillsides, waterways, significant vistas, unique vegetation, historic
structures, valleys, view corridors, visual foreground along roads, views across fields, views along bodies of water, and rock
outcroppings.
2.
Site disturbances should be minimized. Where disturbances are
unavoidable, the resulting landscape should be integrated with the
natural landscape by using similar lines, colors, textures, forms, and
vegetation.
3.
Maximum use should be made of a site’s capacity to screen
development from view. For areas with less than adequate landscape
screening capacity, the visual diversity and landscape screening of the
site should be enhanced.
4.
The visually attractive and high-quality elements of a site’s
landscape should be maintained. The less attractive and lower-quality
portions of the site should be visually enhanced.
First sentence Remove,
duplicated in
CMP
Second sentence
– Remove,
covered by
regulations.
CMP
Visual Resources element of the Development Review section, page 49:
D. Site Design
6. Minimize the impacts of road cuts, building footprints, and other grading activities on their surroundings.
First sentence Remove,
duplicated in CMP
Second sentence
– remove, other
reasons.
CMP policy covers first sentence:
Visual Resources element of the Development Review section, page 48:
A. General
3. Protect Visual Resources by making use of the site’s existing vegetation and topography to screen development.
Remove, covered
by CMP.
Visual Resources element of the Development Review section, page 48:
Goals
Protect the Visual Resources and unique natural features of the County.
Mitigate the visual impact of New Development in visually sensitive areas.
The Grading, Erosion and Sediment Control Section of the Land Development Regulation, and Land Disturbance Section of
the Zoning Resolution requires this. The Preservation of Existing Terrain the Vegetation and Impact Mitigation section on page
19, has standards regarding cut and fill slopes, feature to avoid, blending exposed cuts with surrounding terrain, using existing
terrain and vegetation for screening, revegetating with indigenous plant materials, and blending with the natural topography.
Second sentence may not be desirable in all situations.
A. General
1. New Development in areas with Visual Resources should attempt to integrate development into the natural environment.
2. Visually sensitive areas should be identified, and proposed Mitigation should be determined at the time of rezoning.
3. Protect Visual Resources by making use of the site’s existing vegetation and topography to screen development.
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Visual Resources
CONIFER/285 AREA CORRIDOR PLAN LANGUAGE
ACTION
REASON FOR ACTION
5.
Measures should be taken to ensure architectural quality,
especially when buildings are the visually dominant component of a
landscape.
Remove, covered
by CMP.
Site Design element of the Development Review section, page 40:
A. General
5. Specify architecture and site design, including building materials; building types; separation, massing and height; and
fencing in the rezoning documents, if not addressed by the Zoning Resolution.
6.
The silhouette effect of structures on prominent ridges should be
discouraged.
Additional recommendations that should be complied with to achieve
site design that is sensitive to the preservation of visual resources are
listed in the Design Guidelines document.
Staff suggests
specifying what
architectural
quality means for
the area in the
Design
Guidelines.
Remove, covered
by CMP.
Remove, other
reason.
Visual Resources element of the Development Review section, page 49:
D. Site Design
1. Use color, form, and placement to minimize visual impacts.
Visual Resources element of the Development Review section, page 49:
D. Site Design
8. Avoid or minimize development impacts on ridgelines and steep hillsides.
Staff will go through the entire Design Guidelines document and would like to see it incorporated as a chapter in the Conifer
Area Plan. The separate document is often overlooked.
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