3.7 VISUAL AND AESTHETIC RESOURCES

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1 3.7 ISAL AD ATHTI verview of the orridor The DAT orthwest orridor LT line to /DFW begins near the Bachman Station of the arrollton/farmers Branch LT Line in. The area is characterized by multi-family residential, industrial, and commercial uses from Denton Drive west to the eastern levee of the Trinity iver. The alignment crosses over IH 35- (Stemmons Freeway) and crosses the flood plain of the Trinity iver parallel to Spur 82. ntering, the alignment passes by a truck terminal facility and Texas Stadium, then over the Loop 12 freeway. The line is in the right-of-way of SH 183 as it passes by the niversity of campus and the istercian monastery and Preparatory School. The line passes through the Las olinas rban enter on the east side of Lake arolyn, through an area of high-rise and low-rise office buildings and newly-constructed multi-family residences. As the line leaves the rban enter, it passes vacant parcels of land and rises to cross over SH 183. There is a mix of vacant land, low- and mid-rise offices, and multifamily residences west of SH 183. The alignment passes by the site of the original arpenter family homestead, ancho Las olinas, some mid-rise offices, orth Lake ommunity ollege, and a small light industrial area before entering /Fort Worth International Airport property. The rail line is in an open area of the airfield on airport property and terminates southeast of the intersection of Belt Line oad and alley iew Lane. Inventory of isual esources A visual inventory of the corridor was undertaken to provide an overview of the various character areas along the corridor. The purpose of this inventory is to document the visual and aesthetic resources within the corridor that may be impacted by the proposed action. The analysis of potential impacts will address how the proposed action will affect the views, vistas and areas of special design character. This includes the character of both the built and the natural environment. In addition to addressing affected views, the analysis will also address how the proposed project may affect the visual privacy of adjacent uses. Therefore, the inventory addresses sensitive adjacent land uses, such as single and multi-family residential development orridor Assessment nit Descriptions For the purpose of documenting the visual inventory of the corridor, the study area was, based on field observation, categorized into seven assessment units shown in Figures 3-22 and ach of these units was delineated based on its general visual character and the commonality of its land uses. Table 3-27 provides a general rating of each unit s visual quality, sensitivity to change, primary viewers, and sensitive visual assets or receptors. Table 3-28 provides definitions of the ratings used in evaluating each assessment unit. ach of the seven assessment units is described below. Final nvironmental Impact Statement 3-6

2 Legend orth Las olinas LA 5 isual Analysis nit TH W ST ALIFIA SSIG HW (deferred) AP I 2 lm Fork Trinity iver F L H ST HA Loop 12 (deferred) D A BS T 1 Source: S.. Beard Associates, 2005 D HG AIPT FW H 82 Bachman niversity of D " ) TM BAIFF D T 3 12 ek re W B South Las olinas es Jo 35 W FW " ) LL T P A H H J T arrollton-farmers Branch LT Line Lake arolyn Proposed LT Line to /DFW G AL D ' Proposed Station Figure 3-22 isual Analysis nits ast Section W orridor LT Line to /DFW nvironmental Impact Statement 0 1,000 2,000,000 Feet

3 Legend LI S ID A A LL WALT HILL L LW D oad L Hackb er r y r e e k 5 IDG D HI DD H D 161 ch H L FW W orridor LT Line to /DFW nvironmental Impact Statement West Section ' T P isual Analysis nits Lake arolyn A Figure H J. MacArthur Blvd Source: S.. Beard Associates, 2005 L L Bran MAATH T HIL ST WAL 6 od wo d Luna orth Las olinas orth Lake ollege tt on o LA S L D 7 S S I LA B AB T Proposed LT Line to /DFW AL L arpenter anch Proposed Station 11 Belt Line L isual Analysis nit DFW International Airport I W B K TP MAATH BT LI I P T D G G SH 0 1,000 2,000,000 Feet

4 TA 3-27 GAL ATIG F ID ISAL ASSSMT ITS nit ame ity Primary isual isual Sensitive eceptors/assets iewers Quality Sensitivity 1 Bachman/ Trinity iver A, D,, F Moderate Moderate 2 entral Freight/ Texas Stadium 3 niversity of / istercian Las olinas / Storey d office and industrial tenants, L.B. Houston Park (undeveloped) users A, F Low Low entral Freight, Fedx A,, H Moderate Moderate. of, Abbey residences, istercian school rban enter A,, D,, G Moderate Moderate tenants, ampion Park users MF residences, commercial/office 5 orth / MF residences, hotels, orthwest A,, Moderate Low commercial/office tenants, Highway 6 arpenter anch/ orth Lake ollege A, B,,, High- Moderate High- Moderate SF MF residences, hotels, commercial/office tenants 7 DFW Airport/ Belt Line A,, F Moderate Low Industrial, office/commercial tenants Source: HD..Beard, 2006 TA 3-28 ALATI ATIGS Primary iewers isual Quality isual Sensitivity A = Arterial Motorists B = Single Family esidents = Multi-Family esidents D = ecreational sers = ommercial/ffice Tenants F = Industrial Tenants G = Downtown Pedestrians H = thers Source: HD S..Beard, 2006 High = Assessment unit or portions thereof is of significant visual or aesthetic quality to the primary viewers. Moderate = Assessment unit or portions thereof is of average visual or aesthetic quality to the primary viewers. Low = Assessment unit is of little or no visual or aesthetic quality to the primary viewers. High = Introduction of new elements into the assessment unit could significantly impact the quality of the visual/aesthetic resource as observed by the primary viewers. Moderate = Introduction of new elements into the assessment unit may have an impact the quality of the visual/aesthetic resource unit or a portion thereof as observed by the primary viewers. Low = Introduction of new elements into the assessment unit is not likely to have an impact on any visual/aesthetic resource as observed by the primary viewers. nit 1 Bachman/Trinity iver This nit begins orth of and is adjacent to the Bachman Station of the arrollton/farmers Branch LT Line. The unit is comprised of a mixed multi-family, commercial and light industrial area, much of which is in reclaimed floodplain adjacent to the Trinity iver. It is characterized visually by the large trees and vegetation in the river floodplain between the levees, and by the concrete and masonry buildings, and the concrete and steel highway and power transmission structures that predominate in the rest of the area. Final nvironmental Impact Statement 3-67

5 nit 2 entral Freight/Texas Stadium The visual landscape of this area is dominated by the highways and their interchange structures, one-story warehouse and distribution buildings, and the approximately 100-foot high dome of Texas Stadium on the southeast. Large power transmission lines parallel the highways. nit 3 niversity of /istercian The niversity of /istercian unit is characterized by low hills, the open green areas of the niversity of campus, and mesquite trees and other vegetation of the istercian monastery and school site to the northwest. There are also vacant hills on the northwest side of SH 11, adjacent to the niversity of station site. nit Las olinas rban enter The Las olinas rban enter unit is a mixture of 15-, 20-, and 30-story high-rise office buildings along with low-rise residential, hotel and retail on the southwest side of Lake arolyn. Low-rise four-story apartment, condominium and retail development (some recently built, others still under construction) predominates along the east side of the lake, adjacent to the South Las olinas and Lake arolyn station sites. The grassy medians and newly-planted landscaping of Lake arolyn Boulevard are the main visual features along the LT project alignment. The views throughout the rban enter include the lake and the variety of building heights, as well as large undeveloped tracts of land to the north and heavy trees and vegetation along the Trinity iver to the northeast of the lake. nit 5 orth /orthwest Highway The orth /orthwest Highway unit is dominated by views of vacant land and low-rise residential buildings under construction along Lake arolyn Boulevard north of onnor Boulevard. iews to the northeast are of the heavy trees and vegetation along the Trinity iver floodplain. The concrete and steel bridge and overpass structures of the orthwest Highway/SH 11 interchange are dominant at the north end of the area. ne six-story hotel stands among the vacant land on the east side of SH 11 just south of the interchange. nit 6 arpenter anch/orth Lake ollege The arpenter anch/orth Lake ollege nit is best characterized as hilly and landscaped, with a mixture of low-rise commercial and residential buildings; a small lake, a golf course and other open areas; mid-rise office buildings; and some vacant land. The highest point along the alignment, southeast of the intersection of Hidden idge and MacArthur Boulevard, offers some of the best views in northwest ounty. earby are the Tournament Players lub golf course, orth Lake ollege, and surrounding residential areas; more distant views are of the high-rise buildings of Las olinas rban enter, downtown and the IH 35 Stemmons corridor to the southeast and south. The alignment crosses MacArthur to run along the north side of the orth Lake ommunity ollege campus, adjacent to low-rise multi-family residential buildings on a slight hill to the north. The views from where the alignment crosses Brangus are of the campus to the south, Las olinas rban enter to the east-southeast, and single-family residential areas and hills to the north and northwest. The western end of this visual unit has one-story light industrial buildings from Walnut Hill Lane to the /Fort Worth Airport property fence. nit 7 DFW Airport/Belt Line The DFW Airport/Belt Line nit is slightly hilly, and covered with brush and trees. The LT alignment is on the airport property, and includes the runway approach clear zone. There are views to the surrounding light industrial buildings southeast of SH 161 (George Bush Turnpike), and a small bank and ity of maintenance facility on the northwest side of SH 161. The other features are the toll gate structures at the entrance and exit ramps on the highway, and the dominant toll plaza structure that spans the width of the highway just southwest of where the alignment crosses the highway. Final nvironmental Impact Statement 3-68