Laserfiche WebLink
distance from the viewpoint to the pit. Photos 2 and 3 show the impact from two <br />locations where visibility is fairly high. <br />Photo 2 was taken from County Road 21 looking to the southeast. Of course, <br />someone traveling north on the road would not likely be looking back over their shoulder, <br />but for a short distance someone traveling south would see this view to the left. From this <br />view, the prairies to the southeast are well framed by the shallow valley and in the middle <br />of the middle ground will be the sand pit as indicated by the red outline. Clearly, impact <br />from this view is considerably higher than it is from the first viewpoint (Photo 1), but still <br />the distance is great enough to somewhat attenuate the impact. Nevertheless, the pit will <br />be a deviation in the landscape with regard to color and form and to a lesser extent <br />texture. The line attribute in the landscape is generally compatible, however the vertical <br />character of the highwall will contrast with overall horizontal lines in the landscape. From <br />the standpoint of the significance of the deviation, it would probably be somewhere in the <br />middle between moderate and high moderate. The pit will be easily noticed, but will not <br />be as prominent as it could be if the distance was much less than it is. In the winter, the <br />degree of deviation with respect to color will greatly decline, leaving only form and some <br />texture. It is important to point out, however, that traveling at the speed limit on the road, <br />this view only occurs for a few seconds and then the site is hidden behind a hill on the <br />east side of the road. Further to the south, across the top of the next hill, the road <br />descends into a deeper valley and the Hunt Road junction at the bottom of the hill. For the <br />tnost part the pit area is hidden behind that same hill on the east side of the road until the <br />road elevation descends far enough that the trees along Running Creek largely obscures <br />the view of the pit. From there the road rises again to the location where Photo 3 was <br />taken. <br />Photo 3, as stated above, was taken just north of the top of the hill south of the <br />Hunt Road entrance. Because the road quickly descends into the valley and then back up <br />another hill, the duration of this view is still fairly short. However, it is considerably <br />longer than the brief view from the Photo 2 location. From the Photo 3 location, about the <br />eastern 600 to 1000 feet of the pit area will be fully visible. The western portion, which is <br />considerably wider than the eastern portion to be added, is mostly hidden behind the trees <br />along Running Creek. In the summer, the foliage is so thick very little of the operation is <br />visible through the trees, but in winter the visibility would increase as the trees are <br />deciduous. The line character is probably somewhat more compatible from this view than <br />it would be from Photo 2, but there would still be some impact from the vertical character <br />of the highwall. That, however, would be somewhat attenuated by the vertical fine texture <br />of the trees along the creek. Color, especially in the summer, would be the most <br />Miller Gravel Pit -Special Use Permit Page 20 of 26 <br />