ARCHIVED REPORTS_DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT

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REGULATORY SETTING Federal Plans, Policies, Regulations, and Laws No federal plans,policies,regulations, or laws are applicable to the proposed project. State Plans, Policies, Regulations, and Laws The California Department of Transportation(Caltrans)manages the California Scenic Highway Program. The goal of this program is to preserve and protect scenic highway corridors from changes that would affect the aesthetic value of the land adjacent to highways. There are no state-designated highways or eligible routes or roadways in the project area. The nearest state- designated highway segment is I-5 from SR 152 to SR 205,approximately 15 miles southwest of the project area (Caltrans 1999). Views of the project area from this segment of I-5 are not available because of the extended distance to the site and intervening topography.Neither SR 99, located in the eastern part of the project area,nor SR 120, located south of the WQCF site, are state-designated scenic highways. Regional and Local Plans, Policies, Regulations, and Ordinances The City of Manteca General Plan 2023(City general plan) outlines goals and policies associated with aesthetic resources. The following policies from the Community Design Element are relevant to this analysis. ► Policy CD-P-44: Provide minimal levels of street,parking,building, site, and public area lighting to meet safety standards and provide direction. ► Policy CD-P-45: Provide directional shielding for all exterior lighting to minimize the annoyance of direct or indirect glare. ► Policy CD-P-46: Provide automatic shutoff or motion sensors for lighting features in newly developed areas. 4.2.2 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS ANALYSIS METHODOLOGY This visual impact analysis is based on a field survey and review of representative viewpoints of the WQCF site and Woodward Park pumping station in relation to the surrounding vicinity. The elements of the project were compared to existing views of the WQCF site and Woodward Park pumping station to determine how the project would change foreground,middleground, and background views where appropriate. In addition,the project was reviewed for its overall visual impacts using the standards of quality, consistency, and symmetry typically used for a visual assessment. The visual impacts were compared against the thresholds of significance discussed below. THRESHOLDS OF SIGNIFICANCE For purposes of this analysis,the following applicable thresholds of significance have been used to determine whether implementing the proposed project would result in a significant impact. These thresholds of significance are based on the State CEQA Guidelines. The proposed project would result in significant visual resources impacts if it would: ► have a substantial adverse effect on a scenic vista, ► substantially degrade the existing visual character or quality of the site and its surroundings, ► cause a substantial inconsistency between the project and guidelines in the City general plan, or EDAW Manteca WQCF and Collection System Master Plans EIR Visual Resources 4.2-10 City of Manteca