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non-urbanized area, as the site is located in an unincorporated part of the County that is not completely surrounded
<br /> by one or more incorporated cities. The nearest incorporated city to the project site is the City of Tracy, which has a
<br /> population of 95,931 as of January 2020 (DOF 2020). Therefore, this analysis considers whether the project would
<br /> degrade the existing visual character or quality of public views of the site and surrounding area.
<br /> The project site is located in an unincorporated area of the County that primarily consists of mixed agricultural and
<br /> industrial uses, interspersed rural residential and public uses, and undeveloped areas. The project site is bound by
<br /> Schulte Road and agricultural uses to the north, Quality Road and agricultural uses to the east, and industrial uses to
<br /> the west and south. The project would involve the development of three single-story industrial buildings, and would
<br /> include improvements along the project's street frontage, including landscape, sidewalk, and parkway improvements.
<br /> The project site is currently vacant, consisting of disturbed, uneven soils and ruderal vegetation, and does not contain
<br /> elements that would be perceived as visual resources or of valued visual quality or character. Development of the
<br /> project would result in conversion of the project site from a vacant lot to a developed and maintained industrial site
<br /> featuring three warehouse buildings and associated parking, loading docks, drive aisles, and landscaping.
<br /> Proposed buildings would be one story in height and would not conflict with the existing mass and scale of buildings
<br /> in the project area. Building facades would feature a complementary neutral color palette and a variety of building
<br /> materials, similar to other industrial development located throughout the region. The overall intensity of use on site
<br /> would increase, and activities on site would include ingressing and egressing of passenger vehicles and trucks, the
<br /> loading and unloading of trucks with designated truck courts/loading areas, and the internal and external movement of
<br /> materials around the project site via forklifts, pallet jacks, yard hostlers, and similar equipment. However, buildings
<br /> would be oriented such that all loading areas would face the interior of the site and would not be visible from adjacent
<br /> public streets. Building elevations would include vertical and horizontal elements that would break up the overall
<br /> massing of the buildings, and appropriately sited landscaping elements, including a variety of trees, shrubs, plants,
<br /> and land covers, would provide additional screening and soften the appearance of the industrial site.
<br /> In an effort to ensure that current and future development within the project area is designed and constructed to
<br /> conform to existing visual character and quality of the surrounding built environment, the San Joaquin County
<br /> Ordinance Code (Title 9) includes design standards related to building size, height, floor area ratio, and setbacks, as
<br /> well as landscaping, signage, and other development standards that have an effect on visual considerations. These
<br /> design standards help adjacent land uses to be visually consistent with one another and their surroundings, and reduce
<br /> the potential for aesthetic conflict. The design specifications of all development proposals submitted to the County are
<br /> reviewed for compliance with all applicable provisions set forth by the Development Code. As part of the County's
<br /> development review process, the project's architectural plans are reviewed by County staff to determine whether the
<br /> project design conforms to the Development Code and promotes the visual character and quality of the surrounding
<br /> area.
<br /> Since industrial uses are common in the project area, the project would not conflict with the industrial character of the
<br /> immediately surrounding area. Further, more distant views of open grasslands, agricultural uses, foothills, and
<br /> mountains would remain intact. Therefore, the project would have a less-than-significant impact associated with the
<br /> existing visual quality or character of the site or its surroundings. This issue will not be further discussed in the EIR.
<br /> d) Less-than-Significant Impact. The existing lighting and glare conditions in the project area are typical of a mixed
<br /> industrial and agricultural area. Existing sources of light and glare in the project area are limited to indoor building
<br /> lighting emanating from windows and outdoor safety and parking lot lighting associated with adjacent and nearby
<br /> industrial buildings, indoor and outdoor lighting at rural residences, streetlights, and vehicles. The primary source of
<br /> outdoor lighting in the project area is the City of Tracy, which has residential and commercial areas of higher density
<br /> and brighter ambient lighting conditions than the project site and adjacent properties.
<br /> New lighting for the project would include indoor and outdoor building lighting, parking lot lighting, and safety lighting.
<br /> County of San Joaquin Municipal Code Section 9-1025.6 sets forth provisions for outdoor lighting, outlines standards
<br /> for lighting adjacent to residential and commercial zones, and stipulates that no lighting shall cause glare on a street
<br /> or alley. Adjacent properties to the project site are zoned for industrial and agricultural use and do not consist of
<br /> residential or commercial uses. Further, the nearest residential land uses are located approximately 0.35 miles to the
<br /> northeast, and the nearest suburban residential area within the City is located approximately 0.6 miles to the east of
<br /> the project site. All new lighting installed as part of the project would be shielded and pointed downward to prevent
<br /> light spillover, consistent with Municipal Code Section 9-1025.6. Further, the project would not include any blinking,
<br /> flashing, or extremely bright lighting. Therefore, the project would have a less-than-significant impact associated with
<br /> light and glare. This issue will not be further discussed in the EIR.
<br /> Enter oroiect#s. —Initial Study 7
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