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5.0 Environmental Analysis 5.4 Landform Alteration/Visual Quality <br />Avion Project SEIR <br />Page 5.4-2 <br />5.4.3.1 Threshold <br />According to the City of San Diego’s (City’s) California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Significance <br />Determination Thresholds, impacts associated with development features may be significant if the <br />project would: <br />a. Include crib, retaining, or noise walls greater than six feet in height and 50 feet in length with <br />minimal landscape screening or berming where the walls would be visible to the public. <br />5.4.3.2 Impacts <br />As described in Section 3.3, Project Description, the proposed retaining walls would reach a <br />maximum height of 55 feet, 7 inches and be located along both sides of the existing drainage <br />channel that would be crossed by the arch culvert allowing for the extension of Winecreek Drive <br />(refer to Figure 3-3). However, the proposed retaining walls would be downslope from the project <br />and not exceed the elevation of the arch culvert or the development pad and therefore, not be <br />visible from the project site once constructed. Furthermore, the retaining walls would be developed <br />with earth tones that would blend in with the surrounding natural environment and would be <br />landscaped with cascading vines at the top of the walls that would extend downslope to provide an <br />aesthetically pleasing appearance from views off-site. The retaining walls along both the eastern and <br />western project boundaries would be 135 feet in length and vary in height from one to ten feet. The <br />maximum height of ten feet for these retaining walls would not exceed the height regulations of the <br />underlying zone limiting the height of retaining walls outside of required setbacks to 12 feet. <br />Although the length and height of these retaining walls to be constructed on the western and <br />eastern project boundaries would exceed the dimensions listed in the threshold listed above, they <br />would be downslope from the building pad and not visible from the project site. These retaining <br />walls would also be developed with earth tones that would blend in with the surrounding natural <br />environment and would be landscaped to provide an aesthetically pleasing appearance from views <br />off-site. <br />5.4.3.3 Significance of Impacts <br />Although the project proposes retaining walls that would exceed the height regulations of the <br />underlying zone, the retaining walls would be visible in a low visibility area nor would they result in a <br />negative appearance, as they are located in a low visibility area and landscaped. For these reasons, <br />impacts would be less than significant. <br />5.4.3.4 Mitigation, Monitoring, and Reporting <br />Mitigation would not be required.