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5.0 Environmental Analysis 5.4 Landform Alteration/Visual Quality <br />Avion Project SEIR <br />Page 5.4-5 <br />4) Would the project design include mass terracing of natural slopes with cut or fill slopes to construct <br />flat-pad structures? <br />The project would include mass grading to terrace the underlying landform in order to create flat <br />pads for development. While the project site would result in terracing within the development <br />footprint, the project would result in grading of approximately 37.8 percent of the overall site area, <br />and the majority of steep natural slopes surrounding the development would be retained within the <br />23.75 acres of the project site (57.3 percent) proposed to be preserved as Multi-Habitat Planning <br />Area (MHPA) open space. <br />Conclusion <br />Construction earthwork would exceed the City’s threshold of 2,000 cubic yards per graded acre. <br />Although the project site contains naturally steep slopes throughout the project site, the project <br />would not exceed the encroachment allowance into steep slopes permitted by the ESL regulations, <br />and the majority of steep slopes would be preserved on-site within MHPA open space. <br />Manufactured slopes would exceed 10 feet in height, and excavation or fill in excess of 5 feet from <br />existing grade would occur around the perimeter of the development footprint. Manufactured <br />slopes on the project perimeter would be revegetated with native plant material in order to blend <br />with the adjacent natural hillside, consistent with the City’s grading and brush management <br />regulations. However, the project would not be consistent with threshold conditions two and three <br />and, therefore, would result in a substantial change in an existing landform. None of the exceptions <br />stated in the City’s thresholds would apply. <br />5.4.4.3 Significance of Impacts <br />The project would result in a substantial change in an existing landform. Therefore, impacts would <br />be significant. This impact is consistent with the conclusion in the 1998 EIR. <br />5.4.4.4 Mitigation, Monitoring, and Reporting <br />The project has been designed to minimize the visual impacts of landform alteration to the extent <br />feasible. As a result, the project would preserve approximately 23.75 acres of the project site (57.3 <br />percent) within the proposed MHPA open space, which consists of natural vegetation, and would <br />also preserve the majority of steep slopes on-site. The project would also revegetate manufactured <br />slopes in order to minimize the visual impact of grading. However, no further mitigation is available <br />to reduce impacts associated with landform alteration. <br />5.4.4.5 Significance after Mitigation <br />Preservation of approximately 23.75 acres of natural vegetation on-site within the proposed MHPA <br />open space and revegetation of manufactured slopes would not fully mitigate impacts associated <br />with landform alteration. Therefore, impacts would remain significant and unavoidable. This <br />significance determination is consistent with the conclusion in the 1998 EIR.