HomeMy WebLinkAbout1000-63.-1-10 - Visual Analysis - Photo Sims Rev 1 - 2010-05-21Malick & Scherer, P.C. M&S
Consulting Engineers • Construction Inspectors • Land Surveyors
One Salem Square 295 Route 22 East Whitehouse Station, NJ 08889
Phone (908) 534-4995 Fax (908) 534-0507 www.malickandscherer.com
Arif R. Malick, P.E., C.M.E.
Principal
Glenn J. Scherer, P.E.
Principal
Colleen Connolly, P.E.
Associate
Robert Zalewski, P.E.
Associate
Michael J. McAlpin, P.L.S.
Director of Surveying
Steven C. Ragazzo, P.E.
Director of Structures
May 21, 2010
Hugo Arellano
Project Controls & Resident Engineer
AT&T Mobility Project
Bechtel Communications
100 Paragon Drive
Suite 275 - Mailbox #12
Montvale, NJ 07645
RE: AT&T Site LI1025
1040 Horton’s Lane
Southold, NY 11971
Dear Mr. Arellano,
At your request, Malick & Scherer, P.C. (M&S) has completed a visual analysis of the proposed
Unipole at the above referenced site. The purpose of this analysis was to establish the extent of the
proposed pole’s visibility, from key public vantage points, and to provide accurate graphic
renderings (photo simulations) of the proposed installation, for the consideration of the Town’s
officials and residents.
Project Background:
The proposed AT&T telecommunications installation consists of two primary components; an
equipment room and an antenna concealment Unipole, as depicted in the Zoning Documents, by
M&S, issued on 04/29/10 and last revised on 05/20/10.
The equipment room is located within an existing self-storage building. The 300 sq. ft. floor plan
area is created by removing the partition walls between four existing storage units. Access to the
equipment room is via an existing interior hallway. Exterior access doors to the equipment room are
not required or proposed, thereby creating no visual impact. HVAC units, required to maintain the
temperature and humidity within the equipment room, are to be a ducted package unit type. These
units are proposed within the equipment room and ducted to the building’s exterior using louvered
openings. The total surface area of the louvers is approximately 18 sq. ft. The louvers will be flush
with and painted to match the building’s exterior, minimizing any visual impact.
The proposed Unipole is to be installed in place of an existing 40’ high flagpole. The Unipole has a
proposed overall height of 75’ (72’ Tall Unipole located on a 3’ Tall Planter). It will be approximately
36” diameter at the base and 30” diameter at the top. The Unipole houses six panel antennas. The
antennas are located within the Unipole, behind RF compatible shrouds, and thus, are not visible.
The pole is to be painted a neutral color, to minimize the visual impact. For the purpose of this
analysis, it is assumed to be gray, but may be any color requested by the Town’s officials.
M&S
The antennas within the pole are fed by coaxial cables routed from the equipment room. The coax
cable routing is proposed to be underground and will enter the Unipole through the base. As such,
the cables will not be visible. The proposed equipment room will utilize telephone and electric
service from the local utility providers. All utility routing, from the utilities’ source(s) on the property
to the equipment room, is proposed to be underground, also creating no visual impact.
Methodology:
To establish the visibility of the proposed pole, a balloon test was conducted by an M&S field
technician. The test took place on 04/13/10, prior to the growth of the annual foliage, thereby
maximizing the visibility of the balloon.
The balloon test consisted of a 40” diameter red helium balloon, tethered to the ground, such that it
obtained an overall height of 75’ above grade. Three additional tethers were attached to the balloon
and anchored to the ground, in a triangle pattern, such that the balloon maintained positional
stability for the duration of the test.
The field technician traveled each roadway around the site, in all directions, to determine locations
where the balloon was visible. The views of the weather balloon were photographed. The
photograph number and corresponding location was recorded on a satellite image of the area.
These photographs were used, herein, to illustrate the visual impact of the proposed Unipole, in
eight photo simulations, with “before” and “after” depictions. A photo simulation is created by
digitally manipulating a photograph, using Adobe Photoshop, to remove the red helium balloon and
to insert an image of a Unipole in its place. The Unipole image is accurately scaled, relative to the
observed height and the known diameter of the balloon. The Unipole image is colored and shaded
relative to the direction and intensity of the ambient light in each photograph.
A key map is provided to identify the location for each photo simulation. This key map also depicts
the line of sight and the sight distance from the photograph location to the proposed Unipole.
Findings:
The extent of visibility for the proposed Unipole varies by vantage point.
The area of greatest visibility is directly to the west of the subject property, along Horton’s Lane.
The view from this ~350’ stretch of roadway, adjoining the subject site’s front property line, is
intermittently obstructed by individual deciduous trees and two commercial buildings.
The trees are ~30’ - 40’ in height, ~40’ on center, for the entirety of the property’s frontage, and set
back ~15’ from the edge of Horton’s Lane. Due to the trees’ close proximity to the roadway, relative
to that of the proposed Unipole (~300’ setback from the edge of Horton’s Lane), they provide
reasonable screening, of the entire height of the pole, when they are located between the observer
and the proposed Unipole. The quality/degree of the trees’ screening is seasonal, as they are
deciduous.
M&S
The two commercial buildings on the property are ~18’ high, ~80 wide (each) and ~85’ from the
edge of Horton’s Lane. When located between the observer and the proposed Unipole, they
completely screen the bottom 50’ +/- of the pole along a total of ~160’ of the properties frontage.
Taking into account the screening from the trees and the buildings, the pole is only completely
visible for an ~60’ stretch of Horton’s Lane, directly in front of the property’s driveway, and is
partially to mostly screened for the remainder of the property’s frontage. The view from in front of
the property’s driveway is depicted in Photo Simulation PS1, located in Appendix A.
The Unipole will be partially/intermittently/seasonally visible along a ~700’ stretch of Traveler Street,
beginning at the intersection with Horton’s Lane, and traveling eastward. The view from this area is
largely screened by a dense stand of ~20’ - 30’ tall trees to the south of the Long Island Railroad
(LIRR) easement and a second dense stand of ~30’ - 40’ tall trees to the north of the LIRR
easement. Due to the close proximity of these trees to Traveler Street, relative to the large distance
to the proposed Unipole (~480’ from the northern edge of Traveler Street), the screening is largely
effective for the full height of the Unipole. While the trees are predominantly deciduous, interspersed
conifers create sections of seasonally independent screening. Photo Simulation PS2, located in
Appendix A depicts the view of the Unipole from Travelers Street, in the “leaf off” condition. The
visibility of the structure, through the two dense stands of trees, will be reduced by the presence of
the seasonal foliage.
The Unipole will be partially visible from locations within the Founder’s Village Condominiums.
From these locations, the bottom of the pole is completely screened by the condominiums’
perimeter of coniferous trees. A second stand of dense, predominantly deciduous trees is located
along the rear property line common to the subject site and the condominiums’ lot. These trees
seasonally increase the degree of screening provided by the stand of conifers. Photo Simulation
PS3 and PS4, located in Appendix A, depicts the view of the Unipole from the condominium’s
roadway. Photo Simulation PS3 is from the southern-most portion of the roadway, which has the
shortest line of site distance to the proposed Unipole from anywhere on the condominium’s
roadway.
Photo Simulation PS4 is taken from ~1,175’ sight line distance to the proposed Unipole, from the
Founder’s Village Condominiums roadway. In this image, the proposed Unipole is just visible above
the distant tree line.
Notably, as an observer increases the distance to the Unipole, the visual impact decreases, as is
governed by the acuity of the observer’s eyesight. Photo Simulations PS4 through PS8 illustrate
that the visibility of the Unipole is significantly reduced by the observer’s capacity to perceive it,
against the background of the sky, at distant locations.
Photo Simulation PS5 also illustrates this point. This view of the proposed pole is taken from
Young’s Avenue, just north of the intersection with Traveler Street. The site line distance from this
location is approximately 1,425’. Due to the minimal visibility of the pole, a callout arrow has been
added to the photo simulation to aid in locating the pole amongst the trees.
Likewise, in Photo Simulation PS6, taken from along Horton’s Lane, with 1,325’ site line distance to
the proposed Unipole, the visibility is nominal. The callout arrow was added assist in locating the
pole amongst the trees. Notably, its appearance is nearly indistinguishable.
M&S
Photo Simulations PS7 and PS8 are taken from Middle Rd., 2,000’ and 1,825’, respectively, site line
distance to the proposed Unipole. As with the other photo simulations from distant locations, a
callout arrow has been to aid in locating the Unipole in the rendering.
Conclusion:
The visual analysis/balloon test successfully identified the locations of the greatest visibility of the
proposed Unipole, as well as the extents of the visibility throughout the surrounding public areas.
A nominal area of full visibility is located directly in front of the site, along Horton’s Lane. In all other
areas, from all other vantage points, the pole is partially to completely screened by the existing trees
and other structures.
M&S
Appendix A