City of Huntington Beach General Plan Update Program Environmental Impact Report SCH No. 2015101032 Volume I—Technical Background Reports May 2017 Lead Agency: City of Huntington Beach 2000 Main Street Huntington Beach, California 92648 Prepared by: 3570 Carmel Mountain Road, Suite 300 San Diego, California 92130 Contents Volume I—Technical Background Reports Aesthetics Technical Background Report Agriculture Technical Background Report Air Quality Technical Background Report Biology Technical Background Report Cultural Technical Background Report Energy Technical Background Report Geology Technical Background Report Greenhouse Gas Emission Technical Background Report Hazards and Hazardous Materials Technical Background Report Hydrology Technical Background Report Land Use Technical Background Report Noise Technical Background Report Population, Housing, and Employment Technical Background Report Public Services Technical Background Report Recreation Technical Background Report Traffic Technical Background Report Utilities Technical Background Report Volume II—Program Environmental Impact Report Volume III—Technical Appendices to the Environmental Impact Report Atkins │ City of Huntington Beach General Plan Update Program EIR Page i May 2017 Aesthetics and Visual Resources This section describes the aesthetics and visual resources within the planning area. The information in this section is based on the existing conditions of the planning area’s scenic vistas, scenic resources, landmarks, scenic corridors, and visual character. ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING Scenic Vistas In general, scenic vistas can be defined as viewpoints that provide expansive views of a highly valued landscape for the public’s benefit. Scenic vistas within the planning area include views of the Pacific Ocean and the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve, which covers approximately 1,400 acres. The Pacific Ocean is considered the planning area’s most prominent visual asset. Scenic vistas in the planning area include the following: The northwest side of the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve includes bluffs that rise to an upland area known as the Bolsa Chica Mesa. The site provides a public vista toward the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve and Pacific Ocean. The southeast side of the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve includes another line of bluffs known as the Huntington Beach Mesa that extends between Pacific Coast Highway and Edwards Street. The bluff top area includes the Harriett M. Wieder Regional Park, and provides views of both the ocean and Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve. A line of low, steep bluffs runs along the face of the beach, on the south side of Pacific Coast Highway, between Seapoint Street south to approximately Pier Plaza. Panoramic views of the ocean, coastline, and Catalina Island can be seen from the bluffs and from several locations on Pacific Coast Highway where the road rises above the adjacent bluff line. The Huntington Beach Municipal Pier provides panoramic views of the shoreline, ocean, and islands off the coast. Scenic Resources Scenic resources are natural or manmade features that are visually pleasing and contribute to the definition of a community or region. Scenic resources can include trees and landscaping, rock outcroppings, historic buildings, and public art. Scenic resources within the planning area include the following: The Pacific Ocean and associated beaches are the planning area’s most prominent visual assets. The ocean views from Pacific Coast Highway, peripheral streets, and surrounding neighborhoods and districts enhance the visual quality and ambiance of the planning area and help orient visitors and residents. The Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve and Mesa provide quality views of the wetland marshes and natural wildlife. The Huntington Beach Municipal Pier is a definable image of the planning area that is visually pleasing and helps orient visitors and residents. The Municipal Pier also affords views of the shoreline, ocean, and islands off the coast. The Huntington Beach Wet Lands area on the northeastern side adjacent to Pacific Coast Highway, south of AES Huntington Beach electrical generating plant and north of the Santa Ana River, provides open space and visual relief along Pacific Coast Highway. March 2017 1 Technical Background Report CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH AESTHETICS AND VISUAL RESOURCES GENERAL PLAN UPDATE Huntington Harbour is a visual asset to those residences that front the channel. The concentration of recreational boats and related activity on the waterways provides scenic resources not found elsewhere in the planning area’s Coastal Zone. Although limited access makes this asset somewhat exclusive to residents, public access is provided to visitors. Huntington Beach Central Park is a visual asset, providing lake areas, landscaping, and natural open space areas. Community and neighborhood parks are a visual asset to residents, providing landscaping and open space. Scenic Corridors A corridor serves as a channel that facilitates movement—usually by automobile, transit, bicycle, or foot— from one location to another. Because people often spend a significant amount of time in movement and observe their surroundings while doing so, corridors often form the predominant image of the community. The City organizes corridors into two categories. Major corridors carry larger volumes of traffic, typically crossing municipal boundaries, and often are lined by commercial and multiple-family residential uses. Minor corridors carry less traffic, often originate and terminate within the city boundaries, and are predominantly lined by perimeter tract walls that line single-family residential neighborhoods. Figure 1 provides a map of the scenic corridors within the planning area. Major Corridors Major corridors generally lack an identifiable sense of place and a well-designed built environment. This can be attributed to inconsistent signage, differing landscapes, and strip commercial centers that lack consistent, quality visual character and are separated from the street by large parking fields. The major corridors include: Beach Boulevard Warner Avenue Pacific Coast Highway Minor and Landscape Corridors Minor and Landscape corridors also lack an identifiable sense of place. This can be attributed primarily to the predominance of perimeter tract walls surrounding the adjoining residential neighborhoods and minimal landscaping. The minor and landscape corridors include: Bolsa Chica Street (partial) Edinger Avenue Golden West Warner Avenue (partial) Magnolia Street Brookhurst Street Adams Avenue Beach Boulevard (partial) Lake Street (partial) Main Street (partial) Seapoint Street/Edwards Street (partial) Technical Background Report 2 March 2017 CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH GENERAL PLAN UPDATE AESTHETICS AND VISUAL RESOURCES FIGURE 1 SCENIC CORRIDORS March 2017 3 Technical Background Report CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH AESTHETICS AND VISUAL RESOURCES GENERAL PLAN UPDATE Nodes A node is a significant focal point within a community, such as a plaza or major intersection where significant economic activity occurs. Nodes are located along pathways and often serve as centers of movement and activity at the intersection or convergence of multiple pathways. The city organizes nodes into two categories. Entry nodes function as points of identity between the city and adjacent jurisdictions and the Interstate 405 (I-405) freeway. Internal nodes serve as focal points of high activity within the community. The city classifies both categories of nodes into primary and secondary locations. Entry Nodes Entry nodes provide defined points where visitors, residents, and passersby enter the city from surrounding communities and the I-405 freeway. Over the years, these locations have been poorly defined and not clearly marked, making the transition in visual character between Huntington Beach and adjoining communities difficult to discern. Major entry nodes include: Santa Ana River and Pacific Coast Highway Brookhurst Street and Garfield Avenue Bolsa Chica Street and Rancho Avenue Edinger Avenue and I-405 Freeway/Beach Boulevard Warner Avenue and I-405 Freeway Goldenwest Street and Bolsa Avenue Adams Avenue and Santa Ana River Warner Avenue and Pacific Coast Highway Magnolia Street and Garfield Avenue Pacific Coast Highway and Magnolia Street Pacific Coast Highway and Seal Beach city limits Secondary entry nodes generally experience less traffic or activity than the major entry nodes. Secondary nodes include: Springdale Street at city limits Goldenwest Street and Pacific Coast Highway Pacific Coast Highway and Seapoint Street Pacific Coast Highway and Newland Street Pacific Coast Highway and Beach Boulevard Visual Character Visual character is descriptive and not evaluative, which means that the development traits described are neither good nor bad in and of themselves. The planning area contains several urban districts. A district is defined as an integral part of a larger urban area, with common distinguishing characteristics that make it identifiable as a place unique from other areas of the community. The primary districts within the planning area include commercial, industrial, open space/recreation, and residential uses. Commercial districts occur along major streets or as centers in which multiple uses are consolidated, such as retail centers and commercial corridors. These commercial districts include Downtown, Beach Boulevard, Brookhurst Street, Edinger Avenue, Bella Terra, Pacific Coast Highway (Sunset Beach/Peter’s