X Site V-1 Was Located Adjacent to the Lofts at Las Colinas Along Lake

Preliminary Engineering / Environmental Impact Statement Northwest Corridor LRT Line to Irving and DFW Airport

Site V-1 was located adjacent to the Lofts at Las Colinas along Lake Carolyn Parkway. The vibration measurements at this site are representative of the areas along the southeastern portion of the alignment.

Site V-2 was located in the parking lot of the Cool River Café, at the northeast corner of Hidden Ridge Road and MacArthur Boulevard. The vibration measurements at this site are representative of the areas along the northwestern portion of the alignment.

Site V-3 was located at the Archstone at MacArthur Apartment Homes, adjacent to MacArthur Boulevard. The vibration measurements at this site are representative of the multi-family residences at the Archstone at MacArthur Apartment Homes and the single- family homes at Mandalay Place.

3.7 VISUAL AND AESTHETIC RESOURCES

3.7.1 Overview of the Corridor The DART Northwest Corridor LRT line to Irving/DFW begins near the Bachman Station of the Carrollton/Farmers Branch LRT Line in Dallas. The area is characterized by multi-family residential, industrial, and commercial uses from Denton Drive west to the eastern levee of the Trinity River. The alignment crosses over IH 35-E (Stemmons Freeway) and crosses the flood plain of the Trinity River parallel to Spur 482. Entering Irving, the alignment passes by a truck terminal facility and Texas Stadium, then over the Loop 12 freeway. The line is in the right-of-way of SH 183 as it passes by the University of Dallas campus and the Cistercian monastery and Preparatory School. The line passes through the Las Colinas Urban Center on the east side of Lake Carolyn, through an area of high-rise and low-rise office buildings and newly-constructed multi-family residences. As the line leaves the Urban Center, it passes vacant parcels of land and rises to cross over SH 183. There is a mix of vacant land, low- and mid-rise offices, and multi- family residences west of SH 183. The alignment passes by the site of the original Carpenter family homestead, “Rancho Las Colinas”, some mid-rise offices, North Lake Community College, and a small light industrial area before entering Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport property. The rail line is in an open area of the airfield on airport property and terminates southeast of the intersection of Belt Line road and Valley View Lane.

Inventory of Visual Resources A visual inventory of the corridor was undertaken to provide an overview of the various character areas along the corridor. The purpose of this inventory is to document the visual and aesthetic resources within the corridor that may be impacted by the proposed action. The analysis of potential impacts will address how the proposed action will affect the views, vistas and areas of special design character. This includes the character of both the built and the natural environment.

In addition to addressing affected views, the analysis will also address how the proposed project may affect the visual privacy of adjacent uses. Therefore, the inventory addresses sensitive adjacent land uses, such as single and multi-family residential development.

3.7.2 Corridor Assessment Unit Descriptions For the purpose of documenting the visual inventory of the corridor, the study area was, based on field observation, categorized into seven assessment units shown in Figures 3-22 and 3-23.Each of these units was delineated based on its general visual character and the commonality of its land uses. Table 3-27 provides a general rating of each unit’s visual quality, sensitivity to change, primary viewers, and sensitive visual assets or receptors. Table 3-28 provides definitions of the ratings used in evaluating each assessment unit. Each of the seven assessment units is described below.

Draft Environmental Impact Statement 3 - 63 Chapter 3 Affected Environment Legend !! North Las Colinas

Visual Analysis Unit LUNA RD !! Proposed Station 5 &-348 Proposed LRT Line to Irving/DFW Carrollton-Farmers Branch LRT Line N O' CONNOR RD ¨¦§35E !! Lake Carolyn CALIFORNIA CROSSING RD NORTHWEST HWY

JOHN CARPENTER FWY R O C H 4 E L L

L V

D )"12

!! South Las Colinas Dallas Joes Creek UV114 (deferred) "12 ! WEB CHAPEL RD TOM BRANIFF DR ) Bachman

&-482 DENTON DR

N O 3 R ! T ! H G University of 1 A T E D Dallas HARRY HINES BLVD R Loop 12 (deferred) !! STOREY LN

Irving ¨¦§35E

l 354

2 m UV

BNSF RR r

i E AIRPORT FWY n

UV183 R

REGAL ROW Source: S.R. Beard & Associates, 2005 Figure 3-22 Visual Analysis Units East Section NW Corridor LRT Line to Irving/DFW 0 1,000 2,000 4,000 Environmental Impact Statement Feet ´ Legend

NMACARTHUR BLVD Visual Analysis Unit BELTLINERD !! Proposed Station Proposed LRT Line to Irving/DFW

PRESIDENT GEORGE BUSH TPKE ROYAL LN LUNA RD LUNA

L A S RIVERSIDE DR C O UV114 L DFW International IN A Airport S B LV D

! ! 7 Belt Line Dallas Road WALNUT HILL LN COLWELL BLVD

Hackb erry Creek Carpenter Ranch VALLEY VIEW LN !! 5 IDGE R DR N E D ID H

CARBON RD Luna R North Lake !! North Las Colinas College

d h ! c ! an HURD DR HURD Br od wo otton C 348 6 &- UV161

Lake Carolyn!! ROCHELLE BLVD

MACARTHURBLVD

JOHN CARPENTER FWY

STORY RD WALNUT HILL LN N O' CONNOR RD 4 Irving

ESTERS RD N. M acA Source: S.R. Beard & Associates, 2005 Figure 3-23 rthur

Visual Analysis Blvd Units West Section 0 1,000 2,000 4,000 NW Corridor LRT Line to Irving/DFW Feet Environmental Impact Statement ´ Preliminary Engineering / Environmental Impact Statement Northwest Corridor LRT Line to Irving and DFW Airport

TABLE 3-27 GENERAL RATING OF CORRIDOR VISUAL ASSESSMENT UNITS Unit Name City Primary Visual Visual Sensitive Receptors/Assets Viewers Quality Sensitivity 1 Bachman/ Storey Rd office and industrial Dallas/ Trinity River A, D, E, F Moderate Moderate tenants, L.B. Houston Park Irving (undeveloped) users 2 Central Freight/ Irving A, F Low Low Central Freight, FedEx Texas Stadium 3 University of U. of Dallas, Dallas/ Irving A, C, H Moderate Moderate Abbey residences, Cistercian Cistercian school 4 MF residences, commercial/office Las Colinas Irving A, C, D, E, G Moderate Moderate tenants, Urban Center Campion Park users 5 North Irving/ MF residences, hotels, Northwest Irving A, C, E Moderate Low commercial/office tenants, Highway 6 Carpenter Ranch/ High- High- SF & MF residences, hotels, Irving A, B, C, E, North Lake Moderate Moderate commercial/office tenants College 7 DFW Airport/ Irving A, E, F Moderate Low Industrial, office/commercial tenants Belt Line Source: HDR | .R.Beard, 2006

TABLE 3-28 EVALUATION RATINGS Primary Viewers Visual Quality Visual Sensitivity A = Arterial Motorists High = Assessment unit or High = Introduction of new elements into the portions thereof is of significant assessment unit could significantly impact the B = Single Family Residents visual or aesthetic quality to the quality of the visual/aesthetic resource as primary viewers. observed by the primary viewers. C = Multi-Family Residents Moderate = Assessment unit or Moderate = Introduction of new elements into D = Recreational Users portions thereof is of average the assessment unit may have an impact the visual or aesthetic quality to the quality of the visual/aesthetic resource unit or a E = Commercial/Office primary viewers. portion thereof as observed by the primary Tenants viewers. Low = Assessment unit is of little F = Industrial Tenants or no visual or aesthetic quality to Low = Introduction of new elements into the the primary viewers. assessment unit is not likely to have an impact G = Downtown Pedestrians on any visual/aesthetic resource as observed by the primary viewers. H=Others Source: HDR | S.R.Beard, 2006

Unit 1 – Bachman/Trinity River This Unit begins North of and is adjacent to the Bachman Station of the Carrollton/Farmers Branch LRT Line. The unit is comprised of a mixed multi-family, commercial and light industrial area, much of which is in reclaimed floodplain adjacent to the Trinity River. It is characterized visually by the large trees and vegetation in the river floodplain between the levees, and by the concrete and masonry buildings, and the concrete and steel highway and power transmission structures that predominate in the rest of the area. Unit 2 – Central Freight/Texas Stadium Draft Environmental Impact Statement 3 - 66 Chapter 3 Affected Environment Preliminary Engineering / Environmental Impact Statement Northwest Corridor LRT Line to Irving and DFW Airport

The visual landscape of this area is dominated by the highways and their interchange structures, one-story warehouse and distribution buildings, and the approximately 100-foot high dome of Texas Stadium on the southeast. Large power transmission lines parallel the highways.

Unit 3 – University of Dallas/Cistercian The University of Dallas/Cistercian unit is characterized by low hills, the open green areas of the University of Dallas campus, and mesquite trees and other vegetation of the Cistercian monastery and school site to the northwest. There are also vacant hills on the northwest side of SH 114, adjacent to the University of Dallas station site.

Unit 4 – Las Colinas Urban Center The Las Colinas Urban Center unit is a mixture of 15-, 20-, and 30-story high-rise office buildings along with low-rise residential, hotel and retail on the southwest side of Lake Carolyn. Low-rise four-story apartment, condominium and retail development (some recently built, others still under construction) predominates along the east side of the lake, adjacent to the South Las Colinas and Lake Carolyn station sites. The grassy medians and newly-planted landscaping of Lake Carolyn Boulevard are the main visual features along the LRT project alignment. The views throughout the Urban Center include the lake and the variety of building heights, as well as large undeveloped tracts of land to the north and heavy trees and vegetation along the Trinity River to the northeast of the lake.

Unit 5 – North Irving/Northwest Highway The North Irving/Northwest Highway unit is dominated by views of vacant land and low-rise residential buildings under construction along Lake Carolyn Boulevard north of O’Connor Boulevard. Views to the northeast are of the heavy trees and vegetation along the Trinity River floodplain. The concrete and steel bridge and overpass structures of the Northwest Highway/SH 114 interchange are dominant at the north end of the area. One six-story hotel stands among the vacant land on the east side of SH 114 just south of the interchange.

Unit 6 – Carpenter Ranch/North Lake College The Carpenter Ranch/North Lake College Unit is best characterized as hilly and landscaped, with a mixture of low-rise commercial and residential buildings; a small lake, a golf course and other open areas; mid-rise office buildings; and some vacant land. The highest point along the alignment, southeast of the intersection of Hidden Ridge and MacArthur Boulevard, offers some of the best views in northwest Dallas County. Nearby are the Tournament Players Club golf course, North Lake College, and surrounding residential areas; more distant views are of the high-rise buildings of Las Colinas Urban Center, downtown Dallas and the IH 35E Stemmons corridor to the southeast and south. The alignment crosses MacArthur to run along the north side of the North Lake Community College campus, adjacent to low-rise multi-family residential buildings on a slight hill to the north. The views from where the alignment crosses Brangus are of the campus to the south, Las Colinas Urban Center to the east-southeast, and single-family residential areas and hills to the north and northwest. The western end of this visual unit has one-story light industrial buildings from Walnut Hill Lane to the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport property fence.

Unit 7 – DFW Airport/Belt Line The DFW Airport/Belt Line Unit is slightly hilly, and covered with brush and trees. The LRT alignment is on the airport property, and includes the runway approach clear zone. There are views to the surrounding light industrial buildings southeast of SH 161 (George Bush Turnpike), and a small bank and City of Irving maintenance facility on the northwest side of SH 161. The other features are the toll gate structures at the entrance and exit ramps on the highway, and the dominant toll plaza structure that spans the width of the highway just southwest of where the alignment crosses the highway.

Draft Environmental Impact Statement 3 - 67 Chapter 3 Affected Environment