Alternative Energy Draft EA - NASA Visitor Center at Wallops Flight ...

4.4.5 Aesthetics
No Action Alternative
Environmental Consequences
Under the No Action Alternative, activities would remain at present levels and there would be no
impacts on aesthetics.
Proposed Action
In 2008, NASA conducted an aesthetics study to determine what impacts, if any, the construction
of two wind turbines on Wallops Island would have on the local viewshed. Figure 19 shows the
locations of five vantage points that were used in the study. The vantage points were chosen
because they represented viewsheds of the turbines from rural residences west of Wallops Island,
from the town of Chincoteague to the north, and from Assateague Island National Seashore
which is located northeast of Wallops Island.
Because CNWR and Assateague Island National Seashore are visited by thousands of people
each year to enjoy their undeveloped nature and seaside views, these two areas would be
considered key vantage points from a public perspective when looking back towards the
viewshed that includes WFF. The character of WFF and surrounding region is generally
considered highly aesthetic by those that come to participate in recreational, cultural, and other
leisure activities. The five viewshed vantage points are summarized in Table 26 below.
Vantage
Point
No.
Table 26: Aesthetics Analysis Vantage Points
Description of Vantage
Point
Vantage Point
Location
1 Harbor of Refuge Southern tip of
Chincoteague Island
2 Queen Sound Boat Ramp Between Mainland and
Chincoteague Island
3 Watts Bay Residential
Subdivision
4 Mount Wharton Residential
Subdivision
Distance and Direction
from Proposed Wind
Turbine Site
7.7 kilometers (4.8 miles)
northeast
10 kilometers (6.2 miles)
northeast
Mainland 6.3 kilometers (3.9 miles)
north
Mainland 3.1 kilometers (1.9 miles)
northwest
5 Arbuckle Neck Road Mainland 3.7 kilometers (2.3 miles)
southwest
Digital photographs taken from each vantage point were modified to include a simulation of the
two wind turbines in their proposed location on Wallops Island (Appendix F). Photograph 6
below shows an example of the viewshed from Arbuckle Neck Road including the simulation of
the wind turbines, which is the same view as shown without wind turbines in Photograph 1, for
comparison.
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