Visual Impacts of Casino

     The Sept. 13th edition of the Milford Town Crier included copies of the Site Cross-Sections submitted in the Aug. 29th Briefing Document to the Selectmen by the Foxwoods Resort Casino Developers. What is difficult to visualize is the impact of the hotel within the site. The sections do not pass through the hotel and taller buildings appear as ghost images in the background. It is very difficult to even see them in the printed copies in the Town Crier. 
    The Project Renderings depicting the Arrival Area and the Town Green submitted in the Aug.29th package are the same as the ones submitted to the Selectmen in July 31st. They show views including three 6 story buildings flanking the Town Green. The Aug. 29th  Document includes an elevation of the 9 story, 131.5 foot high hotel. It would be helpful to visualize impacts of the higher structures to have new renderings and a cross-section that includes the parking garage, the gaming floor and the hotel. The renderings should also include all three of the buildings around the Town Green because each building may have added floors to accommodate the revised plans.   
    To review the impacts of new projects near properties on the National Registry of Historical Places, reviewers will often  require developer to tether a large balloon  set to the height of the highest building on the proposed project. This allows reviewers to determine if the project will be seen from historic buildings, or properties. It would be interesting to tether a large balloon at the location of the site of the hotel, set to 131.5 feet. This would indicate how far away the hotel could be seen throughout the Town. Lowes and surrounding buildings can be seen from Fountain St. and other parts of the Town. The proposed site is about 40 feet lower than the Lowe’s site depending on the final elevation after grading, but the hotel will be much higher than Lowes. This also doesn’t take into account the visual night-time light impacts. Also the ability to see the balloon will be blocked by leaves, so the test should be repeated after leaf drop off to see the impact during the winter.