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n. Environmental Intrusions <br />Saga Hill is ringed by houses on the Forest Lake shore, Tonkaview Lane and <br />County Road 19, They are served by utilities, including city sewer. The <br />proposed natural area expansion has no buildings, utility poles or lines, roads, <br />driveways nr known pipelines. <br />in. Scenic Characteristics and Impacts of the Project on Those Characteristics <br />A. Scenic Characteristics <br />The SoIIner-Webb property on Saga Hill offers especially fine vistas to the north, <br />with panoramic views of the surrounding countryside. Its views also include <br />wetlands, a stream and the Saga Hill ravine. The land itself is a viewshed - an <br />unbroken vista of woods, with birds soaring above, rising dramatically from a <br />wetland, easily experienced from an automobile as well as on foot. In fact, the <br />Sollner-Webb property is the "face" of Saga Hill, the only part that can itself be <br />seen from a distance. This makes t^'e natural area, with great flocks of birds <br />soaring above the trees, accessible to passersby as well as users. <br />B. Access and Protection <br />Acquiring the Sollner-Web property will both protect the Saga Hill natural area <br />and enhance access. Because a platted road runs through the natural area, the city <br />is now required to build a road to provide access to the two landlocked parcels <br />once they are sold for development. If a grant makes it possible for the city to <br />acquire this property, the road will be vacated permanently. <br />The third Sollner-Webb parcel is in close proximity to Tonkaview Lane and could <br />eventually become a parking lot to serve the natural area. And, by acquiring the <br />north slope of Saga Hill a future access could be added, off West Branch Road.