4.1 This Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA) covers the proposed Ocean Park Redevelopment. This section assesses the potential landscape and visual impact arising from the construction and operation of the proposed work in accordance with the Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance (EIAO).
4.2
Fig
Review of Planning and
Development Control Framework
4.3 A review of the existing and planned development framework for the proposed work and for the surroundings has been considered. It aims to identify issues for the neighbouring planned land uses, to identify potential VSRs, and to ensure a high compatibility between the proposed project and the surroundings.
4.4
Outline Zoning Plans (OZPs)
have been examined. In accordance with
the EIA Study Brief, relevant details for “Aberdeen & Ap Lei Chau Outline
Zoning Plan” and “Shouson Hill & Repulse Bay Outline Zoning Plan” have been
extracted and are shown on Fig.
4.5 The existing Ocean Park development has been assigned under Other Specified Uses (OU - For “Ocean Park” Only), which has been reserved for the significance of Ocean Park being the major tourist attraction as the only oceanarium in Hong Kong. The proposed redevelopment will occupy additional OU and Government, Institution and Community (G/IC).
4.6
Other than OU, the remaining
study area is predominantly zoned as Coastal Protection Area (CPA), Green Belt
(GB), Government, Institution and Community (G/IC), Residential (R) and
Industrial (I). CPA and GB are mostly
found adjacent to
4.7 There are no major concurrent projects that may possibly affect with the project.
Environmental Legislation and Standards
4.8 Current OZPs relevant to the Project are as follows:
·
Hong Kong Planning Areas No: 15-16 Draft Aberdeen & Ap Lei Chau - Outline
Zoning Plan (Plan no. S/H15/22) gazetted on
·
4.9 The methodology for the LVIA has been in accordance with Annexes 10 and 18 of Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance (EIAO) Technical Memorandum and EIAO Guidance Note No. 8/2002.
4.10 Other landscape documents relevant for the preparation of the LVIA include:
·
Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines, Section
4: Recreation, Open Space and Greening and Section 11:
Urban Design Guidelines – outlines the guidelines to be
considered for open space design, greening and urban design.
·
Technical Reports of Landscape Value Mapping in
·
Government General Regulation 740 –sets out restrictions on
the preservation and felling of trees in
·
The Forests and Countryside Ordinance (Cap96) – prohibits
felling, cutting, burning or destroying of trees and growing plants in forests
and plantations on government land. Its subsidiary regulations prohibit the
picking, felling or possession of listed rare and protected plant species
·
The Forestry Regulations –made under Section 3 of the
Forests and Countryside Ordinance (Cap. 96), defines the list of protected
species in
·
ETWB TCW No. 29/2004 Registration of Old and Valuable Trees
and Guidelines for their Preservation – provides priority protection to the
trees in the Register. Furthermore, the
Government has already put in place a comprehensive range of administrative and
legislative measures to preserve trees on Government land.
·
ETWB TCW No. 2/2004 Maintenance of Vegetation and Hard
Landscape Features – sets out the government departmental responsibilities for
maintenance of vegetation and hard landscape features
·
ETWB TCW No. 14/2002 Management and Maintenance of Natural
Vegetation and Landscape Works, and Tree Preservation – defines and outlines
the management and maintenance responsibilities for natural vegetation and
landscape works, and the authorities for tree preservation and felling
·
ETWB TCW No. 7/2002 Tree planting in Public Works – affirms
the advocated policy on tree planting which adopts a flexible and balanced
approach in the planning and design of public works
·
ETWB TCW 17/2000 Improvement to appearance of slopes –
outlines the principles and procedures recommended for all departments involved
in new slope works and maintenance of existing slopes for improving aesthetic
and environmental impact of slope works
·
ETWB TCW No. 25/93 Control of Visual Impact of slopes –
outlines the design principles recommended to be used in designing man-made
slopes for Public Works projects in order to reduce their adverse visual impact
·
GEO publication No. 1/2000 ‘Technical Guidelines on
landscape treatment and Bio-engineering for Man-Made Slopes and Retaining
Walls’
Methodology of Assessment of Landscape Impacts
4.11 The assessment of landscape impacts has adopted the following process:
·
Identification of the baseline Landscape Resources (LR) and
Landscape Character Area (LCA) found within the study area. This was firstly prepared by desktop research
study on topographical maps, information database and photographs, and then
followed with site visits for data verification.
·
Assessment of “Sensitivity to Change” to the LR and
LCA. This is affected by factors
including: (i) whether the resource is
common or rare; (ii) whether it is
considered to be of local, regional, national or global importance; (iii) whether there are any statutory or
regulatory limitations / requirements relating to the resource; (iv) the quality of the resource; (v) the maturity of the resource, and (vi)
the ability of the resource to accommodate changes. The sensitivity of each LR and LCA is
separated into construction phase and operation phase. The rating is classified as below:
High: Important LR or
LCA of particularly distinctive characteristics or high importance, and is
sensitive to relatively small changes
Medium: LR or LCA of moderate
landscape characteristics and value, and is reasonably tolerant to change
Low: LR or LCA with
low landscape characteristics and value, and is largely tolerant to change
·
Identification of potential sources of landscape impacts
during construction and during operation.
The impact will be separately considered for each “Stage” of
construction, as shown on Fig
·
Identification of “Magnitude of Change” for landscape
impacts. This is affected by factors
including: (i) the physical extent of
impact; (ii) the landscape context of impact and (iii) the time-scale of
impact, such as whether it is temporary (short, medium or long term), permanent
with reversible potentials, or irreversibly permanent. Landscape impacts are quantified as the
Magnitude of Change for construction phase and operation phase. The rating is classified as below:
Large: LR or
LCA will suffer a major change.
Intermediate: LR or LCA
will suffer a moderate change.
Small: LR or
LCA will suffer a barely perceptible change.
Negligible: LR or
LCA will suffer no discernible change.
·
Assessment of the “Impact Significance Threshold Before
Mitigation” for landscape impacts. The
assessment of landscape impacts during construction and during operation is
produced by synthesising the “Sensitivity to Change” and “Magnitude of Change”
for various LR and LCA according to Table 4.1. The degree of significance is divided into
four thresholds, depending on the combination:
Substantial: Adverse
/ beneficial impact where the proposal will cause significant deterioration or
improvement in existing landscape quality
Moderate: Adverse / beneficial
impact where the proposal will cause a noticeable deterioration or improvement
in existing landscape quality
Slight: Adverse / beneficial
impact where the proposal will cause barely perceptible deterioration or
improvement in existing landscape quality
Insubstantial: No discernible change in
the existing landscape quality
Table 4.1 Matrix for Impact Significance Threshold Before Mitigation: Relationship between Sensitivity to Change and Magnitude of Change for LVIA
Sensitivity To Change Magnitude of
Change |
Low |
Medium |
High |
Large |
Moderate |
Moderate/Substantial |
Substantial |
Intermediate |
Slight/Moderate |
Moderate |
Moderate/Substantial |
Small |
Insubstantial
/Slight |
Slight/Moderate |
Moderate |
Negligible |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
· Identification of potential Mitigation Measures. This part is also separated into construction phase and operation phase, with proposing measures for preventing or minimizing unavoidable adverse impacts and / or generating beneficial long-term impacts. A table for the mitigation measures is provided. The agencies responsible for the funding/ implementation and management/ maintenance of the mitigation measures are also identified.
· Identification of “Residual Impact Significance Threshold After Mitigation” for landscape impacts. This part indicates the accumulative influence to LR and LCA after applying mitigation measures, with an assumption that all proposed measures and guidelines will be fully implemented. Like the “Impact Significance Before Mitigation”, the rating has been divided into the construction phase and operation phase.
Methodology of Assessment of Visual Impacts
4.12 The assessment of visual impacts has adopted the following process:
·
Identification of Zones of Visual Influence (ZVI) and Visual
sensitive receivers Groups (VSRs) during construction and during
operation. A preliminary ZVI has been
established by a desktop study of topographic maps, street maps and photographs
to preliminarily determine the possible VSR located within generic area.
Subsequently, a digital terrain model with the proposed master layout, and
building blocks and earthwork data has been developed to represent the proposed
redevelopment. Visibility Contour Plans
using a GIS software (ESRI® ArcGIS®) have been generated at 1o
intervals. Due to the large extent of
the project and the drastically varying visibility of different parts of
·
Assessment of the “Sensitivity to change” of the VSRs. Factors include:
-
The type of VSRs, such as viewers who are residents,
workers, road travellers or recreation engagers. Those people viewing from their homes are
considered to be highly sensitive because the view directly affects their
general quality of life. Those people
viewing from their workplace are considered to be only moderately sensitive as
it is less important factor for their quality of life. The degree however
depends on whether the workplace is industrial, retail or commercial. Those people who take part in outdoor leisure
activity may have varying sensitivity depending on the type of recreation. Those people who are travelling on roads or
streets will also have varying sensitivity depending on the speed of travel.
-
Population of viewers.
This is to consider the overall population of viewers in the VSRs.
-
Other factors to be considered (as required by EIAO GN
8/2002) include the value and quality of existing views, the availability and
amenity of alternative views, the duration and frequency of view, and the
degree of visibility.
“Sensitivity
to change” of the VSRs is divided into construction phase and operation phase,
with rating classified as below:
High: The VSR is
highly sensitive to any change in their viewing experience.
Medium: The VSR is moderately
sensitive to any change in their viewing experience.
Low: The VSR is only
slightly sensitive to any change in their viewing experience.
·
Identification of the potential sources of visual impacts
during construction and during operation.
Like for the landscape impact assessment, the visual impact assessment
has also considered different working stages during construction phase, as
shown on Fig
·
Assessment of the potential “Magnitude of Impact”. Factors include:
-
the compatibility with the surrounding landscape
-
the duration of the impact
-
the reversibility of the impact
-
the scale of the impact and distance of the source of impact
from the viewer
-
the degree of visibility of the impact, and the degree to
which the impact dominates the field of vision of the viewer.
The magnitude of visual impacts during different stages of
construction and during operation has also been separately considered, with
rating as below:
Large: The
VSRs would suffer a major change in their viewing experience.
Intermediate: The VSRs
would suffer a moderate change in their viewing experience.
Small: The
VSRs would suffer a small change in their viewing experience.
Negligible: The
VSRs would suffer no discernible change in their viewing experience.
·
Prediction of “Impact Significance Threshold Before
Mitigation” for visual impacts. Same as
that for the landscape impact assessment, it aims to synthesise the
“Sensitivity to Change” and “Magnitude of Change” for various VSRs according to
Table 4.1 to assess the visual
impacts in a matrix. The degree of
significance has been divided into four thresholds again:
Substantial: Adverse
/ beneficial impact where the proposal would cause significant deterioration or
improvement in existing visual quality
Moderate: Adverse / beneficial
impact where the proposal would cause a noticeable deterioration or improvement
in existing visual quality
Slight: Adverse / beneficial
impact where the proposal would cause barely perceptible deterioration or
improvement in existing visual quality
Insubstantial: No discernible change in
the existing visual quality
· Identification of potential Mitigation Measures. This part is also separated into construction phase and operation phase, with proposing measures for preventing or minimizing unavoidable adverse impacts and / or generating beneficial long-term impacts. A table for the mitigation measures is provided. The agencies responsible for the funding/ implementation and management/ maintenance of the mitigation measures are also identified.
· Identification of “Residual Impact Significance Threshold After Mitigation” for visual impacts. This part indicates the accumulative influence to VSRs after applying mitigation measures, with an assumption that all proposed measures and guidelines will be fully implemented. Like the “Impact Significance Before Mitigation”, the rating has been divided into the construction phase and operation phase.
·
Preparation of Photomontage.
To better illustrate the visual impact of proposed redevelopment with
and without mitigation, highly accurate virtual views from selected VSRs to the
proposed redevelopment have been generated firstly using a GIS software (ESRI®
ArcGIS®) and then combined with images taken from a physical model provided by
Ocean Park (refer to Fig.
4.13
Key LRs within the study
boundary have been mapped on Fig
Type 1 - Theme Park Planting
LR1 – Theme Park Planting on Flatland
This LR refers to a wide
variety of exotic and native mature ornamental trees found within “The
Waterfront” and the small portion of
LR2
–Theme Park Planting on
This LR refers to the mix
of woodland mix and ornamental trees found within “The Summit”. It differs from LR
Type 2 - Urban to Urban-fringe Amenity Planting
LR3 – Roadside Planting
This LR refers to amenity planting
along roads. Trees of a variety of
mostly native and exotic species commonly found along roadside of the Hong Kong
Island South, such as Acacia confusa, Albizia spp., Aleurites moluccana, Bauhinia spp., Cassia spp.,
Casuarina equisetifolia, Delonix regia, Ficus spp., Melaleuca leucadendron, Spathodea campanulata,
and Thevetai peruviana. These trees
are fairly large in size and of fair conditions. A tree survey of approx. 335 nos. of tree for
the roadside area in adjacent to
LR4 – Urban Residential Area Planting
This LR specifically refers to the ornamental
amenity planting near Wong Chuk Hang Estate and the associated social
facilities along
LR5 –
This
LR is dominated by afforesting plantation for the improved hillside slope along
the roads and exotic ornamental trees within the residential area of Shouson
Hill. The commonly found species along the roads are Macaranga tanarius,
Mallotus paniculata, Acacia confusa, Leucaena leucocephala, Ficus microcapa,
Thevetia peruviana, Melaleuca quinquenervia, Ficus elastica, Delonix regia,
Pinus spp., Bauhinia spp., and Araucaria heterophylla. Four (4) Old & Valuable Trees are found
in this area: Reg. No.: LCSD S/8 (Ficus elastica), S/9 (Albizia saman),
S/10 (Ficus microcarpa) and S/11 (Araucaria heterophylla).
LR6 – Flatland Institutional and Open Space Planting
This LR refers to
ornamental planting at various institutions and open spaces at flat areas of
Wong Chuk Hang along
LR7 –
This LR refers to a mix of ornamental
planting and hillside woodland planting at institutions found on or near
hillsides. Trees comprises of both
native and exotic species, such as Ficus elastica, Ficus microcarpa,
Casuarina equisetifolia, Macaranga tanarius, and Mallotus paniculata. These trees are fairly large in size and of
fair conditions.
Type 3 -
LR8 – Hilltop Grassland
This LR refers to exposed
bare soil and rocks, with low-lying grass and small shrubs sparsely grown. The
dominant shrub species are Machilus spp. and Rhus spp..
LR9 –
This LR refers to natural
to semi-natural hillside vegetation comprised of mainly shrubs and small
trees. It consists of a variety of mostly
native species such as Artocarpus hypargyreus, Bridelia tomentosa, Casuarina
equisetifolia, Cratoxylum ligustrinum, Litsea glutinosa, Mallotus paniculatus,
Machilus spp., Microcos paniculata, Phyllanthus emblica, Pinus spp., Macaranga tanarius, Rhus spp.,
Machilus spp., Schefflera
heptaphylla,. Seasonal
streams also flow through some of the area.
LR10 – Dense Disturbed
This LR comprises of stabilized
slopes, disturbed hillside landscapes.
Mature trees of both native and exotic species, such as Acacia
confusa, Casuarina equisetifolia, Celtis sinensis, Ficus spp.,
Leucaena leucocephala, Macaranga
tanarius, Mallotus paniculata, Pinus spp., and Sterculia lanceolata, are found within this area.
LR11 – Dense Semi-natural
This LR refers to generally
natural hillside woodland comprising of a variety of mostly native species,
such as Artocarpus hypargyreus, Celtis sinensis, Ficus spp., Litsea spp., Macaranga
tanarius, Mallotus paniculata, Microcos paniculata, Pinus spp., Rhus spp.,
Schefflera spp., Sterculia lanceolata. Other exotic species, typical to disturbed
grounds, such as Acacia confusa, Casuarina equisetifolia, Leucaena
leucocephala, and Macaranga tanarius, are sometimes found along the edge of
the LR.
Type 4 - Sea and Coast
LR12 – Natural Rocky Seashore
This LR refers to the exposed
rocky shore adjacent to the water bodies of
LR13
– Semi-natural Shoreline and Manmade Waterfront
This LR refers to the semi-natural shorelines and seawalls in
Tai Shue Wan and the manmade waterfront edges in Po Chong Wan. It provides for people easy access, both
physically and visually, to the sea. No
vegetation is found along these edges against the sea.
LR14 – Water bodies surrounding Nam Long Shan Peninsula
There
are four major water bodies surrounding the Nam Long Shan peninsula: Deep
Water,
Landscape Character Areas (LCA)
4.14
The key LCAs within the study
boundary are mapped on Fig.
LCA1 – Theme Park on
LCA2 – Theme Park on High Ground
This
LCA refers to the portion of
LCA3 – Exposed
This LCA refers to the steep, natural, exposed terrain of Nam
Long Shan, characterized by mostly grasses and shrubs with little human
disturbance.
LCA4 – Semi-natural Seashore Landscape
This
LCA refers to the landscape near the portion of
LCA5 – Secluded Hilly Road
This
LCA refers to the section of Nam Long Shan Road stretches along the upper
western slopes of Nam Long Shan. The meandering road cutting through the dense
shrub land serves mainly as a restricted service road for
LCA6 –
This
LCA refers to the area on the upper northwest slopes of Nam Long Shan, surrounded
by dense shrub land. It is the entry
point into Nam Long Shan Road, where a mix of high-rise residences and
institutions are found along the road.
It has open views out to Sham Wan and Po Chong Wan. The road has a
secluded and tranquil feel.
LCA7 – Mix-use Urban Landscape
This
LCA refers to the highly urbanized area in the intersection of Shum wan, Nam
Long Shan Road and other main roads from Wong Chuk Hang and
LCA8 – Open Institutional Landscape
This
LCA refers to a series of Government and public sport facilities, institution
and schools, such as Police Training School and HK School of Motoring, found to
north of Wong Chuk Hang. The flat
topography, openness and heavy traffic along the main roads characterises this
landscape area.
LCA9 – Industrial Urban Landscape
This
is the area along
LCA10 – Secluded Institutional Landscape
This
LCA, located to the northwest of the Wong Chuk Hang, is an area of secluded
government/institutions and residents within a densely vegetated environment.
Most of these developments are related to the water body to the south. It is relatively more ‘natural’ and
‘tranquil’ than the rest of the urbanised areas within Wong Chuk Hang.
LCA11 – Typhoon Shelter Landscape
Located
to the northwest of Wong Chuk Hang, this waterfront LCA is highly used for
recreation, residential and industrial activities along the manmade coastline.
A wide range of traffic travels through it, including ferries, yachts, sampans,
and fishing boats.
LCA12 – Natural Seashore Landscape
This
LCA refers to the extensive sea area and its rocky seashore surrounding Nam
Long Shan. It forms a part of the
Coastal Protection Area adjacent the
LCA13 – Beach Landscape
This
LCA is to the northeast of
LCA14 – Low-density Residential Urban Fringe Landscape
This
is an extensive area of tranquil residential landscape located to the northwest
of “The Waterfront”, in which the medium-rise residential housings are found
clustered along
LCA15 – Transportation Corridor Landscape
Located
in northwest Wong Chuk Hang, this LCA is characterized by roads, open toll
LCA16 –
This
LCA is located on the southeast slope toes of the Bennett’s Hill, comprising of
a number of institutions, including hospitals and schools. With much ornamental plantation and dense
natural vegetation on the hillside, it has a tranquil, naturalistic feel.
Landscape Sensitivity to Change
4.15
The sensitivity to change of
the landscape resources and landscape character areas that will be affected
during the Construction Phase and Operational Phase is listed in Table 4.2. and Table 4.3.
4.16
The primary Zone of Visual
Influence (ZVI) is shown in Fig
4.17
Key Visual sensitive receivers
(VSRs) within the ZVI, defined by area, are mapped on Fig
VSR1 –
This
VSR consists of mainly visitors and tourists to the portion of
VSR2 –
This
VSR consists of mainly visitors and tourists riding on
VSR3 –
This
VSR consists of mainly visitors and tourists to the portion of
VSR4 - Tai Shue Wan
This
VSR refers to receivers in the Tai Shue Wan area, where the existing
VSR5 –
This
VSR consists of mostly students and patients of various educational and medical
institutions along Nam Long Shan Road. There
are several points where one can get panoramic view to the seashore landscape
of Aberdeen Channel and the urban-fringe landscapes of Ap Lei Chau and Wong
Chuk Hang. The VSR will have glimpse view to “The Summit” at a distance of
VSR6 –
This
VSR refers to mostly users of the
VSR7 –
This
VSR consists of mostly patients and users of various medical and health care
institutions near
VSR8 – Wong Chuk Hang Industrial Zone
This
VSR consists of mostly workers in the industrial zone of Wong Chuk Hang. Among the dense blocks of developments, one at
ground level has generally no views to areas outside the zone. But some upper levels of high-rises will have
a partial view to “The Waterfront” at a distance of approximately
VSR9 – Wong Chuk Hang Estate
This
VSR consists of mostly residents in high-rises of Wong Chuk Hang Estate, which
is a public housing estate located to the west of “The Waterfront”. Among the dense block of developments, one at
ground level has very limited view to the surroundings. For upper levels of the high-rises, since
most windows within the units are north-south orientated, residents have no
view to
VSR10 –
Aberdeen
Typhoon Shelter and Po Chong Wan are a frequent thoroughfare and docking place
for yachts, fishermen’s boats and ferries. This VSR consists of mostly marine travellers,
onboard residents, and industrial engagers.
Views from this VSR at a close distance are dominated by the industrial
appearance of workshop huts and shelters.
But this VSR (including residents at
VSR11 – Ap Lei Chau
The
VSR consists to the mostly urban dwellers of Ap Lei Chau, where several
large-scale residential developments, such as Lei Tung Estate and
VSR12 –Yuk Kwai Shan & Ap Lei Pai
This
VSR refers to infrequent hikers and recreational fishermen on the exposed
terrains and rocky shores of Yuk Kwai Shan and Ap Lei Pai. It has an open panoramic view overlooking
Aberdeen Channel, Nam Long Shan and East Lamma Channel. It will have a partial view to the “The
Summit” at a distance of
VSR13 –
This
VSR refers to residents of the densely populated
VSR14 – Shouson Hill
This
VSR consists of mostly residents of low-rises in Shouson Hill. It has scenic views towards Nam Long Shan and
VSR15 –
This
VSR consists of recreational engagers, road travellers and a small amount of
low-rise residents. It has scenic, framed view towards
VSR16
–
This
VSR consists of residents of various low to high-rises, tourists and various
types of recreational engagers in areas from
VSR17 – Chung Hom Kok
This
VSR consists of residents of low-rises and various types of recreational
engagers in Chung Hom Kok. It has
scenic, panoramic view to the open sea and to the surrounding landscapes. It will have glimpse of “The Waterfront” at a
distance of
VSR18
– East Lamma Channel
The
extensive water body between Nam Long Shan, Ap Lei Chau and
VSR19 –
This
VSR expansively consists of the entire
VSR20 – Shum Shui Kok
Shum Shui Kok is a thoroughfare frequently used for water recreation and fishing. This VSR consists of mostly people participating recreational activities on the water surface. It has full, close views towards “The Summit” and partial view towards the temporary conveyor belt system and the barging point. The quality of view is high but the receiver population is low. The overall sensitivity is High.
VSR21 –
This
VSR consists of mostly hikers in
VSR22 – Wong Nai Chung Gap
This
VSR consists of mostly residents in high-rises, hikers and road travellers in
the area of Wong Nai Chung Gap.
Residents in upper levels of some of the high-rises can get panoramic
view of the
VSR23 – Mount Cameron &
This
VSR consists of mostly residents of the mid-rises and occasional hikers in
Mount Cameron and
VSR 24 –
The
VSR consists of hikers, road travellers and residents of mid-rises in the areas
of Aberdeen Reservoir and Magazine Gap.
View from this VSR is similar to that of VSR22 and 23. They will only have glimpse view towards “The
Waterfront” at minimum distance
VSR25 –
This
VSR consists of mostly residents of mid-rises, some
institutional facilities and occasionally hikers in
VSR26 –
This
VSR consists of tourists, visitors and hikers to the
VSR27 –
This
VSR consists of mostly travellers on road from Aberdeen Tunnel to major roads
in Wong Chuk Hang. It has only
occasional glimpse towards
VSR28 – Manly Villa
This
is a special low-rise residential VSR found ‘inside’
Landscape Impacts during Construction before Mitigation
4.18 Landscape impact during construction before mitigation is presented in Table 4.2 and Table 4.3. To demonstrate the thinking and logics of assessment for different cases, which can apply to subsequent assessments for the operation phase and for situations after mitigation, each LR and LCA are described below: -
LR1 – Theme Park Planting on Flatland
All
planting will be directly or indirectly affected by the large-scale construction,
especially during Stage A and B. The impact to the LR will be Substantial. The impact during Stage C will be
Insubstantial due to the small scale of work involved. Approx. 44 nos. of tree were identified as
High Amenity Value and approx. 670 nos. of tree would be affected. Details for tree assessment and recommendation
refer to Appendix 4.1.
LR2 – Theme Park Planting on
All
planting will be directly or indirectly affected by the large-scale
construction at all stages. The impact
to the LR will be Substantial. Approx.
28 nos. of tree were identified as High Amenity Value and approx.1378 nos. of
tree would be affected. Details for tree
assessment and recommendation refer to Appendix 4.1.
LR3 – Roadside Planting
Some of the roadside
trees along Wong Chuk Hang road and Ocean Park Road directly or indirectly
affected by the construction, especially during Stage A and B. The impact to this LR will be Moderate. The impact during Stage C will be Slight due
to the small scale of work involved. Approx.
11 nos. of tree were identified as High Amenity Value and approx. 180 nos. of
tree would be affected. Details for tree
assessment and recommendation refer to Appendix 4.2.
LR4 – Urban Residential Area Planting
This LR will not be affected by the
construction.
LR5 –
This LR will not be affected by the
construction.
LR6 – Flatland Institutional and Open Space Planting
This LR will not be affected by the
construction.
LR7 –
This LR will not be affected by the
construction.
LR8 – Hilltop Grassland
This LR will not be affected by the
construction.
LR9 –
Approximately
LR10 – Dense Disturbed
Approximately
LR11 – Dense Semi-natural
Approximately
LR12 – Natural Rocky Seashore
This LR will not be affected by the
construction.
LR13 – Semi-natural Shoreline and Manmade Waterfront
The barging point will disturb approx.
LR14 – Water bodies surrounding
This LR will not be affected by the
construction.
LCA1 – Theme Park on Low Ground
The construction activities in Stage A and Stage B will disrupt the
‘holiday’ and ‘semi-naturalistic’ character of the existing Park, even when the
other half is still open to public. The
impact will be substantial.
LCA2 – Theme Park on High Ground
The assessment of this LCA is similar
to that of LCA1, except the extensive hilltop excavation work in Stage A construction will
induce even more substantial impact. There will be construction activities
during Stage C, which also induce substantial impact.
LCA3 – Exposed
The existing LCA will be disrupted, as
its natural terrain will be converted to a construction site for the hilltop
excavation of “The Summit” in Stage A.
The construction activities in “The Summit” in Stage B will continue to
affect the LCA substantially.
LCA4 – Semi-natural Seashore Landscape
The installation and the operation of
the conveyor belt system and the barging point (including the barges) for the
construction of “The Summit” will impose moderate impacts to the pleasant
seashore and hillside throughout all construction stages.
LCA5 – Secluded Hilly Road
The installation and the operation of
the conveyor belt system in Stage A will impose moderate impact to the
semi-natural hillside character. The
impact will be slight in both Stage B and C.
LCA6 –
This LCA will not be affected by the
construction.
LCA7 – Mix-use Urban Landscape
This LCA will not be affected by the
construction.
LCA8 – Open Institutional Landscape
This manmade urban LCA will be slightly
affected during Stage A construction due to the expansion of
the Park into the
LCA9 – Industrial Urban Landscape
This LCA will not be affected by the
construction.
LCA10 – Secluded Institutional Landscape
This LCA will not be affected by the
construction.
LCA11 – Typhoon Shelter Landscape
This LCA will not be affected by the
construction.
LCA12 – Natural Seashore Landscape
The natural seashore of this LCA will
be slightly affected by the upgrading work for the pump house at Stage A..
LCA13 – Beach Landscape
This LCA will not be affected by the
construction.
LCA14 – Low-density Residential Urban Fringe Landscape
This LCA will not be affected by the
construction.
LCA15 – Transportation Corridor Landscape
This LCA will not be affected by the
construction.
LCA16 –
This LCA will not be affected by the
construction.
Landscape Impacts during Operation before Mitigation
4.19 Landscape impact during operation before mitigation is presented in Table 4.2 and Table 4.3. Only those LRs and LCAs assessed with Substantial or Moderate impact are described below: -
LR1 – Theme Park Planting on Flatland
Without proper mitigation measures to
maximize protection to existing trees and to carry out tree transplanting
during construction, the damage will permanent, inducing Substantial impact during
operation.
LR2 – Theme Park Planting on
Without proper mitigation measures to maximize
protection to existing trees and to carry out tree transplanting during
construction, the damage will permanent, inducing Substantial impact during
operation.
LR3 – Roadside Planting
Without proper mitigation measures to
maximize protection to existing trees and to carry out tree transplanting
during construction, the damage will permanent, inducing Moderate impact during
operation.
LR9 –
The redevelopment design will
permanently remove the hilltop (and thus the LR on it) and convert the flat
area to a portion of the Park. The
impact will be Substantial.
LR11 – Dense Semi-natural
Without proper mitigation measures to
maximize protection to existing trees and to carry out tree transplanting
during construction, the damage will permanent, inducing Substantial impact
during operation.
LCA3 – Exposed
There will be Substantial impact to
this LCA during operation, as the natural terrain will be permanently levelled
for the Park’s expansion.
Table 4.2 Significance of Landscape Resource Impacts in Construction and Operational Phases BEFORE Mitigation
Identity No. |
Landscape
Resource |
Sensitivity
to Change (Low,
Medium, High) |
Magnitude
of Change before Mitigation (Negligible,
Small, Intermediate, Large) |
Impact
Significance Threshold BEFORE Mitigation (Insubstantial,
Slight, Moderate, Substantial) |
|||||||
|
|
|
|
Construction |
Operation |
Construction |
Operation |
||||
|
|
|
|
Stage A |
Stage B |
Stage C |
|
Stage A |
Stage B |
Stage C |
|
LR 1 |
Theme
Park Planting on Flatland |
High |
Large |
Large |
Negligible |
Large |
Substantial |
Substantial |
Insubstantial |
Substantial |
|
LR 2 |
Theme
Park Planting on |
Medium |
Large |
Large |
Intermediate |
Large |
Substantial |
Substantial |
Substantial |
Substantial |
|
LR 3 |
Roadside
Planting |
Medium |
Intermediate |
Intermediate |
Small |
Intermediate |
Moderate |
Moderate |
Slight |
Moderate |
|
LR 4 |
Urban
Residential Area Planting |
Low |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
|
LR 5 |
|
High |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
|
LR 6 |
Flatland
Institutional and Open Space Planting |
Low |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
|
LR 7 |
|
Medium |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
|
LR 8 |
Hilltop Grassland |
High |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
|
LR 9 |
|
Medium |
Large |
Large |
Negligible |
Large |
Substantial |
Substantial |
Insubstantial |
Substantial |
|
LR 10 |
Dense
Disturbed |
Medium |
Small |
Small |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Slight |
Slight |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
|
LR 11 |
Dense
Semi-natural |
High |
Large |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Large |
Substantial |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Substantial |
|
LR 12 |
Natural
Rocky Seashore |
High |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Small |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Slight |
|
LR 13 |
Semi-natural
Shoreline and Manmade Waterfront |
Medium |
Intermediate |
Small |
Small |
Small |
Moderate |
Slight |
Slight |
Slight |
|
LR 14 |
Water
bodies surrounding |
High |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Identity No. |
Landscape
Character |
Sensitivity
to Change (Low,
Medium, High) |
Magnitude
of Change before Mitigation (Negligible,
Small, Intermediate, Large) |
Impact
Significance Threshold BEFORE Mitigation (Insubstantial,
Slight, Moderate, Substantial) |
|||||||
|
|
Construction |
Operation |
Construction |
Operation |
Construction |
Operation |
||||
|
|
|
|
Stage A |
Stage B |
Stage C |
|
Stage A |
Stage B |
Stage C |
|
LCA 1 |
Theme
Park on Low Ground |
High |
Low |
Large |
Large |
Negligible |
Intermediate |
Substantial |
Substantial |
Slight |
Slight |
LCA 2 |
Theme
Park on High Ground |
High |
Low |
Large |
Intermediate |
Small |
Intermediate |
Substantial |
Substantial |
Substantial |
Slight |
LCA 3 |
Exposed |
High |
Medium |
Large |
Intermediate |
Negligible |
Large |
Substantial |
Substantial |
Insubstantial |
Substantial |
LCA 4 |
Semi-natural
Seashore Landscape |
High |
Medium |
Intermediate |
Intermediate |
Intermediate |
Small |
Moderate |
Moderate |
Moderate |
Slight |
LCA 5 |
Secluded
Hilly Road |
Medium |
Medium |
Intermediate |
Small |
Small |
Small |
Moderate |
Slight |
Slight |
Slight |
LCA 6 |
|
Low |
Low |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
LCA 7 |
Mix-use
Urban Landscape |
Low |
Low |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
LCA 8 |
Open
Institutional Landscape |
Medium |
Medium |
Small |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Slight |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
LCA 9 |
Industrial
Urban Landscape |
Low |
Low |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
LCA 10 |
Secluded
Institutional Landscape |
Medium |
Medium |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
LCA 11 |
Typhoon
Shelter Landscape |
Medium |
Medium |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
LCA 12 |
Natural
Seashore Landscape |
High |
High |
Small |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Slight |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
LCA 13 |
Beach
Landscape |
High |
High |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
LCA 14 |
Low-density
Residential Urban Fringe Landscape |
Medium |
Medium |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
LCA 15 |
Transportation
Corridor Landscape |
Low |
Low |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
LCA 16 |
|
Medium |
Medium |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
4.20 Before a brief description of the visual impacts, the general factors affecting the visual condition are described as follows: -
1) Nature of the Development – The project is a theme park redevelopment with some degree of expansion. It must be noted that some park elements and facilities are intentionally designed to be ‘thematic’, i.e., they are designed to stand out from the surroundings, to be exotic, to be funny and exciting (sometimes even ugly and horrific for Halloween events) and/or to be out of scale. Conventional ways to judge the visual aspects of a civil engineering project or an architectural project are not entirely applicable for this project. This implies the visual sensitivity and impacts to Park visitors will often be low.
2) Scale and Density of the Development –
Both the existing Ocean Park and the proposed redevelopment/ expansion involve
large areas in Wong Chuk Hang and Nam Long Shan with the cable car system in
between. But they are comprised of a
number of relatively small, low and spaced elements with only a few large, tall
key structures, such as the Killer Whale Stadium and the
3) Obstacle – Nam Long Shan itself is the
major visual obstacle. Only few VSRs can
view at the same time both “The Waterfront” and “The Summit”. Dense mature vegetation and buildings often
block views to
4) Distance from VSRs – VSRs in this
project are generally at a distance from
5) Visibility through Air – Many VSRs have
blurred view towards
6) View Angle/ View Frame – View angle
concerns both the horizontal angle and vertical angle. For human eyes, the focus is usually in the
middle horizontally and slight lower down vertically. It also depends on how a view is framed for a
VSR. For example, many houses in VSR16 (
7) Open View/ Panorama – Human eyes tend to
‘switch’ to panorama when overlooking into a wide open space that is visually
and aesthetically pleasing. View angle
will also widen and the focus will get loose.
Of course, it also depends on the viewer’s ‘mood’ and where the person is
standing. For example, a tourist in
VSR16 (
8) Speed of the VSRs – Visual impact also depends on the travelling speed of the VSRs. Stationary residents will notice more details of the proposed redevelopment than those travellers on roads. For this project, most VSRs are stationary and a few are travellers on road and on sea.
9) Glare/ Light Pollution – Glare and light pollution are related to various factors including type and intensity of the light source, angle of view, distance, and the presence and intensity of other background light sources. A qualitative approach will be used in this study to consider possible impacts to the VSRs.
4.21 There are two generic types of glare: (1) night-time direct or reflective glare/ light pollution coming from a manmade light source such as floodlights, and (2) day-time reflective glare coming from the sun. The former one is an issue of possible concern for this project because of the natural to semi-natural setting, which at night allows people to enjoy a relatively tranquil setting. The latter one is more difficult to predict as sunlight intensity and directions differ from time to time and season to season. The extent and the intensity of the sunlight also outmatch all manmade sources.
4.22 The Technical Memorandum on EIA Process defines glare in Annex 18 as: “uncomfortable eye feeling caused by light interference from structures faced with mirror or polished materials or from direct light sources generated from the proposed development.” According to this definition, it is not likely that the future park would result in any such glare issue, since there are (a) no structures proposed to be faced with mirror or polished materials, and (b) there would be no man-made light sources directly pointing to sensitive receivers so as to result in any uncomfortable eye feeling. Nevertheless in this assessment a wider perspective of this issue has been taken, to include a consideration of various potential sources of both reflected and man-made light.
4.23
Glare can be described in various ways, for
instance, Blinding Glare describes effects such as that caused by staring into the sun. It is
completely blinding and leaves temporary vision deficient. The Illuminating
Engineering Society of North America (IESNA) defines three types of glare: Disability
Glare is caused by light shining into the eye (such as from an oncoming
car’s bright headlights, or from directly seeing the filament of an unshielded
or poorly shielded light) that causes reduced contrast of images that could
normally be seen without the presence of glare (commonly found in patients with
cataracts, and often subjectively referred to as “night-blindness”). Discomfort
Glare may not result in reduced visual acuity, but can be annoying and
irritating. It is experienced on entering an area of very high illumination, or
by sunshine on a very bright day.
Discomfort glare can be caused at night by very contrast between light
and dark areas. Nuisance or Annoyance Glare
is illumination that causes complaints, and is typically an intrusive light
level that can permit reading or may keep someone awake. It is accepted that well designed luminaires
and proper light shielding that is correctly adjusted can cure such a problem
entirely. In this assessment we are
concerned with such nuisance glare since the other aforementioned sources of
glare are not likely to occur due to the proposed Park expansion.
Night-time Glare/ Light Pollution
4.24
Impact of night-time glare is a
rather subjective human feeling and is difficult to measure. Generally, it has been suggested that the
feeling of night-time glare is related to the ratio of ‘brightness’ of the
manmade light sources to that of the background environment or the ‘ambient’
light. So lighting for specific uses is
much brighter but may be better tolerated than a lesser amount of light set
against a non-lit background. It is
helpful to provide an indication of the light levels of some common light
sources against which the
§ 5-10 lux: Gardens or Path lighting
§ 10 lux: Street lighting in residential areas
§ 20 lux: Typical street lighting; parking areas
§ 40 lux: Adequate for corridor lighting
§ 150 lux: Floodlighting of light surfaced buildings
§ 100-300 lux: Majority of outdoor recreational sports areas
§ 240 lux: Typical “kitchen” lighting
§ 320 lux: Typical in an office
§ 200 – 400 lux: Necessary for effective sports environment (including tournament)
§ 600 – 800 lux: Typical values measured on the track due to floodlights at the Shatin Racecourse
§ 1,000 lux: Major sports/ football stadium
§ 2,000 lux: Necessary for night-time television recording/ broadcast (e.g. proposed lighting levels at the Hong Kong Olympic Equestrian Event Main Arena).
4.25 This VIA will take a qualitative approach, by characterising the existing lighting pattern of the district and the existing lighting of Ocean Park, together with descriptions of the intended future lighting that would later be designed in detail and implemented in the lighting strategy of the future Ocean Park.
4.26
The existing lighting pattern
of the areas surrounding
4.27 The sky in Wong Chuk Hang is mostly lit up at night by high-power floodlights in the Aberdeen Sports Ground and Wong Chuk Hang Recreation Ground, with levels of up to 250 lux. For areas closer to the existing entrance of Ocean Park, the light intensity is lower, but it is still dominated by high-intensity floodlights and high-mast pole lights from various sources outside the Ocean Park, including the tennis courts of the Hong Kong Country Club, Hong Kong School of Motoring, and the bus terminal/ depot, with generally 20 lux for the major roads, 130 lux for the bus terminal, and up to about 300 lux for the tennis court of the Hong Kong Country Club.
4.28
By comparison with the existing
background light environment of the area, the existing Ocean Park itself is
generally darker, with lux levels ranging from 5-50 lux, except at the entrance
(about 200 lux) and along the cable car line, which is lit by floodlights at
each cable tower (about 200 lux), the butterfly house (125 lux) and the special
lighting for the Go-cart (500 lux). All
VSRs to the north of the lowland currently have a view to these existing light
sources. In fact, many residences of
VSR14 (Shouson Hill) are illuminated by these light sources, and in terms of
light pollution, the area is not as ‘tranquil’ as one may have thought.
4.29 There are no reported problems due to glare arising from the existing park, even for times when park operating hours have been extended for special events, and when special event lighting is used in addition to some of the existing park lighting. The existing special event lighting consists of additional small scale feature lightings and low intensity ambient lights. Photographs showing the existing special event lighting environment are shown in Fig 4.5.12. The existing visual impact of the special event light is insubstantial, and hence there are no measures adopted for control.
4.30
Broadly speaking, the lighting
strategy of the future Park would be consistent with that of the existing Park. The lighting design of the future Park will strictly
follow the current standards for lighting intensity such as one briefly listed
in Section 4.24. There will be no change
for the cable car, and limited change in “the Waterfront”; in fact, the most
brightly lit area in the current Waterfront (the Go-Kart area) will not be part
of the future Park. Within “The
Waterfront”, the portion facing
4.31
Existing lighting at
Cable Car Glare and affect on Manly Villa
4.32 The existing cable car has lighting provided for safety reasons on each stanchion, along the cables and the rescue path. The light level provided along the rescue path is 10 lux and 200 lux on each stanchion. Each stanchion light is angled downwards along the stanchion itself with minimal light spillage to adjacent areas. The purpose is to light only the stanchion itself and not the surrounding area (refer to the photograph in Fig 4.5.11, which was taken from a very close distance - only a few metres away and also underneath the light source). The distance from the stanchion light to the closest sensitive receiver (Manly Villa) is 103 metres at the closest point. That is over ten times the distance from the light source shown in Fig 4.5.11. In the photograph in Fig 4.6.18 (view from the Shouson Hill area) the closest cable car stanchion can be seen at a distance of 326 metres and the light on the stanchions can only be seen as small isolated points of light in the middle distance. It can be appreciated that the impact of the light source, which is not directed at the sensitive receivers, diminishes greatly with increasing distance; at more than 300 metres distance, the light is only a marginal source in the overall field of view.
4.33 Currently the park switches off the lights on the cable car stanchions about half an hour after park closing time, so the lights are off by about 6:30PM under normal conditions, but the lights remain switched on until about 11:00 PM every Saturday night during the summer during the extended opening hours. There have been no complaints regarding lighting during the extended operation hours. In future, the park opening hours would be extended and the cable car lights would be switched off by around 10:30 PM – similar to the existing arrangements during extended summer time operating hours. As the closest distance between the light source on the cable car stanchion and Manly Villa is over 100 metres, and the light is directed downwards with minimum light spillage to the surroundings, it is anticipated that there would not be a significant glare impact at the sensitive receiver.
4.34
4.35 Day-time reflective glare is even more difficult to assess and quantify. A qualitative approach will also be taken by considering the following factors/ characteristics of the glare: -
-
Sunlight Intensity/ Heat – Sunlight intensity varies at different time of a day and on
different dates of a year. It peaks at
noon at summer, and with the combination of heat at a close distance,
reflective glare may become very disturbing.
- Reflectivity/ Tone – All surfaces reflect light; that is why we can see them. A surface that reflects more light may produce glare. In general, the lighter the tone and the smoother the surface, the more likely a glare occurs. Metallic surfaces and glazing surfaces are potential sources of glare.
-
Size of Reflective
Surface – The larger
the size of a reflective surface, the more noticeable and disturbing the glare
will be. Large paved surfaces and
buildings with large roofs are potential sources of glare.
-
Nature of Reflective
Surface – Glare coming
from a reflective surface of a completed Park element may be annoying, but
glare coming from a construction site may be even more annoying. This is an unavoidable human feeling. Large-scale earthwork that exposes extensive
areas of bare yellowish soil is a concern.
-
Relative Altitude/ View
Angle - Glare from below the eyelevel is a
greater concern because human eyes are more used to bright light sources from
above and are often pointed slightly downwards.
The great intensity of the sun and background luminance of the sky also
makes glare above eyelevel less annoying.
This means studying the relative altitude or the angle of line-of-sight
between a glare source and viewers is important. For this project, “The Summit” is up high on
the hilltop and “The Waterfront” is lower at a valley while the altitudes of
different VSRs also vary. There will be
different combinations of relative altitudes, and an assessment is shown on Table 4.6
- Orientation and Shape of Reflective Surface – Different orientation of a reflective surface will produce different intensity of glare to receivers located at different relative altitude at different time of a day. This is illustrated on Table 4.4 & Table 4.5 by using scenarios at noon (strong sunlight coming from above) and at morning/ dusk (weaker sunlight coming from near eyelevel) respectively: -
Table 4.4 Example Matrix for Assessment of Glare – Noon
Relative Altitude of Reflective
Surface Orientation
of Reflective
Surface |
Higher |
Same |
Lower |
Horizontal |
Negligible Glare |
Moderate Glare |
Substantial Glare |
Tilted |
Slight Glare |
Substantial Glare |
Substantial Glare |
Vertical |
Slight Glare |
Slight Glare |
Slight Glare |
Table 4.5 Example Matrix for Assessment of Glare – Morning or Dusk
Relative
Altitude of Reflective
Surface Orientation
of Reflective
Surface |
Higher |
Same |
Lower |
Horizontal |
Negligible Glare |
Slight Glare |
Moderate Glare |
Tilted |
Negligible Glare |
Moderate Glare |
Moderate Glare |
Vertical |
Slight Glare |
Moderate Glare |
Slight Glare |
For similar materials, a tilted surface (e.g. a pitch roof) is most likely to cause glare, followed by a vertical surface (e.g. building façade) and finally a horizontal surface (e.g. flat roof). One shape that entails all these three characteristics simultaneously is a dome-shape, which is likely to cause glare at most angles, at most relative altitudes, at most time of a day and at most dates of a year if reflective material is used.
4.36 Concern on day-time reflective glare should focus on cases in which: (1) substantial sunlight will possibly be reflected to the surroundings; (2) highly reflective materials are specified to suit design themes; (3) the glare source or the reflective surface is placed below the eyelevel of a VSR, (4) the design requires a flat, tilted or pitched surface, (5) the design requires a dome-shape structure, (6) the design of a large structure with flat or uniform surface, and/or (7) where glare is coming from a construction site in which other nuisances (e.g. noise, polluted air, unpleasant view) may amplify the adverse effect of glare.
4.37 Theme park design for the project is on going. Major themes have been designated to various parts of the Park but no individual building form has yet been finalized. The glare assessment in this report has been based on conceptual architectural/ landscape forms to develop recommendations for theme park designers to consider. There are great opportunities to avoid possible visual impact through good design.
Visual Impact during Construction Before Mitigation
4.38 The Magnitudes of Visual Impact and Impact Significance Threshold during construction BEFORE mitigation are summarized in Table 4.7. The detailed assessment for each VSR is illustrated below:
VSR1 –
This
VSR will get a full, close view towards the work at “The Waterfront” itself
during Construction Stages A, B and C.
During Stage A, there will be Substantial impact due to the general
construction activities, associated works and utilities and road and traffic
diversion measures for
VSR2 –
This
VSR will get a full, close view towards the work at both “The Waterfront” and
“The Summit” during Construction Stages A and B. During Stage A, the impact will be
substantial due to the extensive hill top excavation in “The Summit” and the
large-scale construction of the main
VSR3 –
This
VSR will get a full, close view towards the work at “The Summit” itself during
Construction Stages A, B and C. During Stage A, the impact will be
substantial due to the extensive hill top excavation in “The Summit”, the
operation of the conveyor belt system and the construction of vet pool. The large-scale construction work may also
produce some day-time glare. During
Stage B, the impact will be Substantial due to the
extensive construction of the Marine World. During Stage C, the impact will reduce
to Moderate due to the smaller scale of work.
VSR4 - Tai Shue Wan
This
VSR will have a close, partial view to the temporary conveyor belt
system and the barging point, throughout Stages A, B and C. There will be substantial impact due to the
excavation, general construction and associated activities of the proposed
works of Stage A, along with the construction and the use of the
conveyor belt system and the barging point.
During Stage B, the construction will be mostly at the southeast
portion of “The Summit” and the VSR will have partial view to it. The impact during Stage B will thus reduce to
Moderate. During Stage C, the construction will
be mostly at the southwest portion of “The Summit”. Although the construction scale is smaller,
the VSR will have clearer view to it.
The impact during Stage C will thus continue to be Moderate.
VSR5 –
This
VSR will get a close, partial view to the barging point and the conveyor belt
system, which will be actively used during Stage A. Hence, the impact will be Moderate. However, impact
in Stage B and C will be reduced to Slight as such activities
reduce.
VSR6 –
This
VSR has a close partial view towards the construction of “The Waterfront”. Due to the extent of the
VSR7 –
This
VSR has a partial view at a distance of
VSR8 – Wong Chuk Hang Industrial Zone
The
visual impact of this VSR is insubstantial due to its low receptor sensitivity
and low degree of visibility towards
VSR9 – Wong Chuk Hang Estate
This
VSR has limited views towards the Stage A construction of “The
Waterfront” at distance of approximately
VSR10 –
This
VSR has a partial to full views towards “The Summit”, the barging point and the
conveyor belt system. The extensive
excavation work during Stage A and the construction and use of the
conveyor belt system and the barging point on the water edge will induce Substantial visual impact.
However, due to the greater distance and smaller extent of the proposed works
of Stages B and C, the resulting impact for both will
reduce to Moderate.
VSR11 – Ap Lei Chau
This
VSR has views similar to that of VSR10, except it has a clearer, elevated view
from some high-rise residential development, at a minimum distance of about
VSR12 –Yuk Kwai Shan & Ap Lei Pai
This
VSR has views similar to that of VSR10 but at reduced, minimum distance of
about
VSR13 –
Due
to the low sensitivity and low magnitude of impact, the visual impact will be Insubstantial throughout
Stages A, B and C.
VSR14 – Shouson Hill
The
views from this VSR are partial to full towards “The Waterfront” depending on
the area concerned, and at a minimum distance of about
VSR15 –
This
VSR will have a clear, panoramic view towards “The Summit” and close, glimpse
of “The Waterfront”, During Stage A, the extensive hilltop excavation
and associated construction activities at “The Summit” will induce Moderate impact
to the VSR. During Stage B, the construction of
“The Whisker’s Harbour” will also induce Moderate impact. Possible construction site floodlights in
both stages may also potentially result in some night-time glare/ light
pollution, affecting the ‘tranquil’ nature of the seashore. However, there will be Insubstantial impact
during Stage C due to the small scale of work in “The Waterfront”.
VSR16 –
Although
the VSR is far (minimum
VSR17 – Chung Hom Kok
This
VSR will have view similar to that from VSR16.
But with a greater distance (minimum
VSR18 – East Lamma Channel
This
VSR will have full to partial view of “The Summit” throughout all stages of
construction. But with a great distance
(minimum
VSR19 –
This
VSR will have view similar to that from VSR18 but at a much greater distance
(minimum
VSR20 – Shum Shui Kok
This
VSR has full, close view of “The Summit” throughout all construction Stages. In
Stage A, the significant hill excavation work and the general
construction in “The Summit” will induce Substantial impact. In
Stage B, the construction works of “The Summit” will also induce Substantial impact. The impact will significantly reduce to
Insubstantial in Stage C due to the small scale of
work.
VSR21 –
This
VSR will only have a glimpse view to the construction and as the distance is
also large, the impact will be Insubstantial during all stages of construction.
VSR22 – Wong Nai Chung Gap
This
VSR will have a view similar to VSR21. The impact will be Insubstantial during all stages of construction.
VSR23 – Mount Cameron &
This
VSR will only have a glimpse the construction at “The Summit” and as the
distance is also quite large, the impact the impact will be Insubstantial during all stages of construction.
VSR 24 –
This
VSR will have a view similar to VSR23. The impact will be Insubstantial during all stages of construction.
VSR25 –
This
VSR will have partial view of “The Summit”. With the distance large, the impact during Stage A
will be Insubstantial. The
impact will further reduce during Stages B and C.
VSR26 –
Due
to its distance and low degree of visibility, the impact during all stages of construction
will be Insubstantial.
VSR27 –
Due
to its distance and low degree of visibility, the impact during all stages of construction
will be Insubstantial.
VSR28 – Manly Villa
This
VSR will have a full, close view to the entire construction of “The
Waterfront”. The impact during Stage A and Stage B will be Substantial.
Possible construction site floodlights in both
stages would also produce some night-time glare/ light pollution.
The impact will be significantly decreased during Stage C as the extent of
construction decreases.
Visual Impacts in Operation Phase before Mitigation
4.39 The magnitudes of the impact on VSRs and Impact Significance Threshold during operation BEFORE mitigation are shown in Table 4.7. Brief descriptions of the adverse impacts of Substantial and Moderate significance are described below:-
VSR7 –
The
VSR14 – Shouson Hill
The
planned landscaping to the
VSR15 –
Without
mitigation (i.e. without careful attention to the design of the park lighting),
there would be some night-time glare affecting the ‘tranquil’ nature of the
seashore. Newly introduced buildings and Park elements of “The Waterfront”,
especially near “the Waterfront” facing
VSR16 –
This
VSR has a clear view to “The Summit”.
The Redevelopment would include excavation and expansion of guest
facilities to Nam Long Shan. The major
source of impact would be the loss of vegetated landform of Nam Long Shan. Due
to its high sensitivity and greater receiver population, this VSR would suffer
from Moderate Impact during construction. Thereafter, once the landscaping is in place
there would only be Slight Impact. In
terms of night-time glare, there would be some Slight Impact to this VSR
similar to that for VSR15. However, the
distance from the Park to the VSRs is substantial (2km) and, even set against
the relatively low background luminance, there would be considerable diffusion
of light through air with resultant lowering of the perceived light levels.
VSR28 – Manly Villa
Newly
introduced buildings and Park elements of “The Waterfront” within
Potential
Glare
4.40
The overall lighting strategy
for the future park would in principle be similar to the existing park, with
lighting designed to be mostly at lower level, designed to complement the
landscape and buildings. Path lighting would be similar to the existing
situation where safety is of concern. International
standard for recommended level of lighting intensity for all kind of area/
activities would be referenced during detailed design stage. Any special lighting for the shows would be
arranged so as to “design-out” any possible glare impact at sensitive
receivers, by using directional or “theatrical” lighting and certainly by ensuring
that any show lighting is not directed towards any sensitive receiver. The
potential for reflected light would also be considered in the design. Impact likely to arise as a result of glare,
in the un-mitigated situation, is included in the paragraphs above for each
sensitive receiver potentially affected.
In summary, even without mitigation measures only a few sensitive
receivers would be potentially exposed to glare. For night-time glare from lighting, only VSRs
15 (
Photomontage of Unmitigated Visual Impact
4.41
Representative VSRs’ location
selected for generating photomontage is shown on Fig
Table 4.6 Extent of View and Relative Altitudes
of VSRs Compared with
ID No. |
VSR |
“The Waterfront” |
“The |
“Temporary Conveyor Belt System and
Barging Point” |
||||||
|
|
View (Full, Partial, Glimpse, No View) with Minimum Distance Between VSR &
Source of Impact (m) |
Relative Altitude of Possible Glare Source (Higher, Same,
Lower) |
View (Full, Partial, Glimpse, No View) with Minimum Distance Between VSR &
Source of Impact (m) |
Relative Altitude (Higher, Same, Lower) |
View (Full, Partial, Glimpse, No View) with Minimum Distance Between VSR &
Source of Impact (m) |
Relative Altitude (Higher, Same, Lower) |
|||
|
|
CONST |
OPER |
|
CONST |
OPER |
|
CONST |
OPER |
|
VSR1 |
|
Partial to Full (close) |
Partial to Full (close) |
Higher to Lower (Possible Glare) |
No View (1500) |
No View (1500) |
- |
No View (1000) |
No View (1000) |
- |
VSR 2 |
Cable Car |
Full (close) |
Full (close) |
Lower (Possible Glare) |
Full (close) |
Full (close) |
Lower (Possible Glare) |
No View (500) |
No View (500) |
- |
VSR 3 |
|
No View (1500) |
No View (1500) |
- |
Full (close) |
Full (close) |
Higher to Lower (Possible Glare) |
Partial (close) |
Partial (close) |
Same |
VSR 4 |
Tai Shue Wan |
No View (1500) |
No View (1500) |
- |
Partial (close) |
Partial (close) |
- |
Partial (close) |
Partial (close) |
Higher |
VSR 5 |
|
No View (1000) |
No View (1000) |
- |
Glimpse (500) |
Glimpse (500) |
- |
Partial (close) |
Partial (close) |
- |
VSR 6 |
|
Partial (close) |
Partial (close) |
Same |
No View (1500) |
No View (1500) |
- |
No View (1000) |
No View (1000) |
- |
VSR 7 |
|
Partial (500) |
Partial (500) |
Same |
No View (2000) |
No View (2000) |
- |
No View (1500) |
No View (1500) |
- |
VSR 8 |
Wong Chuk Hang Industrial Zone |
Partial (500) |
Partial (500) |
Same |
No View (1500) |
No View (1500) |
- |
No View (1000) |
No View (1000) |
- |
VSR 9 |
Wong Chuk Hang Estate and |
Partial (500) |
Partial (500) |
Same |
No View (1500) |
No View (1500) |
- |
No View (1000) |
No View (1000) |
- |
VSR 10 |
|
No View (1500) |
No View (1500) |
- |
Partial (1000) |
Partial (1000) |
- |
Full (500) |
Full (500) |
Higher |
VSR 11 |
Ap Lei Chau |
No View (2000) |
No View (2000) |
- |
Partial (1500) |
Partial (1500) |
Higher to Same |
Full (1000) |
Full (1000) |
Higher to Same |
VSR 12 |
Yuk Kwai Shan & Ap Lei Pai |
No View (2000) |
No View (2000) |
- |
Partial (1500) |
Partial (1500) |
Higher |
Full (1000) |
Full (1000) |
Higher to Same |
VSR 13 |
|
No View (1500) |
No View (1500) |
- |
Partial (2000) |
Partial (2000) |
- |
Partial (1500) |
Partial (1500) |
Higher |
VSR 14 |
Shouson Hill |
Full (500) |
Full (500) |
Lower (Possible Glare) |
Glimpse (1500) |
Glimpse (1500) |
Higher |
No View (1500) |
No View (1500) |
- |
VSR 15 |
|
Glimpse (close) |
Glimpse (close) |
Same |
Full (1000) |
Full (1000) |
Higher |
No View (1000) |
No View (1000) |
- |
VSR 16 |
|
Glimpse (2000) |
Glimpse (2000) |
Higher to Lower |
Partial (1500) |
Partial (1500) |
Higher to Lower (Possible Glare) |
No View (2000) |
No View (2000) |
- |
VSR 17 |
Chung Hom Kok |
Glimpse (3000) |
Glimpse (3000) |
Lower |
Full (2000) |
Full (2000) |
Higher to Lower (Possible Glare) |
No View (2500) |
No View (2500) |
- |
VSR 18 |
East Lamma Channel |
No View (3000) |
No View (3000) |
- |
Full (1500) |
Full (1500) |
Higher |
Full (1500) |
Full (1500) |
Higher |
VSR 19 |
|
No View (4500) |
No View (4500) |
- |
Partial (3000) |
Partial (3000) |
Higher to Lower (Possible Glare) |
Partial (3500) |
Partial (3500) |
Higher to Lower (Possible Glare) |
VSR 20 |
Shum Shui Kok |
No View (1000) |
No View (1000) |
- |
Full (close) |
Full (close) |
Higher |
Partial (1000) |
Partial (1000) |
Higher |
VSR 21 |
|
Glimpse (1500) |
Glimpse (1500) |
Lower |
Glimpse (3000) |
Glimpse (3000) |
Lower |
No View (2500) |
No View (2500) |
- |
VSR 22 |
|
No View (1000) |
No View (1000) |
- |
Glimpse (2500) |
Glimpse (2500) |
Lower |
No View (2500) |
No View (2500) |
- |
VSR 23 |
Mount Cameron & |
Glimpse (1000) |
Glimpse (1000) |
Lower |
Glimpse (2500) |
Glimpse (2500) |
Lower |
No View (2000) |
No View (2000) |
- |
VSR 24 |
|
Glimpse (500) |
Glimpse (500) |
Lower |
Glimpse (2000) |
Glimpse (2000) |
Lower |
No View (1500) |
No View (1500) |
- |
VSR 25 |
|
No View (2500) |
No View (2500) |
- |
Partial (3000) |
Partial (3000) |
Lower (Possible Glare) |
Partial (2500) |
Partial (2500) |
Lower (Possible Glare) |
VSR 26 |
|
Glimpse (3500) |
Glimpse |
Lower |
No View (4500) |
No View (4500) |
- |
No View (4000) |
No View (4000) |
- |
VSR 27 |
|
Glimpse (500) |
Glimpse (500) |
Higher |
No View (1500) |
No View (1500) |
- |
No View (1500) |
No View (1500) |
- |
VSR 28 |
Manly Villa |
Full (close) |
Full (close) |
Lower (Possible Glare) |
No View (1000) |
No View (1000) |
- |
No View (1000) |
No View (1000) |
- |
Table 4.7 Significance of Visual Impacts in Construction and Operational Phases Before Mitigation
ID No. |
Key
Visual sensitive receiver (VSR) |
Receptor
Sensitivity (Low,
Medium, High) |
Magnitude of Impact (Negligible, Small, Intermediate, Large) |
Impact
Significance Threshold BEFORE Mitigation (Insubstantial,
Slight, Moderate, Substantial) |
|||||||
|
|||||||||||
|
|
CONST |
OPER |
CONST |
OPER |
CONST |
OPER |
||||
|
|
|
|
Stage A |
Stage B |
Stage C |
|
Stage A |
Stage B |
Stage C |
|
VSR1 |
|
High |
High |
Large |
Large |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Substantial (Day time Glare) |
Substantial |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
VSR 2 |
|
High |
High |
Large |
Large |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Substantial (Day time Glare) |