75B - PH METRO EAST MIXED USE OVERLAY (MEMU)

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GPA No. 2018-3, AA No.2018-6, ZOA No. 2018-3, and SPR No. 2018-02 Metro East Mixed Use (MEMU) Overlay Zone and Elan projects July 23,'2018 Page 10 serve as a catalyst for reinvestment in or new commercial developments on First Street as market conditions improve and demand increases. Although the developer has not yet identified tenants, Elan's commercial spaces have been designed with large volumes and high ceilings for "experiential" businesses such as specialized retail, cafes, creative offices, and other street -activating commercial uses. All commercial areas within the project will be conditioned to be available for commercial use at all times and will prohibit future conversion to additional residential units. California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Analysis The original MEMU EIR certified in 2007 analyzed issues identified during the Notice of Preparation (NOP) public review period, including: aesthetics and design, traffic and parking, provision of open space, safety, housing affordability and overcrowding, burdening of the public services and infrastructure, and construction and operational air quality. Because these items analyzed in the original EIR, and because'the nature of the MEMU expansion and amendments is consistent with what was analyzed in the original EIR, an SEIR was prepared to address any subsequent impacts resulting from the Elan project and from expanding the MEMU to the East First Street area. The SEIR has been prepared pursuant to the requirements of CEQA and discloses the environmental impacts associated with implementing the proposed project and includes mitigation measures that can reduce potential impacts to the extent possible or to below a level of significance. The SEIR analyzes impacts related to air quality, cultural resources, greenhouse gas emissions, hazards and hazardous materials, hydrology and water quality, land use and planning, noise, transportation/traffic, and tribal cultural resources. Other impacts from components such as aesthetics, agriculture/forestry, biology, geology/soils, mineral resources, populations/housing, public services, and utilities/service systems were excluded ,following the NOP public review or were adequately addressed in the original MEMU EIR and are not expected to intensify with the MEMU expansion and amendments. Based on the draft SEIR's analysis, the MEMU Overlay Zone expansion's impacts would be consistent with those identified in the original 2007 EIR and would result in significant and unavoidable impacts to air quality, noise, and transportation/traffic. However, development of the Elan project would result in a substantial ,adverse change to an eligible but unlisted historical resource (the now -vacant Elks Lodge building), which was not addressed in the 2007 EIR. The demolition constitutes an adverse impact for CEQA purposes. As a result, preparation of the current draft SEIR was required, and the draft SEIR analyzes and proposes mitigation for ,the demolition of the Elks Lodge building and for the entire MEMU project. The draft SEIR's Notice of Availability (NOA) was published ,in the Orange County Register and posted to the County Clerk on June 12, 2018 for the required 45 -day public comment period. The draft is also available for public view at the, City Hall Planning counter and the Santa Ana Library. 75B-14