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September 18, 2018 Mayor Miguel Pulido Council Members City of Santa Ana 22 Civic Center Plaza Santa Ana, California 92702 Re: 75 B - METRO EAST MIXED-USE OVERLAY DISTRICT EXPANSION AND ELAN DEVELOPMENT PmECTS SUBSEQUENT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT The Kennedy Commission (the Commission) is broad coalition of residents and community organizations that advocates for the production of homes affordable for families earning less than $20,000 annually in Orange County. Formed in 2001, the Commission has been successful in partnering and working with jurisdictions in Orange County to create effective policies that have led to the production of new homes affordable to low income working families. We are writing to request that the proposed MEMU Overlay Zone expansion area that would add 33.52 acres or approximately 48 parcels to the project area be further examined acrd be made available for appropriate community review and comment. The proposed amendment creates new development opportunities for housing and some retail. The additional project area extends the MEMU overlay west primarily along First Street, generally bound by the Santa Ana (1-5) Freeway to the east, Grand Avenue to the west, East Chestnut Avenue to the south, and Fourth Street to the north. The proposed Elan Project is located on an approximately 6.4 -acre site at 1660 E. First Street, within the proposed MEMU Overlay Zone expansion area. This proposed MEMU proposed expansion is moving forward without public outreach and input of community residents. In addition, the proposed MEMU expansion fails to consider alignment and consistency with the City's General Plan, Housing Element Policies and other Land Use objectives. As you are aware the City is in the process of the update of the General Plan. Over the past two to three years the City has done outreach and education on the General Plan objectives and vision for development in the City. The MEMU Expansion has not beer) as part of the General Plan Update discussions and now is being proposed as a new or expanded separate Specific Plan. As the City moves forward in proposing new development opportunities, hies, we would urge the City to analyze the alignment of the proposed land use changes to its Rousing Element and General Plan policies and goals. In addition, in proposing these stand along Specific Plans, such as the