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