Laserfiche WebLink
ecomrnents c6santa-ana.org <br />Clerk of the Council <br />City of Santa Ana <br />February 11,2018 <br />Regarding 2525 Main Street Project <br />Response to Presentation of Minh Thai at February 5, 2018 Council Meeting <br />Received at City Council <br />Meeting 2/19/2019 <br />The staff report of other high density projects in Santa Ana that have been approved are not relevant to <br />2525 Main Street because those other projects are not in a neighborhood of 1,200 single family homes as <br />in this case. These other projects are not appropriate president. <br />500 apartments in Park Santiago is "not in character with the neighborhood" because of the density. <br />Similarly, the height of the 2525 Main St project is out of character with the neighborhood of single <br />family residences and comparison of the height to the other approved projects is meaningless for the <br />same reason. It is not possible to shield an 8 story complex behind a few trees. <br />Access to the project is hard to rationalize. A 496 apartment complex with parking for as many as 1,000 <br />cars with only one point of access and that point only allowing North bound travel on Main Street is <br />irresponsible. The on -ramps to the 5 freeway are to the south of the project, so 1,000 cars that want to use <br />the 5 freeway, will have to make a U-turn on Main St. at Walkie Way or further up Main St.or use <br />Memory Lane to Broadway. The Cumulative Impact section in the staff report indicates that the <br />"MainStreet/Santa Clara/1-5 on-ramp is unsatisfactory. South bound cars, returning to the project, will <br />have to make a U-turn at Edgewood and cross to the right hand lane to enter. In evening rush hour those <br />lanes could already be full of North bound cars exiting the 5 Freewu.The single access and resulting <br />congestion will surely result in many residents of 2525 Main finding it much easier to cut thru Park <br />Santiago to the project by using Santa Clara to Santiago to Edgewood for a right turn onto Mahn Street. <br />In the staff report, it is noted that the 2525 Main St development is "not in character with the <br />neighborhood". Staff indicates this is the same problem as other high density projects, that is, high <br />density projects do not belong in a neighborhood such as Park Santiago. It remains not in character. <br />The Economic Analysis was for the 517 unit project, which is now 476, but the amounts have not been <br />adjusted to reflect the reduction in size. While the analysis shows a positive impact from this project, <br />there are 7 other high density projects with over 3,000 units that will benefit the city funds. Sunshine <br />meetings have been held for the Main Place Mall Transformation with up to an addditional 1,900 <br />residential units and for 2700 N. Main with 247 units. Neither of these developments have nearby homes <br />to be impacted and appear to be a much better plan for Santa Ana to transform the Main Place mall. <br />The Planning Commission voted not to approve the 2525 Main St development. This developer has had <br />two of the high density projects approved where single family neighborhoods were not impacted. This <br />parcel should be a low density housing development. <br />r5A <br />