CORRESPONDENCE - 75D - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

development. Put simply, the City of Santa Ana risks losing a valuable opportunity to support an area -wide economic revitalization on a marquis parcel of property. I. Site Overview The 2525 Main Street project ("Project') is situated on 5.93 acres of property located at the Northeast corner of Main Street and Edgewood Road. The property has historically served as a transitional buffer between the Park Santiago Neighborhood consisting of approximately 1,100 homes built between 1899 and 1970 with a number of homes on the City's historic register. The site has historically been used for light commercial and office uses since the 1920s. The Santa Ana (now Orange County) Register reported over the years that the site was utilized as a grocer, auto repair, and chapel/mortuary. A two-story office building was developed on the property in 1981. 11. Development Proposal. The Project attempts to shoehorn 405,000 square feet of high -density residential development containing 496 rental units onto the 5.93 acre project site. This results in a density of 83.6 units per acre. The Project is supported by a 9 level parking garage consisting of 904 parking spaces (1.8 spaces per unit). III. Spot Zoning. The Project constitutes an example of spot -zoning. Spot zoning occurs where the City creates an island of one type of use that has significantly greater development rights than surrounding properties. See, e.g., Foothill Communities Coalition v. County of Orange, 222 Cal. App. 41h 1302 (Cal. App. 4u Dist 2014). Although spot zoning is not necessarily unlawful, the City must make a finding/provide a compelling justification for spot zoning. For example, in Foothill Communities, the court determined spot zoning was appropriate to accommodate a senior housing project Creating a cloistered/gated apartment community with sparse setbacks is entirely inconsistent with established development patterns in the immediate area and creates an island of high -density residential development in an area that is otherwise comprised of benign office development and a well - established historic single-family neighborhood. It is likely the applicant will respond by arguing that the project is not spot -zoning because it is commensurate with densities contemplated for projects adjacent to the Main Place Mall. However, such projects are located across a 6 lane highway and are approximately 1,000 feet away. IV. CEQA Violations/EIRDefects The following constitutes an overview of significant errors that cloud the entire proceeding and reflect what appears to be carelessness by the applicant and the information provided to the City's EIR consultant. It is my sincere hope that the City's