My WebLink
|
Help
|
About
|
Sign Out
Home
Browse
Search
CORRESPONDENCE - 75D
Clerk
>
Agenda Packets / Staff Reports
>
City Council (2004 - Present)
>
2019
>
11/19/2019
>
CORRESPONDENCE - 75D
Metadata
Thumbnails
Annotations
Entry Properties
Last modified
5/12/2020 3:16:37 PM
Creation date
11/13/2019 5:37:16 PM
Metadata
Fields
Template:
City Clerk
Doc Type
Agenda Packet
Date
11/19/2019
Jump to thumbnail
< previous set
next set >
There are no annotations on this page.
Document management portal powered by Laserfiche WebLink 9 © 1998-2015
Laserfiche.
All rights reserved.
/
429
PDF
Print
Pages to print
Enter page numbers and/or page ranges separated by commas. For example, 1,3,5-12.
After downloading, print the document using a PDF reader (e.g. Adobe Reader).
View images
View plain text
office, or residential development should therefore also be evaluated. The burden is on <br />the Applicant and not the public to demonstrate that these proposals are not feasible. <br />The EIR compounds the problem associated with a lack of alternatives by not <br />providing accurate or sufficiently clear descriptions of the alternatives themselves. For <br />example, the reduced build alternative fails to provide any analysis as to how, whether, <br />and why the parking structure and setbacks would be reconfigured and onsite amenities <br />would be eliminated as opposed to re -configured. Moreover, no analysis is provided as to <br />how the 30% reduction in density was selected for analysis and review. By way of <br />example, the developer and City could and should review the project with a 50% and <br />75% reduction in units coupled with a meaningful analysis of impacts to design. If such <br />alternatives are rejected because they are not feasible, the record must establish why. <br />Again, the fact that the applicant may have overpaid in expectation of discretionary <br />approvals for high -density residential development is unavailing. <br />The third alternative (build out of the existing zoning alternative) is not accurately <br />described. The FIR identifies the buildout at being a 3-story building consisting of <br />387,465 square feet requiring 1161 parking spaces. No data beyond a recitation of <br />setbacks is provided as to how this particular design would be permitted as of right. By <br />way of example, there is no discussion regarding the impact of the City's Floor Area <br />Ratio (FAR) requirements. Moreover, given the proximity of the property to an adjacent <br />single-family community, the City's Code would appear to limit at least a portion of the <br />building to two stories. See Santa Ana Code Section 41-314 (C). <br />C. Misapplication of Urban Design Element. <br />The EIR also proposes a number of justifications for the development of a <br />residential high-rise onsite and the rejection/dismissal/down-grading of alternatives. For <br />example, the EIR states, "The General Plan... identifies the project site as the Main Street <br />Concourse node on Figure 7 of the Urban Design Element describes that this area is <br />intended to function as a major activity node and that the area represents [a] great <br />opportunity for the establishment of a cohesive, height intensity, mixed activity center <br />with a strong presence in the region." It is unclear whether the subject property itself is <br />within this node because the Urban Design Element does not provide specific boundaries <br />or parameters beyond a mere circle. It further appears that the area within the node does <br />not include the subject site nor the adjoining Park Santiago neighborhood. However, it is <br />disingenuous to reference let alone place any meaningful importance on the designation <br />because the excerpted sections of the Urban Design Element in the General Plan discuss a <br />massive mixed activity center located offsite (known as the Main Street Concourse) that <br />was never built. <br />The EIR should at a minimum clarify that the Main Street Concourse node <br />designation was premised on the development of a massive mixed use/activity center <br />planned between 1990 and 1997. At that time, the City had considered development <br />proposals for a (then) 500 million dollar project consisting of luxury homes, a 32 story <br />office tower, retail, movie theater, conference center, and a monorail station. The site <br />
The URL can be used to link to this page
Your browser does not support the video tag.