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SpNtA `IN4 <br />� {v <br />- z�Q`N cF.a <br />��sCN00��`S� <br />December 16, 2019 <br />VIA EMAIL AND HAND DELIVERY <br />Kristine Ridge <br />City Manager, City of Santa Ana <br />20 Civic Center Plaza <br />P.O. Box 1988, M31 <br />Santa Ana, CA 92701 <br />Alan Rasmussen, Ed.D. <br />Richard Tauer <br />Interim Co -Superintendents of Schools <br />RE: Zoning Ordinance Amendment No. 2019-01/Traffic Impact Report Transmittal <br />Dear Ms. Ridge, <br />Please accept this letter on behalf of the Santa Ana Unified School District ("District") for the <br />potential approval of "Zoning Ordinance Amendment No. 2019-01 To Amend Chapter 41 (Zoning) To <br />Add A Definition For "Schools" And To Allow Schools As A Permitted Use In The Specific <br />Development No. 82 Zoning District At 2601-2617 West Fifth Street", which is set to be approved at <br />the December 17, 2019 City Council meeting. <br />Due to the City of Santa Ana's ("City") City Council Meeting being held on December 17, 2019, <br />District staff is unable to attend since the District's Board Meeting is the same night. Therefore, we <br />submit this letter to continue to strongly object to the approval of Zoning Ordinance Amendment No. <br />2019-01 ("Amendment") that would allow schools as a permitted use in the Specific Development No. <br />82 Zoning District ("SD-82"), that would ultimately permit by right the school expansion of Vista <br />Heritage Charter School ("Project"), without environmental review under the California <br />Environmental Quality Act ("CEQA"). Below are our continued objections to this Project: <br />L City Is Evading CEQA Reviely. <br />The City is attempting to separate the Amendment and the expansion of Vista Heritage Charter School <br />("Vista") into two separate projects because if the Amendment is approved, Vista will be "permitted <br />by right" to expand its school operations fiont 18,368 square feet to 66,000 square feet, an almost 3- <br />fold increase, without undergoing CEQA review. This constitutes piecernealing and denies <br />decisionmakers and the public the opportunity to understand and consider the full environmental <br />consequences of the Project. The City's Zoning Code ("Zoning Code) currently permits school sites <br />in the SD-82 zone with the approval of a Conditional Use Permit ("CUP"). A CUP is a discretionary <br />1601 East Chestnut Avenue, Santa Ana, CA 92701.6322 (714)558-5501 <br />BOARD OF EDUCATION <br />Valerie Amezcua,President • Rigo Rodriguez, PhD, Vice President <br />Alfonso Alvarez, EdD, Clerk • John Palado, Member <br />