75A - PH- RESO ONE BROADWAY PLAZA

Home Browse Search

GPA No. 2020-01 & ZOA No. 2020-02 — One Broadway Plaza March 30, 2020 Page 5 Project and Site Backaround In 2004, the City Council approved several entitlements to allow the construction of the One Broadway Plaza office tower. The entitlements included the certification of an environmental impact report, an amendment application, a general plan amendment, a zoning ordinance amendment, a development agreement, and a tentative parcel map. Later in 2004, concerned citizens qualified a referendum petition for the project in an effort to overturn the decision of the City. In April 2005, the voters of the City denied the referendum request, thus allowing the approvals of the City Council to remain. These approvals remain in place today, with the applicant having the ability to construct the office tower upon the issuance of building permits. On several occasions, the applicant has submitted plans in to building plan check, most recently about five years ago. However, due to different economic conditions, permits for the tower were never obtained. The applicant is now requesting to modify the entitlements and allow a mixed -use tower to be built. Several of the mitigation measures for the project were previously addressed, which include notification to the public and local schools about pending construction. Since its been several years since the last notification, the measures will need to be readdressed. A mitigation measure pertaining to the dedication of land for a right turn lane at Seventeenth and Main Streets will be addressed by the new owner of the affected parcel as part of a development project under review by staff. Since submitting the application, the applicant has held a Sunshine Ordinance community meeting. Specifics of this meeting are included as an exhibit to this report. Analysis of the Issues General Plan Amendment To facilitate the development of this parcel, a general plan amendment is required. Currently, the land use designation for this site is One Broadway Plaza District Center (OBPDC), which allows the entitled office tower development with a Floor Area Ratio (FAR) not to exceed 2.9. The proposed project will require amendments to the Land Use Element to allow residential uses in addition to the office and commercial uses currently permitted by the designation. Staff is supportive of the request as the general plan amendment will facilitate the construction of a mixed -use tower that will be consistent with several goals and policies of the general plan, including Goal 1 to promote a balance of land uses to address basic community needs; Goal 2 to promote land uses that enhance the City's economic and fiscal viability; and, Goal 5 to ensure that the impacts of development are mitigated. Additionally, approval of the project will facilitate the construction of an iconic development in close proximity to the Downtown, further enhancing Santa Ana's reputation as Downtown Orange County. 75A-10