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The Bowery Mixed -Use Project 2. Response to Comments <br />However, the City is currently also working through preparation of an EIR for the General Plan Update. The <br />NOP for the EIR for the General Plan has been released for a 30-day public review from February 26, <br />2020 to March 27, 2020 and identifies the anticipated growth throughout the City, as broken down into <br />Focus Areas and Specific Plan areas. In addition to the project level CEQA required cumulative analysis that <br />was prepared by the Draft EIR, the General Plan Update EIR will Include evaluation of the anticipated <br />changes in land uses and growth throughout the City, including those in the vicinity of the Project site, and <br />provide an appropriate cumulative analysis, with mitigation, as needed. <br />Comment 2: This comment states that the open space proposed by the Project this area includes private <br />open space and perimeter open space and is not equivalent to park land provided, and the Project should <br />be required to provide land for park and recreational purposes to meet the City of Santa Ana's minimum <br />standard of 2 acres of property devoted to parks and recreational purposes for each thousand persons <br />residing within the City of Santa Ana. The comment also states that if on -site parkland is not required for the <br />proposed Project parkland facilities in Tustin may be impacted and must be mitigated. The comment states <br />that the analysis of the Project's compliance with the City's park standards should focus on the potential to <br />physically deteriorate existing and future recreational facilities in the City of Tustin, as the nearest existing <br />and planned large scale recreational facilities are located in the City of Tustin. <br />Response 2: As detailed in Section 3.0, Project Description, the proposed Project includes 174,555 square <br />feet of exterior open space recreation area and approximately 8,008 square feet of interior amenities to <br />total 183,363 square feet of recreational and open space onsite. Each of the four residential buildings <br />would have a recreational open space area that would include a pool, spa/hot tub, outdoor kitchen, seating <br />areas, fitness center, and club room. These onsite amenities are anticipated to meet many of the park and <br />recreation needs of Project residents. Based on a standard of 2 acres of public park and/or recreational <br />space per 1,000 residents (Municipal Code Section 35-108), the proposed Project would require 4.2 acres <br />of parkland to serve the new residents; and the Project includes a total of 4.2 acres (183,363 square feet) <br />of park and recreation area. Therefore, the Project would include the Municipal Code required park and/or <br />recreational space. In addition, the 81.88 acres of Santa Ana parkland within 3-miles of the Project site <br />provides a variety of facilities that include sports fields, exercise equipment, picnic areas, and playgrounds <br />to serve the park and recreational needs of the Project residents and employees. <br />Page 5.13-7 of the Draft EIR states that based on the California State Parks3 information for the Southern <br />California Region, the anticipated number of Project residents at full occupancy (2,081 residents), the <br />distance and type of recreational facilities near the Project site, it is anticipated that the Project would <br />generate 348 additional park users two or more times per week, 287 additional park users about once per <br />week, 429 additional park users once or twice per month, 508 additional park users several times a year, <br />and 314 additional park users once or twice a year. The California State Parks information also states that <br />users spent an average of 30 minutes per visit. This level of use would average approximately sixteen 30- <br />minute users per week per acre of Santa Ana parkland within 3 miles of the Project site. Including the City <br />of Tustin and Irvine parkland within 3 miles of the Project site (totaling approximately 243.38 acres), the <br />level of use would average approximately five 30-minute users per week per acre of parkland. In addition, <br />use of sports fields by approximately 14 percent of adults and 33.1 percent of those under 18 years old <br />that utilize park and recreation facilities (per California State Parks data) is largely used by organized <br />sports leagues that pay fees to the City in which they are in for use of the facilities, which is used to fund <br />maintenance and improvements related to use of the facilities. Based on this level of use and sport league <br />fees associated with sports field/court use, the Project is not anticipated to increase the use of existing and <br />3 Draft EIR Section 5.13, Parks and Recreation, and California State Parks, Survey on Public Opinions and Attitudes <br />on Outdoor Recreation in California, January 2014 (California State Parks 2014). Accessed: <br />https;//www.parks.co.gov/pages/795/files/201 2%20spoa.pdf <br />City of Santa Ana <br />Final EIR <br />April 2020 <br />