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PALMIERI <br />HENNESSEY <br />LEIFER, LLP <br />Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers of <br />the City of Santa Ana <br />October 20, 2020 <br />Page 3 <br />The Supermassive Proiect seeks significant waivers and concessions based upon a <br />purported density bonus that is unsupported. The waivers and concessions cause a <br />significant detriment to the historic Spurgeon Building, its 41h Street companions and the <br />Downtown. <br />The Project seeks various concessions and incentives based on an assumption of a density <br />bonus from the proposed residential component. In discussing the proposed "business terms" of <br />the potential DDA between the City and the Developer, the Staff Report recognizes that the <br />Developer has an option to convert the hotel component of the proposed Project to residential. <br />(See Staff Report to City Council, p. 5.) Under that conversion scenario, the proposed Project <br />would not comply with the density bonus calculations and requirements pursuant to State <br />Density Bonus Law found in the Government Code. In fact, other than that passing reference to <br />the Developer's option to convert the proposed hotel component to residential in the Staff <br />Report, neither the 2010 EIR nor the Addendum analyze the project under the hotel -to -residential <br />conversion option. <br />The failure to analyze the various Project options makes this Project an analytical "shell <br />game." Is it a hotel? No. Yes. Maybe. Is it residential? Yes. No. Maybe. Is it both? No. <br />Yes. Maybe. What is this Project? Whatever the Developer wants it to be sometime in the <br />future. It is artfully and purposely unclear what "Project" will be moving forward and whether <br />such "Project" has actually been analyzed. The City has not and cannot with a straight face <br />claim that it is analyzing the possible Project scenarios. <br />The City has failed to analyze the requested incentives/concessions/waivers as it relates <br />to the historic properties in the area including the Spurgeon Building and site that is located <br />just steps from the proposed Project. The City Staff Report omits any consideration, analysis or <br />even mention. <br />As there has been no analysis of the impact on the historic properties operating as <br />redeveloped in the area, no mitigation of such impacts on the historic properties in the area, <br />including the Spurgeon Building, has been analyzed, considered, or imposed. <br />The City should not take any action until such an analysis and mitigation measures have <br />been considered. <br />