CORRESPONDENCE - #37 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

M 1111� 41f f a dH December 7, 2021 h City of Santa Ana Mayor and City Council 20 Civic Center Plaza Re: Draft General Plan -- Recommendations Dear City of Santa Ana City Council and Staff, THRIVE Santa Ana is a nonprofit community organization dedicated to promoting economic development that builds community wealth, multigenerational resident leadership, and ensures permanent and access to affordable, healthy neighborhoods. The City's General Plan (GP) will set goals and policies to guide development in Santa Ana for the following decade, and will impact residents for generations to come. We recognize the efforts of City staff in hosting community meetings, and the City's impacted timeline. Nevertheless there are important deficiencies in the proposed draft that might be easily addressed. As THRIVE has taken part in outreach efforts with City staff, we put forward the following recommendations for City Council's consideration. Also attached for your reference are THRIVE's analysis on the GP's Land Use Element and notes from THRIVE's participation at the November 2021 Planning Commission Meeting regarding the General Plan: Recommendations: 1. Do not approve the General Plan as currently drafted. Direct staff to meet with community groups and establish collaborative strategies in the General Plan, to address concerns around soil contamination, environmental justice, and displacement of residents caused by development projects. Assure better alignment between Community Considerations, policy goals, and Implementation actions. 2. Work with Orange County Environmental Justice, Madison Park Neighborhood Association, and other community members impacted by lead soil contamination and other environmental justice issues. Commit City resources to identify and eliminate harmful substances from affected areas in the City. 3. Include on page 71 of the Land Use Element, as Implementation Action 2.11, the following language to support community ownership and strategies against displacement. Model language was shared with the City in September-October 2020. Anti - Displacement strategies [Many communities that are now or may be served by development in planning or focus areas are low-income and minority households and small locally- and minority-owned businesses that are at a potentially higher risk of displacement due to a range of factors. The City shall: (1) implement and support strategies that stop the displacement of existing businesses and individuals from properties impacted by development projects; and (2) support community and mission-based development opportunities that reduce displacement risk for low-income communities and communities of color by utilizing creative development delivery strategies, including cooperative ownership, community land trusts, tenant opportunities to purchase, right of first refusal, and others to build local wealth and support existing populations.]