2022-080 - The Community Benefit, Sustainable Business Practices, and Social Equity Plan

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which these businesses may operate, and in providing access to safe, locally produced and retailed, and tested cannabis to residents and visitors. N. The rise in commercial cannabis business activity in California, coupled with an increase in consumer base both Citywide and regionally, requires the City to adopt a proactive approach to allowing and regulating commercial cannabis business activity, including ensuring that consumers of commercial cannabis retail products are educated in responsible consumption and have safely designed and monitored settings in which retail cannabis may be purchased and consumed. O. The City Council has held a duly noticed public hearing on September 20, 2022 in connection with consideration and adoption of this resolution, during which comments were provided by the City Council and members of the public on additional retail storefronts, reduction of retail tax rates, community benefits and social equity, the map of commercial cannabis eligible areas, and priority processing for commercial cannabis consumption lounges that opt in to social equity measures. Section 2. Pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act ("CEQA") and the State CEQA Guidelines, the adoption of the accompanying ordinance and accompanying resolutions is exempt from further CEQA analysis pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3), as the proposed amendments address business activities already permitted in the City and will not result in any significant physical effect on the environment. Because Santa Ana is a built -out, urbanized community, and the uses permitted and regulated by the cannabis ordinance are already allowed by the underlying zoning designations and the development standards in Chapter 41 (Zoning) of the Santa Ana Municipal Code, the updates to the ordinance will not lead to any cumulative or unforeseen impacts. A Notice of Exemption, Environmental Review (ER) No. 2022-15, was filed for these actions within five days of first reading, which took place on September 20, 2022 Section 3. The City Council hereby establishes the map of commercial cannabis eligible areas, included here as Attachment A, and referenced in Santa Ana Municipal Code Sections 40-2, 40-5, and 40-6. This map reflects the original 1,000-foot distance from properties containing schools, parks, and properties zoned for residential uses, and includes eligible properties in the Light Industrial (M1), Heavy Industrial (M2), and select Specific Development and Professional zoning districts of an industrial nature, but is now parcel -specific to offer clarity to property and business owners. Section 4. The City Council hereby establishes the maximum number of temporary consumption events, as defined by Santa Ana Municipal Code Section 40-2 (39.2) and regulated by Santa Ana Municipal Code Section 40-8 (11), as two (2) per commercial cannabis retail business per calendar year. Section 5. The City Council hereby adopts the Community Benefit, Sustainable Business Practices, and Social Equity Plan template, attached hereto as Attachment B. Resolution No. 2022-080 Page 3 of 5