Item 41 - Amendment Application No. 2022-01 and Appeal Nos. 2022-01 and 2022-02

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H. The City Council, prior to taking action on this ordinance, held a duly noticed public hearing on December 20, 2022. The City Council also adopts as findings all facts presented in the Request for Council Action dated December 20, 2022, accompanying this matter. J. For the reasons contained herein, and each of them, Amendment Application No. 2022-01 is hereby found and determined to be consistent with the intent and purpose of Chapter 41 of the Santa Ana Municipal Code; thus changing the zoning district is found to be consistent with the General Plan of the City of Santa Ana and otherwise justified by the public necessity, convenience, and general welfare. Section 2. The Amendment Application consists of amendments to the Zoning Map, as shown in Exhibit A, attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference. Section 3. The City Council has reviewed and considered the information contained in the analysis performed pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) (Environmental Review No. 2021-54). Pursuant to Public Resources Code section 21083.3 and CEQA Guidelines Section 15183, the Project is exempt from further review. This type of exemption analysis evaluates whether the potential environmental impacts of the proposed demolition of three office buildings, which total 105,558 square feet, and construction of a new 91,500 square foot light industrial warehousing building that would accommodate two tenants, are addressed in the City of Santa Ana General Plan Update Final Recirculated Program Environmental Impact Report (GPU EIR). A rezoning that is consistent with an adopted general plan falls within this exemption. (A) As set forth in CEQA Guidelines Section 15183(a), projects that are "consistent with the development density established by the existing zoning, community plan or general plan policies for which an EIR was certified shall not require additional environmental review, except as might be necessary to examine whether there are project -specific significant effects which are peculiar to the project or its site." The CEQA Guidelines further state that "[i]f an impact is not peculiar to the parcel or to the project, has been addressed as a significant effect in the prior EIR, or can be substantially mitigated by the imposition of uniformly applied development policies or standards ... then an additional EIR need not be prepared for the project solely on the basis of that impact." CEQA Guidelines Section 15183(c). (B) The GPU was adopted, and the GPU EIR certified, in April 2022 (State Clearinghouse Number 2020029087); the GPU went into effect on May 26, 2022. Any decision by the City affecting land use and development must be consistent with the GPU. The GPU EIR evaluates the potential environmental effects associated with implementation of the GPU and addresses appropriate and feasible mitigation measures that would minimize or eliminate these impacts. A project is consistent with the GPU if its development density is the same or less than the standard expressed for the involved parcel in the general plan for which an EIR has been certified, and the project complies with the density -related standards contained in that plan. CEQA Ordinance No. NS-XXXX Page 3 of 6