Item 67 - Zoning Ordinance Amendment No. 2022-01 (Billboards Ordinance)

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Zoning Ordinance Amendment No. 2022-01 (Billboards Ordinance) June 21, 2022 Page 7 2 7 3 9 (I-5), Garden Grove (SR-22), and Costa Mesa (SR-55) freeways. The segments include portions of I-5 between MainPlace Mall and the Santa Ana Zoo, a small segment of SR- 22 near Grand Avenue, and SR-55 between I-5 and MacArthur Boulevard. Portions of SR-22 and SR-55 near residential areas would be largely excluded due to proximity to residential areas and Caltrans designation as landscaped freeways. The ordinance’s proposed development regulations would require that all displays be freeway-oriented to reduce visual impact onto any nearby private properties, such as residential uses, schools, and parks. As Santa Ana contains some of the region’s most heavily-travelled freeways, the City is in a position to maximize visibility and revenue-generating capacities from the new billboards. The proposed ordinance is also drafted to be in compliance with all current applicable State and Federal regulations, including prohibitions against locating new digital billboards in any areas designated as landscaped freeway and/or scenic highways. Public Notification and Community Outreach The Planning Commission held three work-study sessions on the proposed ordinance in June and July 2020 and in February 2022. The three work-study sessions were published on each meeting’s respective agendas. The Planning Commission posed questions and provided feedback to staff during each study session regarding location, separation, and digital display brightness, as well as economic and community benefits. The proposed ordinance is reflective of this feedback. As the work-study sessions were published on the meetings’ agendas, opportunities were provided to the community to provide feedback and pose questions. As part of the ordinance preparation process, including the release of the Mitigated Negative Declaration for the 30-day public comment period, the City notified and received communication from 10 established Neighborhood Associations that could be affected by construction or reconstruction of new digital billboards. These Neighborhood Associations include: Morrison/Eldridge Park, Fisher Park, Floral Park, Santa Ana Triangle, Park Santiago, Logan, Grand Sunrise, Mabury Park, Saddleback View, and Lyon Street. As of the date of this report’s publication, no significant issues or concerns were identified by any of these 10 Neighborhood Associations’ contacts or residents. In accordance with Assembly Bill No. 52, the City sent invitations for consultation to local Native American tribes. Following the 30-day invitation period for consultation, no requests were received. Lastly, notifications of the proposed ZOA were published in accordance with City and State regulations. A copy of the public notice is provided in Exhibit 5. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT A Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) including one technical study evaluating air quality and greenhouse gas, was prepared for the project. No areas of significance or unavoidable impacts were determined to occur from the construction or operation of the proposed project with the implementation of mitigation measures (Exhibit 1). The MND