Item 26 - EIR No. 2020-03 and GPA No.2020-06 Santa Ana General Plan Update

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EIR No. 2020-03 and GPA No.2020-06 Santa Ana General Plan Update February 15, 2022 Page 10 outcomes and land use distributions, protects and enhances cultural and community assets, and provides opportunities for growth and prosperity. As in other cities, land is a finite and valuable resource. Its use dictates the City's economic and fiscal future. The Land Use Element preserves existing neighborhoods by directing new growth to major corridors and avoids land use changes in existing established neighborhoods. The five growth areas are identified as Focus Areas, and include: South Main Street, Grand /Seventeenth Street, West Santa Ana Boulevard (adjacent to the OC Streetcar line), 55 Freeway/Dyer Road, and South Bristol Street. The proposed Land Use Element will connect existing planning areas in the City (Transit Zoning Code, Harbor Boulevard Mixed -Use Corridor, Metro East Mixed Use Overlay Zone, etc.,) with the five proposed Focus Areas. Within these Focus Areas, the City anticipates the most potential for major development. A list of the parcels proposed for General Plan land use designation changes are included in Exhibit 7. There are 4 goals, 42 policies and 58 implementation items associated with this element. This is one of the State mandated elements. Urban Design Element. Urban design is the process of shaping the physical character and organization of the City and defining the relationship between people and their environment. It respects the history of a place, considers existing organizational patterns and the form and character of existing buildings, supports healthy outdoor spaces, and is mindful of the natural environment. These considerations unite to define a distinct visual quality and sense of place that reflects community values. The Urban Design Element establishes the long-range vision for the physical development, visual qualities, and sensory experience of the City. This Element, in coordination with other elements of the General Plan, orchestrates a safe, functional and aesthetically pleasing urban environment. Specifically, the Urban Design Element addresses the public realm, building form, and establishes programs and measures to improve the physical setting in which community life takes place while curtailing obsolete, dysfunctional, and chaotic development. There are 7 goals, 50 policies and 30 implementation items associated with this Element. This is an optional element of the General Plan.