Laserfiche WebLink
with respect to these impacts. The City also has examined alternatives to the proposed project, <br /> none of which both meets the project objectives and is environmentally preferable to the <br /> proposed project, for the reasons discussed in the Findings and Facts in Support of Findings. <br /> The City of Santa Ana, as the Lead Agency for this project, and having reviewed the PEIR for <br /> the GPU, and reviewed all written materials within the City's public record and heard all oral <br /> testimony presented at public hearings, adopts this Statement of Overriding Considerations, <br /> which has balanced the benefits of the project against its significant unavoidable adverse <br /> environmental impacts in reaching its decision to approve the project. <br /> B. OVERRIDING CONSIDERATIONS <br /> The City, after balancing the specific economic, legal, social, technological, and other benefits <br /> of the project, has determined that the unavoidable adverse environmental impacts identified <br /> above may be considered acceptable due to the following specific considerations, which <br /> outweigh the unavoidable, adverse environmental impacts of the project, and each of which, <br /> standing alone, is sufficient to support approval of the project, in accordance with CEQA Section <br /> 21081(b) and CEQA Guidelines Section 15093. The specific economic, legal, social, <br /> technological, or other benefits of the project are as follows: <br /> 1. The community, land use, and public services elements of the project encourage healthy <br /> lifestyles, a planning process that ensures that health impacts are considered, and policies <br /> and practices that improve the health of residents. The policies also affirm and support a <br /> socially and economically diverse community with equitable distribution of resources. <br /> 2. Implementation of the GPU fulfills one of the key strategies identified in the Santa Ana <br /> Strategic Plan in the completion of a comprehensive update of the existing General Plan. <br /> 3. The project improves the jobs-housing balance; the ratio of 1.5 would give the city a more <br /> equal distribution of employment and housing. The population growth resulting directly from <br /> the proposed GPU would be offset by the level of employment opportunity provided to the <br /> city's residents and workers commuting into Santa Ana. <br /> 4. The project results in a reduction of vehicle miles traveled per service population (VMT/SP) <br /> and a reduction in related traffic congestion, air quality, and greenhouse gas emissions <br /> compared with existing conditions because the GPU includes policies that promote the <br /> reduction of VMT. Policy 2.5 of the land use element encourages infill mixed-use <br /> development at all ranges of affordability to reduce VMT, and policy 4.5 aims to concentrate <br /> development along high-quality transit corridors. Policy 4.6 of the circulation element <br /> promotes reductions in automobile trips and VMT by encouraging transit use and <br /> nonmotorized transportation as alternatives to augmenting roadway capacity. <br /> 5. The project provides additional housing to support the regionally forecasted increase in <br /> economic activities and employment increases. <br /> Santa Ana General Plan Update <br /> CE 5T ac an Statement 32 — 87 2 <br /> Of ri ing onsiderations -64- 61 /Rer�0 2 1 <br />