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Exhibit 7 - Environmental Analysis and Exemption
<br />CEQA Exemption 15183 — Environmental Documentation
<br />Date:
<br />December 5, 2023
<br />Project:
<br />Vista Charter Public Schools District Office and Outdoor Space Project
<br />To:
<br />City of Santa Ana
<br />CC:
<br />Vince Fregoso, Vista Charter Public Schools
<br />Ingrid Canedo, Vista Charter Public Schools
<br />From:
<br />Frances Yau, AICP, Michael Baker International
<br />Alan Ashimine, Michael Baker International
<br />The City of Santa Ana (City) has received a project application for the proposed Vista Charter
<br />Public Schools District Office and Outdoor Space Project (project), located at 601 and 615 North
<br />Fairview Street, Santa Ana, Orange County, California (Assessor's Parcel Numbers [APN] 405-
<br />241-04). As documented herein, the proposed project meets the conditions for a statutory
<br />exemption pursuant to California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15183
<br />(California Public Resources Code 21083.3) to allow for a streamlined environmental review
<br />process.
<br />1. Project Background
<br />On April 19, 2022, the Santa Ana City Council adopted the Golden City Beyond (General Plan
<br />Update) and certified the Santa Ana General Plan Update Final Recirculated Program
<br />Environmental Impact Report (GPU EIR), dated October 2021. The General Plan Update provides
<br />long-term policy direction to guide the physical development, quality of life, economic health, and
<br />sustainability of the City through 2045. The General Plan Update consists of the following 12
<br />elements: Community, Economic Prosperity, Mobility, Public Services, Conservation, Noise,
<br />Open Space, Safety, Land Use, Historic Preservation, Housing, and Urban Design. According to
<br />the GPU EIR, the full buildout of the General Plan Update (year 2045) would result in a net
<br />increase of 96,855 person, 36,261 housing units, 5,849,220 nonresidential square footage, and
<br />11,436 jobs as compared to existing conditions in 2019.
<br />The GPU EIR was prepared pursuant to Section 15168 of the CEQA Guidelines and allows
<br />analysis consistent with the high-level nature of the General Plan Update. The programmatic
<br />environmental document may be used to eliminate or reduce the scope of future environmental
<br />review for individual projects that are consistent with the General Plan Update pursuant to CEQA
<br />Guidelines Section 21083.3 and other streamlining provisions authorized by CEQA. Later projects
<br />implemented after the General Plan Update are examined with consideration of the GPU EIR to
<br />determine whether subsequent environmental analysis or documentation must be prepared. In
<br />addition, the CEQA Guidelines currently provide for streamlining through Section 15183, Projects
<br />Consistent with a Community Plan or Zoning, Section 15183.3, Streamlining for Infill Projects,
<br />and 15183.5, Tiering and Streamlining the Analysis of Greenhouse Gas Emissions.
<br />CEQA Guidelines Section 15183 allows a streamlined environmental review process for projects
<br />that are consistent with the densities established by existing zoning, community plan, or general
<br />plan policies for which an EIR was certified. Specifically, as set forth in CEQA Guidelines Section
<br />15183(d), the 15183 exemption applies to projects which meet the following conditions:
<br />City Council 26 — 61 1/16/2024
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