Item 13 - City of Santa Ana 2023 General Plan Annual Progress Report_20240313225459475

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11 Land Use Plan The development, use, and distribution of land are critical to achieving the city’s vision and adhering to its core values. The City must plan for uses and development that create a sustainable, healthy, and livable city; ensure equitable outcomes and land use distributions; protect and enhance our cultural and community assets; and provide opportunities for growth and prosperity. Land is a finite and valuable resource, especially in Santa Ana; its use dictates the city’s economic and fiscal future. Overarching Growth Strategy The City’s growth strategy documented in the General Plan concentrates new growth opportunities into key parts of the city while maintaining and enhancing its existing neighborhoods, employment centers, and intact industrial centers. The General Plan identifies five Focus Areas suitable for new growth and development. They are as follows: • South Main Street • Grand Avenue/17th Street • West Santa Ana Boulevard • 55 Freeway/Dyer Road • South Bristol Street The focus areas are geographically distributed throughout the city, and each allows Santa Ana to meet its diverse needs in different ways. The purpose and intent, specific objectives, and custom land uses types of urban development, reimagine these areas, realize the community’s vision, and further embody Santa Ana’s core values. Initiate Comprehensive Zoning Code Update Santa Ana’s Zoning Code, which defines and regulates land use, density, building characteristics, and other development aspects for specific areas, dates to the 1960s, and while many amendments have been made over the years to address emerging land use trends and ever-evolving State laws, the code remains rooted in the past, both in terms of structure and content. The General Plan includes extensive lists of implementation measures that identify specific programs, actions, and time frames the City will undertake to implement General Plan goals and policies. To effectuate many of these programs and actions, the City needs to comprehensively amend the Zoning Code. The City entered into agreement with the planning consulting firm MIG October of 2023 to assist with comprehensively updating and modernizing all aspects of the City’s Zoning Code. The update will also include retooling and updating development practices and processes. Background research commenced at the end of 2023, with community engagement slated to begin spring of 2024, and project completion anticipated for winter of 2025. The following goals will inform the process and outcomes of the code update:  Reflect land use policy that will forward the City’s housing production and economic development goals.