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2101 and 2109 E Santa Clara Avenue <br />April 2, 2024 <br />Page 12 <br />2020. In 2019, the City of Santa Ana adopted Traffic Impact Study Guidelines (dated <br />September 2019), which states that several types of projects can be screened out from <br />a VMT assessment using identified criteria, indicating that these projects have the <br />potential to reduce VMT per service population and result in a less -than -significant <br />transportation impacts. The City's Guidelines list standardized screening methods for <br />project level VMT analysis that can be used to identify when a proposed land use <br />development project is anticipated to result in a less than significant impact thereby <br />eliminating the need to conduct a full VMT analysis. The City of Santa Ana VMT <br />screening types, as described within the City Guidelines, are listed below: <br />• Transit Priority Area (TPA) Screening <br />• Low VMT Area Screening <br />• Project Type Screening <br />A land use project need only to meet one of the above screening thresholds to result in <br />a less than significant impact. Pursuant to the VMT Screening Evaluation prepared by <br />Urban Crossroads, the project did not meet the threshold for TPA or Low VMT <br />screening. However, the project was found to meet the Project Type screening criteria. <br />Pursuant to the City of Santa Ana Traffic Impact Study Guidelines (dated September <br />2019), local serving retail projects less than 50,000 square feet may be presumed to <br />have a less than significant impact absent substantial evidence to the contrary. The <br />proposed project would develop a drive -through quick serve restaurant of 3,975 square <br />feet, which is below the 50,000 square feet project type screening threshold as <br />identified. Therefore, the project is presumed to result in a less than significant impact <br />for VMT, and thus no further VMT analysis was required and no mitigation measures <br />were required. Lastly, the VMT Screening Evaluation was thoroughly peer reviewed by <br />the City's Traffic Engineer and the City's CEQA consultant, both of which concluded that <br />the VMT Screening Evaluation prepared for the project shows the project is screened <br />out from any full VMT analysis. <br />Overall, the project would incorporate all recommendations provided by the <br />Transportation Analysis. These include that the project maintain existing traffic controls <br />and configuration at project driveways, and that on -site traffic signing and striping <br />should be implemented agreeable with the provisions of the California Manual on <br />Uniform Traffic Control Devices (CA MUTCD) and in conjunction with detailed <br />construction plans for the project site. Additionally, the applicant's responsibility for the <br />project's contributions towards deficient off -site intersections is fulfilled through payment <br />into pre-existing fee programs that would be assigned to the future construction of any <br />future local/regional improvement needs (e.g., payment of fair share and/or fees for the <br />applicable pre-existing fee programs/permit impact fees). <br />With incorporation of all recommendations provided by the Transportation Analysis, the <br />project would not substantially increase traffic hazards or congestion. Nonetheless, the <br />applicant has agreed to install additional traffic safety enhancements as requested by <br />the City Engineer to ensure that traffic circulation patterns are not further impacted or <br />