Item 17 - Appropriation Adjustments for Bristol Improvement Project Phase 4

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Chapter 2 Planning Context 2.1 Background and Need for Plan Former Bristol Corridor Redevelopment Plan On December 4, 1989 the City of Santa Ana adopted a redevelopment plan for the area referred to as the Bristol Corridor. The project area included parcels on either side of Bristol Street extending from Central Avenue on the south to the northernmost edge of the Bristol Marketplace on the north (i.e. just south of 21st Street). Along Bristol Street, the average width of the development area was approximately 750 feet. At First Street and 17th Street, the development area extended east and west along both sides of these two cross streets. The Bristol Street Corridor is a major north -south corridor through the City of Santa Ana. The street, which is designated as a Major Arterial Highway in the Orange County Master Plan of Arterial Highways (MPAH), serves as a vital north -south transportation link which has regional as well as local significance. The roadway also serves as the designated truck route through the central section of Santa Ana. Consistent with the high levels of traffic that move through the area, land use patterns along the Corridor reflect the importance of the area within the City's overall urban fabric, The City of Santa Ana General Plan Circulation Element shows the corridor having four major commercial nodes distributed along the length of the corridor; South Bristol Center, North Bristol Center, College Center, and an extension of the Civic Center District. These commercial areas are intended as mixed use development areas whose primary function is to provide retail Bristol Street Corridor Specific Plan March 2018 services in support of surrounding neighborhoods but which also provide recreational, cultural and educational facilities and activities, employment. Residential neighborhoods fill the areas that separate the four District Centers. Historically, the need for the Bristol Corridor Redevelopment Plan arose out of the fact that the area was not physically or economically meeting its designated potential as either a major transportation or commercial corridor, Overall, the Corridor suffered from negative physical and visual characteristics typically associated with strip development. Large sections of the Corridor were depressed or economically failing. As development occurred over the years, the land use pattern became increasingly haphazard as residential lots fronting the Corridor have been converted to various commercial and office type uses. Development standards along the Corridor varied widely, compounding the perception of disorder. Prior to the 1990s, many of the older development areas were in poor physical condition, and the economic incentive was absent to renovate and upgrade these properties. At that time, Bristol Street itself no longer had adequate capacity to accommodate the traffic volumes. During peak -hour periods the Corridor suffered from significant congestion with many segments and intersections operating at levels of service which were below acceptable urban standards. This congestion not only causes annoying delays for traffic, but also resulted in an increased occurrence of traffic accidents and injuries. Page 15