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Proposal - EIR Preparation Services Proposal - EIR Preparation Services 1 Introduction ]ones & Stokes is pleased to provide this proposal to the City for the preparation of an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the West End Lofts Project in Downtown Santa Ana. Given our background as an on -call consultant to the City of Santa Ana Planning Division, we have a firm understanding of the proposed project, and the issues that need to be addressed in the EIR. Jones & Stokes understands the proposed project includes the development of a new, 16,000 square foot mixed -use building on a 4,000 square foot lot located at 320 West Fourth Street that will include 1,189 square feet of retail on the first floor, five residential units occupying the upper floors, and a 3,544 square foot basement that includes parking and storage. Parking will be provided in a garage using a mechanical parking lift The project site is located in the Central Business Artists Village (C3-A) zoning district, and has a General Plan land use designation of District Center (DC), and is located within the Downtown Historic National Register District The application includes a request for a zone change to create a Specific Development zone with development standards for the proposed project. The project also involves revision to the 1983 Disposition and Development Agreement approved for a previous project on the site. As part of the above entitlements, prior to approving and developing the project, the City must comply with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and perform an environmental review and analysis of the environmental impacts associated with the project. We are aware that the City prepared an Initial Study and Mitigated Negative Declaration ,)V D) for the proposed project, that was subsequently reviewed by the Planning Commission and recommended to the City Council for approval on September 25, 2006. On October 16, 2006, this item was brought to City Council but was continued at the request of staff to December 18, 2006, and then continued to February 5, 2007. In the interim, the applicant and staff met with property owners of adjacent structures who expressed concern regarding the safety of their historic buildings during construction, as well as potential noise and vibration caused by the proposed parking lift. To address these concerns, additional studies were completed by consultants, and the MND was amended and supplemented with these additional resources, and subsequently must be recirculated. The City has now decided to move forward with preparation of an EIR rather than adopt the MND. Based on our understanding of the project and project area, the following environmental issues will be addressed in the EIR for the proposed project: ■ Cultural resources related to compatibility of the proposed architecture with the National Register Historic District, potential impacts to the historic ghost billboard, and potential impacts to existing surrounding historic properties; ■ Aesthetics impacts associated with visual changes related to the architecture of the proposed building and potential impacts to the National Register Historic District; City ofsmy' Ana Al.mh 12, 2007 W.1Fw'f[r EIR iSt rl Jones&Stokes P1087.07