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Variance No. 2008-01 February 25, 2008 Page 2 Project Description The Johnson Chapel AME Church is proposing to construct a new fellowship hall to replace the structure demolished for the Bristol Street Widening proj ect . As was the previous building, the new building will also be two stories in height and will include approximately 10,700 square feet of floor area. The first floor will include classrooms, offices and a kitchen, with the second floor containing office space and a multi- purpose room (Exhibits 3 and 4) . The new building will be a manufactured modular structure that will incorporate architectural elements to match the design of the Johnson AME Chapel church building to the south. Elements such as stucco, identical roofing material and similar paint colors will be used to integrate the new and existing buildings (Exhibit 5). Analysis of the Issues The applicant is requesting approval of a variance to reduce the required building setback along the west property from 20 feet to five feet. Section 41-369 of the Santa Ana Municipal Code requires a 20-foot landscaped setback if a building exceeds 15 feet in height if adjacent to a residential use. However, due to the lot size reduction caused by the Bristol Street widening, the applicant has been unable to comply with the setback standard. In 2006, the City purchased the parcel at the northwest corner of Bristol and Second Streets that contained the fellowship hall for the Johnson Chapel AME Church. After allocating approximately 7,000 square feet of the parcel for the Bristol Street widening, the City sold the remainder parcel and an additional City owned parcel (west of the fellowship hall) back to the church to rebuild the hall. As a result, the placement of the building has been impacted by two street improvement projects: The Bristol Street widening and the installation of a new cul-de-sac on Second Street. The widening of Bristol Street to its ultimate right-of-way has resulted in the need to place the building to the west and adjacent to the existing single-family residential use. Further, the conversion of Second Street from a through street to a cul- de-sac street has also affected the placement of the building. These street improvement projects have caused the building to be placed five feet from the adjacent residential use. 31 B-3