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1 <br /> <br />Disclaimer: The information provided in this FAQ is for general informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. <br /> <br /> <br />SD-84/Transit Zoning Code (TZC) Moratorium and Ordinance Amendment <br />Frequently Asked Questions <br /> <br />This document provides information about the Specific Development No. 84 (SD-84) zoning district, otherwise known <br />as the Transit Zoning Code (TZC), moratorium and the proposed ordinance amendment. Please note, the information <br />provided in this FAQ is for general informational purposes only. Interested parties should review the proposed <br />Moratorium text and the Ordinance text for detailed information and applicability. <br /> <br />1. When does the moratorium expire? The Transit Zoning Code (TZC/ SD-84) is a special zoning <br />district in central Santa Ana designed to create a pedestrian-friendly, transit-oriented community <br />while protecting existing neighborhoods. TZC industrial moratorium began with Ordinance No. <br />NS-3063 on April 16, 2024, as a 45-day urgency measure. The City Council then adopted <br />Ordinance No. NS-3064 on May 21, 2024, extending the moratorium for an additional ten months <br />and fifteen days. The current moratorium will expire on April 15, 2025. <br />2. Why was the moratorium adopted? The City Council adopted the TZC industrial moratorium <br />on April 16, 2024 to immediately protect public health, safety, and welfare from industrial uses <br />causing significant pollution burden to adjacent residential neighborhoods within the TZC district. <br />The action addressed historical land use conflicts in the Logan and Lacy neighborhoods, where <br />industrial uses have remained, changed ownership, expanded, or intensified despite the area's <br />2010 transit-oriented zoning designation. CalEnviroScreen 4.0 data confirms these <br />neighborhoods rank at 90 percent or above among California's most pollution-burdened <br />communities, with documented exposure to various environmental hazards. The existing <br />Industrial Overlay Zone (I-OZ) created inconsistencies with the General Plan's mixed-use <br />designations and allowed industrial uses to continue operating near residential areas. <br />3. What impact does the moratorium have on business permits and future development? The <br />moratorium prohibits the establishment of new, or expansion or intensification of existing, <br />industrial businesses within the TZC. Existing industrial businesses can obtain permits for work <br />that is for routine maintenance, or of a similar nature, that does not result in new, expanded or <br />intensified use. The moratorium does not impact residential, commercial, or mixed-use <br />development in the TZC plan area. <br />4. How does the proposed permanent ordinance to amend the TZC propose to regulate <br />industrial intensification within the plan area? The ordinance would remove the industrial <br />overlay and remove industrial type uses from the permitted uses table in the TZC. The removal <br />of the overlay and of industrial type uses from the permitted uses table would render all existing <br />industrial businesses within the plan area as nonconforming, thereby prohibiting the expansion <br />of the existing industrial businesses and the establishment of new industrial businesses in the <br />plan area. Moreover, the ordinance would prohibit intensification of nonconforming industrial <br />uses, meaning the businesses would be prohibited from expanding operations that result in more <br />potential impacts. <br />5. Does this impact commercial businesses or residential uses? The proposed amendments <br />primarily address industrial uses within the TZC district. Commercial businesses that are <br />