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Planning and Building Agency <br />www.santa-ana.org/pba <br />Item # 2 <br />City of Santa Ana <br />20 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, CA 92701 <br />Planning Commission Staff Report <br />June 23, 2025 <br />Topic: Zoning Ordinance Amendment No. 2025-01 to Amend Portions of Chapter 41 <br />(Zoning) of the Santa Ana Municipal Code Relating to Group Homes. <br />RECOMMENDED ACTION <br />Recommend that the City Council adopt an ordinance approving Zoning Ordinance <br />Amendment No. 2025-01 to amend several sections of Chapter 41 (Zoning) of the Santa <br />Ana Municipal Code (SAMC) relating to group homes and land use definitions, with the <br />exception of Ordinance Amendment No. 2025-01 (Section 28) of the attached ordinance <br />(Exhibit 1), which is subject to separate City Council consideration and is therefore not <br />subject to Planning Commission review. <br />EXECUTIVE SUMMARY <br />At its April 15, 2025 regular meeting, the City Council, with unanimous support, directed <br />staff to draft an ordinance based on the Costa Mesa group home ordinance to establish <br />local regulations for group homes for the Council’s consideration that are consistent with <br />the Federal Fair Housing Act Amendments of 1988 (FFHA), the California Fair <br />Employment Housing Act (FEHA), and recent caselaw. The proposed regulations will <br />preserve the characteristics of residential neighborhoods, provide opportunities for the <br />disabled to reside in a residential zone that is enjoyed by the non-disabled, and provide <br />a broader range of housing opportunities to the disabled. <br />DISCUSSION <br />The City of Santa Ana is proposing to amend portions of Chapter 41 (Zoning) of the Santa <br />Ana Municipal Code (SAMC) to establish a regulatory framework for group homes. These <br />amendments are intended to reflect current state and federal laws and implement best <br />practices. <br />The proposed ordinance, Zoning Ordinance Amendment No. 2025-01, attached to this <br />report (Exhibit 1) includes amendments to Chapter 41 and to Chapter 8 (Buildings and <br />Structures) of the SAMC. Table 1 below and on subsequent pages of this report illustrate <br />key provisions of the proposed amendments to both Chapter 41 and Chapter 8. While the <br />proposed amendments to Chapter 8 are being presented along with the proposed <br />