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6 SIGNIFICANT AND UNAVOIDABLE ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
<br />Explanation of the Rationale: The rationale and facts supporting the above finding are fully
<br />developed in Section 4.12, Recreation, pages 4.12-13 through 4.12-15 of the Draft Supplemental
<br />EIR. The following presents a summary of that rationale:
<br />The Project would provide 7.5 acres of public park/recreation and open space, which when
<br />considering the Project's 3,815 residents at maximum buildout, results in a ratio of 2 acres per
<br />1,000 residents, which is higher than the 1.2 ratio (based on 516.86 acres for 431,629 residents)
<br />assessed in the GPU PEIR for the GPU buildout. Further, the Project would be developing this
<br />park/recreation and open space in the South Bristol Street Focus Area, an area identified by the
<br />GPU PEIR and the 2022 Parks Master Plan that is deficient in public parkland and recreational
<br />resources. Additionally, the Project would be required to pay applicable fees pursuant to Municipal
<br />Code Section 35-108 of Chapter 35, Article 4, and Sections 35-110 and 35-111 of Chapter 35,
<br />Article 4, in accordance with RR REC-1, to be used towards the future expansion or renovation
<br />of parks and recreational facilities in the City, as well as other applicable community facilities
<br />district fees assessed to maintain park facilities.
<br />However, as previously discussed, the Project's provision of parkland would not fully meet the
<br />GPU policy to provide a ratio of 3 acres of parkland for every 1,000 residents. While development
<br />of the Project would not result in significant unmitigable impacts to the environmental resources
<br />such as air quality, cultural resources, geology and soils, greenhouse gas emissions, hazards
<br />and hazardous materials, hydrology and water quality, noise, transportation, and tribal cultural
<br />resources, development and operation of future new or expanded recreational facilities may have
<br />an adverse physical effect on the environment, including impacts relating to air quality, biological
<br />resources, lighting, noise, and traffic. Consequently, impacts from the Project would be potentially
<br />significant.
<br />As discussed in the GPU PEIR, the City of Santa Ana is essentially fully built out and there is
<br />limited available land to develop new parks or expand existing facilities, and there would be no
<br />feasible mitigation measures that would reduce significant impacts related to the City's parkland
<br />to resident ratio to a less -than -significant level. The Project is consistent with the buildout
<br />envisioned in the GPU for the Project area, which was analyzed in the GPU PEIR along with
<br />buildout of the City and found to result in significant and unavoidable impacts related to related to
<br />recreation, based on the possibility that future project -specific developments could result in
<br />significant, adverse physical effects on the environment. The Project's provision of 7.5 acres of
<br />public park and recreation facilities and applicable fees would lessen the impact identified in the
<br />GPU PEIR. Therefore, while the Project would contribute to the significant and unavoidable
<br />recreation impacts disclosed in the GPU PEIR, the Project would not result in a substantial
<br />increase in the severity of the previously identified impacts and would not result in any new
<br />significant impacts.
<br />Cumulative Impacts: The Project would result in cumulative impacts concerning recreation.
<br />Findings: The City finds that specific economic, legal, social, technological, or other
<br />considerations make infeasible the mitigation measures or project alternatives identified in the
<br />Final Supplemental EIR. While changes or alterations have been required in, or incorporated into,
<br />including regulatory requirement RR REC-1 (listed above), the Project to address this significant
<br />effect on the environment, no feasible mitigation measures exist to reduce impacts to a less -than -
<br />significant level. However, pursuant to PRC Section 21081(a)(3), as described in the Statement
<br />City of Santa Ana The Village Santa Ana Specific Plan Project
<br />August 2025 CEQA Findings of Fact and Statement of Overriding Considerations
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