Item 15 - Award Construction Contract for the Santa Ana Zoo Stormwater Capture and Diversion Project

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City of Santa Ana 2. Project Description California Environmental Quality Act Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration The Santa Ana Zoo Stormwater Capture and Diversion (SAZSCAD) Project (Project) is being implemented by the City of Santa Ana to improve water quality in the Newport Bay Watershed, increase local water supplies, reduce flooding, and provide new recreational opportunities for the community. The Project features a large underground stormwater infiltration system in the primary parking lot and a smaller underground stormwater infiltration system in the overflow parking lot at the Santa Ana Zoo. These infiltration systems include drywells, which route the captured runoff to layers of soil with the highest infiltration rates, helping to reduce pollutant loading to Newport Bay. The Project is designed to capture and infiltrate approximately 4.5 acre-feet of stormwater runoff per storm event from two drainage areas, covering a total of 165 acres. In addition to its stormwater management objectives, the Project also includes construction of a new pocket park and drought tolerant landscaping in the Zoo parking lots, pervious parking stalls, bioswales, and educational signage. This is consistent with the Zoo Master Plan and will provide new recreational opportunities for the community. The Project goals are summarized as follows: ➢ Enhance water supply through groundwater recharge ➢ Improve water quality in the Newport Bay Watershed ➢ Maximize community benefits ➢ Reduce flooding ➢ Minimize disruption to residents and local businesses 2.1 Project Location The proposed Project will be located in the City of Santa Ana, Orange County, California. The City of Santa Ana is Orange County's government powerbase and serves as the County Seat. The Project site is located at the Santa Ana Zoo, at 1801 East Chestnut Avenue, as shown in Figure 2-1. The Santa Ana Zoo is a 20-acre zoo focusing on animals and plants of Central and South America, and is located on the eastern side of the City. The Zoo serves as a community space for education and recreation, welcoming over 270,000 visitors annually, and promotes community engagement in the conservation of wildlife and wild spaces.