Reso25-35_1441 E. 17th St. VAR-25-02

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Resolution No. 2025-35 Page 2 of 14 F. On October 21, 2025, the Applicant submitted Variance No. 2025-02 requesting approval of the church use. G. Pursuant to SAMC Section 41-638, the Planning Commission is authorized to review and approve the variance for this Project as set forth by the Santa Ana Municipal Code. H. On December 8, 2025, the Planning Commission held a duly noticed public hearing for Variance No. 2025-02. I. The Planning Commission of the City of Santa Ana has considered the information and determines that the following findings, which must be established in order to grant Variance No. 2025-02, for a reduction in required setbacks as required by SAMC Section 41-638: 1. That because of special circumstances applicable to the subject property, including size, shape, topography, location or surroundings, the strict application of the zoning ordinance is found to deprive the subject property of privileges not otherwise at variance with the intent and purpose of the provisions of this Chapter. Special circumstances exist on the subject property that are not shared by other parcels within the Professional (P) zoning district and that prevent reasonable compliance with required building and landscaping setbacks. The property measures only 0.55 acres (24,123 sq. ft.), which is significantly smaller than the typical professional office parcels along the Seventeenth Street corridor, which commonly range from 0.75 acres to over one acre. This unusually compact lot size, combined with its shallow north–south depth and double- frontage configuration along Seventeenth Street and Wright Street, substantially limits the developable area needed to accommodate a modern institutional use while meeting all setback, landscaping, and circulation standards. Further, the site contains an existing 11,313-square-foot basement structure that survived the 2021 building fire and must be retained to maintain structural feasibility and cost- effectiveness for the owner’s reinvestment in the site. The retained basement dictates the location and dimensions of the new building footprint, including the structural grid, parking ramp, and internal circulation layout. These fixed physical constraints eliminate the ability to shift the building or modify the parking configuration to meet the 15-foot front and street- side landscaped setback requirements, the 5-foot interior side landscaped setback, or the 10-foot landscaped rear yard requirement adjacent to residential uses.