Agenda Packet_2026-02-03 - Laserfiche WebLink

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5.4 Failure to Assess Residential Compatibility Before Approval No residential compatibility analysis was performed as part of the project review, despite the clear and direct impacts on the immediately abutting R-1 property. The absence of such an assessment disregarded a critical requirement for evaluating whether the expanded use could coexist with — or would materially harm -- the residential living environment. Without a compatibility study, decision-makers lacked the necessary findings to determine whether the project was suitable for approval at this location. This omission also prevented the imposition of conditions that would be typically required to protect nearby homes. The project, as approved, failed to uphold the protections afforded to R-1 residential properties under the Santa Ana Municipal Code and disregarded adopted General Plan policies requiring compatibility between institutional and single-family residential land uses. The intensification of institutional activity at the residential boundary, without appropriate analysis, buffering, or mitigation, resulted in an approval fundamentally inconsistent with R- 1 zoning intent and residential protection standards. This incompatibility constitutes an independent and sufficient basis to vacate and remand the approval for proper evaluation consistent with R-1 residential protections. 16 City Council 18 — 32 2/3/2026