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Amendment Application No. 2010-01 <br />Conditional Use Permit No. 2010-15 <br />September 13, 2010 <br />Page 3 <br />Analysis of the Issues <br />The proposed project entails two separate actions for consideration: The rezoning of portions of the <br />lot which are zoned R1 and R3 to C2 and the conversion of an existing hotel and restaurant into a <br />licensed residential care facility for the elderly (RCFE). The section below will analyze each of these <br />actions. <br />Amendment Application <br />As a mature city, the City of Santa Ana has seen many changes in its policies that direct <br />development. As such, there are many parcels that have zoning designations that no longer are <br />consistent with the General Plan land use designation or even with the development of the site. The <br />hotel and restaurant were entitled in 1969 with a use variance that allowed development on the <br />portion of the lot that was zoned R1. In 1969, the site had split zoning; the northern 183 feet <br />adjacent to First Street was zoned C2, while the remainder of the lot was zoned R1. In 1989, the <br />zoning of the portion of the lot occupied by the tower was changed from R1 to C2 to bring <br />consistency between the land use, the zoning designation and the General Plan land use <br />designation, leaving a small island in the center of the lot zoned R1. It has been the Planning <br />Division's policy to correct situations like this, where the development is consistent with the General <br />Plan land use designation, but inconsistent with the zoning, as projects are brought forward. As <br />such, the proposed zone change represents only a clean-up to create consistency between the <br />zoning and general plan land use designation. <br />Conditional Use Permit <br />The Santa Ana Municipal Code allows care homes in the General Commercial (C2) zoning district <br />subject to a conditional use permit. Care homes are commercial facilities that are maintained and <br />operated to provide living accommodations for and 24-hour care to persons in need of personal <br />services, supervision, or assistance essential for sustaining the activities of daily living. Residential <br />Care Facilities for the Elderly (RFCE) are non-medical facilities that provide room, meals, <br />housekeeping and supervision; distribute medication; and provide personal care assistance with <br />basic activities like hygiene, dressing, eating, bathing and transportation for the elderly. This level <br />of care and supervision is for people who are unable to live by themselves, but who do not need <br />24-hour nursing care. RCFEs are considered non-medical facilities and are not required to have <br />nurses, certified nursing assistants or doctors on staff. RFCEs or Assisted Living Facilities, as they <br />are sometimes also known, must meet care and safety standards set by the State and are licensed <br />and inspected by the Department of Social Services, Community Care Licensing (CCL). The State <br />not only regulates the service providers, but also ensures compliance with the City standards. <br />Since 1996, Azure Partners has successfully embarked on three hotel conversion projects in the Los <br />Angeles area and have converted more than 300 hotel rooms into senior housing. Since this is their <br />first proposal for a Residential Care Facility for the Elderly as a team, they have assembled a <br />partnership where individual members' experience includes operating and administering licensed <br />(RCFEs) and currently operate two small facilities in Orange County.