75A - PH - ZONING AMENDMENT FOR 300 E MCFADDEN AVE

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GPA No. 2012-01 & AA No. 2012-01 September 10, 2012 Page 3 Proiect Analvsis General Plan Amendment The existing General Plan land use designation for the project area is Low Density Residential (LR 7), allowing a maximum density of seven residential dwelling units per acre. Generally, single family residential homes are encouraged to be oriented with access off residential streets, rather than along a major arterial street like McFadden Avenue with high volumes of vehicle travel. With the realignment of McFadden Avenue completed, an opportunity was created to transition the use of the remnant parcels from residential to the development of permanent open space to serve the community. The creation of additional public open space or park land implements the City's General Plan Parks, Recreation and Open Space Element goal, to "provide sufficient open space to meet the recreational and aesthetic needs of the community." The Land Use Element establishes the City goal to "promote a balance of land uses to address basic community needs"; and Policy 1.7 to "support open space in underserved area" like the project area. The change to an Open Space land use designation will provide an additional 60,984 square feet or 1.4 acres towards public parkland; helping the City towards achieving its goal of a minimum two acres of public parkland per 1,000 resident population. The proposed park design will also support the policies and programs in the Conservation Element to encourage water conservation and the use of drought resistant landscape (Exhibits 4 and 5). Amendment Application The proposed project area is currently within the Single Family Residence (R1) zoning district, which does not identify permanent park open space as a permitted use. The proposed amendment application (zone change) is needed to change the zoning for the 1.4 acre site from Single-Family Residence (R1) to Open Space Land (O) to facilitate construction of a public park to serve the surrounding community (Exhibit 6). Public Notification The project site is located within with the Eastside Neighborhood Association and just north of the Madison Park Neighborhood Association boundaries. City of Santa Ana Parks, Recreation and Community Services Agency staff took the lead in the outreach to the neighboring community regarding the proposed park. Community information meetings were held by staff at St Anne's Church in May and August of 2010 and at Lathrop Intermediate School in September of 2010. Additional community outreach efforts took place at the Bike Festival held at the project site in July 2010 and the Madison Park Walk-a-thon in August 2010. In May of 2012, a Community Forum was held at Trinity Cristo Rey Church to discuss the new park. Fliers were mailed out to the homes in the four nearby neighborhoods - Madison Park, Eastside, Wilshire Square and Heninger Park. 75A-5