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REQUEST FOR <br />COUNCIL ACTION <br />CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: <br />AUGUST 5, 2014 <br />TITLE: <br />RESOLUTION IDENTIFYING A LOCALLY <br />PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE FOR THE <br />SANTA ANA - GARDEN GROVE FIXED <br />GUIDEWAY PROJECT <br />CITY MA GER <br />RECOMMENDED ACTION <br />CLERK OF COUNCIL USE ONLY: <br />APPROVED <br />❑ <br />As Recommended <br />❑ <br />As Amended <br />❑ <br />Ordinance on 1" Reading <br />❑ <br />Ordinance on 2nd Reading <br />❑ <br />Implementing Resolution <br />❑ <br />Set Public Hearing For <br />CONTINUED TO <br />FILE NUMBER <br />Approve a resolution identifying Streetcar Alternative 1 as the Locally Preferred Alternative for the <br />Santa Ana - Garden Grove Fixed Guideway Project. <br />BACKGROUND <br />Since 2008, the Cities of Santa Ana and Garden Grove have worked collaboratively with the <br />Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) on the Santa Ana - Garden Grove Fixed <br />Guideway Project. Santa Ana and OCTA have entered into two cooperative agreements for <br />development of the Santa Ana - Garden Grove Fixed Guideway Project to define the respective <br />roles and responsibilities. The first cooperative agreement involves development of an <br />environmental document, an Alternatives Analysis (AA), and the nomination of a Locally Preferred <br />Alternative (LPA). An LPA Decision Report has been prepared and is enclosed herein. The <br />second cooperative agreement includes additional analysis of the LPA to meet eligibility <br />requirements for Federal Transit Administration (FTA) funding. <br />The AA has been prepared concurrently with the Environmental Assessment /Draft Environmental <br />Impact Report (EA /DEIR). The AA established three build alternatives to be analyzed in the <br />EA/DEIR: Streetcar Alternative 1, Streetcar Alternative 2, and a Transportation System <br />Modification (TSM) Alternative. Throughout the process, staff worked closely with OCTA and FTA <br />to ensure that the EA /DEIR met all federal eligibility requirements for grant funding through the <br />FTA New Starts /Small Starts Program. FTA certification of the EA /DEIR is anticipated by this fall. <br />ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW PROCESS <br />The EA /DEIR Notice of Availability was released on May 22, 2014, and the 45 -day public <br />comment period began May 23, 2014. Subsequently, staff implemented an extensive outreach <br />campaign that exceeded statutory requirements: <br />55C -1 <br />