2014-069 - Final Environmental Impact Report No. 2014-01

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HARBOR BLVD. MIXED USE TRANSIT CORRIDOR PLAN FINAL FIR CITY OF SANTA ANA 5. Environmental Analysis HYDROLOGY AND WATER QUALITY The Initial Study, included as Appendix A, substantiates that impacts associated with the following thresholds would be less than significant: HYD -10. This impact will not be addressed in the following analysis. 5.7.3 Environmental Impacts The following impact analysis addresses thresholds of significance for which the Initial Study disclosed potentially significant impacts. The applicable thresholds are identified in brackets after the impact statement. Buildout of the proposed Harbor Corridor Plan would involve the following net increases: 3,884 dwelling units; 15,327 persons; 13,721 square feet of commercial uses; and 173 employees. All of the changes in development potential would occur throughout various areas of the Harbor Corridor Plan. No changes to development potential would occur in the 120 -acre Conventional Zoning Area. There would be no hydrology or water quality impacts to the Conventional Zoning Area since no new development would occur in this area and the existing land uses would remain. As a result, the analysis below focuses on the portion of the project that covers the Harbor Corridor Plan. Impact 5.7 -1: Development pursuant to the Harbor Corridor Plan would not substantially change the amount of impervious surfaces in the project area and would therefore not substantially Impact Analysis: The project area is in a highly urbanized area of the City, it is not used for groundwater recharge and is not in or near any groundwater recharge areas. Additionally, much of the existing commercial and automotive land uses in the project area are developed with buildings and paved parking lots with minimal landscaping. Approximately 11.6 acres of the project area are vacant and 4.5 acres are open space, for a total of approximately 16.1 acres of land uses consisting of pervious surfaces. Development standards for landscaping outlined in the Harbor Corridor Plan would result in approximately 20 percent, or 50.6 acres, of parcelized area within the project area being landscaped at project buildout. This area would include private yards; common areas in private development projects; and landscaping in public rights- of-way such as parkways and medians. This does not include Willowick Golf Course, which is outside of the Harbor Corridor Plan area. Project implementation would therefore increase impervious surfaces in the project area. Furthermore, priority development projects as defined in the MS4 Permit2 would be required to infiltrate, filter, or treat runoff flow rates or volumes specified in the MS4 Permit. Therefore, implementation of the Harbor Corridor Plan would not substantially reduce groundwater recharge. 2 Priority development projects for which WQMPs are required include: • Redevelopment projects adding or replacing 5,000 square feet or more of impervious surfaces. • Development projects creating 10,000 square feet or more of impervious surfaces. • Restaurants of 5,000 or more square feet area. • Puking lots of 5,000 square feet or more. October 2014 Page 5.7 -19