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 RECREATION 1,000 residents. Additional use of onsite recreational facilities, Santa Anita Park and Campestno Park, and nearby parks may cause deterioration over time. However, increased use of existing and surrounding parks would be offset by the provision of new and expanded recreational facilities required by new residential development. The Harbor Corridor Plan requires park dedication or in lieu fee equivalent of 3 acres per 1,000 residents, which is greater than the City's park dedication standard of 2 acres per 1,000 residents. Based on the City's park standard, the project would be required to dedicate approximately 30.7 acres of new park and /or recreation space or pay of in -lieu fees. Based on the corridor plan, new residential development is required to contribute an in -lieu fee equivalent to 2 acres of open space per 1,000 residents, or approximately 50 acres. In lieu fees must be applied to create new park space within a half mile of the corridor plan boundaries. The Harbor Corridor Plan encourages new development to provide open spaces through improvement of public park space and public rights- of-way. Areas contemplated for additional park space include land adjacent to Santa Anita and Campesmo Parks or the conversion of land within the Santa Ana River Channel to passive open space. Conversion of park space around the channel would be an ideal location because it is publicly owned, designated open space, contains bicycle facilities, and is directly accessible by foot and bicycle to homes and businesses around Harbor Boulevard. In addition, it would be consistent with the regional "Mountains to the Sea" effort. The corridor plan establishes substantial improvements for the rights- of-way so that they are more attractive, safer, and functional for all to use and see. Open space in the public right -of- way may consist of pedestrian and bicycle space, outdoor dining, landscaping, benches, and public art. The concepts and standards in this plan require high quality design, materials, and landscaping. Rights- of-way would be treated as an extension of public park space. The Harbor Corridor Plan also encourages new development to provide private, onsite open space by allowing an offset of up to one acre of public park requirement through the provision of a green roof on top of a building or parking area. In addition to open space and recreation opportunities, green roofs are readily accessible to residents, reduce the heat island effect, provide filtration of pollutants, and reduce stormwater runoff. The required in lieu park fee will provide greater park opportunities than the City's existing park standard and meet future residents' park needs. Parkland dedication and the payment of in lieu fees requiring development of public parks within a half mile of the project area would ensure impacts to existing park facilities are less than significant. New facilities on the project site would be constructed at the same time as proposed housing projects, and the environmental impacts of their construction have been analyzed throughout this EIR. The specific locations of new offsite parks that would be constructed from in lieu fees are unknown at this time. However, new public parks and /or recreational facilities constructed outside the NHSP boundaries would be required to comply with environmental review per CEQA. October 2014 Page 5.12 -3