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 7. Alternatives to the Proposed Project 7.3 ALTERNATIVES SELECTED FOR FURTHER ANALYSIS Based on the criteria listed above, two alternatives have been determined to represent a reasonable range of alternatives which may avoid or substantially lessen any of the significant effects of the project. These alternatives are analyzed in detail in the following sections. • No Project /NHSP Alternative • Reduced Residential Intensity Alternative Each alternative's environmental impacts are compared to the proposed project and determined to be environmentally superior, neutral, or inferior. However, only those impacts found significant and unavoidable are used in making the final determination of whether an alternative is environmentally superior or inferior to the proposed project. Only the impacts involving air quality were found to be significant and unavoidable. Section 7.6 identifies the Environmentally Superior Alternative. 7.4 NO PROJECT /NHSP ALTERNATIVE The No Project /NHSP Alternative assumes that the Harbor Corridor Plan would not be adopted, the NHSP would remain in effect, the Conventional Zoning Area would remain within the NHSP, and the existing onsite buildings would remain. Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15126.6(e)(3)(A), where a project is the revision of an existing regulatory plan the "no project" alternative assumes continuation of the existing plan, policy or operation into the future. Therefore, this alternative assumes that new development and redevelopment would continue to occur in the project area consistent with the adopted NHSP land use designations, development standards and design guidelines. Buildout of the NHSP would allow for 320 residential units and 4,867,789 square feet of nonresidential land uses. Note that the NHSP results in a reduction of residential units compared to existing uses since some residential uses were existing in the area prior to adoption of the NHSP. As compared to the proposed project, buildout of the NHSP would result in a reduction of 4,395 residential units and an increase of 2,896,107 of commercial and other nonresidential square footage. 7.4.1 Aesthetics Under the No Project /NHSP Alternative, redevelopment would be allowed to continue consistent with the NHSP, which would allow for redevelopment of the area to commercial nodes. Specifically, the NHSP land use designations include General Commercial at the north, south and central portions of the corridor; entertainment and single family residential uses between the commercial zones south of First Street; and Recreational vehicle /automotive commercial, residential and open space north of Fifth Street. As compared to the project, the buildout under this alternative would result in lower building height. The aesthetic quality of the site would be somewhat similar to the existing buildings, in height and scale. The character would be more automobile related uses with commercial shopping centers. While this alternative would be required to meet the NHSP development standards and design guidelines, it would not be required to comply with the Harbor Corridor Plan development standards and design guidelines. New development under this alternative would not be required to incorporate the same level of design that would encourage pedestrian Page 74 PlaceWorkr