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 4. Environmental Setting 4.3 LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING 4.3.1 Location and Land Use Location As shown in Figures 3 -2, Local Vicinity, and 3 -3, Aerial Photograph, the project area comprises approximately 425 acres oriented to Harbor Boulevard in the City of Santa Ana, which is in central Orange County. The project area generally includes parcels adjacent to Harbor Boulevard between Westminster Avenue and Gloxinia Avenuel�6elX and parcels along Westminster Avenue, 1st Street, and 5th Street one -half mile east of Harbor Boulevard. The corridor's northern and southern ends are adjacent to the city boundaries of Garden Grove and Fountain Valley, respectively. The proposed Harbor Corridor Plan would apply to an approximately 305 -acre portion of the project area that directly fronts Harbor Boulevard or perpendicular arterial streets. The remaining 120 acres of the project area (Conventional Zoning Area), which are proposed to be converted to conventional zoning, consist of the Willowick Golf Course and Campesino Park, residential properties along Jackson Street, and commercial properties along 5th Street. This portion of the project area is east of the Harbor Boulevard corridor and abuts the Santa Ana River to the east. Existing Land Uses The project area currently contains roughly two million square feet of commercial uses distributed fairly evenly along the corridor. Existing commercial uses occur at both midblock and intersections and are dominated by auto service and sales, but also include grocery stores, service businesses, and restaurants. The project area contains 739 residential units, including multifamily residential and mobile -home communities accessed from Harbor Boulevard and single - family residential areas along Jackson Street. The project area also contains the Willowick Golf Course (an operating 18 -hole public golf course), Cesar Chavez /Campestno Park, and Santa Anita Park. Existing uses are shown in Figure 3 -3, Aerial Photograph. Surrounding Land Uses The project area is in a highly urbanized, built out portion of the City. It is generally surrounded by residential uses, which vary widely in cbaracter and density and include single - family neighborhoods, apartment complexes, and mobile home communities. Most of the surrounding residential uses are accessed from streets perpendicular to Harbor Boulevard and not from Harbor Boulevard itself. 4.3.2 Environmental Resources and Infrastructure Climate and Air Quality The project area is approximately seven miles inland from the Orange County coast, within the western portion of the SoCAB. The climate in the SoCAB is mild, tempered by cool ocean breezes. Temperatures are normally mild (62° to 72 °F), with rare extremes above 100 °F or below freezing (32 °F). Precipitation is typically 9 to 15 inches annually in the SoCAB. The climate of Orange County is typified by warm temperatures and light winds. The average monthly high temperatures range from about 52 °F in the coastal October 2014 Page 4 -3