2015-004 - Santa Ana-Garden Grove Fixed Guideway Project

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Santa Ana — Garden Grove Fixed Guideway Project Findings and Facts in Support of Findings and Statement of Overriding Considerations to be replaced by parking at Harbor Station upon completion of the full Project. Vehicular access to Raitt Station parking would be via Daisy Avenue. Findings for IOS -1 and IOS -2 The City of Santa Ana finds that specific economic, legal, social, technological, or other considerations, including considerations for the provision of employment opportunities for highly trained workers, make infeasible IOS -1 and IOS -2 identified in the EA/DEIR and (CEQA Guidelines 15091(a)(3)). The IOS alternatives would not be environmentally superior to the proposed project with the exception that these shorter route options would result in less excavation and subsequent acquisition and construction - related impacts. The impacts of the IOS alternatives would be essentially the same as the proposed project with traffic, parking and circulation impacts being redistributed to the new terminal station location at Raitt Station. Each IOS alternative would generate approximately 47 percent of the ridership associated with the full alignment. The other key distinction of these shorter alignment options is that they reduce the beneficial effects from the full route, particularly in the area of regional connectivity. Therefore, IOS -1 and IOS -2 would not be consistent with project goals and objectives compared to the proposed project. For these reasons, the City of Santa Ana rejects these alternatives. O & M Facility Site Options Both Streetcar Alternatives 1 and 2 would require the construction of an O & M Facility for streetcar operations. An O & M Facility is a stand -alone building which would meet the maintenance, repair, operational and storage needs of the proposed streetcar system. The O & M Facility accommodates daily and routine vehicle inspections, interior /exterior cleaning of the streetcars, preventative (scheduled) maintenance, unscheduled maintenance, and component change -outs. The proposed facility would also provide a venue for parking vehicles that are not in use and for rebuilding components. Two O & M facilities were analyzed in the EA/DEIR. O & M Facility Site A is an irregularly shaped parcel slightly larger than 2.2 acres, and bordered by 6th Street to the north, 4th Street to the south, the Metrolink tracks to the east, and various industrial and commercial businesses to the west. Currently used as a waste transfer and recycling center, this site contains one primary structure with the remainder of the site used for receiving and sorting recycling materials, and parking. O & M Facility Site B is a rectangular site slightly larger than 2.4 acres. It is located west of Raitt Street and is bordered by 5th Street to the north and the PE ROW to the south. Located in an area zoned for industrial and commercial uses, this site is comprised of three parcels, two of which contain existing businesses and a combination of industrial buildings. The third parcel contains a multi - family structure with six residences. Findings for O & M Facility Site Options The City of Santa Ana finds that specific economic, legal, social, technological, or other considerations, including considerations for the provision of employment opportunities for highly trained workers, make infeasible O & M Facility Site A identified in the EA/DEIR and (CEQA Guidelines 15091(a)(3)). The smaller size, irregular shape, and distance from the PE ROW make O & M Facility Site A less efficient to develop and operate, and provides less opportunity to accommodate a greater range of O & M functions on the site. In conjunction with its location 34 January 2015