31A - VARIANCE -1525 AND 1551 N TUSTIN

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Variance Nos. 2015 -03 & 2015 -04 April 27, 2015 Page 3 General Plan and Zonina Consistenc The General Plan land use designation for the site is Professional and Administrative Office (PAO), a designation that applies to those areas where professional and /or administrative offices are predominant, or where such development is being encouraged, The Professional and Administrative Office areas are intended to provide a unique environment for office development in those areas of the City where office uses are the predominant land use. The purpose for maintaining and supporting these areas exclusively for office and office - related uses is to encourage major employment centers at locations which significantly lessen the impact to the City's local street system. The project site is consistent with this General Plan land use designation. The site is located within the Professional (P) zoning district. The Professional zoning district allows for office buildings and related professional uses, making the proposed project consistent with the zoning designation. Project Analysis Variance requests are governed by Section 41 -638 of the SAMC. Variance requests may be granted when it can be shown that the following can be established: • That there exists a special circumstance related to the property, such as size, shape, topography, location or surroundings. • That the granting of the variance is necessary for the preservation and enjoyment of substantial property rights. • That the granting of the variance will not be detrimental to the public or surrounding property. • That the granting of the variance will not adversely affect the General Plan. If these findings can be made, then it is appropriate to grant the variances. Conversely, the inability to make these findings would result in a denial. Using this information, staff has prepared the following analysis, which forms the basis for the recommendation contained in this report. Tustin Centre is a multi - building mixed -use office and health club development. The site contains several structures of varying height that are prominently placed near major arterial corridors that connect Santa Ana and Tustin, Moreover, the buildings on the complex are visible from the Costa Mesa Freeway, a heavily - traveled transportation corridor that draws commuters from central and southern Orange County, as well as the Inland Empire via the Riverside (SR -91) Freeway. 31A-5