31D - CUP - 1666 N MAIN ST - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Variance No. 2016 -04 May 9, 2016 Page 4 Protect Backaround The five -story office building and subterranean garage were constructed in 1969 and contained offices for a variety of banking companies. Since then, a variety of tenant improvements have taken place inside the building to accommodate various professional offices, including law firms, banks, and professional services. Because the site was constructed prior to July 1, 1974, and because it is located in one of the Adaptive Reuse Ordinance's Project Incentive Areas, the site is eligible for an adaptive reuse project. In 1968, Variance No. 68 -103 was approved to allow construction of the project and the subterranean garage with a majority of the parking stalls in a tandem stall configuration. Although the City's parking ordinance did not allow tandem parking at the time, the application was recommended for approval because the amount of parking proposed exceeded the minimum requirements for office developments and because an on -site parking attendant would manage parking during normal business hours. As part of the adaptive reuse project, the applicant does not propose any substantial modification to the tandem stall configuration that has existed since 1969; moreover, the applicant will utilize an on -site parking management system to assign resident and visitor parking stalls, which will be located in a secured area. Meta Housing Corporation was established in '1993 and is an industry leader in constructing and managing affordable housing communities throughout California. Meta has developed and managed over 6,000 residential units in communities in Northern and Southern California, with the majority located in Los Angeles. Meta projects in Orange County include communities in Yorba Linda and Lake Forest. The Santa Ana Arts Collective would be Meta's third Orange County project. In November 2015, Meta Housing Corporation was awarded $4,635,000 for the Santa Ana Arts Collective through a competitive Request for Proposal process. Funding sources include $500,000 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds, $1,875,000 in the City's Inclusionary Housing Funds, and $2,260,000 in HOME Investment Partnership Program funds. In March 2016, the applicant submitted plans to develop an artist -and family- oriented affordable housing community to the City for review by the Development Review Committee. Analysis of the project revealed substantial conformance to the City's Adaptive Reuse Ordinance, except for the proposed on -site parking, which is described in further detail in the Project Analysis section. Following comments by the City, the applicant revised the plans to enhance the street improvements required for the project, the overall architecture, site design, and onsite amenities. Pro!Gct Analysis Variance requests are governed by Section 41 -638 of the SAMC. Variance requests may be granted when it can be shown 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; and that the granting of the variance will not adversely affect the General Plan. 31 D -6