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Zoning Ordinance Amendment No. 2016 -03 March 13, 2017 Page 3 5. Planning Commission Approval Authority on Discretionary Actions Sec. 41- 638.1. and Sec. 41 -639. The Planning Commission holds public hearings and makes a determination to approve or deny variances, conditional use permits and minor exceptions. Decisions made by the Planning Commission are then placed on the City Council's consent calendar for confirmation. The proposed change will streamline the development process by making all decisions made by the Planning Commission final. Parties aggrieved by the Planning Commission's determination will have the ability to appeal the decision to the City Council. 6. Development Project Plan Approval Sec. 41 -668 and Sec. 41 -669, Development project (site plan) review is required for the construction of any new building or buildings, or additions to any existing building or buildings, of 500 square feet or more, or if the cost exceeds $50,000.00. The proposed change will increase the threshold from 500 square feet to 2,500 square feet, which will substantially expedite the development process for smaller projects and reduce the cost for development processing. Based on a review of development projects submitted in the past two years, this change will result in a reduction of 10 percent of the total number of projects submitted into the development project review process. The 2,500 - square -foot threshold will also be consistent with the threshold proposed for parking reductions and landscaping plan review. 7. Change of Use Exception Sec. 41 -1309 and 41- 1309.1. The proposed change of use exception will allow the change of certain uses within an existing building up to 2,500 square feet in size without the need to provide additional parking and loading spaces. For example, a tenant space may change from retail (5 spaces per 1,000 gross square feet) to a restaurant use (10 spaces per 1,000 gross square feet) without providing additional parking. The proposed amendment will allow an easier transition when change of use occurs in the commercial, professional and industrial zoning districts. 8. Parking Standards Sec, 41 -1341 thru 1411 The current parking standards were adopted in the early 1990's based on a nationwide parking demand analysis conducted by the ULI (Urban Land Institute). These standards are outdated and do not reflect the current urban setting of Orange County. A recent staff survey of various cities, including Anaheim, Glendale, Long Beach, Sacramento and Santa Monica, noted that the City's parking standards were higher in some categories, with a reduction necessary to be more aligned with current parking trends (Table 1). This proposed adjustment will ensure that Santa Ana is consistent with current standards and the parking standards will not create an economic disadvantage in attracting necessary new development to the city. 75A -7