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Grand Avenue Widening Project Environmental Impact Report Section 6.0 The widening of Grand Avenue would not be considered growth inducing, based on consideration of the four questions cited above, as follows: Grand Avenue is an existing arterial in a largely developed area. Public services, including streets, are already provided in this area. The existing cross section of Grand Avenue is not considered an impediment to development and the proposed widening would not provide new access to any area. The proposed widening will require the acquisition of privately owned right-of-way. Remainder parcels are anticipated to be combined and redeveloped in new uses. Those uses would be required to be consistent with the existing General Plan and zoning designations for these areas and would be expected to be similar to the existing residential and commercial uses on Grand Avenue that may be displaced by the proposed project. Therefore, the proposed widening project will not itself result in economic expansion or growth. The proposed widening is consistent with the General Plan Circulation Element and, therefore, is not a precedent setting action. As noted, any redevelopment of parcels affected by property acquisition would be required to be consistent with the General Plan and zoning designations for the area and, therefore, would not be expected to result in a radical change in land use designations in this area. The prpposed project would widen an existing largely developed in urban and suburban uses. space adjacent to or in the vicinity of this street. segment of Grand Avenue in an area already This area is not isolated and there is no open The General Plan Circulation Element also considers the relationship between transportation and land use projects and growth management policies and programs in the County. Measure M, a one- half cent retail sales tax, is a local transportation and growth management initiative approved by Orange County voters in 1990. Funds generated by Measure M are for use in improving streets and freeways, stabilizing transit fares and developing rail transit in Orange County. The City of Santa Ana complies with the requirements of the Measure M program to qualify for revenues generated through this sales tax. Because the City qualifies for the program, the Circulation Element is assumed to be generally consistent with the Measure M program. The proposed Grand Avenue widening, which is explicitly cited in the Circulation Element, is also assumed to be consistent with the Measure M program. This is additional confirmation that the proposed Grand Avenue widening project would not be growth inducing. The proposed project will result in the generation of short term construction related jobs. These jobs are expected to be filled from the existing work force in this part of Orange County. These construction workers are not anticipated to relocate to this area from elsewhere in the region and, therefore, will not generate demand for housing and services in this area. In the long term, the proposed project is not expected to result in the generation of jobs as it is a road which will be maintained by existing City of Santa Ana staff. Therefore, the employment related effects of the proposed Grand Avenue widening are not considered growth inducing. F.-IPROJ-ENMGrand eirWew Text- GranMection 6.0-new.doc Page 6-2