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GPA No. 2018-3, AA No.2018-6, ZOA No.:2018_-3, and SPR No. 2018-02 Metro East,Mixed Use <br />(MEMU) Overlay Zone and Elan projects <br />July 23, ,2018 <br />Page 2 <br />Executive Summa <br />The City of Santa Ana is requesting approval of several actions in order to expand and amend <br />the Metro East Mixed Use (MEMU) Overlay Zone (OZ -1), a document originally adopted by the <br />City in 2007. Specifically, the City is requesting approval of a general plan amendment to modify <br />the general plan land use designation of parcels within the corridor, an amendment application <br />(zone change) to add the OZ -1 designation to affected properties and reclassify others in the <br />existing MEMU area, and a zoning ordinance amendment to update .various sections of the <br />existing MEMU document to amend development standards: In addition to the'MEMU actions, <br />Wermers Properties is requesting approval of a site plan review application to allow the Elan <br />mixed-use development project at 1660 East First Street. Staff is recommending approval of the <br />projects to create additional market-driven development opportunities in the existing MEMU area <br />and in the expansion area. <br />A Draft Subsequent Environmental Impact Report (SEIR) has been prepared to review the <br />environmental impacts_ resulting from implementation of MEMU expansion and the Elan Mixed <br />Use Project. <br />Project Background <br />The MEMU Overlay Zone was adopted in 2007 to facilitate mixed -used development <br />opportunities in a portion of the City between the Santa Ana (1-5) and Costa Mesa (SR -55) <br />freeways centered on First and Fourth streets. A number of successful projects were developed <br />or entitled as a result of the 2007 MEMU Overlay Zone adoption, including Lyon Communities' <br />264 -unit mixed-use community as well as:the Madison (200 N. Cabrillo Park Drive), AMG Villa <br />Court (2222 E. First Street) and AMG First Point (2110 and 2114 E. First Street). Encouraged by <br />this success in 2016, the City Council directed staff to analyze opportunities to create additional <br />areas for mixed use development by expanding the MEMU area to the east. <br />In 2017, Wermers Properties proposed the Elan mixed-use community within the MEMU <br />expansion, area. Technical studies prepared for the Elan project indicate that demolition of the <br />now -vacant Elks Lodge'building on the project site would result in loss of an eligible (unlisted) <br />historic resource, therefore requiring additional environmental analysis. An SEIR was identified <br />as the appropriate environmental document for Elan because the original EIR did not address <br />new information about the Elks Club building that is of substantial importance,which was not <br />known at the time the previous EIR was certified as complete. Because the City was in the. <br />process of reviewing Elan and expanding and amending the MEMU concurrently, the SEIR was <br />drafted to address both Elan and the MEMU efforts in a single document that holistically <br />analyzes both items. <br />75B-4 <br />