75B - PH METRO EAST MIXED USE OVERLAY (MEMU)

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-Strengthen Santa Ana's tax base and provide a positive return to taxpayers by analyzing how development patterns can drive a community's tax revenues up or down. Rather than looking at the total tax production of a given piece of land to gauge its economic performance, Joe Minicozzi with Urban 3 advocates looking at tax production per acre as the best way to measure a piece of land's relative value to the community. A 2013 report by Smart Growth America drives that point home. "Building Better Budgets: A National Examination of the Fiscal Benefits of Smart Growth" examined data from 17 previously completed studies from around the country and found that denser smart growth development patterns generate an average of 10 times more tax revenue per acre compared to less dense conventional suburban development. The report also found that smart growth saves municipalities an average of 38 percent on the upfront cost of infrastructure and 10 percent on the annual cost of public services. Information about the fiscal differences between various development patterns is critical because decisions about where and how to focus growth ripple through municipal budgets in any number of ways, from the cost of constructing roads and providing police and fire service to property values and tax collections. -Improve our environment through green, sustainable, energy-efficient design while creating a new skyline with iconic architecture that inspires civic pride. • The lesson of the past generation is that meaningful commercial development in Santa Ana depends on three factors, all of which must be present at the same time. A good economy, nationally and regionally, that provides enough fuel for investment. The second: A good plan, that fosters both growth and preservation, and that hits the sweet spot between what we want and what the market will actually build. And the third leg: Good leadership, that takes hard choices head on, works through the inevitable labor pains of change, inspires public trust, and gives investors the confidence to take risks. When all three of those things come together, there's no stopping us. And they are coming together today." The immense competition that exists today amongst cities with fiscal challenges that are all competing for economic development opportunities, illustrates the challenges faced by many of these municipalities. Proactive cities that embrace this sense of urgency will succeed in fostering positive change, while reactive cities that remain on the sidelines will continue to suffer from the pains of indecision. 75B-317