Laserfiche WebLink
December 7, 2021 <br />City of Santa Ana <br />Mayor and City Council <br />20 Civic Center Plaza <br />Re: Draft General Plan -- Recommendations <br />Dear City of Santa Ana City Council and Staff, <br />THRIVE Santa Ana is a nonprofit community organization dedicated to promoting economic <br />development that builds community wealth, multigenerational resident leadership, and ensures <br />permanent and access to affordable, healthy neighborhoods. The City's General Plan (GP) will <br />set goals and policies to guide development in Santa Ana for the following decade, and will <br />impact residents for generations to come. We recognize the efforts of City staff in hosting <br />community meetings, and the City's impacted timeline. Nevertheless there are important <br />deficiencies in the proposed draft that might be easily addressed. As THRIVE has taken part in <br />outreach efforts with City staff, we put forward the following recommendations for City <br />Council's consideration. <br />Also attached for your reference are THRIVE's analysis on the GP's Land Use Element and <br />notes from THRIVE's participation at the November 2021 Planning Commission Meeting <br />regarding the General Plan: <br />Recommendations: <br />1. Do not approve the General Plan as currently drafted. Direct staff to meet with <br />community groups and establish collaborative strategies in the General Plan, to address <br />concerns around soil contamination, environmental justice, and displacement of <br />residents caused by development projects. Assure better alignment between <br />Community Considerations, policy goals, and Implementation actions. <br />2. Work with Orange County Environmental Justice, Madison Park Neighborhood <br />Association, and other community members impacted by lead soil contamination and <br />other environmental justice issues. Commit City resources to identify and eliminate <br />harmful substances from affected areas in the City. <br />3. Include on page 71 of the Land Use Element, as Implementation Action 2.11, the <br />following language to support community ownership and strategies against <br />displacement. Model language was shared with the City in September -October 2020. <br />Anti - Displacement strategies <br />[Many communities that are now or may be served by development in planning <br />or focus areas are low-income and minority households and small locally- and <br />minority -owned businesses that are at a potentially higher risk of displacement <br />due to a range of factors. The City shall: (1) implement and support strategies <br />that stop the displacement of existing businesses and individuals from <br />properties impacted by development projects; and (2) support community and <br />mission -based development opportunities that reduce displacement risk for <br />low-income communities and communities of color by utilizing creative <br />development delivery strategies, including cooperative ownership, community <br />land trusts, tenant opportunities to purchase, right of first refusal, and others to <br />build local wealth and support existing populations.] <br />