Item 26 - Public Hearing Vista Heritage Charter School (601 North Fairview Street)

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pursuant to Public Resources Code section 21083.3 and CEQA Guidelines Section 15183, the Project is exempt from further review. This type of exemption analysis evaluates whether the potential environmental impacts of the proposed change of use for the existing 5,837-square-foot building from auto -repair to administrative office and site improvements that include new landscape, fagade remodel, and new outdoor areas for the office and the school are addressed in the City of Santa Ana General Plan Update Final Recirculated Program Environmental Impact Report (GPU EIR). A rezoning that is consistent with an adopted general plan falls within this exemption. (A) As set forth in CEQA Guidelines Section 15183(a), projects that are "consistent with the development density established by the existing zoning, community plan or general plan policies for which an EIR was certified shall not require additional environmental review, except as might be necessary to examine whether there are project -specific significant effects which are peculiar to the project or its site." The CEQA Guidelines further state that "[i]f an impact is not peculiar to the parcel or to the project, has been addressed as a significant effect in the prior EIR, or can be substantially mitigated by the imposition of uniformly applied development policies or standards ... then an additional EIR need not be prepared for the project solely on the basis of that impact." CEQA Guidelines Section 15183(c). (B) The GPU was adopted, and the GPU EIR certified, in April 2022 (State Clearinghouse Number 2020029087); the GPU went into effect on May 26, 2022. Any decision by the City affecting land use and development must be consistent with the GPU. The GPU EIR evaluates the potential environmental effects associated with implementation of the GPU and addresses appropriate and feasible mitigation measures that would minimize or eliminate these impacts. A project is consistent with the GPU if its development density is the same or less than the standard expressed for the involved parcel in the general plan for which an EIR has been certified, and the project complies with the density -related standards contained in that plan. CEQA Guidelines section 15183(i)(2). Development density standards can include the number of dwelling units per acre, the number of people in a given area, floor area ratio (FAR), and other measures of building intensity, building height, size limitations, and use restrictions. (C) The GPU identifies that the Interim Development Standard for the FLEX-1.5 area is M1. The M1 zone provides for a variety of light industrial uses, including warehousing, manufacture, assembly, machine shops, wholesale businesses and ancillary uses such as office uses that do not exceed thirty (30) percent of the gross floor area. The Project would result in a FAR of 0.14, which is within the projections of the GPU EIR, which evaluated a density of 1.5 FAR on the site. The GPU EIR adequately anticipated and analyzed the impacts of this Project and identified applicable mitigation measures necessary to reduce impacts of the Project, and the Project implements the applicable mitigation measures. (D) Specifically, the Project qualifies for the exemption because the following findings can be made: 1. The Project is consistent with the development density established by existing zoning, community plan or general plan policies for which an EIR was certified. Ordinance No. NS-XXXX City Council 26 — 306 1/16/ of 6