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Response to Letter L2: Les Goldberg, dated August 7, 2024 <br />This comment letter was received after the public review and comment period ended (July 6, 2023, <br />through August 23, 2023). As stated in Section 15088 of the CEQA Guidelines, Lead Agencies are not <br />required to respond to letters received outside of the noticed comment period. However, the following <br />responses have been prepared to provide clarity regarding the environmental concerns that have been <br />raised. <br />Comment L2.1: This comment states that the City should not be developing in an already developed area, <br />and the City should focus on developing in impoverished areas, solving the homeless crisis, and creating <br />affordable housing. The comment concludes by asking whether the rent for the proposed residential units <br />would be affordable. <br />Response L2.1: This comment does not provide substantial evidence of a significant environmental impact. <br />The Project site has been designated as a District Center by the City of Santa Ana General Plan where <br />intense mixed -use development is encouraged. As discussed in Section 5.8 Land Use and Planning, of the <br />Draft SEIR, the proposed Project would be consistent with its General Plan designation. The proposed <br />Project would provide housing proximate to local employment centers, commercial retail services and <br />restaurants for onsite residents and employees working nearby. In addition, the proposed Project would <br />provide onsite open space and recreation activities that would integrate into the existing communities <br />around the site. Thus, the redevelopment of the site and change to the area has been planned for by the <br />City. <br />In regard to the provision of affordable units by the Project, the proposed Specific Plan does not include <br />specific requirements for affordable units. However, the proposed Project would result in a residential <br />density of 91 du/ac, which would allow the potential for each proposed residential or mixed -use <br />development to include affordable residential units. Section 3.6 of the proposed Specific Plan describes <br />that the City of Santa Ana has established an Affordable Housing Opportunity and Creation Ordinance <br />(AHOCO) to encourage the development of housing that is affordable to a range of households with <br />varying income levels. The Ordinance is applicable to new residential projects within the Specific Plan area <br />that meet certain criteria. As implementing projects in the Specific Plan area are submitted to the City for <br />review, they would be required to comply with the City's AHOCO or the Project's Development Agreement <br />when approved. In addition, affordable housing is an economic and social issue. CEQA is an environmental <br />protection statute that is concerned with physical changes to the environment (CEQA Guidelines Section <br />15358(b)). The environment includes land, air, water, minerals, flora, fauna, ambient noise, and objects of <br />historic or aesthetic significance (CEQA Guidelines Section 15360). The Project's potential economic and <br />social effects are not considered effects on the environment (CEQA Guidelines Sections 15064(e) and <br />151 31(a)). Thus, consistent with CEQA, the Draft Supplemental EIR includes an analysis of the Project's <br />potentially significant physical impacts on the environment and does not include substantial discussion of the <br />Project's economic or social effects. Because no environmental impacts related to affordable housing would <br />occur, mitigation measures are not required. <br />1✓ <br />