2007-027 - Land Use Element and the Urban Design Element

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URBAN DESIGN ELEMENT The residential district west of Harbor Boulevard and south of First Street, is comprised of remnant agricultural parcels which were developed over various time periods. The development form in the area is characterized by a variety of lot sizes, suburban style homes, and a street pattern that less compact compared to that in the east side of the City. In the southwest area, residential development is characterized by large subdivisions containing small, one story, single family post-war tract homes, arranged along a grid street pattern. Further to the south, newer, large tract homes situated on wider and less deep lot sizes, are found along streets with few parkways. Office Districts The office districts in Santa Ana have a relatively strong identity. The older development within areas consist mostly of large residential homes which have been converted to offices. This development trend has maintained the scale of the remaining residences. These older districts, located along North Main, North Broadway, and East Fourth Streets, maintain similar building scale as well as other important urban form characteristics such as landscaped front yards, mature canopy trees over the sidewalks, ornamental street light poles, parking areas located to the rear of the properties, and rich architecture. The pedestrian orientation of these districts is enhanced by a comfortable human scale. A larger office district is located along North Tustin Avenue and the portion of east Fourth Street between the Santa Ana and Costa Mesa Freeways. This area is comprised of garden and mid-rise office complexes that maintain a strong business-like character, a sense of place, and good contextual relationships. The streets cape is uniform with wide building setbacks, mature street trees and landscaped medians. Building scale and orientation consists of two and three-story structures, located behind the front yard. Taller buildings and parking lots are typically located at the rear of the property. Newer commercial office projects have been developed without entrances oriented to the street which is detrimental to pedestrian orientation. These corridors will enhance their urban presence by improving pedestrian oriented features and activities at the street level. Mixed Use Districts Mixed use districts are becoming a growing part of Santa Ana's urban fabric. These districts include a combination of residential and non-residential uses and are generally located near activity nodes and transportation linkages. These mixed use districts provide a high-intensity, pedestrian-friendly environment with employment, housing and leisure opportunities within walking distance to each other. Examples of districts that are introducing residential and commercial uses into existing office settings are MacArthur Place and Metro East. Revised (April 2007) A-10 Resolution No. 2007-027 Page 29 of 35