Item 28 - Public Hearing - Amendment Application for the Village Santa Ana Specific Plan

Home Browse Search

The Village Santa Ana Specific Plan Entitlements and Development Agreement (1561 W. Sunflower Avenue) September 16, 2025 Page 19 public access easement with the City and would remain in effect through the life of the Project. Additionally, the Project would require 90 square feet of private open space and 100 square feet of active or passive open space per unit. The Project also prioritizes open space as a key placemaking feature of the development. • Policy OS-2.1 (Recreation Variety) of the OS element encourages a variety of recreation facilities and activities to meet the diverse needs of the community. It also encourages the need for indoor and outdoor recreation opportunities, as well as traditional and trending activities. The Project would feature key open space areas. The Promenade has been designed to draw pedestrians from the residential area west of Bear Street, South Plaza Drive, and beyond to create a distinct destination along Sunflower Avenue. The Square is intended to be an intimate hub for public gathering, events, and relaxation from day to night. Various seating areas, water features, and experiential lighting and art are envisioned to activate the Square. A Fitness Loop would encircle and thread through the Project Site and include special markers to provide a continuous fitness path for residents and neighbors. The Recreation Lawn has been designed as an area where the community and their pets can gather and relax in a low -water -grass space. Moreover, the Project is consistent with and supports Implementation Action No. LU-2.12 (Distinctive Districts) of the LU that requires the development and adoption of specific plans or corridor plans for each of the five focus areas that establish regulations and design standards. A full list of all applicable General Plan goals and policies that support the Project are attached hereto as Appendix B of Exhibit 7. Development Agreement No. 2025-01 The Applicant has requested approval of a development agreement, DA No. 2025-01. Development agreements are contracts negotiated between project proponents and public agencies, such as the City of Santa Ana, that govern the land uses that may be allowed in a particular project (Gov. Code Section 65864 et seq.). Although a development agreement is subject to negotiation, allowable land uses must be consistent with the local planning policies formulated by the legislative body through its general plan and consistent with any applicable specific plan, such as the proposed SP-6 (Gov. Code Section 65867.5). In addition, approval of a development agreement, requires adoption of an ordinance by the City Council. To evaluate DA No. 2025-01 and identify priorities for agreement terms, the City Council formed an Ad Hoc committee in March 2025 comprised of three City Council members. The Ad Hoc committee met to review the Applicant's proposed terms, identify community priorities, and ensure that the final agreement addressed the Ad Hoc committee's priorities. While review of a development agreement is a private contractual process, the extensive community engagement process and routine staff meetings with City Council