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

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The Village Santa Ana Specific Plan Entitlements and Development Agreement (1561 W. Sunflower Avenue) September 16, 2025 Page 27 Section 15126.2(b) of the CEQA Guidelines requires an EIR to describe "any significant impacts, including those which can be mitigated but not reduced to a level of insignificance." Potential environmental effects of the proposed Project and mitigation measures are discussed in detail throughout Chapter 4 of the Draft SEIR. The Draft SEIR determined that mitigation measures were required to mitigate impacts to a less than significant level for the following resource areas: air quality, cultural resources, geology and soils, noise, and tribal cultural resources. However, the Draft SEIR concluded that despite the incorporation of all feasible mitigation measures, the proposed Project would nonetheless result in significant and unavoidable impacts to recreation. The impacts do not increase the severity of the impacts identified in the GPU Final PEIR. As detailed in Section 4.12 of the SEIR (Recreation), the City currently has approximately 1.2 acres of public park and/or recreational space per every 1,000 residents, which is below the City's parkland aspirational standard of three acres of parkland per 1,000 residents. Based on the City's parkland aspirational standard of three acres of public park and/or recreational space per 1,000 residents, buildout of the Project results in a need for approximately 11.4 additional acres of parkland to serve the estimated 3,815 new residents of the Project Site. The 7.5 acres of publicly accessible open space by the Project would be approximately 3.9 acres less than the City's parkland aspirational standard. Although the proposed Project and cumulative projects would be required to provide park and recreational facilities, private open space, and/or pay in -lieu fees as required by the SAMC, the impacts related to the amount of parkland within the City would be cumulatively considerable and cumulative impacts related to parks and recreational facilities would be significant. The SEIR also evaluated the following alternatives to the proposed Project that would feasibly avoid or lessen the proposed Project's significant environmental impacts while attaining most of the proposed Project's objectives: Alternative 1 (No project/No build), Alternative 2 (Reduced project alternative that reduces the commercial component to 50,000 square feet and eliminates the 300,000-square-foot office), and Alternative 3 (Reduced project alternative with no subterranean parking that would reduce the proposed residential units to 1,000 units, reduce the commercial component to 25,000 square feet, and eliminate subterranean parking). A detailed analysis of environmental impacts and feasibility of each alternative is included in the Final SEIR. A MMRP has been prepared for the Project and is attached to the resolution certifying the Final SEIR No. 2025-01. A Statement of Overriding Considerations will be necessary should the City Council decide to approve the Project because of the significant and unavoidable impacts to recreation. The Statement of Overriding Considerations and Findings for the Project is attached hereto as Exhibit A to Exhibit 1. As required by CEQA Guidelines Section 15087(a), the City filed a Notice of Completion with LCI, State Clearinghouse, indicating that the Draft SEIR had been completed and was available for public review. On April 17, 2025, a Notice of Availability (NOA) of the