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Chapter 3 Findings Regarding Project Alternatives ¦ Alternative 6: Rehabilitate 611 N. Minter Street in Place Description This alternative would be identical to the proposed Developer Project, with the exception that the bungalow court located at 611 N. Minter Street would be retained and rehabilitated. Once rehabilitated, the units at 611 N. Minter Street would be offered for rent to very-low and extremely-low income households. Alternative 6 would provide 88 rental units, of which 85 would be available to low, very-low and extremely-low income households, and would provide 32 ownership units, of which six units would be available for sale to households meeting the Orange County criteria for Moderate Income. In total, this Alternative would provide approximately 36 fewer low, very-low and extremely-low income units than the proposed Developer Project. (See EIR Appendix J (updated) [Alternatives Testing: Financial Analysis], Table 1, Alternatives Analysis.) Findings The Agency hereby finds that specific economic, legal, social, technological, or other considerations make the adoption of this alternative infeasible. Specifically, as described above, construction of affordable housing units is critical to meeting the City's RHNA for 2006-2014. The location of the 611 N. Minter Street property at the southeast corner of Minter Street and Santa Ana Boulevard serves as one of the primary foundations of both the architectural and engineering design of the largest component of the Developer Project. By eliminating this property from the overall site (identified as Rental Lot 1 on Figure 3-7) it forces a significant redesign of the multi-family development project proposed for this site and results in a significant reduction of units, all of which would be deed-restricted for long-term affordability. Elimination of 36 affordable housing units from the proposed Developer Project inhibits the City's ability to meet its housing requirements. It also inhibits the City's ability to "maximize affordable housing on Agency-owned properties that is of high quality, sustainable, and available to various income levels" (Policy HE-2.8). (See Santa Ana Housing Element (2006-2014).) This alternative also does not go as far to "encourage the construction of rental housing for Santa Ana's residents and workforce, including a commitment to very low, low and moderate income residents and moderate income Santa Ana workers" (Policy HE-2.3) or to "facilitate and encourage a diversity and range in types, prices, and sizes of housing, including single-family homes, apartments, town homes, mixed/multiuse housing, transit-oriented developments, and live/work housing" (Policy HE-2.4). (Id.) In addition to creating infeasibilities due to the reduction in total affordable housing yield, the proposal to rehabilitate the existing units contained within the 611 N. Minter Street bungalow court would not be consistent with the policies contained in the 2006-2014 Housing Element, which identifies the need to create rental units appropriately sized for large families. The existing bungalows at 611 N. Minter Street are currently configured as studio units. The sleeping area is comprised of a "Murphy-style" fold-out bed and the kitchen facilities are minimal. In addition, the property is severely deteriorated. The most likely rehabilitation scenario, which would require the consolidation of existing units, would result in the creation of one one-bedroom unit and six two-bedroom units. This is a much less desirable unit mix than that achieved by the Developer Project. Transit Zoning Code (SD 84) EIR Findings of Fact/Statement of Overriding Considerations 3-13