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<br />Chapter 3 Findings Regarding Project Alternatives
<br />Table 3-2 Alternative 3 and Proposed Transit Zoning Code (SD 84A and SD 84B)
<br />
<br />Characteristics
<br />Land Use Type Alternative 3 Transit Zoning Code (SD 84A and SD 84B) Difference
<br />Residential (units) 2,0264,075 (2,049)
<br />
<br />Retail (sf) 351,000387,000(36,000)
<br />
<br />Industrial (sf) (990,000)(990,000)0
<br />
<br />Commercial (sf) (124,000) (124,000)0
<br />
<br />Civic (sf) (21,000)(21,000)0
<br />
<br />Green (sf) 680,000680,000 0
<br />
<br />Parking (1,534,000) (1,772,000)(238,000)
<br />
<br />SOURCE: PBS&J 2010
<br />
<br />Findings
<br />The City hereby finds that specific economic, legal, social, technological, or other considerations make
<br />the adoption of Alternative 3 infeasible.
<br />Although Alternative 3 would reduce a significant and unavoidable impact of the proposed project to
<br />aesthetics (shading and shadows) to a less than significant level, it would restrict development within the
<br />City to low- to mid-rise development, which would not meet project objectives to the same extent as the
<br />proposed project.
<br />Specifically, this restriction would require a reduction in housing (including affordable housing) from
<br />4,075 units to 2,026 units, which would not meet Santa Ana’s Regional Housing Needs Assessment for
<br />2006-2014, which call for 3,393 units, 1,248 of which must be affordable for low, very low, and extremely
<br />low income households. The City of Santa Ana has a great need for affordable housing – sixty percent of
<br />the households in Santa Ana have low, very low, and extremely low incomes. (City of Santa Ana General
<br />Plan Draft Housing Element, Appendix A, p. A-10.) Goal 2 of the Housing Element is to “provide a
<br />diversity of quality housing, affordability levels, and living experiences that accommodate Santa Ana’s
<br />residents and workforce of all household types, income levels, and age groups to foster an inclusive
<br />community.” Alternative 3 would not meet this goal to the same extent as the proposed project.
<br />Similarly, it would not meet Housing Element policy 2.2, set forth below, to the same extent as the
<br />proposed project:
<br />HE-2.2 District Centers. Create high intensity, mixed-use urban villages and 24-hour
<br />pedestrian-oriented experiences that support the mid-to high-rise office centers,
<br />commercial activity, and cultural activities in the varied District Centers.
<br />Alternative 3 would also fail to implement the following Housing Element policies to the same extent as
<br />the proposed project:
<br />HE-2.1 Downtown. Strengthen Santa Ana’s core as a vibrant mixed-use and mixed-income
<br />environment by capitalizing on the government center, arts district, and historic
<br />downtown and facilitating transit-oriented development and diverse
<br />neighborhoods.
<br />Revised Station District Project and FOL Settlement Agreement Findings of Fact/Statement of Overriding
<br />3-7
<br />Considerations
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