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OCTA I July 2016 r�� <br />VIASupplement J <br />Memo <br />DA: Thursday, July 14, 2016 <br />Project Santa Ana/Garden Grove Fixed Guideway Project <br />To: Jim Hecht, Project Manager/HDR <br />From: Clint Meyer, Senior Environmental Planner/HDR <br />Subject: Supplemental Visual Impact Analysis prepared in support of Minor Design <br />Modifications for the Santa Ana/Garden Grove Fixed Guideway Project <br />HDR performed a supplemental visual impact analysis on the preliminary engineering <br />(30% design) for the Orange County Transportation Authority's (OCTA) Santa Ana/Garden <br />Grove Fixed Guideway Project (Project). The purpose of this analysis was to identify any <br />changes to visual effects that were previously disclosed in the adopted Environmental <br />Assessment/Finding of No Significant Impact (EA/FONSI) (2015), due to several design <br />modifications with the advancement of engineering since the Project (and conceptual <br />design) was approved in 2015. <br />Project Background <br />Construction and operations of the Project (the adopted Locally Preferred Alternative, or <br />"LPA") defined at a conceptual engineering level, was approved by the FTA in a Finding of <br />No Significant Impact (FONSI), dated March 10, 2015 pursuant to the National <br />Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The approval of the project was based on findings of <br />the Revised Environmental Assessment (EA) (January 2015). The City of Santa Ana, the <br />Lead Agency under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), certified the Final <br />Environmental Impact Report (EIR) (State Clearinghouse #2010051060) in January 2015. <br />OCTA subsequently adopted the Final EIR as a Responsible Agency under CEQA. <br />The project has since advanced with the completion of the 30% design in May 2016. <br />OCTA as the lead in design and implementation of the Project, is proposing minor design <br />modifications to the LPA as defined in the Revised EA/Final EIR as approved by FTA and <br />OCTA The modifications comprise of physical and operational improvements, and are <br />partly derived from value engineering and risk workshops conducted in 2015, as well as <br />design coordination with the Cities of Santa Ana and Garden Grove. The modifications <br />are not anticipated to result in changes to the maintenance plan for the Project. <br />11 Page <br />