200 S. Anaheim Blvd.
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Anaheim, CA 92805
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www.anaheim.net
ITEM NO. 2
PLANNING COMMISSION REPORT
City of Anaheim
PLANNING AND BUILDING DEPARTMENT
DATE: NOVEMBER 17, 2025
SUBJECT: OC RIVER WALK PROJECT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
REPORT NO. 357 (STATE CLEARINGHOUSE NO. 2023030639)
LOCATION: Portions of the Santa Ana River corridor, generally extending from Orangewood Avenue north past Ball Road to the existing Anaheim Coves at Burris Basin.
APPLICANT/PROPERTY OWNER: The applicant is City of Anaheim, and the property ownership ranges from County of Orange Public Works (Flood Control District), Caltrans, Orange County Transportation Authority, Union Pacific Railroad , to Orange County Water District.
REQUEST: The applicant requests recommendation by the Planning Commission that the City Council certify Final Environmental Impact Report ( “EIR”) No. 357 , adopt the Findings of Fact (“FOF”), and adopt Mitigation Monitoring Plan (“MMP”) No. 398 for the OC River Walk project (“Project”).
AUTHORITY: Chapter18.60 (Procedures) of Title 18 (Zoning) of the A naheim Municipal Code (“Code”).
RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends that the Planning Commission approve the attached resolution (Attachment No. 1) recommending that the City Council take the following action:
1. Certify Final EIR No. 357 (Attachment No. 2), adopt the FOF (Attachment No. 3), and adopt the MMP No. 398 (Exhibit B to Attachment No. 1) for the OC River Walk project , determining that Final EIR No. 357 and MMP No. 398 are the appropriate environmental documentation for the Project under the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”).
BACKGROUND: The Project site generally encompasses approximately a 2-mile stretch of the Santa Ana River ( “River”), covering approximately 111 -acres, and is primarily located in the City of Orange and partially located in the City of Anaheim (Attachment No. 4). For the portions the Project site located in the City of Orange, the site is currently designated as Open Space (OS) and zoned Recreation Open Space (R -O). Areas located within the City of A naheim are designated for Open Space General Plan land uses and zoned Transition, Public Recreational.
On the west side of the River in the City of Anaheim, the Project site is located adjacent to Angel Stadium, Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center (“ARTIC”),
Environmental Impact Report No. 357
November 17, 2025
OCVIBE Master Site Plan Project, the Honda Center, and the Arena Corporate Center ( “ACC”) buildings. On the east side of the River in the City of Orange, the Project site is near the Sandra Hutchens Regional Law Enforcement Training Center, the Orange County Public Works offices, the Stadium Promenade shopping mall, the Extended Stay America, and the Kinder Morgan Orange Terminal. In 2023, the City of Anaheim and City of Orange entered into a Cooperative Agreement to facilitate the development and implementation of the Project.
PROPOSAL: Final EIR No. 357 analyses potential environmental impacts of the Project, which consists of various multi-purpose improvements to transform approximately 2-miles of the Santa Ana River corridor and portions of the existing Santa Ana River Trail (“SART”), along with related off-site improvements to implement the OC River Walk Master Plan (Attachment No. 5). The Project improvements aim to enhance and accentuate existing recreational areas, facilitate pedestrian and bicycle access, promote the use of river corridor open space area for community benefit, improve the river’s groundwater recharge potential, maintain f lood protection, and enhance overall connectivity.
FIGURE 1. MASTER PLAN
The main components of the Project involve creating two water impoundments, modifying the east and west riverbanks, constructing two pedestrian/bicycle bridges, providing new trails, improving existing trails, creating new and protection of existing access ramps, constructing two (2) new undercrossings on the west bank at the Union Pacific Railroad and the Metrolink railroad, providing enhanced community recreation amenities (e.g., terraced seating, nature play areas, parklets, plazas, water access, kayak launch, etc.), and other impr ovements identified in the EIR.
The EIR and related documents can be accessed via:
https://www.anaheim.net/876/Environmental-Documents.
FINDINGS AND ANALYSIS:
Environmental Impact Analysis: The City of A naheim, as the lead agency, prepared an EIR in accordance with CEQA and the CEQA Guidelines.
EIR Timeline:
• On March 23, 2023, a Notice of Preparation (“NOP”) and accompanying Initial Study was published in the Anaheim Bulletin and mailed and circulated for public review from March 23, 2023 through April 24, 2023, informing the public and public agencies of the preparation of a Draft EIR. The NOP was also distributed to the Governor’s Office of Land
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November 17, 2025
Use and Climate Innovation (the “State Clearinghouse”), posted on the City’s website, and posted at the Orange County Clerk’s office. At the end of the public comment period, a total of nine agencies and interested parties responded to NOP and provided written comments.
• On March 29, 2023, the City held a scoping meeting at the Honda Center (Brewery X) to solicit input from the public on environmental topics to be studied during preparation of the Draft EIR. The Scoping Meeting was also available to attend virtually . At the end of the meeting, no written comment cards were submitted. Forty-four individuals completed the sign-in sheet for the in-person meeting.
• On July 23, 2025, a Notice of Availability (“NOA”) was emailed, mailed and published in the Anaheim Bulletin informing the public and Public Agencies that the Draft EIR was to be circulated for review for a 45-day period, from July 24, 2025 to September 8, 2025. The NOA was also distributed to the State Clearinghouse, posted on the City’s website, and at the Orange County Clerk’s office, and available for viewing in pers on at City Hall and Sunkist Public Library. In total, the City received seven letters during the comment period.
• On November 4, 2025, the Final EIR, along with response to the Draft EIR comments (Attachment No. 6), was released for public review.
Initial Study/DRAFT EIR Summary:
The Initial Study and the Draft EIR were prepared for the proposed project to analyze significant effects on the environment.
• Environmental topics that were found to have no impact:
o Aesthetics
o Agriculture and Forestry Resources
o Land Use and Planning
o Mineral Resources
o Population and Housing
o Public Services
o Recreation
o Utilities and Service Systems
o Wildfire
• Environmental topics that were found to be less than significa nt without mitigation measures:
o Air Quality
o Cultural Resources
o Geology / Soils
o Greenhouse Gas Emissions
o Hazards / Hazardous Materials
o Transportation
• Environmental topics that were found to be less than significant with mitigation measures incorporated:
Environmental Impact Report No. 357
November 17, 2025
o Biological Resources
o Hydrology and Water Quality
o Noise
o Tribal Cultural Resources
• Environmental topics that were found to be significant and unavoidable: If a topic is found to have impacts that cannot be mitigated to a level that is considered less than significant, the impacts are considered significant and unavoidable. Based on the analysis conducted, the Project would not result in any significant and unavoidable impacts.
• Alternatives: Two alternatives were analyzed in the Draft EIR. Alternative 2 “Group A and C Impoundments and Trails Alternative” was found to be an environmentally superior alternative to the proposed project. Under this Alternative, only the Group A and Group C improvements as defined in Chapter 2 of the Draft EIR would be constructed. As a result, the Group B – New Pedestrian/Bike Bridges and Group D – Enhanced Community Amenities would not occur. Although this Alternative would reduce some potential short- term construction-related impacts, some of the long-term benefits of the project would not be realized. Specifically, the elimination of new pedestrian and bike bridges would reduce VMT, air quality, and GHG benefits associated with the project. This alternative would also eliminate park and open space with the potential for habitat restoration or enhancement efforts; therefore, it would reduce some of the biological resource benefits that could have been achieved through full project implementation.
Final EIR:
The Final EIR (Attachment 2) was prepared pursuant to Section 15132 of the CEQA Guidelines, along with response to agency and public comments made on the Draft EIR and a summary of revisions to the Draft EIR resulting from comments. Along with the Final EIR, an MMP has been prepared, which memorializes the proposed mitigation measures intended to reduce potential impacts. Some of notable mitigation measures include monitoring by a qualified biologist for biological resources, entering into a maintenance and operations agreement(s) with other agencies as necessary, utilization of certain construction specifications within proximity of sensitive receptors, and the site monitoring by a Native American monitor during ground -disturbing activities. The full list is contained in MMP No. 3 98 included as part of Attachment 1. Lastly, along with the MMP, Draft FOF, which provides conclusions and findings required by the CEQA Guidelines, has been prepared . The final FOF will be presented for consideration at the City Council meeting tentatively scheduled on December 9, 2025.
CONCLUSION: Staff recommends that the Planning Commission recommends to the City Council the certification of the Final EIR No. 357, adoption of FOF, and adoption of the MMP No. 398 for the OC River Walk project and determine that Final EIR No. 357 and MMP No. 398 are the appropriate environmental documentation for the project under CEQA. The Final EIR confirms that the proposed project will not have significant environmental impacts when mitigation measures are implemented.
Environmental Impact Report No. 357
November 17, 2025
Prepared by, Submitted by,
Ana Straabe JJ Jimenez
Principal Project Planner Parks Manager
Attachments:
1. Draft Planning Commission CEQA Resolution
2. Final Environmental Impact Report No. 357 with Appendices
3. Draft Findings of Fact
4. Vicinity Map
5. OC River Walk Master Plan
6. Responses to Draft EIR comments