Planning and Building Agency
www.santa-ana.org/planning-division
Item # 37
City of Santa Ana
20 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, CA 92701
Staff Report
August 20, 2024
TOPIC: Zoning Ordinance Amendment No. 2024-01 for South Coast Technology Center at 3100, 3110, 3120, 3130, and 3400 West Lake Center Drive (collectively referred to as 3100 W. Lake Center Drive)
AGENDA TITLE
Zoning Ordinance Amendment No. 2024-01 for South Coast Technology Center at 3100, 3110, 3120, 3130, and 3400 West Lake Center Drive (collectively referred to as 3100 W. Lake Center Drive) (Second Reading)
Legal notice published in the OC Reporter on August 9, 2024.
RECOMMENDED ACTION
1. Conduct a second reading and adopt an ordinance approving Zoning Ordinance Amendment (ZOA) No. 2024-01.
ORDINANCE NO. NS-3068 entitled ZONING ORDINANCE AMENDMENT NO. 2024- 01 - AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA ANA AMENDING SPECIFIC DEVELOPMENT NO. 58 (SD-58) TO ESTABLISH
PERMITTED AND CONDITIONALLY PERMITTED LIGHT INDUSTRIAL LAND
USES, ESTABLISH DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS FOR THE NEW
PROPOSED USES, AND TO INCLUDE ADDITIONAL
COMPREHENSIVE/ZONING TEXT EDITS AND UPDATES, TO FACILITATE
THE CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW INDUSTRIAL PARK DEVELOPMENT
NAMED THE SOUTH COAST TECHNOLOGY CENTER LOCATED AT 3100, 3110, 3120, 3130, AND 3400 WEST LAKE CENTER DRIVE (APNS: 414-272- 09, 414-272-10, AND 414-261-01)
2. Determine that, pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the project is exempt from CEQA pursuant to Section 15183 of the CEQA Guidelines (Projects Consistent with a Community Plan or Zoning). Environmental Review No. 2023-109 will be re-filed for this project.
GOVERNMENT CODE §84308 APPLIES: Yes
Yes.
ZOA No. 2024-01 for South Coast Technology Center at 3100 West Lake Center Drive August 20, 2024
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DISCUSSION
At its August 6, 2024 regular meeting, the City Council held a public hearing and considered the staff report, recommendations by staff, and public testimony concerning the ordinance for the project located at 3100, 3110, 3120, 3130, and 3400 West Lake Center Drive (collectively referred to as 3100 W. Lake Center Drive).
The City Council unanimously approved the first reading of ZOA No. 2024-01 as presented by staff.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
Pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the CEQA Guidelines, the project is exempt from further review per Section 15183 (Projects Consistent with a Community Plan, General Plan, or Zoning) of the CEQA Guidelines. The environmental review contained in Exhibit 6 of the original staff report has been prepared and peer reviewed by a qualified CEQA consultant hired by the City, to assess the potential for the proposed project to result in environmental effects and whether the proposed project qualifies for an exemption under Section 15183 of the CEQA Guidelines. Moreover, the analysis evaluated whether the potential environmental impacts are addressed in the City of Santa Ana General Plan Update Final Recirculated Program Environmental Impact Report (GPU EIR). Specifically, the analysis evaluates demolition of the three existing office buildings, a parking structure, and parking lots to construct three new Class A industrial buildings for office, manufacturing, and/or warehouse use, ancillary improvements including landscaping, parking, freestanding signage, site lighting, and fencing as well as proposed off-site improvements including replacing asphalt, new grind and overlay, relocating the tree wells from the sidewalk to back of sidewalk, and modifications to sidewalks as needed to ensure ADA compliance.
CEQA Guidelines Section 15183 allows a streamlined environmental review process for projects that are consistent with the densities established by existing zoning, community plan, or general plan policies for which an environmental impact report (EIR) was certified and does not require additional environmental review, except as might be necessary to examine whether there are project-specific significant effects which are peculiar to the project or its site. Moreover, projects that are consistent with the densities and use characteristics considered by the GPU EIR may qualify for the CEQA Guidelines Section 15183 Exemption process. Specifically, as set forth in CEQA Guidelines Section 15183(d), the 15183 exemption applies to projects which meet the following conditions:
1. The project is consistent with:
A. A community plan adopted as part of a general plan,
B. A zoning action which zoned or designated the parcel on which the project would be located to accommodate a particular density of development, or ZOA No. 2024-01 for South Coast Technology Center at 3100 West Lake Center Drive August 20, 2024
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C. A general plan of a local agency, and
2. An EIR was certified by the lead agency for the zoning action, the community plan, or the general plan.
The GPU was adopted, and the GPU EIR certified, in April 2022 (State Clearinghouse Number 2020029087); the GPU went into effect on May 26, 2022. Any decision by the City affecting land use and development must be consistent with the GPU. The GPU EIR evaluates the potential environmental effects associated with implementation of the GPU and addresses appropriate and feasible mitigation measures that would minimize or eliminate these impacts. Pursuant to Section 15183(i)(2) of the CEQA Guidelines, a project is consistent with the GPU if the development density does not exceed what was contemplated and analyzed for the parcel(s) in the certified GPU EIR and complies with the associated standards applicable to that development density. Development density standards can include the number of dwelling units per acre, the number of people in a given area, floor area ratio (FAR), and other measures of building intensity, building height, size limitations, and use restrictions.
The prepared environmental review provides a limited examination of environmental effects for the proposed project, evaluating whether there are impacts that are peculiar to the project or the project site, impacts not analyzed as significant effects in the GPU EIR, potentially significant off-site or cumulative impacts not evaluated in the GPU EIR, or previously identified significant effects that are determined to have a more severe adverse impact than discussed in the GPU EIR. Moreover, the review analyzed impacts to aesthetics, agricultural and forestry resources, air quality, biological resources, cultural resources, energy consumption, site geology and soils, greenhouse gas emissions, hazards and hazardous materials, hydrology and water quality, land use and planning, mineral resources, noise, population and housing, public services, recreation, transportation, tribal cultural resources, utilities and service systems, and wildfire risk. Additionally, the review outlines implementation of applicable regulatory requirements and mitigation measures detailed in GPU EIR, related to the above-listed topics analyzed in the environmental review.
The environmental review concluded that the proposed project is consistent with buildout of the General Plan Update. Upon implementation of regulatory requirements and mitigation measures related to air quality, cultural resources, geology and soils, and noise, the proposed project would not have any specific effects, which are peculiar to the project or the project site. Moreover, there are no project specific impacts or potentially significant off-site or cumulative impacts that the GPU PEIR did not analyze, and there are no new significant or substantially more severe impacts to aesthetics, agricultural and forestry resources, air quality, biological resources, cultural resources, energy consumption, site geology and soils, greenhouse gas emissions, hazards and hazardous materials, hydrology and water quality, land use and planning, mineral resources, noise, population and housing, public services, recreation, transportation, ZOA No. 2024-01 for South Coast Technology Center at 3100 West Lake Center Drive August 20, 2024
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tribal cultural resources, utilities and service systems, and wildfire risk, than anticipated by the GPU PEIR. Based on this analysis, a Notice of Exemption, Environmental Review No. 2023-109 will be filed for this project.
ECONOMIC AND FISCAL IMPACTS
The proposed development associated with the amendment request is anticipated to generate a total of 687 permanent jobs (425 on-site and 262 off-site) and 555 one-time jobs associated with its construction. Additionally, the project would deliver a substantial positive impact to the City’s economy with the production of goods and services increasing by $256.1 million annually, as calculated and presented by City of Sana Ana consultant DTA (formerly known as David Taussig and Associates) in the Fiscal and Economic Benefit Analysis contained in Exhibit 2 (August 6, 2024 City Council Staff Report). This growth in jobs and economic output would have a positive impact on the City, as it would expand its economic base, thereby providing a strong foundation for the City’s continued economic growth and fiscal health.
Additionally, the associated redevelopment with the amendment request is anticipated to generate a sizable annual recurring incremental fiscal surplus at build-out of $257,736 based on the generation of $460,412 in annual recurring revenues including property taxes, sales tax, licenses and permit, service fees, and other applicable local taxes and $202,676 in recurring annual costs that include Police, Fire, Public Works, Parks and Recreation, Community Development Department services, Library, Museum, and general government services, as calculated and presented by City of Sana Ana consultant DTA in the Fiscal and Economic Benefit Analysis contained in Exhibit 2 (August 6, 2024 City Council Staff Report). The annual revenues generated are projected to equal 2.27 times the associated City General Fund costs thus generating a positive net fiscal impact.
EXHIBIT(S)
1. Zoning Ordinance Amendment Ordinance
2. August 6, 2024 City Council Meeting Link
Submitted By: Minh Thai, Executive Director, Planning and Building Agency Approved By: Alvaro Nuñez, City Manager