Planning and Building Agency
www.santa-ana.org/planning-and-building/
Item # 18
City of Santa Ana
20 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, CA 92701
Staff Report
October 7, 2025
TOPIC: The Village Santa Ana Specific Plan – Second Readings for Amendment Application and Development Agreement Ordinances (1561 W. Sunflower Avenue)
AGENDA TITLE
Second Readings for Amendment Application No. 2025-01 and Development Agreement No. 2025-01 Ordinances for The Village Santa Ana Specific Plan Project Located at 1561 W. Sunflower Avenue.
Legal notices published in the OC Reporter on September 19, 2025.
RECOMMENDED ACTIONS
1.Conduct a second reading and adopt an ordinance approving Amendment Application No. 2025-01 establishing The Village Santa Ana Specific Plan (Specific Plan No. 6) and approving a zone change for the Project Site at 1561 W. Sunflower Avenue from Specific Development No. 48 to Specific Plan No. 6; and ORDINANCE NO. NS-3086 entitled AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA ANA APPROVING AMENDMENT APPLICATION NO. 2025-01 TO ESTABLISH THE VILLAGE SANTA ANA SPECIFIC PLAN AND TO
APPROVE A ZONE CHANGE FOR THE PROJECT SITE GENERALLY
LOCATED AT 1561 W. SUNFLOWER AVENUE, FROM SPECIFIC
DEVELOPMENT NO. 48 TO THE VILLAGE SANTA ANA SPECIFIC PLAN (SP-6)
2. Conduct a second reading and adopt an ordinance approving Development Agreement No. 2025-01.
ORDINANCE NO. NS-3087 entitled AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA ANA APPROVING DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT NO. 2025-01 FOR THE VILLAGE SANTA ANA SPECIFIC PLAN PROJECT GENERALLY LOCATED AT 1561 W. SUNFLOWER AVENUE, BETWEEN THE
CITY OF SANTA ANA AND SOUTH COAST PLAZA, A CALIFORNIA GENERAL
PARTNERSHIP
3. Determine that, pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the ordinances’ second readings are covered by the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Report (SEIR) No. 2025-01 (SCH No. 2020029087), including environmental findings of fact pursuant to the California Environmental
The Village Santa Ana Specific Plan Ordinances Second Readings (1561 W. Sunflower Avenue)
October 7, 2025
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5 4
Quality Act, the Statement of Overriding Considerations, and the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program that were certified and adopted by the City Council on September 16, 2025 for the Project (Notice of Determination filed on September 18, 2025).
GOVERNMENT CODE §84308 APPLIES: Yes
DISCUSSION
At its September 16, 2025, regular meeting, the City Council held a public hearing and considered the staff report, recommendations by staff, and public testimony concerning the subject applications. Following closure of the public hearing, City Council unanimously approved the subject applications by a vote of 7-0 and requested the following modifications to the Specific Plan:
1. Amend figures 3-5 (Circulation Network) and 3-15 (Conceptual Pedestrian Network) and Chapter 6 (Administration and Implementation) to require the installation of the two traffic signals along Bear Street to be constructed within 24 months of the effective date of ordinance approving AA No. 2025-01.
2. Amend Figure 3-8b (Bear Street Proposed Cross-Section) to reflect the same configuration of landscape, sidewalk, parkway, Class IV bike lane, and landscape buffer between bike lane and vehicle lane as shown in Figure 3-6B (Sunflower Avenue Proposed Cross-Section) and allow a reduction in vehicle lane from 15 feet to 11 feet, as needed, to accommodate such improvements.
3. Amend Figure 3-13 (Proposed Loading Zone) to indicate and show no commercial loading along Bear Street, Sunflower Avenue, and Plaza Drive.
4. Amend Figure 3-16 (Conceptual Bicycle Network) to indicate a Class IV bike lane along Bear Street.
5. Amend Table 4-1 (Permitted Uses) to require a Conditional Use Permit for hotels.
These modifications have been included in the updated Specific Plan that is posted to the City’s project webpage and redlines have been included in this staff report as Exhibit 3.
As the requested entitlements include two ordinances, pursuant to Section 413 of Division 2 of Article IV (City Council) of the City’s Charter, they require second readings.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
In accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act, the ordinances’ second readings are covered by the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Report (SEIR) No. 2025-01 (SCH No. 2020029087), including environmental findings of fact pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act, the Statement of Overriding Considerations, and The Village Santa Ana Specific Plan Ordinances Second Readings (1561 W. Sunflower Avenue)
October 7, 2025
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the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program that were certified and adopted by the City Council on September 16, 2025 for the Project (Notice of Determination filed on September 18, 2025).
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with the approval of the subject ordinances’ second readings.
EXHIBITS
1. Amendment Application Ordinance
2. Development Agreement Ordinance
3. Redlines to Specific Plan
4. Link to Updated (Clean) The Village Santa Ana Specific Plan and Appendices
5. Link to Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Report
6. Link to September 16, 2025 City Council Public Hearing Submitted By: Ali Pezeshkpour, AICP, Executive Director of Planning and Building Agency
Approved By: Alvaro Nuñez, City Manager