Planning Commission Minutes 2026-05-28 Special — Santa Ana City Council, September 15, 2026

Planning Commission
Special Meeting Agenda Minutes
May 28, 2026
5:30 P.M.

Council Chamber
22 Civic Center Plaza
Santa Ana, CA
ISURI S. RAMOS
Chair, Ward 3 Representative
CARL BENNINGER
ViceChair
Ward 4 Representative
CHRISTOPHER LEO
CityWide Representative
MANUEL J. ESCAMILLA
Ward 2 Representative
JENNIFER OLIVA
Ward 6 Representative
BAO PHAM
Ward 1 Representative
ALAN WOO
Ward 5 Representative
Ali Pezeshkpour, AICP
Executive Director
Melissa M. Crosthwaite
Legal Counsel
Ricardo Soto, AICP
Planning Manager
Gema Zapien
Recording Secretary
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), if you need special assistance to participate in this Meeting, contact Michael Ortiz, City ADA Program Coordinator, at (714) 6475624. Notification 48 hours prior to the Meeting will enable the City to make reasonable arrangements to assure accessibility to this meeting. The City Council agenda and supporting documentation can be found on the City’s website – www.santaana.org/citymeetings.

CALL TO ORDER
Commissioners: Isuri S. Ramos, Chair
Carl Benninger, ViceChair
Christopher Leo
Manuel J. Escamilla
Jennifer Oliva
Bao Pham
Alan Woo
Executive Director Ali Pezeshkpour, AICP
Legal Counsel Melissa M. Crosthwaite
Planning Manager Ricardo Soto, AICP
Recording Secretary Gema Zapien
ROLL CALL
Minutes: Quorum was reached at 5:32 PM with Commissioner Escamilla arriving at 5:33 PM and Vice Chair Benninger and Commissioner Oliva absent.

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
PUBLIC COMMENTS
CONSENT CALENDAR ITEMS
Minutes
Recommended Action: Approve Minutes from the meeting of May 11, 2026.

Excused Absences
Recommended Action: Excuse absent commissioners.

Moved by Commissioner Woo, seconded by Commissioner Leo to Approve.

YES: 5 – Bao Pham, Isuri Ramos, Alan Woo, Christopher Leo, Manuel J. Escamilla NO: 0 – ABSTAIN: 0 – ABSENT: 2 – Carl Benninger, Jennifer Oliva Status: 5 – 0 – 0 – 2 – Pass
*End of Consent Calendar*
BUSINESS CALENDAR
Public Hearing: The Planning Commission decision on Conditional Use Permits, Variances, Tentative Tract and Parcel Maps, Minor Exceptions, Site Plan Review, and Public Convenience or Necessity Determinations are final unless appealed within 10 days of the decision by any interested party or group (refer to the Basic Meeting Information page for more information). The Planning Commission recommendation on Zoning and General Plan amendments, Development Agreements, Specific Developments, and Specific Plans will be forwarded to the City Council for final determination. Legal notice was published in the OC Reporter on May 1, 2026 and notices were mailed on said date.

1. SITE PLAN REVIEW NO. 202601 AND DENSITY BONUS AGREEMENT NO. 202601 FOR THE PROPERTY LOCATED AT 2101 EAST FOURTH STREET LOCATED WITHIN THE PROFESSIONAL (P) ZONE AND WITHIN THE METRO EAST MIXEDUSE OVERLAY ZONE.

Project Location
: 2101 East Fourth Street, located within the Professional (P) zone and within the Metro East MixedUse Overlay Zone (MEMU) Proposed Project: Applicant is requesting approval of Site Plan Review No. 202601 and Density Bonus Agreement No. 202601 to facilitate the construction of a sevenstory mixeduse development consisting of 274 residential units, fourteen of which would be designated for extremely lowincome households, and approximately 20,714 square feet of groundfloor commercial space. The Applicant requests approval of a Density Bonus Agreement pursuant to California Government Code Section 65915 and Santa Ana Municipal Code Section 41 1600 to allow a density of 92 dwelling units per acre and to permit one incentive/concession and waivers or reductions from development standards related to setbacks, building height, and publicly accessible open space.

Environmental Impact:

Pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act
(CEQA) and the CEQA Guidelines, the project is exempt from further review pursuant to Section 15168 (Program EIR), as the Project is within the scope of the previously certified 2007 MEMU Program EIR (SCH No. 2006031041) and 2018 Subsequent EIR, and would not result in new or more severe impacts or require additional review under Sections 15162 or 15163. Accordingly, no further environmental review is required, and a Notice of Exemption, Environmental Review No. 202501, will be filed for the project.

RESOLUTION NO. 2026XX
A RESOLUTION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF SANTA ANA APPROVING SITE PLAN REVIEW NO. 202601, AS CONDITIONED, FOR A SEVEN STORY MIXEDUSE RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT CONSISTING OF 274 RESIDENTIAL UNITS FOR THE PROPERTY LOCATED AT 2101 EAST FOURTH STREET (APN: 40004103)
RESOLUTION NO. 2026XX
A RESOLUTION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF SANTA ANA APPROVING ONE INCENTIVE/CONCESSION AND TWO (2) WAIVERS OR REDUCTIONS OF DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS PURSUANT TO STATE
DENSITY BONUS LAW TO BE MEMORIALIZED IN DENSITY BONUS
AGREEMENT NO. 202601, AS CONDITIONED, FOR A SEVEN STORY MIXED USE RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT CONSISTING OF 274 RESIDENTIAL UNITS FOR THE PROPERTY LOCATED AT 2101 EAST FOURTH STREET (APN: 400 04103)
Recommended Actions:

1. Adopt a resolution approving Site Plan Review No. 202601, as conditioned; and

2. Adopt a resolution approving a concession and waivers or reductions in development standards as memorialized in Density Bonus Agreement No. 202601, as conditioned.

Moved by Commissioner Woo, seconded by Commissioner Escamilla to Approve.

YES: 5 – Bao Pham, Isuri Ramos, Alan Woo, Christopher Leo, Manuel J.

Escamilla
NO: 0 – ABSTAIN: 0 – ABSENT: 2 – Carl Benninger, Jennifer Oliva Status: 5 – 0 – 0 – 2 – Pass
Minutes: Staff provided a short presentation.

Commission had questions for staff.

Staff answered questions from Commission.

Commission had questions for the Applicant.

Christine Saunders and Dan Young, on behalf of the Applicant, answered questions from the Commission.
*End of Business Calendar*
STAFF COMMENTS
Minutes: Staff had comments for the Commission.

COMMISSIONER COMMENTS
Minutes: Commission had comments for staff.

ADJOURNMENT
The next meeting of the Planning Commission will be on June 8, 2026, at 5:30 PM in the Council Chamber located at 22 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, CA 92701.

Minutes: Meeting was adjourned at 6:48 PM.

APPEAL INFORMATION
The formal action by the Planning Commission shall become effective after the tenday appeal period, unless the City Council in compliance with section 41643, 41644 or 41645 holds a public hearing on the matter, then the formal action will become effective on the day following the hearing and decision by the City Council. An appeal from the decision or requirement of the Planning Commission may be made by any interested party, individual, or group. The appeal must be filed with the Clerk of the Council, accompanied by the required filing fee, and a copy sent to the Planning Department, within ten days of the date of the Commission's action, by 5:00 p.m. If the final day to appeal falls on a City Hall observed holiday or a day when City hall is closed, the final day to appeal shall be extended to the next day City Hall is open for public business. Please note: Under California Government Code Sec. 65009, if you challenge in court any of the matters on this agenda for which a public hearing is to be conducted, you may be limited to raising only those issues which you (or someone else) raised orally at the public hearing or in written correspondence received by the Planning Commission or City Council at or before the hearing.

MEETING INFORMATION
If you would like to learn how to use Zoom before the meeting, visit Zoom Video Tutorials.

1. Connecting directly from your computer:

Click on the link on top of this agenda OR
Go to Zoom.us and click "Join a Meeting" at the top. Enter the Meeting ID. The Meeting ID is listed at the top of this agenda.

To speak during the meeting: When you wish to comment on an item that is being is discussed, click on the button next to your name to virtually raise your hand and let us know you wish to speak. You will have 3 minutes.

2. Connecting via the Zoom App:

Download the free Zoom Cloud Meetings app from your favorite app store.

Launch the app and click on the blue Join a Meeting button. Enter the Meeting ID, your name, and the blue Join button. The Meeting ID is listed at the top of this agenda.

3. Dialing in from a mobile phone or landline:

Dial (669) 9006833. When prompted, enter the meeting ID. The Meeting ID is listed at the top of this agenda.

To speak during the meeting: When you wish to comment on an item that is being is discussed, press *9 on your phone to virtually raise your hand. You will have 3 minutes.

Submit a written comment
You are invited to submit a written comment in one of the following ways:

Email PBAecomments@santaana.org and reference the topic in the subject line.

Mail to Gema Zapien, Recording Secretary, City of Santa Ana, 20 Civic Center Plaza – M20, Santa Ana, CA 92701.

Deadline to submit written comments, including any supplement materials for consideration by the Planning Commission, is 3:30 p.m. on the day of the meeting. Comments received after the deadline may not be distributed to the Commission but will be made part of the record. All attendees wishing to submit written comments or supplemental materials for distribution to Planning Commission members during the inperson meeting must provide 15 printed copies.

TRANSLATION SERVICES Members of the public may request an interpreter 48 hours in advance to assist a nonenglish speaker during the public comments sections of the meeting. Notification of 48 hours prior to the Meeting will enable the City to make reasonable arrangements to assure accessibility to this meeting.

Simultaneous Spanish interpretation is provided through the use of headsets and consecutive interpretation (SpanishtoEnglish) in addition to those wishing to address the Commission at the podium.

Los miembros del público pueden solicitar un intérprete con 48 horas de anticipación para asistir a una persona que no habla inglés durante la sección de comentarios públicos de la reunión. La notificación con 48 horas de anticipación permitirá a la Ciudad hacer los arreglos razonables necesarios para garantizar el acceso a esta reunión. La interpretación simultánea al español se ofrece por medio del uso de audífonos y la interpretación consecutiva (español a inglés) también está disponible para cualquiera que desee dirigirse a la Comisión en el podio.