Section 3A Land Use
3A.1 Summary The following is a summary of the proposed project’s potential impacts to land use, any necessary mitigation measures, and the level of significance after mitigation.
Significance Potential Impact Mitigation Measure(s) after mitigation SANTIAGO HILLS II PLANNED COMMUNITY Potential Impact 3A-1. No mitigation was included in 2000 SEIR 1278. Less than Division of Established No new mitigation is required. significant Community Potential Impact 3A-2. MM-LU-1 from 2000 SEIR 1278 has been implemented by the Less than Conflict with Applicable Land proposed project and would no longer be applicable. (For significant Use Plans MM-LU-2 from 2000 SEIR 1278, see Section 3I, Visual Resources.)
2000 SEIR 1278 mitigation measure that has been partially implemented by the proposed project but the remainder continues to be applicable: MM LU-3. Limit grading (implemented), prepare tree survey (implemented), and provide tree replacement and monitoring to reduce impacts to Irvine Regional Park. No new mitigation is required. Potential Impact 3A-3. No mitigation was included in 2000 SEIR 1278. Less than Conflict with Applicable HCP or No new mitigation is required. significant NCCP EAST ORANGE PLANNED COMMUNITY – AREA 1 Potential Impact 3A-1. No mitigation is required. Less than Division of Established significant Community Potential Impact 3A-2. No mitigation is required. Less than Conflict with Applicable Land significant Use Plans Potential Impact 3A-3. No mitigation is required. Less than Conflict with Applicable HCP or significant NCCP EAST ORANGE PLANNED COMMUNITY – AREAS 2 AND 3 AND REMAINING AREAS Potential Impact 3A-1. No mitigation is required. Less than Division of Established significant Community
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Significance Potential Impact Mitigation Measure(s) after mitigation Potential Impact 3A-2. No mitigation is required. Less than Conflict with Applicable Land significant Use Plans Potential Impact 3A-3. No mitigation is required. Less than Conflict with Applicable HCP or significant NCCP
3A.2 Introduction This section analyzes the potential impacts of the proposed project on land use and on the project’s consistency with applicable land use plans. Land use plans include the County General Plan, the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) Regional Transportation Plan and Regional Comprehensive Plan, the adopted City General Plan and East Orange General Plan, and the City Integrated General Plan.
Public and agency comments received during the review of the notice of preparation and scoping meetings were considered during the analysis of potential impacts to land use. SCAG reminded the City that the EIR must discuss inconsistencies between the proposed project and the applicable general and regional plans. The County LAFCO requested that this Draft SEIR/EIR address any future amendments to the City’s Sphere of Influence that might result from the proposed development and annexation. (The City does not propose to change the boundaries of its Sphere of Influence at this time, so no further discussion of changes to the Sphere of Influence is included in this document.)
Comments on land use received from the public included requests for other land uses within the project area and questions about the project’s compatibility with local and regional land use plans, policies and regulations. See Appendix A-4 for a list of comments received during scoping.
3A.3 Setting
3A.3.1 Regional Setting The proposed project is in unincorporated Orange County within the eastern portion of the City Sphere of Influence. It adjoins both sides of SR-241 and Santiago Canyon Road, as described in Chapter 2, Project Description, of this Draft SEIR/EIR. The proposed project site and the lands to its north, south, and east are largely undeveloped and include dedicated parks and open-space lands.
The corporate boundaries of the City encompass a land area of 24 square miles, with a Sphere of Influence of 55 square miles. The Sphere of Influence describes the unincorporated County area adjoining the City that comprises its “probable physical boundaries and service area,” as determined by the County LAFCO (Government Code Section 56076). Land must be within the City’s Sphere of Influence before it may be annexed to the City. Until such time as they are annexed, lands within the Sphere of Influence are subject to County (not City) land use policies and regulations.
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3A.3.2 Existing Site Characteristics The proposed project area consists of a series of steep hills and valleys on the southern flank of the Santa Ana Mountains, with the eastern part of the site being somewhat steeper and more varied than the western part. The Santiago Hills II Planned Community portion of the site is west of SR-241/261. It is undeveloped, with the exception of a 6 million-gallon water reservoir owned by IRWD and a Christmas tree farm at the northwest corner of Jamboree Road and Santiago Canyon Road. The proposed Santiago Hills II Planned Community portion of the site is crossed by Santiago Canyon Road and adjoins Jamboree Road.
The East Orange Planned Community is located east of SR-241/261. East Orange Planned Community Area 1 is generally located north of Santiago Canyon Road, west and south of the closed Santiago Canyon Landfill, and east of SR-241/261. East Orange Planned Community Area 2 consists of steep hills and drainages on the north side of Santiago Canyon Road and east of the closed Santiago Canyon Landfill and Irvine Lake. East Orange Planned Community Area 3 is located on the south side of Santiago Canyon Road, east of East Orange Planned Community Area 2. East Orange Planned Community Areas 1, 2, and 3 are adjoined by permanently protected open space, including IRLR and The Nature Reserve, established by the Central/Coastal NCCP.
The now-closed Santiago Canyon Landfill is located adjacent to the west side of Irvine Lake, north of Santiago Canyon Road. The landfill was operated by the County and is currently being capped. Eventually, the landfill slopes will be restored with native plant communities.
East of the landfill is the 570-acre Irvine Lake, which is fed by flows from Santiago and Limestone Canyon Creeks. Irvine Lake, which is privately owned, offers a variety of recreational activities, including fishing, camping, rental boats, and hiking. Other facilities include a café and a bait and tackle shop. East of the reservoir, Black Star, Santiago, and Limestone Canyons contain well-developed riparian communities.
A concrete batch plant is located on the eastern end of Irvine Lake in the Santiago Creek arm of the reservoir. It adjoins the site of a prior surface mining operation that is now being reclaimed. Reclamation efforts have resulted in the filling and leveling of the mining areas so that they are now above the level of Irvine Lake.
3A.3.3 Surrounding Land Uses The proposed project site is adjoined by the City of Orange to the west and unincorporated Orange County to the east. The Santiago Hills I residential development adjoins the western end of the proposed project site, as does Santiago Canyon College. Santiago Hills I includes both attached and detached dwellings, a school, police substation, fire station, and a neighborhood commercial center. In general, the lands are urbanized west of the project area in the City, to the southwest in Tustin, to the south in Irvine, and to the north in Anaheim.
Santiago Canyon College is the 82-acre eastern campus of the Rancho Santiago Community College District. It offers a full curriculum to a student population exceeding 5,000. On the basis of a $337 million bond for renovation and new construction at Santiago Canyon College and the district’s Santa Ana College, the district will build a new student services building, library/learning center, science building, student activity and sports center, and parking facilities. Upon completion in approximately
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2018, Santiago Canyon College will have the capacity to meet the needs of a projected 20,000 students (Santiago Canyon College 2004).
The proposed project area is bisected by SR-241/261 and Santiago Canyon Road and is surrounded by a range of existing land uses. On the west side of SR-241/261, Irvine Regional Park is north of the proposed site and Peters Canyon Regional Park flanks the area to the southwest. East of SR-241/261, extensive areas of natural open space abut the development areas, principally to the north and east. These open space areas include The Nature Reserve and IRLR. The western boundary of the Cleveland National Forest is approximately 2 to 3 miles east of the project area’s easternmost point.
Irvine Regional Park encompasses approximately 477 acres. The park contains two lakes, an excursion railroad, and the Orange County Zoo. A variety of activities are available within the park, including picnicking, horseback riding, pony rides, and bicycling.
Peters Canyon Regional Park occupies 354 acres west of SR-241/261 and south/east of Irvine Regional Park. It is a nature park with picnic areas and hiking/biking/equestrian trails.
Portions of the Santiago Hills II and East Orange Planned Communities study area are included in the Central/Coastal NCCP. A reserve and associated implementation agreement specifying additional funding, adaptive management, and impact minimization measures were developed to protect the target species and habitat. The 37,000-acre reserve borders the proposed site on the north and south, and includes portions of Irvine Regional Park and Peters Canyon Regional Park. The reserve is administered by The Nature Reserve, which includes representatives of the City, USFWS, CDFG, The Irvine Company, and local environmental groups.
IRLR stretches from Weir Canyon near SR-91 at the north end of Irvine Ranch, connects with the Cleveland National Forest along the northeast border of the ranch, continues south to include large regional open space systems in the northern and southern hillsides of Irvine, and extends to the Laguna Coast Wilderness Park and Crystal Cove State Park near Laguna Beach. This includes portions of the East Orange study area, described in the following section. IRLR and NCCP are not mutually exclusive, and there is substantial overlap of their areas. The total amount of The Irvine Company land set aside for wilderness, greenbelts, parks, and recreation areas is more than 50,000 acres.
East of the proposed site are a number of small communities located along Silverado Canyon and Santiago Canyon roads. These include numerous single-family homes and small commercial establishments. The Silverado–Modjeska Parks and Recreation District maintains and operates a recreational center on Silverado Canyon Road, approximately 2 miles east of the project.
3A.3.4 Regulatory Setting Project land use is affected by the plans and policies of the City, County, OCTA, SCAG, and the State of California. The following discusses the plans and policies that apply to the proposed project.
3A.3.4.1 City of Orange The City adjoins the proposed site, which is within the City’s Sphere of Influence. Until such time as the proposed site is annexed to the City, it is under the land use jurisdiction of the County. However,
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LAFCO requires that the City adopt plans and prezone areas that it hopes to annex, as it has done for the East Orange study area, described below.
State planning law requires each city and county to adopt a general plan “for the physical development of the county or city, and of any land outside its boundaries which in the planning agency’s judgment bears relation to its planning” (Government Code Section 65300). The City of Orange adopted its general plan in 1989 and in the same year also adopted the East Orange General Plan (amended in 2000). The East Orange General Plan was adopted to provide land use guidance for areas in the East Orange project area. As part of this project, the City is currently revising the general plan and East Orange General Plan, incorporating them into one document as the City of Orange Integrated General Plan. Included in the Integrated General Plan is the East Orange study area (formerly covered by the East Orange General Plan), which is currently outside of the city limits, but wholly within the Sphere of Influence. The East Orange study area portion of the Integrated General Plan establishes the land use policies that would apply to the area upon such time as it is annexed to the City. This consolidation of the policies in the Integrated General Plan would ensure that when the East Orange study area is annexed into the City it would be subject to planning policies and land use designations that are consistent with the City General Plan. State planning law (Government Code Section 65300 et seq.) requires that a general plan maintain internal consistency (i.e., all parts of the plan are in agreement), and the update is intended to meet that requirement. As part of the Integrated General Plan, the existing East Orange General Plan policies are to be revised as general plan policies for the East Orange study area to accommodate proposed revisions to the Santiago Hills II and East Orange Planned Communities described in Chapter 2, Project Description. This East Orange study area portion of the Integrated General Plan would replace the previous East Orange General Plan, which would be rescinded. The East Orange study area plans and policies would not supercede the land use powers of the County; they would become effective only at such time as the land is annexed to the City.
Land uses are regulated through the City’s zoning ordinance. The City proposes to prezone the proposed project site, as allowed under Government Code Section 65859, as part of the annexation proceedings. While the City may identify policies for land outside its jurisdiction in anticipation of eventual annexation, the zoning ordinance has no effect outside the City limits. Prezoning would become effective at such time as the annexation is approved.
Adopted Land Use Designations The adopted East Orange General Plan designated several distinct land uses for the East Orange study area, as listed in Table 3A-1.
Table 3A-1. Adopted East Orange General Plan Land Use Designations
RR – Rural Residential (0.1 to 0.4 dwelling units per acre) ES – Estate Residential (0.4 to 2 dwelling units per acre) LDR – Low Density Residential (2 to 6 dwelling units per acre) LMDR – Low Medium Density Residential (6 to 15 dwelling units per acre) MDR – Medium Density Residential (15 to 24 dwelling units per acre) R – Retail E – Employment MU – Mixed Use OS – Open Space G – Golf Course HS – High School
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Proposed Land Use Designations The City’s proposed Integrated General Plan provides land use designations for the areas within the City and its Sphere of Influence. The East Orange study area is designated with five distinct land uses: Open Space (OS), Low Density Residential (LDR) (2 to 6 dwelling units per acre), Low Medium Density Residential (LMDR) (6 to 15 dwelling units per acre), Medium Density Residential (MDR) (15 to 24 dwelling units per acre), and Recreation Commercial (RC). For each land use designation, the Integrated General Plan sets forth guidance that determines the type of use that would be consistent with the intent of the plan. A description and definition of the land use designation applicable to the project is provided below.
Open Space Open space policy is designed to preserve undeveloped properties for several purposes, including active and passive recreation, protection of ridgelines and scenic vistas, and preservation of environmental sensitive resource areas.
Low Density Residential The Low Density Residential designation applies to conventional single-family residential development, characterized by single-family homes constructed in subdivision with lot sizes ranging from 4,500 to 12,000 square feet, or by custom units build on slightly larger lots. Development densities in this category range from 2 to 6 units per net acre. Corresponding population densities range from 6 to 17 persons per acre.
Low Medium Density Residential The Low Medium Density Residential designation covers a variety of development types, including small lot or zero lot line single-family subdivisions, duplexes, and mobile home parks, as well as lower intensity apartment and condominium complexes. Development densities in this category range from 6 to 15 units per net acre. Corresponding population densities range from 17 to 42 persons per acre.
Medium Density Residential The Medium Density Residential designation allows for construction of apartment and condominium/townhouse units in areas of the City with ready access to major circulation routes, business districts, and public open space areas. Typically, developments may consist of two- or three-story buildings housing multiple dwelling units and providing some form of open space. Development densities in this category range from 15 to 24 units per gross acre. Corresponding population densities range from 42 to 67 persons per acre.
Recreation Commercial The Recreation Commercial designation allows for outdoor commercial recreation uses such as golf courses and typical recreation commercial facilities including, but not limited to, marinas, boat rental buildings, staging areas, fishing facilities, and other commercial sports facilities. Building intensities shall not exceed a floor area ratio of 0.35. (Note: This land use designation is from the East Orange General Plan, to be included in the Integrated General Plan.)
Land Use Element Policies The land use policies in the proposed City Integrated General Plan are generally the same as those in the adopted City General Plan and the East Orange General Plan, providing goals, policies, and implementation strategies that are intended to preserve some areas of the City, revitalize others, and guide new development in portions of the City and its Sphere of Influence that are currently undeveloped. Those goals, policies, and implementation strategies applicable to land use are provided below.
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(Italicized references indicate changes in the general plan resulting from integration of the City General Plan with the East Orange General Plan.)
Balanced Development in Orange Goal 1.0—Land use policy will continue to promote a balance of residential, commercial, and industrial development. Policy 1.1—Maintain a balance between jobs and housing, and encourage the types of activities that will provide employment for the City’s existing and future residents, as well as revenue for the City. Policy 1.2—Balance any economic gain from new development with the protection of existing residential neighborhoods. Policy 1.4—Maximize the land use opportunities for the Irvine Lake area by providing a mix of uses, such as lodging, housing, and recreational uses. (This policy is from the East Orange General Plan, to be included in the Integrated General Plan.)
Maintaining a Balanced Inventory of Housing in Orange Goal 5.0—The City will continue to pursue goals to provide housing for all income groups consistent with the goals and policies contained in the Housing Element.
Promoting Quality Urban Design Goal 6.0—The City will continue to promote good urban design. Policy 6.1—Emphasize urban design in new development and encourage rehabilitation projects to incorporate good design features into rehabilitation plans. (This policy includes minor wording changes that were included in the East Orange General Plan and are now to be included in the Integrated General Plan.) • Implementation 6.1.1—Continue to review projects for compliance with accepted City design standards. • Implementation 6.1.2—Identify priority areas for undergrounding of utilities. • Implementation 6.1.4—Continue to review new development and redevelopment projects to ensure light and glare impacts on adjacent properties are minimized while still maintaining adequate safety standards. (This policy is from the East Orange General Plan, to be included in the Integrated General Plan) Urban design policies are also discussed in Section 3I, Visual Resources.