Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND)
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LEGACY SQUARE PROJECT Initial Study and Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND) CEQA Analysis Prepared for: City of Santa Ana Planning Division 20 Civic Center Plaza, Ross Annex M-20 Santa Ana, CA 92701 Prepared by: UltraSystems Environmental Inc. 16431 Scientific Way Irvine, CA 92618-4355 Telephone: 949-788-4900 FAX: 949-788-4901 January 2019 Project No. 6095 ❖ PROJECT INFORMATION SHEET ❖ PROJECT INFORMATION SHEET 1. Project Title Legacy Square Project 2. CEQA Lead Agency City of Santa Ana 20 Civic Center Plaza, Ross Annex M-20 Santa Ana, CA 92701 Pedro Gomez, Assistant Planner I (714) 667-2790 [email protected] 3. Project Applicant Alexa Washburn National Community Renaissance of California 9421 Haven Avenue Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730 4. Project Location 609 North Spurgeon Street Santa Ana, CA 92701 5. Assessor’s Parcel Numbers APN 398-236-03 and APN 398-236-04 6. Project Site General Plan Current: Urban Neighborhood Designation(s) 7. Project Site Zoning Designation(s) Current: Transit Zoning Code- Specific Development 84- Urban Neighborhood 2 (UN-2) 8. Surrounding Land Uses and Setting To the north of the project site across Civic Center Boulevard is the French Park Neighborhood- a mix of one and two-story single-family homes, duplexes, and low density multifamily residential buildings. To the south are the Garden Court Apartments, an 84-unit development. Further south is the Fourth Street Market with a variety of restaurant and retail establishments. To the east is the Ebell Club of Santa Ana, Iglesia de Dios Pentecostal, and the Santa Ana Laundry Mat. The United States Post Office comprises the entire block west of the project site. Further west there are religious institutions, fast food, and medical offices. 9. Description of Project The Legacy Square Project is located on an approximately 1.74-acre site. The site is currently developed with the Santa Ana United Methodist Church in the southeast corner of the site and the original church, which is no longer operational, located on the southwest corner of the site. The project site is bounded by Civic Center Drive East 6095/City of Santa Ana Legacy Square Page i Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration January 2019 ❖ PROJECT INFORMATION SHEET ❖ to the north, Santa Ana Boulevard to the south, French Street to the east and North Spurgeon Street to the west. The project proposes the development of a new commercial/residential mixed-use development consisting of 93 residential units, 7,767 square feet of flex mixed-use space, and a 2,576 square foot community center. The development will consist of a four-story building with two-story townhomes and flats/apartment units over ground-level parking. 92 units are proposed as affordable housing units. 33 units are Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) units for those earning less than 30 percent of the area median income (AMI), five units will be for those of extremely low income (less than 30 percent of the AMI), six units will be for those of very low income (less than 40 percent of the AMI), 31 units will be for those of very low income (less than 50 percent of the AMI) and 17 units will be for those of low income (less than 60 percent of the AMI). One of the units will be a manager’s units, for a total of 93 units. The project will require City and State Density Bonus Agreements allowing up to 54.7 units per acre. Refer to Section 3.0 of this document for additional information. The project applicant is requesting the following discretionary actions, which are discussed in detail in Section 3.0 of this document: • Grading Plan approval • Density Bonus Concessions because the project proposes affordable housing • Site Plan approval and building permits. 10. Other Public Agencies whose None Approval is Required 11. Have California Native American Letters were sent by the City (the lead agency) via tribes traditionally and culturally certified mail on December 26, 2018 and by email affiliated with the project area on December 21, 2018, to eight local Native requested consultation pursuant American tribes asking if they wished to to Public Resources Code § participate in AB 52 consultation concerning the 21080.3.1? If so, has consultation Legacy Square Project in the City of Santa Ana. To begun? date, the lead agency has received one request for consultation from a California Native American tribe in response to their notification of the project. This was from Chairman Andrew Salas of the Gabrieleño Band of Mission Indians – Kizh Nation, 6095/City of Santa Ana Legacy Square Page ii Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration January 2019 ❖ PROJECT INFORMATION SHEET ❖ in an email and letter dated December 31, 2018. The City will contact Mr. Salas promptly to coordinate a meeting. Additional letters were sent on January 2, 2019 by certified mail to seven additional tribes. All tribes have thirty days in which to reply and request consultation. 6095/City of Santa Ana Legacy Square Page iii Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration January 2019 ❖ TABLE OF CONTENTS ❖ TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 1-1 1.1 Proposed Project .................................................................................................................................. 1-1 1.2 Lead Agencies – Environmental Review Implementation .................................................. 1-1 1.3 CEQA Overview ..................................................................................................................................... 1-1 1.4 Purpose of Initial Study ..................................................................................................................... 1-2 1.5 Review and Comment by Other Agencies .................................................................................. 1-3 1.6 Impact Terminology ........................................................................................................................... 1-3 1.7 Organization of Initial Study ........................................................................................................... 1-4 1.8 Findings from the Initial Study ....................................................................................................... 1-5 2.0 Environmental Setting ....................................................................................................................... 2-1 2.1 Project Location .................................................................................................................................... 2-1 2.2 Project Setting ....................................................................................................................................... 2-1 2.3 Existing Characteristics of the Site ............................................................................................... 2-6 3.0 Project Description ............................................................................................................................. 3-1 3.1 Project Background ............................................................................................................................. 3-1 3.2 Community Outreach ......................................................................................................................... 3-6 3.3 Project Overview .................................................................................................................................. 3-7 3.4 Construction Schedule .....................................................................................................................3-17 3.5 Discretionary Actions .......................................................................................................................3-18 4.0 Environmental Checklist .................................................................................................................. 4-1 4.1 Aesthetics .............................................................................................................................................4.1-1 4.2 Agriculture and Forestry Resources .........................................................................................4.2-1 4.3 Air Quality ............................................................................................................................................4.3-1 4.4 Biological Resources ........................................................................................................................4.4-1 4.5 Cultural Resources ...........................................................................................................................4.5-1 4.6 Geology and Soils ..............................................................................................................................4.6-1 4.7 Greenhouse Gas Emissions ...........................................................................................................4.7-1 4.8 Hazards and Hazardous Materials .............................................................................................4.8-1 4.9 Hydrology and Water Quality ......................................................................................................4.9-1 4.10 Land Use and Planning ................................................................................................................ 4.10-1 4.11 Mineral Resources ........................................................................................................................