Land Use Element

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Community Element Mobility Economic Prosperity Public Services Conservation Open Space Noise Safety Land Use Housing Historic Preservation Urban Design Element
Back Focus Areas

Vision & Core Values

A Shared Vision

A vision statement is the expression of our community’s past, present, and future; our aspirations and dreams; and is only bound by the limits of our ambition. The following vision was created through a collaborative process that included community comments, the General Plan Advisory Group, and the City Council. This vision guides the General Plan’s goals and policies and future decisions.

Santa Ana is a city that promotes the health and wellness of all residents, with a civic culture that actively embraces the power of diversity. Our city invests in resources that create economic opportunities for the next generation, and it is a community that celebrates our past while working together to create a sustainable future.

Our Core Values

Icon for health core value HEALTH

The people of Santa Ana value a physical environment that encourages healthy lifestyles, a planning process that ensures that health impacts are considered, and a community that actively pursues policies and practices that improve the health of our residents.

Icon for Equity core value Icon for Equity core value with environmental justice EQUITY

Our residents value taking all necessary steps to ensure equitable outcomes, expanding access to the tools and resources that residents need, and to balance competing interests in an open and democratic manner.

The value of equity that includes “EJ” in the upper corner indicates a policy related to environmental justice.

Icon for sustainability core value SUSTAINABILITY

Santa Ana values land use decisions that benefit future generations, plans for the impacts of climate change, and incorporates sustainable design practices at all levels of the planning process.

Icon for culture core value CULTURE

Our community values efforts that celebrate our differences as a source of strength, preserve and build upon existing cultural resources, and nurture a citywide culture of empowered residents.

Icon for education core value EDUCATION

We are a city that values the creation of lifelong learners, the importance of opening up educational opportunities to all residents and investing in educational programs that advance our residents’ economic wellbeing.

About the Element

Purpose of the Land Use Element

The purpose of the Land Use Element is to provide a long-range guide for the physical development of the city, reflecting the community’s vision for a high quality of life. This element guides the distribution, location, and size of new development, ensuring that residential neighborhoods are protected and that future growth is sustainable and minimizes potential conflicts.

Through its focus on the pattern of land use, this element is also a tool to promote public health, reduce infrastructure costs, enhance local economies, and address long-term environmental issues such as air quality, climate change, and water resources.

Land Use Element Introduction

Santa Ana has a long, dynamic history of growth and development, starting from its establishment in 1869 (and later incorporation in 1886) on just over 74 acres of land. The city has grown to encompass over 27 square miles, with a population of more than 330,000 residents and businesses and institutions employing over 160,000 workers (as of 2020).

By the 1990s, very little vacant land remained in the city; new growth since then has largely involved the recycling and intensification of already developed properties. In the past 15 years, dozens of unique and creative projects have infused new life and investment into the city. The city has also expanded beyond its historic role as the civic center and County Seat of Orange County and is emerging as the county’s cultural and economic hub.

The Land Use Element provides general guidance to ensure that future growth in Santa Ana expands opportunities, protects community values, and enhances our existing communities and overall quality of life.

The key components of this element are the policy framework, which includes the goals and policies that guide land-use decisions and help shape future development and public investment; the land use plan, including the land use map and designations; and the focus area discussion, including detailed descriptions and specialized standards for each focus area.

The policy framework, the land use map, and the enhanced guidance for focus areas are implemented by local ordinances, including the Santa Ana Municipal Code, specifically Chapter 41 (zoning code), which defines the specific allowable uses and sets precise development standards for each piece of property. Several specific plans and special zoning tools also implement this element and provide more detailed land use and design direction for parts of the city.

Land Use Element Community Considerations

Through the community engagement process for this General Plan, participants identified numerous land use considerations and values that they believe should form the basis of and be addressed by this element. Specifically, participants highlighted the following topics, areas of concern, and community strengths:

  • Maintain a strong sense of community
  • Enhance quality of life with new development
  • Increase recreational public open space
  • Create linkages to transportation options
  • Leverage established local attractions
  • Increase opportunities to expand affordable housing and reduce the cost of housing
  • Ensure major development has a net community benefit
  • Reduce overcrowding
  • Allow for a variety of housing types
  • Address aging infrastructure
  • Address issues related to high density

Policy Framework

GOAL LU-1: Growing Responsibly

Provide a land use plan that improves quality of life and respects our existing community.

  • Policy LU-1.1
    Compatible Uses
    Foster compatibility between land uses to enhance livability and promote healthy lifestyles.
    Icon for health core value Icon for Equity core value with environmental justice
  • Policy LU-1.2
    Homeownership Opportunities
    Support innovative development policies to expand homeownership opportunities at all income levels.
    Icon for Equity core value
  • Policy LU-1.3
    Equitable creation AND Distribution of Open Space
    Promote the creation of new open space and community-serving amenities in park-deficient areas that keeps pace with the increase in multi-unit housing development, with priority given to those that are also within environmental justice area boundaries.
    Icon for health core value Icon for Equity core value with environmental justice
  • Policy LU-1.4
    County Seat
    Support the location of new and enhanced regional, state, and federal governmental facilities in the Civic Center to reinforce Santa Ana as the county seat.
    Icon for sustainability core value Icon for culture core value
  • Policy LU-1.5
    Diverse housing types
    Incentivize quality infill residential development that provides a diversity of housing types and accommodates all income levels and age groups.
    Icon for Equity core value Icon for sustainability core value
  • Policy LU-1.6
    Transit oriented development
    Encourage residential mixed-use development, within the City’s District Centers, Urban Neighborhoods, and adjacent to high quality transit.
    Icon for health core value Icon for sustainability core value
  • Policy LU-1.7
    Active Transportation Infrastructure
    Invest in active transportation connectivity between activity centers and residential neighborhoods to encourage healthy lifestyles.
    Icon for health core value Icon for Equity core value with environmental justice Icon for sustainability core value Icon for culture core value
  • Policy LU-1.8
    Development Tradeoffs
    Ensure that new development projects provide a net community benefit.
    Icon for Equity core value Icon for sustainability core value
  • Policy LU-1.9
    Public Facilities and Infrastructure
    Evaluate individual new development proposals to determine if the proposals are consistent with the General Plan and to ensure that they do not compound existing public facility and service deficiencies.
    Icon for Equity core value Icon for sustainability core value
  • Policy LU-1.10
    Downtown Orange County
    Balance development within the downtown to continue to serve as a cultural and economic hub for existing and future residents.
    Icon for sustainability core value Icon for culture core value

GOAL LU-2: Land Use Needs

Provide a balance of land uses that meet Santa Ana’s diverse needs.

  • Policy LU-2.1
    Employment Opportunities
    Provide a broad spectrum of land uses and development that offer employment opportunities for current and future Santa Ana residents.
    Icon for Equity core value Icon for sustainability core value
  • Policy LU-2.2
    Capture Local Spending
    Encourage a range of commercial uses to capture a greater share of local spending, and offer a range of employment opportunities.
    Icon for sustainability core value Icon for education core value
  • Policy LU-2.3
    Supportive Spaces
    Provide a diversity of land uses that support residents, visitors, and businesses, such as open space, areas for community gatherings, and outdoor entertainment venues.
    Icon for health core value Icon for Equity core value with environmental justice Icon for sustainability core value Icon for culture core value
  • Policy LU-2.4
    Cost and Benefit of Development
    Balance the benefits of development with its fiscal impacts on the city and on quality of life for the community.
    Icon for Equity core value Icon for sustainability core value
  • Policy LU-2.5
    Benefits of Mixed-Use
    Encourage infill mixed-use development at all ranges of affordability to reduce vehicle miles traveled, improve jobs/housing balance, and promote social interaction.
    Icon for health core value     Icon for Equity core value with environmental justice Icon for sustainability core value Icon for culture core value
  • Policy LU-2.6
    Encourage Investment
    Promote rehabilitation of properties and encourage increased levels of capital investment to create a safe and attractive environment.
    Icon for health core value Icon for education core value
  • Policy LU-2.7
    Business Incubator
    Support land use decisions that encourage the creation, development, and retention of businesses in Santa Ana.
    Icon for Equity core value Icon for sustainability core value
  • Policy LU-2.8
    City Image
    Encourage land uses, development projects, and public art installations that promote the city’s image as a cultural, governmental, and business-friendly regional center.
    Icon for sustainability core value Icon for culture core value Icon for education core value
  • Policy LU-2.9
    Open Space Needs
    Establish and maintain public open space and recreation requirements for new residential and nonresidential uses to provide sufficient open space and recreational opportunities for Santa Ana residents and visitors.
    Icon for health core value Icon for Equity core value with environmental justice Icon for sustainability core value
  • Policy LU-2.10
    Smart Growth
    Focus high density residential in mixed-use villages, designated planning focus areas, Downtown Santa Ana, and along major travel corridors.
    Icon for sustainability core value

GOAL LU-3: Compatibility of Uses

Preserve and improve the character and integrity of existing neighborhoods and districts.

  • Policy LU-3.1
    Community Benefits
    Support new development which provides a net community benefit and contributes to neighborhood character and identity.
    Icon for culture core value Icon for sustainability core value Icon for education core value
  • Policy LU-3.2
    Empower Community
    Facilitate community engagement and dialogue in policy decisions and outcomes affecting land use and development, with supplemental opportunities for proposed planning activities within environmental justice area boundaries.
    Icon for Equity core value with environmental justice Icon for education core value
  • Policy LU-3.3
    Enforcement of Standards
    Maintain a robust and proactive code enforcement program that partners with community stakeholders and is responsive to community needs.
    Icon for health core value Icon for Equity core value Icon for sustainability core value
  • Policy LU-3.4
    Compatible Development
    Ensure that the scale and massing of new development is compatible and harmonious with the surrounding built environment.
    Icon for sustainability core value
  • Policy LU-3.5
    Adaptive Reuse
    Encourage the preservation and reuse of historical buildings and sites through flexible land use policies.
    Icon for culture core value Icon for sustainability core value Icon for education core value
  • Policy LU-3.6
    Focused Development
    Facilitate the transformation of the transit corridors through focusing medium and high density pedestrian-oriented mixed-use development at key intersections.
    Icon for health core value Icon for sustainability core value
  • Policy LU-3.7
    Attractive Environment
    Promote a clean, safe, and creative environment for Santa Ana’s residents, workers, and visitors.
    Icon for culture core value Icon for health core value Icon for sustainability core value
  • Policy LU-3.8
    Sensitive Receptors
    Avoid the development of industry and sensitive receptors in close proximity to each other that could pose a hazard to human health and safety due to the quantity, concentration, or physical or chemical characteristics of the hazardous materials utilized, or the hazardous waste an operation may generate or emit.
    Icon for health core value Icon for Equity core value with environmental justice Icon for sustainability core value
  • Policy LU-3.9
    Noxious, Hazardous, Dangerous, and Polluting Uses
    Improve the health of residents, students, and workers by limiting the impacts of construction activities and operation of noxious, hazardous, dangerous, and polluting uses that are in close proximity to sensitive receptors, with priority given to discontinuing such uses within environmental justice area boundaries.
    Icon for health core value Icon for Equity core value with environmental justice Icon for sustainability core value
  • Policy LU-3.10
    Community Attractions
    Support the development of regional land uses that allow for entertainment, sports, and unique venues that benefit the local community and attract a wide range of visitors.
    Icon for culture core value
  • Policy LU-3.11
    Air Pollution Buffers
    Work with the Environmental Justice Action Committee to develop and implement landscaping and other local land use and zoning buffer strategies, guided by the California Air Resources Board and Southern California Air Quality Management District best practices, to separate existing sensitive uses from rail lines, heavy industrial facilities, and other emissions sources. As feasible, apply more substantial buffers within environmental justice area boundaries.
    Icon for health core value Icon for Equity core value with environmental justice Icon for sustainability core value
  • Policy LU-3.12
    Indoor Air Quality
    Require new sensitive land uses proposed in areas with high levels of localized air pollution to achieve good indoor air quality through landscaping, ventilation systems, or other measures.
    Icon for health core value Icon for Equity core value with environmental justice Icon for sustainability core value

GOAL LU-4: Complete Communities

Support a sustainable Santa Ana through improvements to the built environment and a culture of collaboration.

  • Policy LU-4.1
    Complementary Uses
    Promote complete neighborhoods by encouraging a mix of complementary uses, community services, and people places within a walkable area.
    Icon for health core value Icon for sustainability core value
  • Policy LU-4.2
    Public Realm
    Maintain and improve the public realm through quality architecture, street trees, landscaping, and other pedestrian-friendly amenities.
    Icon for health core value Icon for Equity core value Icon for sustainability core value
  • Policy LU-4.3
    Sustainable Land Use Strategies
    Encourage land uses and strategies that reduce energy and water consumption, waste and noise generation, soil contamination, air quality impacts, and light pollution.
    Icon for sustainability core value Icon for education core value
  • Policy LU-4.4
    Natural Resource Capture
    Encourage the use of natural processes to capture rainwater runoff, sustainable electric power, and passive climate control.
    Icon for sustainability core value Icon for education core value
  • Policy LU-4.5
    VMT Reduction
    Concentrate development along high quality transit corridors to reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and transportation-related carbon emissions.
    Icon for sustainability core value
  • Policy LU-4.6
    Healthy Living Conditions
    Support diverse and innovative housing types that improve living conditions and promote a healthy environment.
    Icon for Equity core value with environmental justice Icon for sustainability core value Icon for education core value
  • Policy LU-4.7
    Diverse Communities
    Promote mixed-income developments with mixed housing types to create inclusive communities and economically diverse neighborhoods.
    Icon for culture core value Icon for Equity core value Icon for sustainability core value
  • Policy LU-4.8
    Community Partnerships
    Collaborate with property owners, community organizations, and other local stakeholders to identify opportunities for additional open space and community services, such as community gardens and gathering places.
    Icon for culture core value Icon for health core value Icon for Equity core value with environmental justice Icon for sustainability core value
  • Policy LU-4.9
    Recreational Amenities
    Encourage public, private and commercial recreational facilities in areas that are park and open space deficient.
    Icon for culture core value Icon for Equity core value with environmental justice
  • Policy LU-4.10
    Thriving Downtown
    Encourage new development and enhancement of Downtown Santa Ana through creative, sustainable, and innovative design solutions.
    Icon for culture core value Icon for Equity core value Icon for sustainability core value
Thumbnail image of the General Plan land uses cropped to fit the layout.

About the Land Use Plan
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See how the City is planning for uses and development that create a sustainable, healthy, and livable city
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Thumbnail image of four residential land use designations, Low Density Residential (LR-7), Low-Medium Density Residential (LMR-11), Medium Density Residential (MR-15), Corridor Residential (CR-30)

Land Use Plan & Designations

See the definitions for different land use designations and where they apply in the City!
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Map showing the five Focus Areas in the City of Santa Ana

Focus Areas
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See where and how the City is planning for new growth and development!

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Figures & Tables

Implementation

About Implementation

An implementation plan is a coordinated series of actions the City desires to take in the future that are intended to advance, over the long term, the City’s Shared Vision, Core Values, and the General Plan goals and policies. An implementation plan is thus a follow-up measure for this element. Taken as a whole, these programs represent the City’s best thinking today on what actions should be taken to address the considerations and concerns of the community and make sure that the plan’s aspirations are achieved.

Implementation is in large part contingent upon adequate funding. Many of these actions can be pursued through initiatives already underway. Other programs will require additional resources. Therefore, the exact mix and timing of programs the City may pursue will in part be opportunity driven, dependent on the availability of funding, staffing, and other necessary resources. The Time Frame in the Implementation Table below is the target for completion of the Action.

This element may be implemented by amendments to existing plans, ordinances, development standards and design guidelines; capital investments/projects; and interagency/interjurisdictional coordination. The following table identifies the implementation action, the responsible City agency, and targeted timeline for accomplishment.

Goal LU-1: Growing Responsibly – Implementation Actions [Table LU-10 part 1]

Ref #

Implementation Action

Agency /
Time Frame

GOAL LU-1: Provide a land use plan that improves quality of life and respects our existing community.

1.1

Development Code Update. Prepare a comprehensive update to the zoning code to ensure that the City’s zoning regulations align with the General Plan’s goals and policies. Update the Metro East Mixed-Use Overlay District to remove the portion within the 17th Street and Grand Avenue Focus Area. Update the Midtown Specific Plan.

PBA    2022-2027

1.2

Community benefits. Require new development projects proposing a general plan amendment and/or a zone change to include as part of the development proposal, a community benefit and implementation plan providing a net community benefit as desired by the City and neighborhoods through public outreach. Examples of community benefits may include, but is not limited to public realm improvements, dedication of park and open space for public use, expanded economic development opportunities, job opportunities, new community serving businesses and services, and removal of blight and incompatible land uses. Assess capital costs and ongoing operations and maintenance costs; conduct a financial feasibility analysis to determine the impacts of community benefits on the feasibility of desired types of development.

PBA/CDA 2022 & Ongoing

1.3

Retail business potential. Conduct and annually update a retail market study for the city’s District Centers and Urban Neighborhoods to identify types of businesses that can be supported; conduct outreach to local businesses to inform them of potential business opportunities in these areas.

CDA 2022

1.4

Affordable infill housing. Prepare an inventory of affordable housing opportunity sites of publicly held land as well as land owned by nonprofit organizations and churches.

CDA 2022

1.5

Universal access. Evaluate the feasibility of developing standards that require a percentage of units in new residential development projects to incorporate universal design principles.

PBA 2023

1.6

ADUs. Develop accessory dwelling unit standard plans to facilitate quality site and architectural design while reducing costs and expediting City review and approvals.

PBA 2022

1.7

Civic Center. Explore zoning options that could support residential, mixed-use, and additional facilities that could activate Santa Ana’s Civic Center and complement zoning for Downtown.

CMO/PBA 2028
Notes:
CDA – Community Development Agency; CMO – City Manager’s Office; HR – Human Resources Department; PBA – Planning and Building Agency; PWA – Public Works Agency; PRCSA – Parks, Recreation and Community Services Agency; PD – Police Department
EJ action icon (Community Element) associated with environmental justice policies

 

Goal LU-2: Land Use Needs – Implementation Actions [Table LU-10 part 2]

Ref #

Implementation Action

Agency /
Time Frame

GOAL LU-2: Provide a balance of land uses that meet Santa Ana’s diverse needs.

2.1

Periodic evaluation. Review and, if necessary, update the General Plan every five years to affirm its vision remains consistent with the community’s values.

PBA
2027
2.2 Annual review. Prepare a general plan status report annually. Review the General Plan land use objectives and map to ensure they continue to support the community’s long-term land use vision. Amend the text, goals, policies, and map as necessary to address new concerns, legislation, and changing conditions. PBA Annually April 1st
2.3 Projections. Review and adjust population assumptions and forecasts annually in conjunction with the Department of Finance, SCAG, and the County of Orange/Center for Demographic Research to adequately plan for the growth of housing and jobs. PBA 2022 & Ongoing
2.4 School sites. Coordinate with local school districts and community colleges serving Santa Ana residents on the need for new sites as well as plans for surplus property. CMA/PBA Annually
2.5 Developer outreach. Conduct an annual workshop with residential, mixed-use, commercial, and industrial real estate developers to discuss developing projects in Santa Ana; identify challenges that discourage quality development in the city; identify cost implications that impact affordability; implement a plan to address such challenges. PBA/CDA
2023 & Ongoing
2.6 Fee assessment. Conduct a periodic review of developer fees and assessment districts to ensure fees are adequate to provide services and mitigate impacts of development, with consideration given to feasibility concerns of building new development. PWA/PBA
2023
2.7 Fiscal impact model. Develop a fiscal impact analysis model that incorporates the appropriate mix of land uses to achieve fiscal sustainability, or at a minimum, fiscal neutrality to make informed land use decisions. Require the completion of this analysis in mixed-use land use designations and in proposed conversion of commercial uses to residential or mixed-use projects. PBA/CDA
2022
2.8 City-owned land. Coordinate future disposition of City-owned property and remnant parcels, consistent with the Surplus Land Act. PWA/CDA
Ongoing
2.9 High-density housing. Collaborate with Orange County jurisdictions to prepare and distribute public information to explain the need and value of high-density housing in Santa Ana, combat misinformation about high-density housing, and clarify where high-density housing is planned and where it is prohibited. PBA
2024
2.10 EJ action icon (Community Element)  Open space requirements. Evaluate public open space and park requirements in the zoning code for residential and nonresidential uses. Consider requirements and/or incentives to aggregate public open space areas required by two or more uses to form larger and more usable areas and facilities. PBA/PRCSA
2022 -2027
2.11 Antidisplacement strategies. Collaborate with community organizations and residents to identify, evaluate, and implement effective and appropriate antidisplacement strategies to address the unintended displacement of vulnerable tenants and property owners due to the introduction of new development. PBA/CDA
2022 & Ongoing
2.12 Distinctive districts. Develop and adopt a specific plan or corridor plan for each of the land use focus areas to establish regulations and design standards with consideration of the character, history and uniqueness of existing corridors and neighborhoods. PBA/ CDA
2022 -2027
2.13 Housing Trust Fund. Coordinate and support applications by developers to the Orange County Housing Finance Trust for affordable housing rehabilitation projects in Santa Ana. CDA
Ongoing
2.14 Local preference. Require a first priority preference for Santa Ana residents and workers in tenant selection policies for affordable housing projects that receive financial assistance from the City or project that qualify for a density bonus. CDA
Ongoing
2.15 Community Serving Commercial Retail & Service Diversity Impact Analysis. Implement a requirement for mixed-use projects or proposals to convert commercial and other non-residential uses to residential or mixed-use projects to complete a community serving commercial retail & service diversity impact analysis to inform the decision making process and to ensure availability and diversity of commercial retail and service uses in Santa Ana as part of the development proposal. PBA/CDA 2022
Notes:
CDA – Community Development Agency; CMO – City Manager’s Office; HR – Human Resources Department; PBA – Planning and Building Agency; PWA – Public Works Agency; PRCSA – Parks, Recreation and Community Services Agency; PD – Police Department
EJ action icon (Community Element) associated with environmental justice policies

 

Goal LU-3: Compatibility of Uses – Implementation Actions [Table LU-10 part 3]

Ref #

Implementation Action

Agency /
Time Frame
GOAL LU-3: Preserve and improve the character and integrity of existing neighborhoods and districts.
3.1 CEQA review. Continue to evaluate land use compatibility through required environmental clearance of new development projects. PBA
Ongoing
3.2 EJ action icon (Community Element)  Design guidelines and standards. Update the zoning code’s development and operational standards for industrial zones to address incompatibility with adjacent uses, including minimum distance requirements to buffer heavy industrial uses from sensitive receptors. Conduct a study to evaluate and establish appropriate minimum distances and landscape buffers between polluting industrial uses from sensitive receptors such as residences, schools, day care, and public facilities. PBA
2022-2027
3.3 EJ action icon (Community Element)  Healthy lifestyles. Collaborate with residents and industry stakeholders to create a program to incentivize and amortize the removal of existing heavy industrial uses adjacent to sensitive uses. PBA
2022
3.4 EJ action icon (Community Element)  Funding for air filtration. Seek funding from South Coast Air Quality Management District and other regional sources for the installation of high-efficiency air filtration systems in buildings, homes, and schools located in areas with high levels of localized air pollution, especially for those within environmental justice area boundaries. PBA
2022
3.5 EJ action icon (Community Element)  Business incentive. Explore economic development incentives and grant funding to encourage existing or draw new business investments in the industrial zones to incorporate more environmentally sustainable practices. CDA
Ongoing
3.6 EJ action icon (Community Element)  Lead paint abatement. Coordinate with County of Orange Health Care Agency and community organizations to strengthen local programs and initiatives to eliminate lead-based paint hazards, with priority given to residential buildings located within environmental justice area boundaries. CDA/PBA
2021 & Ongoing
3.7 Building massing. Update the Citywide Design Guidelines to incorporate best practices addressing transitions in building height and bulk for new development adjacent to lower density neighborhoods. PBA
2022 -2027
3.8 Signage. Update the sign ordinance to incorporate measures that reduce visual clutter. PBA
2022 -2027
3.9 Parking. Through City Interagency collaboration, develop parking management strategies to support the Land Use Plan and reduce dependency on single-passenger vehicles, considering the parking needs for existing development and future activity nodes, changes in automotive technologies and car usage trends, and options for City-operated facilities. Explore parking strategies through pilot projects. PBA/ PWA
2022
3.10 Code enforcement. Continue aggressive code enforcement programs and activities to maintain community pride and promote reinvestment in Santa Ana neighborhoods. PBA
Ongoing
3.11 Neighborhood aesthetics. Partner with neighborhood associations to provide educational materials to residents regarding the front yard, parkway, landscape, and fence requirements. PBA
2022 & Ongoing
3.12 Adaptive reuse. Update the Adaptive Reuse Ordinance to clarify the areas of opportunity for conversion to new housing. PBA
2022 -2027
3.13 Growth in focus areas. Develop incentives to promote development within identified focus areas. PBA/CDA
2022
3.14 EJ action icon (Community Element)  Sunshine ordinance. Update City Sunshine Ordinance, incorporating best practices for outreach in environmental justice areas in Santa Ana. CMO
2022
3.15 EJ action icon (Community Element)  Communication tools. Explore tools for communication with residents and sensitive receptors when new industrial uses are proposed in their areas. PBA
2022 -2024
3.16 EJ action icon (Community Element)  Health in corridors. Require a Health Risk Assessment to identify best practices to minimize air quality and noise impacts when considering new residential uses within 500 feet of a freeway. PBA
2022 -2027
3.17 EJ action icon (Community Element)  Training for safe practice. Pursue the EPA Renovate Right Program to train local residential contractors for certification as lead renovators to promote safe work practices and prevent lead contamination. PBA
2022
3.18 EJ action icon (Community Element)  Renovations and lead prevention. Evaluate the feasibility of requiring contractor training and/or certification for safe work practices to conduct residential renovations for pre-1978 structures that may contain existing lead paint. PBA & CDA Ongoing
3.19 EJ action icon (Community Element)  Promote health. Partner with local organizations (e.g., OC Health Care Agency, Latino Health Access, Santa Ana Unified School District, Garden Grove Unified School District, Orange County Environmental Justice, and the Coalition of Community Health Centers) to increase blood lead testing, outreach, education, and referral services through a ‘promotora’ or community peer outreach model that addresses the root causes of elevated blood lead levels impacting Santa Ana residents, with special focus in environmental justice communities and for children living in pre-1978 housing. PBA
2022 & Ongoing
3.20 EJ action icon (Community Element)  Safe housing. Require all residential rehabilitation projects that use local, or HUD federal funds to comply with the Lead Safe Housing Rule, to remove lead paint hazards, depending on the nature of work and the dollar amount of federal investment in the property. CDA
Ongoing
3.21 EJ action icon (Community Element)  Prevention education. Collaborate with local organizations such as Orange County Health Care Agency, State Environmental Protection Agency, and community-based environmental justice organizations to identify funds and create a Santa Ana Prevent Lead Poisoning Education Program, with special focus on disadvantaged communities and pre-1978 housing stock. PBA
2022 & Ongoing
3.22 EJ action icon (Community Element)  Public health outcomes. Support the Orange County Health Care Agency in their role in investigating public complaints regarding unsafe lead work practices and lead hazards wherein children are present, through enforcement of local housing standards to assure healthy outcomes, including for individuals and households presenting with concerns about lead exposure and/or with confirmed lead levels of >3.5 ug/dL, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates as the threshold for follow-up and case management in children. PBA
2022 & Ongoing
3.23 EJ action icon (Community Element)  Agency permits. Work with South Coast Air Quality Management District and Orange County Health Care Agency to evaluate existing special permit process and criteria for approval, and identify potential policy changes to minimize issuance of special permits with potential health impacts. PBA
2022
3.24 EJ action icon (Community Element)  Public health. Partner with Orange County Health Care Agency and community serving organizations to evaluate best practices and benefits of preparing a Public Health Plan to address environmental hazards in Santa Ana, with special focus in environmental justice communities. Conduct public meetings to gather information and present preliminary findings. PBA
2022 -2024
3.25 EJ action icon (Community Element)  Engage EJ communities. Work with community serving organizations, neighborhood leaders, and residents to form an Environmental Justice Action Committee to develop ongoing EJ Community Engagement programs for existing and new disadvantaged EJ communities, including multilingual communication protocols. Host quarterly Roundtable meetings with local stakeholders to guide and evaluate implementation of environmental justice policies. PBA
2022
3.26 EJ action icon (Community Element)  Health conditions. Work with state agencies including the Department of Toxic Substances Control and South Coast Air Quality Management District, Orange County Health Care Agency and local stakeholders including Orange County Environmental Justice and UC Irvine Public Health to identify baseline conditions for soil and air contamination in Santa Ana, routinely monitor indicators of such contamination, and measure positive outcomes. Collaborate with these organizations to secure grant funds for soil and air testing, remediation (e.g., bioremediation, covering, removing, air filtration), and prevention activities for residential properties in proximity to sites identified with high levels of soil pollution (including sites identified with soil lead levels of 80 ppm or higher) and air pollution, with a focus on communities disproportionately affected by soil contamination. PBA
Ongoing
3.27 EJ action icon (Community Element)  Groundwater practice. Coordinate with the State Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) to monitor the Santa Ana Southeast Groundwater Clean Up Project and identify measurable progress to remediate groundwater contamination. Share information with the community on the City’s Environmental Quality web page. PBA
Ongoing
3.28 EJ action icon (Community Element)  Tenant protections. Provide information to residential tenants regarding Landlord Tenant Laws in the State, such as AB 1481, and Santa Ana’s Just Cause for Tenant Eviction and Rent Stabilization ordinance that provide protections against evictions for those who seek action to improve substandard housing and hazardous conditions. PBA
2022 & Ongoing
3.29 EJ action icon (Community Element)  Development site history. Update the City’s Development Review application process to require developers to provide information regarding the prior use of the site and history of hazardous materials on the property, in order to identify potential for site contamination from hazardous materials or soil lead contamination to be remediated. PBA
2022
Notes:
CDA – Community Development Agency; CMO – City Manager’s Office; HR – Human Resources Department; PBA – Planning and Building Agency; PWA – Public Works Agency; PRCSA – Parks, Recreation and Community Services Agency; PD – Police Department
EJ action icon (Community Element) associated with environmental justice policies

 

Goal LU-4: Complete Communities – Implementation Actions [Table LU-10 part 4]

Ref #

Implementation Action

Agency /
Time Frame
GOAL LU-4: Support a sustainable Santa Ana through improvements to the built environment and a culture of collaboration
4.1 Complete communities. Create an inventory of neighborhoods that are underserved by essential retail stores and services, identify sites that could accommodate the development and operation of essential retail stores and services, and market these sites to brokers and developers. PBA
2024
4.2 Housing opportunity. Monitor the effectiveness of the Housing Opportunity Ordinance and provide options for City Council consideration on the requirements, including but not limited to requiring new affordable housing units on site and a mix of housing types at various price points. CDA
2022
4.3 Public improvements in activity nodes and focus areas. Create a public realm plan for each activity node and focus area to establish a unified vision for long-term improvements to streets, sidewalks, plazas, other public spaces, and placemaking elements. Identify public improvement priorities and pilot projects for each focus area and include them in the City’s Capital Improvement Program. PBA/ PWA
2022 & Ongoing
4.4 Public/private open space. Develop and adopt standards that require the provision and maintenance of publicly accessible usable open space within new multifamily, commercial, office, government, and mixed-use development projects. Ensure long-term fiscal sustainability of publicly accessible open space. PBA/ PWA/ PRCSA
2022 -2027
4.5 Open space acquisition funds. Partner with community organizations to identify opportunities for and pursue grants to fund the acquisition of additional open space and community space in underserved areas, as identified in the parks needs assessment / parks master plan. PRSCA
2023
4.6 EJ action icon (Community Element)  Fireworks and environmental pollution. Study the data available to understand the health effects and environmental exposure, including air quality and noise impacts, from airborne sources such as fireworks shows and displays, with special focus on environmental justice areas. PBA/CMO/PD 2022 -2024
4.7 EJ action icon (Community Element)  Construction improvements. Identify best practices and communication tools to monitor mitigation measures and oversight of private and public construction improvements to protect the health and safety of health of the community, with focus on environmental justice areas. PWA/PBA Ongoing
4.8 Mixed Use Lifestyles. Establish and implement thresholds in the Zoning Code to require minimum percentage of commercial uses to be included in mixed-use land use designations and in proposed conversion of commercial uses to residential or mixed use projects. PBA
2022 -2027
4.9 Collaboration with railroad companies. Collaborate with rail road right-of-way owners and operators to renovate the walls between communities and rail lines that provide the maximum protection for the community and public health, including strategies to reduce air and noise pollution. PBA 2022 & Ongoing
Notes:
CDA – Community Development Agency; CMO – City Manager’s Office; HR – Human Resources Department; PBA – Planning and Building Agency; PWA – Public Works Agency; PRCSA – Parks, Recreation and Community Services Agency; PD – Police Department
EJ action icon (Community Element) associated with environmental justice policies

 

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