HomeMy WebLinkAbout33 - PH-1 - Attachment 5 - 1/21/2012ADDENDUM TO THE
FINAL CERTIFIED GENERAL PLAN
PROGRAM ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT
(SCH# 200031120)
ADDENDUM TO THE PROGRAM EIR
FOR THE 2013-2021 HOUSING ELEMENT UPDATE
September 2013
Prepared by:
City of Costa Mesa
77 Fair Drive
Costa Mesa, California 92628
(714) 754-5245
Contacts:
Hilda Veturis, Management Analyst, 714 754-5608
Antonio Gardea, Senior Planner 714 754 5692
Minoo Ashabi, AIA, Principal Planner, 714 754 5610
Table of Contents
ExecutiveSummary........................................................................................................ 1
1.0 Introduction............................................................................................................... 3
2.0 Project Description................................................................................................. 11
3.0 Population, Housing, and Employment.................................................................. 13
4.0 Land Use................................................................................................................22
5.0 Transportation and Circulation............................................................................... 28
6.0 Conclusion............................................................................................................. 31
Executive Summary
The City of Costa Mesa is in the process of updating several elements of the City's
2000 General Plan. Due to State requirements, the Housing Element is on a different
timeline and therefore for the 2013-2021 Housing Element update, an Addendum to the
Final Program Environmental Impact Report (Program EIR) has been prepared.
Proposed 2013-2021 Housing Element of the Costa Mesa General Plan
State law requires the City of Costa Mesa to review and update its Housing Element on
a periodic basis, typically every 5 to 7 years as mandated. The previous Housing
Element update covered the period of July 1, 2008 through October 15, 2013. The
2008 Housing Element update was certified by the California Department of Housing
and Community Development (HCD) on September 17, 2008. The 2013-2021 Housing
Element has been prepared to be submitted to the State Housing and Community
Development Department for a 60 -day review period, beginning on September 18,
2013. The City has been working closely with HCD for Housing Element to be certified
by State. The proposed 2013-2021 Housing Element discusses citywide housing and
population demographics, regional fair -share housing allocations, and implementation
mechanisms to assist the City in providing a full range of housing opportunities.
Final Program Environmental Impact Report for the 2000 General Plan
The Program EIR No. 1049 for the 2000 General Plan (State Clearinghouse No.
200031120) addresses a full range of environmental issues associated with the 20 -year
planning horizon of the 2000 General Plan (2020). All impacts resulting from
implementation of the 2000 General Plan were reduced to a level of insignificance with
the exception of impacts related to transportation/circulation, air quality, and noise. The
Program EIR was originally certified by the Costa Mesa City Council in January, 2002.
A supplemental Program EIR was prepared for the 2008 update, which was adopted by
City Council Resolution 08-62 on August 19, 2008.
Addendum to the Program EIR for the 2000 General Plan, for the 2013-2021
Housing Element Update
The Addendum to the Program EIR for the 2000 General Plan has been prepared in
accordance with the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)
statutes (Public Resources Code 21000 et seq.); the State CEQA Guidelines (14
California Code of Regulations, 15000 et seq.); and the rules, regulations, and
procedures for implementing CEQA as adopted by the City of Costa Mesa. The 2013-
2021 Housing Element's environmental conformance is satisfied with this Addendum to
the Program EIR.
Addendum to the General Plan Program EIR (SCH#200031120) Page 1 e
The purpose of the Addendum to the Program EIR is to provide updated information to
the previously -certified Program EIR. Other than an update of new population,
employment, and housing statistics and an identification of the City's proposal to meet
the Regional Housing Needs Assessment goals, there are no substantial changes in the
2013-2021 Housing Element. Section 15164(a) of the State CEQA Guidelines states
that "the lead agency or a responsible agency shall prepare an addendum to a
previously certified EIR if some changes or additions are necessary but there are no
new significant impacts resulting from these changes, nor are there any substantial
increases in the severity of the of any previously identified environmental impacts. The
potential impacts associated with the proposed update to the Housing Element of the
City's General Plan would either be the same or less than the anticipated levels
described in the certified Program EIR.
The purpose of the Addendum to the Program EIR is to reflect the updated technical
information provided in the Housing Element update and analyze any potential impacts
associated with the update. Specifically, the Addendum to the Program EIR finds that
the impacts resulting from implementation of the 2000 General Plan and the 2013-2021
Housing Element update as described in the previous Program EIR remain the same
and the mitigation measures are still with the second update to the Housing Element.
No considerably different mitigation measures or feasible alternatives have been
identified which may reduce the traffic, noise or air quality effects. The Addendum only
contains technical information or other information described in the 2013-2021 Housing
Element to update the previous Program EIR. While new housing programs and
potentially adequate sites for residential development are identified, no new mitigation
measures or significant impacts are identified in this Addendum. Specifically, the
Addendum to the Program EIR finds that the previously identified impacts and mitigation
measures, as described in the Program EIR, are still applicable to the updated 2013-
2021 Housing Element. Therefore, the Program EIR, as certified, remains adequate
and complete.
The following environmental topics are revised with updated information related to the
2013-2021 Housing Element:
• Housing, Population, and Employment
• Land Use
• Transportation and Circulation
ALL other environmental analysis sections are not contained herein because the
original Program EIR for those environmental areas are still applicable and do not
require updated information. CEQA does not require that the original Program EIR be
circulated with the addendum, but the original Program EIR is available for public review
from the City of Costa Mesa upon request. Therefore, please refer to the original
Program EIR for other environmental topics not contained in this Addendum to the
Program EIR.
Addendum to the General Plan Program EIR (SCH#200031120) Page 2 e
1.0 Introduction
This section provides information related to the California Environmental Quality Act
(CEQA) and the revised analysis to the General Plan Program Environmental Impact
Report (EIR), as it relates to the updated 2013-2021 Housing Element. This section
discusses the original 2000 General Plan Program EIR (SCH No. 200031120) certified
in January 2002. This section provides background information on the need to provide
updated information to the original analysis in reference to the 2013-2021 Housing
Element update.
1.1 Project Description
State law requires that the City of Costa Mesa review its Housing Element in order to
evaluate:
• The appropriateness of the housing goals, objectives and policies in contributing
to the attainment of the state housing goal.
• The effectiveness of the Housing Element in attainment of the community's
housing goals and objectives.
• The progress of the city, county, or city and county in implementation of the
Housing Element.
The Housing Element and prior update covered the period of July 1, 2000 through June
30, 2008 aligning with the Regional Transportation Planning process. The most recent
Housing Element update covered the period of July 1, 2008 through October 15, 2013
(as revised from June 30, 2014 by SB 375). A summary of the City's achievements
under the previous Housing Element is presented in Table HOU-1 of the Housing
Element.
1.2 California Environmental Quality Act
CEQA requires that state and local government agencies consider the environmental
consequences of projects over which they have discretionary authority before taking
action on those projects (Public Resources Code 21000 et seq.). CEQA also requires
that each public agency mitigate or avoid, wherever feasible, the significant
environmental impacts of a project that it approves or implements. A significant impact
is one that would lead to a substantial adverse change in the physical conditions of the
environmental areas affected by the project.
An EIR is an informational document used in state, regional, and local planning and
decision-making processes to meet the requirements of CEQA. The EIR for a proposed
project must disclose environmental effects that cannot be avoided; growth -inducing
effects; effects found not to be significant; and significant cumulative impacts of all past,
present and reasonably anticipated future projects. I�21�
an EIR must identify
Addendum to the General Plan Program EIR (SCH#200031120) Page 3 6
potential methods of avoiding or reducing effects (i.e., mitigation measures) and
alternatives to the proposed project or program.
1.3 2000 General Plan
The 2000 General Plan adopted in 2002 superseded the 1990 General Plan and was
primarily an update of existing conditions and long-term projections,. The 2000 General
Plan effort included reorganizing four existing 1990 General Plan elements into ten
elements. Through implementation of the goals and policies in the 2000 General Plan,
the City's objective was to work toward providing a pleasant living and working
environmental for City residents and workers.
1.4 2000 General Plan Program EIR
The Final Program EIR No. 1049 (State Clearinghouse No. 200031120) addresses a full
range of environmental issues associated with the 20 -year planning horizon of the 2000
General Plan (2020). All impacts resulting from implementation of the 2000 General
Plan were minimized to a level of significance with the exception of impacts related to
transportation/circulation, air quality, and noise. In addition, the Final Program EIR
analyzed three General Plan alternatives:
• No Project/No Build (No City Growth Plus Regional Growth) Alternative
• No Project / Existing 1990 General Plan Alternative
• 2000 General Plan plus Home Ranch Alternative
This Addendum to the original Program EIR provides information to update the data
included in the previous EIR. This Addendum includes environmental analysis on the
2013-2021 Housing Element as needed; however, it reaffirms the original environmental
conclusions, impact analysis, and mitigation measures (as applicable) of the original
Program EIR.
1.5 Addendum to the Program EIR
The Addendum to the Program EIR for the 2000 General Plan has been prepared to
meet the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) statutes
(Public Resources Code 21000 et seq.) and Guidelines (14 California Code of
Regulations, 15000 et seq.). The 2013-2021 Housing Element's environmental
conformance is fulfilled with this Addendum to the Program EIR.
Pursuant to §15367 of the CEQA Guidelines, the City of Costa Mesa is the Lead
Agency for this project. As defined, the lead agency has the principal responsibility for
carrying out or approving a project. This Addendum serves to update the information in
the Program EIR as contemplated in CEQA Guidelines §15164. The CEQA Guidelines
(California Code of Regulations §15000, et seq.) autho' t of an Addendum for
Q
Addendum to the General Plan Program EIR (SCH#200031120) Page 4 el
the purpose of making minor or technical changes, as long as these changes do not rise
to the level of requiring a subsequent or supplemental EIR pursuant to CEQA
Guidelines §15162. CEQA Guidelines §15164 states:
a) The lead agency or a responsible agency shall prepare an addendum to a
previously certified EIR if some changes or additions are necessary but none
of the conditions described in Section 15162 calling for preparation of a
subsequent EIR have occurred.
1.6 Statutory Requirements
Section 21166 of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA, Public Resources
Code §21000, et seq.) sets the standard to determine whether another EIR should be
prepared when an original EIR has been prepared. Section 21166 states:
When an environmental impact report has been prepared for a project pursuant to
this division, no subsequent or supplemental environmental impact report shall be
required by the lead agency or by any responsible agency, unless one or more of
the following events occurs:
(a) Substantial changes are proposed in the project which will require major
revisions of the environmental impact report.
(b) Substantial changes occur with respect to the circumstances under which
the project is being undertaken which will require major revisions in the
environmental impact report.
(c) New information, which was not known and could not have been known at
the time the environmental impact report was certified as complete,
becomes available.
Section 21166 is further explained in the CEQA Guidelines at §15162 as follows:
(a) When an EIR has been certified or a negative declaration adopted for a
project, no subsequent EIR shall be prepared for that project unless the
lead agency determines, on the basis of substantial evidence in the light of
the whole record, one or more of the following:
(1) Substantial changes are proposed in the project which will require
major revisions of the previous EIR or Negative Declaration due to
the involvement of new significant environmental effects or a
substantial increase in the severity of previously identified
significant effects;
(2) Substantial changes occur with respect to the circumstances under
which the project is undertaken, which will require major revisions
of the previous EIR or Negative Declaration due to the involvement
of new significant environmental effects or a substantial increase in
the severity of previously identified significant effects; or
Addendum to the General Plan Program EIR (SCH#200031120) Page 5 Oa
(3) New information of substantial importance which was not known
and could not have been known with the exercise of reasonable
diligence at the time the previous EIR was certified as complete or
the Negative Declaration was adopted, shows any of the following:
(A) The project will have one or more significant effects not
discussed in the previous EIR or negative declaration;
(8) Significant effects previously examined will be substantially
more severe than shown in the previous EIR;
(C) Mitigation measures or alternatives previously found not to
be feasible would in fact be feasible, and would substantially
reduce one or more significant effects of the project, but the
project proponents decline to adopt the mitigation measure
or alternative; or
(D) Mitigation measures or alternatives which are considerably
different from those analyzed in the previous EIR would
substantially reduce one or more significant effects on the
environment, but the project proponents decline to adopt the
mitigation measure or alternative.
(b) If changes to a project or its circumstances occur or new information
becomes available after adoption of a negative declaration, the lead
agency shall prepare a subsequent EIR if required under subsection (a).
Otherwise, the lead agency shall determine whether to prepare a
subsequent negative declaration, an addendum, or no further
documentation.
(c) Once a project has been approved, the lead agency's role in project
approval is completed, unless further discretionary approval on that
project is required. Information appearing after an approval does not
require reopening that approval. If after the project is approved, any of the
conditions described in subsection (a) occurs, a subsequent EIR or
negative declaration shall only be prepared by the public agency which
grants the next discretionary approval for the project, if any. In this
situation no other Responsible Agency shall grant an approval for the
project until the subsequent EIR has been certified or subsequent
negative declaration adopted.
(d) A subsequent EIR or subsequent negative declaration shall be given the
same notice and public review as required under Section 15087 or Section
15072. A subsequent EIR or negative declaration shall state where the
previous document is available and can be reviewed.
The key to §21166 and §15162 is to determine if any circumstances have changed
enough to justify repeating a substantial portion of the environmental documentation
process. If conditions do not justify a new or supplemental EIR, but minor additional or
technical changes are appropriate to keep the document current and useful, an agency
may prepare an Addendum (CEQA Guidelines §15164. This Addendum will document
Addendum to the General Plan Program EIR (SCH#200031120) Page 6 6
the character of any changes or additions to support the determination to prepare an
Addendum. It will also provide an opportunity to evaluate all components of §15162 to
determine if the Program EIR still reflects the full scope of the environmental impact.
Where appropriate, citations to the Program EIR will be made, and assumptions made
in the Program EIR will be evaluated for continuing validity.
The 2013-2021 Housing Element update of the City of Costa Mesa 2000 General Plan
includes new policies and programs intended to facilitate development of a full range of
housing opportunities. These policies and programs do not change the City's land use
designations, traffic model, or noise or air quality model runs. The revised policies and
programs do not generate new traffic, noise, or air quality effects nor a substantial
increase in the severity of previously identified significant effects. The revisions to the
figures, text, charts, and tables only reflect updated data. Therefore, no changes are
proposed that would involve new significant environmental effects or a substantial
increase in the severity of previously identified effects. The 2013-2021 Housing Element
update does not propose substantial changes to how policies or programs are
implemented that would require major revisions of the previously certified Program EIR.
The 2013-2021 Housing Element update does not include new information which
indicates that one or more significant effects were not discussed in the previously
certified Program EIR.
The 2013-2021 Housing Element update will not exacerbate the traffic, noise or air
quality effects previously identified in the previously certified Program EIR. The noise
and air quality impacts resulting from implementation of the 2000 General Plan and the
2013-2021 Housing Element update remain significant and unavoidable and no new
mitigation measures or alternatives would be feasible that would reduce these effects to
a less than significant level. No considerably different mitigation measures or
alternatives which may reduce the traffic, noise or air quality effects are feasible.
Project Alternatives
The certified Program EIR for the 2000 General Plan considered three project
alternatives that were determined to be reasonable; an alternative that did not permit
any additional growth in the City, an alternative that reduced density alternative (1990
General Plan), and an alternative that included the Home Ranch project. A separate
Program EIR (SCH No. 200071050) was adopted for the Home Ranch project, which
was being considered during the same time that the General Plan Program EIR was
adopted. The Home Ranch project involved development of the Segerstrom House
Ranch site with retail, office, light industrial, and residential uses. In comparison to
these alternatives, the 2000 General Plan project that accomplished the project
objectives was considered environmentally superior.
The Addendum only contains technical information or other information described in the
2013-2021 Housing Element to update the previous Program EIR. While new housing
programs and potentially adequate sites for high-density residential development are
identified, no new mitigation measures or significant impacts are identified in this
Addendum to the General Plan Program EIR (SCH#200031120) Page 7 0
Addendum. Specifically, the Addendum to the Program EIR finds that the impacts and
mitigation measures as described in the previous Program EIR are still applicable to the
updated 2013-2021 Housing Element. Therefore, the Program EIR, as certified,
remains adequate and complete.
1.7 Scope of Addendum to the Program EIR
As a programmatic document, the Program EIR (and the Addendum to the Program
EIR) presents an environmental assessment of a policy document and not a specific
development project. With regard to the updated 2013-2021 Housing Element, the
focus of the Addendum to the Program EIR is to address the impacts of the housing
programs/projects that, individually or in the aggregate, may be locally significant, and
to highlight potential impacts that will need to be further evaluated once precise scopes,
designs, and locations of specific housing projects are more clearly defined.
The Addendum to the Program EIR provides background information and avoids
unnecessary repetition of facts or analysis. The Program EIR approach allows the City
of Costa Mesa to examine the city-wide effects of a program of actions before its
adoption and eliminates redundant or contradictory approaches to the consideration of
regional and cumulative effects. The Addendum to the Program EIR only contains
technical information or other information described in the 2013-2021 Housing Element
to update the previous Program EIR.
Specifically, the Addendum to the Program EIR finds that the following impacts and
mitigation measures as described in the previous Program EIR are still applicable to the
updated 2013-2021 Housing Element. While new housing programs and potentially
adequate sites for high-density residential development are identified, no new mitigation
measures or significant impacts are identified in this Addendum.
111111111
Addendum to the General Plan Program EIR (SCH#200031120)
Page 8 e
1.8 Statement of Objectives for the Addendum to the Program EIR
The City of Costa Mesa's objectives for the Addendum to the Program EIR are as
follows:
• Conform with Section 21000 et. seq.
impacts be addressed and mitigated.
of CEQA, which requires that environmental
• Prepare an Addendum to the General Plan EIR (Program EIR) that will continue
to serve as a first tier environmental document, consistent with the requirements
of Section 15152 of the CEQA Guidelines.
• Provide a basis for informative decisions when considering the development
associated with implementation of the 2013-2021 Housing Element of the City of
Costa Mesa.
• Provide a legally defensible environmental foundation upon which decisions may
be evaluated and justified.
• Provide analysis to illustrate that the original environmental conclusions, impact
analysis, and mitigation measures (as applicable) of the original General Plan
Program EIR are still applicable to the 2013-2021 Housing Element and that
these conclusions are unchanged.
1.9 Future Environmental Review of Residential Development Projects
The Addendum to the Program EIR is intended to be used solely for the consideration
for approval of the 2013-2021 Housing Element and should not be used for the approval
of individual projects that result from implementation of the updated Housing Element.
Subsequent project -specific environmental review, as applicable, is required. However,
information in this document may be referenced in future environmental review.
The preparation of this Addendum to the Program EIR does not relieve the proponents
of projects listed to meet the quantified objectives for the Regional Housing Needs
Assessment (RHNA) from the responsibility of complying with the requirements of
CEQA (and/or NEPA for projects requiring federal funding or approvals). The RHNA
obligation for the current planning cycle is two units. The Program EIR represents the
first tier of environmental review for the projects proposed in the 2013-2021 Housing
Element. The City of Costa Mesa as lead agency will be responsible for reviewing
individual projects and will determine the level of further environmental review needed,
as project details are refined.
111111111
Addendum to the General Plan Program EIR (SCH#200031120)
Page 9
1.10 EIR Terminology
The Program EIR establishes thresholds of significance based on State CEQA
Guidelines. This report identifies the following types of impacts:
• A less than significant impact is considered to cause no substantial adverse
change in the environment and requires no mitigation measures.
• A significant impact is considered to cause a substantial adverse effect on the
environment but can be reduced to a less than significant level by implementing
mitigation measures;
• A significant unavoidable impact is considered to cause a substantial adverse
effect on the environment for which feasible mitigation measures are not
available to reduce the impact to a less -than -significant level;
1.11 Environmental Topics in Addendum to the Program EIR
The Program EIR provides a basic reference document to avoid unnecessary repetition
of facts or analysis in the previous Program EIR. Therefore, the Addendum to the
Program EIR only contains updated technical information or other information to make
the previous certified Program EIR adequate for the updated 2013-2021 Housing
Element. Specifically, the Addendum to the Program EIR finds that the following
impacts and mitigation measures as described in the Program EIR are still applicable to
the 2000 General Plan with its newly updated 2013-2021 Housing Element. No new
mitigation measures or significant impacts are identified in this document. The 2013-
2021 Housing Element contains updated information related to the following topic areas:
Housing, Population, and Employment; Land Use; and Transportation and Circulation.
ALL other environmental analysis sections are not contained herein because the
original Program EIR for those environmental areas are still applicable and do not
require updating of new or relevant information. Pursuant to State Law, the Addendum
to the Program EIR is a way of making minor corrections in EIRs without recirculating
the EIR, but the original Program EIR is available for public review from the City of
Costa Mesa upon request.
1.12 Document Availability
The City of Costa Mesa is the custodian of the administrative record for the 2000
General Plan and Program EIR. The administrative record is available for public review
at the City of Costa Mesa public counter, 2nd floor, City Hall, 77 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa,
California:
• 2000 General Plan
• 2000 General Plan Program EIR, certified January 2002
• 2000 General Plan Draft Supplemental Program EIR, certified August 2008
• 2013-2021 Housing Element RQ7
Addendum to the General Plan Program EIR (SCH#200031120) Page 10
2.0 Project Description
The purpose of this section is to provide background information on the 2000 General
Plan and a description of the proposed 2013-2021 Housing Element. The Addendum to
the Program EIR strictly provides additional information as it relates to the proposed
2013-2021 Housing Element.
2.1 Location
Costa Mesa is located in central Orange County, California and is part of the larger
Southern California region (refer to Exhibit 3-1, Regional Vicinity). The City
encompasses 16 square miles and is bounded by the cities of Santa Ana, Irvine,
Newport Beach, Huntington Beach and Fountain Valley. Regional access is provided
by several freeways including: the San Diego Freeway (1-405) which bisects the
northerly portion of the City; the Costa Mesa Freeway (SR55) which travels north to
south through the easterly portion of the City; and the Corona del Mar Freeway (SR73)
which also extends through the northern area of the City. Regional access is also
provided by the Orange County John Wayne Airport, located along the eastern edge of
the City.
2.2 Background
The original General Plan for the City of Costa Mesa was prepared in 1957, and was
updated in 1970, 1981, 1992, and 2000. The original 1957 General Plan contained a
Master Zoning Plan, which divided the City and its projected sphere of influence into
seven land use categories. In 1970, a new General Plan was prepared that increased
the number of land use designations from seven to ten. The General Plan was again
revised in 1981 and included 11 land use designations. In 1992, the plan was updated
to produce the 1990 General Plan, which incorporated a total of 15 land use
designations.
2.3 The 2013-2021 Housing Element
Accommodating the housing needs of the State of California is an important goal for the
City of Costa Mesa, regional agencies and State agencies. As the population of the
State continues to grow and pressure on resources increase, Costa Mesa is concerned
with providing adequate housing opportunities while maintaining a high standard of
living for all citizens in the community.
The State of California has declared that "the availability of housing is of vital statewide
importance and the early attainment of decent housing and a suitable living environment
for every California family is a priority of the highest order." In addition, government and
the private sector should make an effort to provide a diversity of housing opportunities
and accommodate regional housing needs through a cooperative effort, while
Addendum to the General Plan Program EIR (SCH#200031120) Page 11 e
maintaining a responsibility toward economic, environmental and fiscal factors and
community goals within the general plan.
Further, State Housing Element law requires "An assessment of housing needs and an
inventory of resources and constraints relevant to the meeting of these needs." The law
requires:
• An analysis of population and employment trends.
• An analysis of the City's fair share of the regional housing needs.
• An analysis of household characteristics.
• An inventory of suitable land for residential development.
• An analysis of governmental and non-governmental constraints on the
improvement, maintenance and development of housing.
• An analysis of special housing needs and at risk housing.
• An analysis of opportunities for energy conservation.
• An analysis of publicly -assisted housing developments that may convert to
non -assisted housing developments.
The requirements help to describe the community's existing and projected housing
needs and to set forth policies and programs that promote preservation, improvement
and development of diverse types of housing throughout Costa Mesa.
Recognizing the importance of providing adequate housing, the State has mandated a
Housing Element within every General Plan since 1969. The City of Costa Mesa
adopted its first Housing Element in April 1971 and has continued to work towards the
needs of the State, region and community. Changes in market conditions and State
legislation resulted in amendments to the City's Housing Element in 1974, 1978, 1980,
1988, 1992, 2000, and 2008.
The purpose of the 2013-2021 Housing Element is to develop an understanding of the
existing and projected housing needs within the community and to set forth policies and
programs that promote preservation, improvement, and development of diverse types
and costs of housing throughout Costa Mesa. This Element discusses citywide housing
and population demographics, regional fair -share housing allocations, and
implementation mechanisms to assist the City in providing a full range of housing
opportunities. The updated Housing Element supersedes the previous Housing
Element originally adopted in the 2000 General Plan in 2002 and updated in 2008. The
2013-2021 Housing Element is pending review by the State of California Housing and
Community Development Department.
Addendum to the General Plan Program EIR (SCH#200031120) Page 12 e
3.0 Population, Housing, and Employment
The Population, Housing, and Employment section of the EIR addresses the
socioeconomic impacts associated with implementation of the 2000 General Plan to the
planning horizon year of 2020. The setting discussion presents the baseline information
required for establishing changes due to the 2000 General Plan, inclusive of the
updated 2013-2021 Housing Element.
Impacts related to implementation of the 2000 General Plan were analyzed based on
anticipated changes in population, employment, and housing compared to conditions
existing at the time of adoption of the General Plan. This section is updated with new
technical information provided in the 2013-2021 Housing Element. Additional
information incorporated into this section was derived from the 2000 and 2010 U.S.
Census, Orange County Population and Housing Estimates (Report E -S), and data
obtained from the 2006-2010 American Community Survey, California Department of
Finance, Demographic Research Unit and the California Employment Development
Department (EDD). Projections were obtained from the Southern California Association
of Governments (SCAG) regional projections.
3.1 Environmental Setting
Population, Housing, and Employment Trends
State Law Requirements
The State of California has declared that "the availability of housing is of vital statewide
importance and the early attainment of decent housing and a suitable living environment
for every California family is a priority of the highest order." In addition, government and
the private sector should make an effort to provide a diversity of housing opportunities
and accommodate regional housing needs through a cooperative effort, while
maintaining a responsibility toward economic, environmental and fiscal factors and
community goals within the general plan.
State law requires the City of Costa Mesa to review its Housing Element in order to
evaluate:
• The appropriateness of the housing goals, objectives and policies in
contributing to the attainment of the state housing goal.
• The effectiveness of the Housing Element in attainment of the
community's housing goals and objectives.
• The progress of the city, county, or city and county in implementation of
the Housing Element.
The previous Housing Element originally covered the period of July 1, 2000 through
June 30, 2008 and was updated for the 2008-2013 timeframe. The time frame for the
current update is from 2013 to 2021. A review of the programs implemented as part of
Addendum to the General Plan Program EIR (SCH#200031120) Page 13 el
the prior Housing Element update is presented in Table HOU-1 of the 2013-2021
Housing Element.
Population
TABLE 1
POPULATION TRENDS - COSTA MESA AND SURROUNDING CITIES (1980-2010)
City
:0
•� ���
•:0
Number Percent
Costa Mesa
82,562
96,357 108,724
109,960
27,398 33.2%
Fountain Valley
55,080
53,691 54,978
55,313
233 0.4%
Huntington Beach
170,505
181,519 189,594
189,992
19,487 11.4%
Irvine
62,134
110,330 143,072
212,375
150,241 242.8%
Newport Beach
62,556
66,643 70,032
85,186
22,630 36.2%
Santa Ana
203,713
293,742 337,977
324,528
120,815 59.3%
Six -City Total
636,550
804,272 904,377
977,354
340,804 53.5%
TOTAL COUNTY
1,932,921
2,410,556 2,846,289
3,010,232
1,077,311 55.7%
Source: Bureau of the Census, 1980 - 2010 Census.
The City of Costa Mesa is surrounded by five cities: Fountain Valley, Huntington Beach,
Irvine, Newport Beach and Santa Ana. Costa Mesa and its surrounding cities play a
significant role in meeting the housing needs of Orange County and the greater Los
Angeles Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area (CMSA). These cities contained
31.8 percent of the Orange County population in 2000 and 33.1 percent of the County
population in 2010.
Between 1980 and 2010, Santa Ana and Irvine experienced the largest numerical and
proportionate gains for the six -city area, but Costa Mesa also experienced a fair amount
of population gains. In 2010, Costa Mesa has a total population of 109,960 persons
(Table 1).
Much like the rest of Orange County, Costa Mesa had a population boom in the 1960s
with average annual growth around ten percent. Between 1970 and 2000, population
growth became moderate and steady with rates around one percent. In 2010, the
population increased slightly to 109,960 persons since 2000 (Table 2).
Addendum to the General Plan Program EIR (SCH#200031120) Page 14 e
TABLE 2
CITY OF COSTA MESA POPULATION TRENDS (1960 to 2010)
Year
Total Population
Numeric Change
---
Percent Change
Annual Percent
Change
1960
37,550
---
---
1970
72,660
35,110
93.5%
9.4%
1980
82,562
9,902
13.6%
1.4%
1990
96,357
13,795
16.7%
1.7%
2000
108,724
12,367
12.8%
1.3%
2010
109,960
1,236
1.1%
0.1%
Sources: Bureau of the Census, 1960 - 2000 Census.
Housing
Consistent with an urbanized, built -out community, Costa Mesa has seen modest
housing growth since 1990. The housing stock grew from 39,611 in 1990 to 42,867 in
2010, an eight percent increase over 20 years (Table HOU-22 of the Housing Element).
In comparison, Orange County experienced the same proportion of housing unit growth
(8 percent) in just the last 10 years.
Household Income
Over the ten-year period between 2000 and 2010, median household income in Costa
Mesa increased by 17 percent. The number of households with incomes below $50,000
decreased by over 20 percent, while most income categories above $50,000 increased
(Table HOU-13 of the Housing Element). The largest numeric and percentage
increases occurred in the greater than $150,000 income group. Conversely, the largest
numeric decrease occurred in the $25,000 to $34,999 income group. Generally, the
2010 Census reflects a continuing shift to the higher income categories. The shifts in
income distribution are a combined result of inflation, real change in earning power, and
higher housing prices affordable only to higher income households. Overall, Costa
Mesa has a lower median household income than the County.
Between 2000 and 2010, the median household income increased by 17 percent but
during the same period, housing prices increased dramatically. In 2012, the median
home price in Costa Mesa was $525,000, a 134 -percent increase from 1997.
Household incomes are not keeping pace with housing prices in Costa Mesa, much like
the rest of California.
Addendum to the General Plan Program EIR (SCH#200031120) Page 15 e
Regional Growth Forecasts
The Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG), Orange County Council
of Governments (OCCOG), and City forecasts, which are the 2012-2035 Regional
Transportation Plan Population, Housing, and Employment forecasts are as follows:
Adopted SCAG Regionwide Forecasts*
Population 17,799,600 19,599,300 21,965,400
Households 5,789,230 6,431,330 7,291,830
Employment 7,710,470 8,379,470 9,387,470
Adopted OCCOG Forecasts*
Population
Households
Employment
I 1
2020
0
121,200
159,100
189,300
2,989,500
3,266,200
31421,100
987,100
1,049,100
1,124,800
1,624,400
1,626,100
1,779,100
Adopted OCCOG Unincorporated Area Forecasts*
Population
Households
Employment
Adopted City of Costa Mesa Forecasts*
Population
Households
2010
2020
2035
121,200
159,100
189,300
38,500
44,000
57,600
23,800
29,700
39,500
Adopted City of Costa Mesa Forecasts*
Population
Households
2010
2020
2035
1• 11
11
� 111
• 11
�1 11
�1 •11
•� 11
:: 11
:::11
Employment
The 2012-2035 RTP growth forecast at the regional, county, and subregional level was adopted in April
4, 2012. City totals are the sum of the small area data and should be used for advisory purposes.
Addendum to the General Plan Program EIR (SCH#200031120) Page 16
Vital Statistics
Highlighted below are some of Costa Mesa's vital statistics:
• Population: 109,960 people
In 2000, Costa Mesa's population was 108,724. In 2010, the City experienced
an estimated 1.1 percent increase in population for a total of 109,960 people.
• Median Age: 34 years
• Disabled People: 8% of total population
• Average Household Size: 2.68 people per household
• Median Household Income: $64,864
The U.S. Census Bureau estimated the Area Median Income (AMI) in 2000 at
$55,456. In 2010, the income increased to $64,864.
• Owner to Renter Percentage: 57% Renter Households
According to the Bureau of the Census, by 2010 renter -households represented
57 percent of all households in the City. Countywide, 34 percent of the
households were renters in 2010.
• Apartment Rents:
$550-$1,360 (studio)
$800-$1,609 (one bedroom)
$1,185-$1,855 (two bedrooms)
• Median Housing Cost:
$515,000 Single Family Residence
$322,300 Condominium
3.2 Standards of Significance
Significance Criteria
In accordance with CEQA, the effects of a project are evaluated to determine if they will
result in a significant adverse impact on the environment. An EIR is required to focus on
these effects and offer mitigation measures to reduce or avoid any significant impacts
which are identified. The criteria, or standards, used to determine the significance of
impacts may vary depending on the nature of the project. Population, Housing and
Employment impacts resulting from implementation of the 2000 General Plan, inclusive
of the 2013-2021 Housing Element, may be considered significant if they cause any of
the following results:
Addendum to the General Plan Program EIR (SCH#200031120) Page 17
a) Induce substantial population growth in an area, either directly (for
example, proposing new homes and business) or indirectly (for example,
through extension of roads or other infrastructure);
b) Displace substantial numbers of existing housing, necessitating the
construction of replacement housing elsewhere: and/or
c) Displace substantial numbers of people, necessitating the construction of
replacement housing elsewhere;
Based on these standards, the effects of the proposed project have been categorized
as either a "less than significant impact" or a "potentially significant impact. Mitigation
measures are recommended for potentially significant impacts. If a potentially significant
impact cannot be reduced to a less than significant level through the application of
mitigation, it is categorized as a significant unavoidable impact. The characteristics of a
project that can trigger population, employment or housing changes are actual
development of residential or commercial industrial space, or changes in land use
development intensity standards.
3.3 Impact Analysis
a) Population Growth
Population growth associated with implementation of the 2000 General Plan, inclusive
of the 2013-2021 Housing Element, is anticipated to result in an insignificant increase
population within the City of Costa Mesa..
The 2013-2021 Housing Element update within the 2000 General Plan would not induce
substantial population growth in an area, either directly (i.e., proposing new homes and
business) or indirectly (i.e., through extension of roads or other infrastructure);
The City of Costa Mesa has a 2010 population of 109,960 persons. The City of Costa
Mesa Development Services Department's projections anticipated that the City growth
rate would be 6.7 percent between years 2000 and 2020. The City's growth rate over
ten years was 1.1 percent and is estimated to increase slightly over the next ten years.
The behavior of the City's growth rate appears largely dependant on two factors: 1) the
City is relatively developed and will have increasingly less space in which to develop
new properties and 2) the southern portion of Orange County offers more development
opportunity.
The original General Plan Program EIR indicated that Costa Mesa's population- growth
is anticipated to yield less than 15,000 people over the next 20 years, which would
contribute to approximately 2.6 percent of the overall growth projected for Orange
County. The current population growth estimates are within the original projections.
Therefore, population growth is not expected to create any si nificant impacts.
Addendum to the General Plan Program EIR (SCH#200031120) Page 18 4a
Employment Growth
Employment growth associated with implementation of the 2000 General Plan, inclusive
of the 2013-2021 Housing Element, is anticipated to increase within the City of Costa
Mesa in the Planning Horizon Year of 2020.
Employment Trends
According to the California Employment Development Department (EDD), the City of
Costa Mesa labor force consisted of 56,450 persons in 2000 and was estimated at
59,932 persons as of 2010. This represents an average increase of six percent or
3,482 jobs over ten years. Educational, Health, and Social Services are the largest
industry in the County, followed by Professional services and Arts, entertainment,
recreation, accommodation and food services. The three industries combined for 45.5
percent of the City's labor force.
The average worker salary in 2007 was $42,457. Jobs in wholesale trade and finance,
insurance, and real estate had the highest wages, while manufacturing had the lowest
average annual salary. In 2007, EDD estimates Costa Mesa's total employment is
66,300 persons. The figure represents an increase of 9,850 persons over seven years
or 2.5 percent annually since 2000. Comparatively, Costa Mesa and Orange County
are similar in terms of employment industry proportions. Costa Mesa had a slightly
higher proportion of persons employed in the services, which generally offer lower
wages. As of June 2012, Costa Mesa had an estimated unemployment rate of 7.1
percent, comparable to the countywide rate of 7.9 percent.
Based on Table LU -3 of the Land Use Element in the 2000 General Plan, there were
approximately 88,294 jobs in 2000 in the City of Costa Mesa. In addition, Table LU -3
cites the anticipated existence of 106,708 jobs in the City in 2020, representing a 17.2
percent increase in jobs.
Projected employment growth within the Costa Mesa is consistent with the projected
growth within the County and the Region. Based on the amount of anticipated jobs in
Costa Mesa, demand for buildable space to contain the future businesses could be
considered an impact. In addition, the City encourages reinvestment in underdeveloped
sites with mixed-use and live/work projects that combine residential and
office/commercial uses in the Urban Plan areas. However, the City currently has 126
available acres to accommodate business-related development. Thus, the impacts
related to employment growth as examined in the updated 2013-2021 Housing Element
would be less than significant.
Addendum to the General Plan Program EIR (SCH#200031120) Page 19 e
b & c) Displacement of Housing and People
Implementation of the 2000 General Plan, inclusive of the 2013-2021 Housing Element,
would not result in the displacement of substantial numbers of existing housing or
people.
The updated 2013-2021 Housing Element is not expected to displace substantial
numbers of existing housing or people, necessitating the construction of replacement
housing elsewhere. The City of Costa Mesa will be able to fulfill of the Regional
Housing Needs Allocation obligation of two units during the current planning cycle. The
housing programs that promote the construction of residential projects affordable to a
variety of income groups and for various special housing needs populations do not
involve displacement of substantial numbers of existing housing or people necessitating
construction of replacement housing elsewhere.
Regional Housing Needs
State Housing Element law requires that a local jurisdiction accommodate a share of the
region's projected housing needs for the planning period. This share, called the
Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA), is important because State law mandates
that jurisdictions provide sufficient land to accommodate a variety of housing
opportunities for all economic segments of the community. Compliance with this
requirement is measured by the jurisdiction's ability in providing adequate land to
accommodate the RHNA.
The Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG), as the regional planning
agency, is responsible for allocating the RHNA to individual jurisdictions within the six -
county region, including the County of Orange.' The Orange County Council of
Governments (OCCOG), a subregional planning organization, worked closely with
SCAG to develop the RHNA for Orange County jurisdictions.
The RHNA is distributed by income category. For the 2013 Housing Element update,
the City of Costa Mesa is allocated a RHNA of two units, one Extremely Low/Very Low -
Income unit (up to 50 percent of AMI) and one Low -Income unit (51 to 80 percent of
AMI). The City has identified underutilized sites in the 19 West Urban Plan area with
the capacity to accommodate 75 units. Furthermore, a vacant site, commonly referred
to as Sakioka Lot 2, has the potential to accommodate 739 units, more than adequate
to accommodate the two units required by the RHNA allocation.
Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) covers a six -county re ion, including Los Angeles,
Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, and Imperial. Tur
Addendum to the General Plan Program EIR (SCH#200031120) Page 20
Housing Units Constructed
Since 2008, a total of 1,210 housing units have been constructed in Costa Mesa.
Among these units constructed, 617 are affordable to moderate income households, 16
units are affordable to very low income households, and 14 units are affordable to low
income households. These affordable housing units include the following:
• Density Bonus: Since 2008, seven affordable density bonus units were
created. The City provides expedited reviews for projects within the Urban
Plan areas and defers park and traffic impact fees to prior to issuing a
certificate of occupancy.
• Federal and State Housing Programs: A total of 617 affordable units
(moderate income) were constructed between 2008 and 2011.
• Second Units: The City updated its second unit ordinance in 2011 allowing
the construction of accessory second units in the R-1 zone and has
adopted conditions under which second dwelling units may be permitted.
These conditions are consistent with State law. Since 2008, three second
units have been built. While these units are not deed restricted, given their
small unit size, these units should be affordable to low income
households, especially these units are often occupied by family members
rent-free.
Adequate Sites
The 2013-2021 Housing Element identifies vacant and underutilized sites that provide
potential development opportunities for future housing, particularly affordable housing.
Future residential development will occur primarily in the North Costa Mesa Specific
Plan and Urban Plan areas through the redevelopment of marginally viable uses with
residential or mixed-use projects. Applications for development have been filed for
many of these underutilized sites identified. These sites do not involve displacement of
existing housing or people. These adequate sites do not involve displacement of
existing housing or people.
Based on units constructed, under construction, and approved, as well as vacant and
underutilized sites available, the City of Costa Mesa is able to fully accommodate its
RHNA. The City's ongoing efforts to provide affordable housing to all social and
economic segments of the community and remove constraints to impede future
development within the City indicate that the displacement of housing and people would
be minimal. Therefore, less than significant displacement impacts would result from
implementation of the 2000 General Plan, inclusive of the 2013-2021 Housing Element.
Addendum to the General Plan Program EIR (SCH#200031120) Page 21 e
4.0 Land Use
The Final Program EIR for the 2000 City of Costa Mesa General Plan contained in
depth analysis of land use impacts associated with the development of the residential,
commercial, industrial, institutional and open space uses. The Draft 2013-2021
Housing Element is the second update to the Housing Element analyzed after adoption
of the 2000 General Plan Update. In accordance with Section 15164 of the CEQA
Guidelines, the Addendum to the Program EIR contains information and technical
changes to the previous Program EIR for the purpose of evaluating the Housing
Element update.
4.1 Land Use Context
As stated in the General Plan Final Program EIR for the 2000 General Plan, the City of
Costa Mesa contains 4,009 gross acres of residential land and 4,608 acres of non-
residential land. The largest portion of the City is devoted to residential development.
The City has experienced a population growth of 1.1 percent in the past ten years. The
current population (2010) is 109,960 persons.
The Draft 2013-2021 Housing Element does not propose any major intensification of
land uses that would result in material changes to previously -identified environmental
impacts nor mitigation measures described in the 2000 General Plan EIR.
4.2 Existing Land Uses
The Land Use Element designate the general distribution, location, and extent of land
uses for housing, business, industry, open space, education, and public buildings. While
the Land Use Element serves as the primary means of integrating the policies in other
elements of the 2000 General Plan Land Use Map, the Housing Element contains
policies for residential development also considered in the Land Use Element. The
Costa Mesa General Plan establishes the location and amount of land that will be
allocated to residential development, and the intensity of development (in terms of unit
densities and total number of units) that will be permitted.
The various residential patterns and intensities for the City and sphere of influence and
their related environmental impacts were analyzed in detail in the Land Use Element
and the Final Program EIR for the General Plan.
Residential Development
The Low Density Residential land use designation covers 27 percent of the net acreage
of the City and sphere of influence. Opportunities for single-family development are
limited to less than one acre of remaining undeveloped Low -Density Residential land.
Recently, residential development has occurred on infill sites at higher densities than
traditional single-family neighborhoods.
Addendum to the General Plan Program EIR (SCH#200031120) Page 22 e
The Draft 2013-2021 Housing Element includes policies and programs that promote
preservation of housing, in addition to improvement and development of diverse
housing types and costs, throughout Costa Mesa. The Housing Element consists of
major analysis related to Housing Needs Assessment, Inventory of Resources, and also
refers to potential sites for housing development to satisfy the minimum state mandated
requirements.
The Land Use Element designates various areas for Low Density Residential (up to 8 units
per acre), Medium Density Residential (up to 12 units per acre), and High Density
Residential (up to 20 units per acre). In addition, residential uses may also be permitted in
some nonresidential areas at a density of no more than 20 units per acre in conjunction
with a planned development. Residential development is not permitted in some areas
designated for Commercial land uses, industrial parks and Light Industrial land uses.
As the City of Costa Mesa approaches build -out and with 50.8 percent of the housing
stock built before 1970, the identification and preservation of resources becomes
essential with respect to long-term planning. The City has adopted urban plans that
identify the opportunities available within certain neighborhoods. These urban plans
were created to establish overlay zones in specific areas of the City, with flexible
development standards to encourage mixed-use developments.
The following summarizes the intended residential uses in the Urban Plan areas:
• Mesa West Residential Ownership Urban Plan: The Plan encourages
owner -occupied housing by permitting rebuilding to the existing number of
units on site even if that exceeds the current zoning allowance. Height
limit is three stories and 45 feet.
• 19 West Plan: This Plan encourages live/work and residential loft units in
mixed-use developments (FAR 1.25); height limit for residential
component is four stories and 60 feet.
• Mesa West Bluffs: This Plan encourages live/work (FAR 1.25) and
residential common interest developments (13 units per acre); height limit
is four stories and 60 feet.
The creation of the overlay zone allows new mixed-use and residential development
opportunities. The density and intensity of mixed-use development are limited by Floor -
Area -Ratio (FAR) limits and the circulation system capacity. Both the FAR and vehicle
trip generation limitations establish the standards to ensure that new residential and
mixed-use development, as measured by average daily trip generation, do not exceed
the capacity of the circulation system. The maximum FAR may be allowed provided
that the proposed project will not result in adverse, unmitigable impacts to the City's
circulation system. In addition, the circulation system must continue to operate
consistent with adopted Master Plan of Highways and General Plan
goals/policies/objectives. T &Q7
Addendum to the General Plan Program EIR (SCH#200031120) Page 23
All potential environmental impacts related to the Urban Plan Areas were previously
considered and analyzed in the Westside Urban Plans Mitigated Negative Declaration
(certified April 2006), and the General Plan Final Program EIR. According to this
certified environmental document, with regard to the land use and traffic projections, the
City of Costa Mesa 2000 General Plan aggregates existing and future land use data by
traffic analysis zones, and there are a total of 213 Traffic Analysis Zones (TAZs) city
wide. For analytical purposes, land use data within the City is aggregated into four land
use categories (residential, commercial / office, industrial, and other), and this data is
the basis for environmental analyses (e.g. traffic study, air quality study, noise study).
The three urban plans include 663 acres, and the combined area corresponds to 28
TAZs (either wholly or partially). These 28 TAZs compose the "project study area" for
this environmental analysis. The project study area is a greater geographic area when
compared to the boundaries of the combined area of the three urban plans (663 acres
versus 773 acres).
The Urban Plan sites are urbanized areas with existing development on the majority of
the properties. Future development in these urban plan areas is anticipated to involve
replacement of existing, obsolete uses and structures and will be subject to CEQA
Guidelines. Each development site will be evaluated during the entitlement process and
appropriate mitigation measures will be required as applicable. As such, the potential
residential developments noted in the Draft 2013-2021 Housing Element have no new
environmental impacts on the existing commercial and industrial areas other than the
effects discussed in the certified Mitigated Negative Declaration.
Potential Housing Sites
The Draft 2013-2021 Housing Element includes a list of the current vacant and
underutilized properties as potential housing sites to meet the 2013-2021 Regional
Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) goals. The majority of the underutilized sites are
located in the City's Urban Plan areas.
In order to develop housing on certain sites, the existing zoning designations may need
to be changed where the current designations and the General Plan classification do
not permit residential development. Residential development anticipated under the
Housing Element Update is consistent with the City's General Plan, and Zoning
Ordinance. In the absence of site-specific development plans for each of the potential
housing site, it is not possible to determine the degree of conformance of future
development proposals. Consistency with the Zoning Ordinance will have to be
evaluated on a site-specific basis as development plans are submitted for City review.
The 2013-2021 Housing Element identifies adequate sites for future residential
development as required by State Law. However, the Addendum to the Program EIR
does not constitute project -specific environmental analysis for potential projects at these
vacant and underutilized sites.
Addendum to the General Plan Program EIR (SCH#200031120) Page 24
The Housing Element update identifies 29 acres of commercially -zoned property, within
the 19 West Urban Plan area, that could serve as adequate sites for affordable housing.
The Urban Plan established a mixed-use development overlay zone to promote
reinvestment in obsolete properties in order to create a vibrant commercial destination.
Although a mixed-use development is considered compatible with the existing land use
patterns of the area, project specific analysis would be required to determine and
disclose the potential environmental impacts associated with the project. .
Existing Policies and Regulations
The polices and ordinances for guiding and controlling development as noted in the
General Plan Final Program EIR are: the Land Use Element, the Zoning Ordinance, the
Local Coastal plan, and the Parks and Recreation and Open Space Master Plan, which
were all discussed and analyzed in the 2000 General Plan Final Program EIR.
General Plan Consistency with Relevant Plans and Policies
The Final Program EIR for the 2000 General Plan notes Federal and State level policies
and regulations that were included the development of the local government General
Plan and the consistency of the General Plan and such policies. As new regulations
may be mandated from time to time, the City of Costa Mesa will update the General
Plan and Zoning Code for consistency. The Draft 2013-2021 Housing Element
encompasses the required polices and is consistent with the General Plan. No
additional environmental analysis is required for compliance with the mandated policies.
4.3 Significance Criteria
The State CEQA Guidelines states that a project will be expected to result in a
significant land use impact if implementation of the project would result in any of the
following:
a) Physically divide an established community.
b) Conflict with any applicable land use plan, policy, or regulation of an
agency with jurisdiction over the project (including, but not limited to the
general plan, specific plan, local costal program, or zoning ordinance)
adopted for the purpose of avoiding or mitigating an environmental effect.
c) Conflict with any applicable habitat conservation plan or natural
community conservation plan.
The implementation of the Housing Element update would not result in the division of an
established community, or conflict with an adopted land use plan; nor does it conflict
with a habitat or natural community conservation plan. No additional analysis would be
required. TEO
Addendum to the General Plan Program EIR (SCH#200031120) Page 25
In addition, the General Plan Final Program EIR noted the criteria for incompatible land
uses such as proximity of residential development to obtrusive industrial uses,
residential adjacent to commercial without adequate buffer and placing noise sensitive
uses adjacent to highways. The same criteria are still in effect and the Draft 2013-2021
Housing Element considered compatibility of land uses in determining feasible housing
sites.
4.4 Impact Analysis
a) Physically divide an established community
The updated Housing Element does not include any housing programs or
goals/policies/objectives that would result in the physical division of any established
residential communities.
Overall, the identification of adequate sites for housing development involves mixed use
development and live/work housing opportunities on nonresidential ly-zoned land.
Specifically, land use designations in the 19 West and Mesa West Bluffs Urban Plan
areas may include residential designations, nonconforming residential uses on
commercially or industrially -zoned properties, and/or mobile home parks. The Urban
Plan areas are not within established communities such as the Freedom Homes or
Marina Highlands neighborhoods. Other sites identified for potential residential
development are either vacant (Sakioka Lot 2) or obsolete properties (Argotech site)
that are in commercial and industrial areas. Therefore, implementation of the goals,
policies, and programs of the updated Housing Element will not divide an established
community, and no mitigation is required.
b) Consistency with relevant plans and policies
The Final Program EIR concluded that the General Plan is consistent with the Federal,
State and regional plans and that implementation of the 2000 General Plan would not
result in significant land use impacts related to relevant plans and policies. The Draft
2013-2021 Housing Element is consistent with the same plans and policies and no
additional environmental impacts are anticipated and no new mitigation measures are
required.
The updated Housing Element, along with the 2000 General Plan in its entirety, does
not authorize approval of any specific development project by right. Individual
development projects are required to undergo the appropriate level of environmental
review and planning process, as required by State and local laws. Project -specific
environmental analysis, land use compatibility studies, and traffic studies may be
required for those sites identified as future "adequate sites" for housing development.
The Draft 2013-2021 Housing Element is consistent with the land use policies noted in
the General Plan Final Program EIR for the 2000 General Plan including locating high
Addendum to the General Plan Program EIR (SCH#200031120) Page 26 4a
density development away from low-density residential, requiring building setbacks with
consideration of the adjoining structures and their privacy, establishing building
densities in conformance with the trip budgets, protecting existing stabilized residential
neighborhoods, and ensuring adequate infrastructure for higher densities.
The Housing Element indicates that future affordable housing opportunities may come
from new residential or mixed-use development within the overlay districts. However,
as a policy document, the Housing Element does not describe the density, design, and
development standards considered appropriate and compatible for a specific
development project.
The Program EIR concluded that the 2000 General Plan would not result in land use
incompatibility. The Draft 2013-2021 Housing Element does not identify any potential
development sites that would create incompatibility of land uses and therefore no
additional analysis or mitigation measure would be required.
c) Habitat conservation / natural community conservation plan
The Draft 2013-2021 Housing Element does not include policies, programs or
implementation measures that would conflict with any applicable habitat conservation
plan or natural community conservation plan. The Housing Element does not identify
any potential development sites within any natural community or sensitive habitat.
The Program EIR concluded that the 2000 General Plan would not impact sensitive
biological resources, given that the majority of the wetland, riparian, or other sensitive
natural communities are located within the Fairview Park, Canyon Park, or the Talbert
Regional Park. Furthermore, the Program EIR identifies Federal and State regulations
and City policies to ensure that possible adverse effects to biological resources would
be less than significant. The Draft 2013-2021 Housing Element does not identify any
potential residential development sites at any of these parks. Therefore, no additional
analysis or mitigation measure would be required.
Addendum to the General Plan Program EIR (SCH#200031120) Page 27
5.0 Transportation and Circulation
This section updates information provided in the 2000 General Plan Program EIR.
Because the 2013-2021 Housing Element does not involve any major intensification of
land uses and because Mitigated Negative Declarations have been adopted for the
mixed-use overlay zones in the Urban Plan areas, no changes to the original General
Plan traffic analysis is required.
5.1 Environmental Setting
The existing roadways system within the City consists of regional circulation facilities,
including the San Diego, Corona del Mar, and Costa Mesa Freeways, and local streets.
The layout of the City's circulation system is most notable for its two differing grid
patterns, with the streets east of Newport Boulevard at an approximately 45 degree
angle from the traditional north/south streets in Orange County. Several major east/west
arterials are interrupted by obstacles which prevent a continuous roadway from one end
of the City to the other. Many of the streets east of Newport Boulevard do not align with
their westerly extensions.
5.2 Significance Criteria
The State CEQA Guidelines states that a project will be expected to result in a
significant transportation / traffic impact if implementation of the project would result in
any of the following:
a) Conflict with an applicable plan, ordinance or policy establishing measures
of effectiveness for the performance of the circulation system, taking into
account all modes of transportation including mass transit and non -
motorized travel and relevant components of the circulation system,
including but not limited to intersections, streets, highways and freeways,
pedestrian and bicycle paths, and mass transit?
b) Conflict with an applicable congestion management program, including,
but not limited to level of service standards and travel demand measures,
or other standards established by the county congestion management
agency for designated roads or highways?
c) Result in a change in air traffic patterns, including either an increase in
traffic levels or a change in location that results in substantial safety risks?
d) Substantially increase hazards due to a design feature (e.g., sharp curves
or dangerous intersections) or incompatible uses (e.g., farm equipment)?
e) Result in inadequate emergency access?
Addendum to the General Plan Program EIR (SCH#200031120) Page 28
f) Conflict with adopted policies, plans, or programs regarding public transit,
bicycle, or pedestrian facilities, or otherwise decrease the performance or
safety of such facilities?
The 2013-2021 Housing Element is a State mandated update to the 2000 General Plan.
With regard to the transportation and circulation analysis, the updated Housing Element
does not propose policies or programs that would not require additional environmental
review. No new significant impacts are identified nor are new mitigation measures
required. The housing programs, policies, and RHNA discussion in the Housing
Element do not have a material impact on the General Plan circulation improvements.
These circulation improvements are unchanged, and the transportation/circulation
conclusions of the General Plan EIR remain unchanged.
The City of Costa Mesa Circulation Element is the primary source for transportation
decisions. The Costa Mesa circulation system includes a hierarchy of local streets and
major regional highways and, therefore, must coordinate with other transportation
agencies such as the Orange County Transportation authority (OCTA) and Caltrans.
The Program EIR for the 2000 General Plan, inclusive of the Circulation Element, was
processed in accordance with the requirements of the California Environmental Quality
Act (CEQA) Guidelines and the City of Costa Mesa Environmental Guidelines.
Project -specific environmental review will be required. The General Plan EIR is a
program -level environmental document. Therefore, subsequent, project -specific
environmental review may be required, as applicable. In particular, the Program EIR
does not engage in a speculative analysis of the environmental impacts of the potential
projects on adequate housing sites described in the Housing Element. These sites
identified as potentially suitable for residential development are described pursuant to
State Law requirements.
5.3 Impact Analysis
a, b, & f) Conformity with applicable plans, congestion management program,
and multimodal transportation plans
The City of Costa Mesa complies with the County Congestion Management Plan and
the City's Master Plan of Highways is consistent with the OCTA Master Plan of Arterial
Highways. The 2000 General Plan assumes implementation of the City's Master Plan of
Bikeways. According to the Program EIR, the increase in traffic volumes with
implementation of the 2000 General Plan would result in a potentially significant impact
to the capacities of roadways within the City. However, the impacts are not increased in
severity due to implementation of the 2013-2021 Housing Element. The environmental
analysis of the General Plan Program is still applicable and the environmental
conclusions are unchanged. The land uses and housing projects described in the 2013-
2021 Housing Element are expected to maintain the levels of service supported by the
General Plan roadway network. The housing policies/p the Housing Element
Addendum to the General Plan Program EIR (SCH#200031120) Page 29
will not cause an increase in traffic which is substantial in relation to the existing traffic
load and capacity of the street system (i.e., result in a substantial increase in either the
number of vehicle trips, the volume to capacity ratio on roads, or congestion at
intersections). The Housing Element includes policies promoting development of
housing near major transportation corridors. No mitigation measures beyond the
policies and identified in the General Plan are feasible. Furthermore, the 2013-2021
Housing Element will not conflict with adopted policies, plans or programs supporting
alternative transportation (e.g., bus turnouts, bicycle racks). Project -specific information
will be examined with each individual discretionary application. No conflicts are
anticipated with transportation plans and congestion management programs; therefore,
no impact would occur from the implementation of the policies and programs in the
Housing Element update.
c) Air traffic patterns
The proposed 2013-2021 Housing Element will not result in a change in air traffic
patterns, including either an increase in traffic levels or a change in location that results
in substantial safety risks.
d & e) Design feature hazards and emergency access
The proposed 2013-2021 Housing Element will not substantially increase hazards due
to design feature (e.g., sharp curves or dangerous intersections) or incompatible uses.
The policies, objectives, programs and implementation measures included in the
Housing Element update do not recommend any specific changes to the built
environment. The proposed 2013-2021 Housing Element does not affect emergency
access or emergency response plans. Individual projects would need to comply with
the Uniform Fire Code and access standards for emergency response.
5.2 Unavoidable Significant Impacts
As indicated in the General Plan Program EIR, two significant and unavoidable impacts
are associated with implementation of the proposed 2000 General Plan with respect to
traffic and circulation: 1) a significant and unavoidable traffic/capacity impact along
Gisler Avenue west of Harbor Boulevard, until the Gisler bridge is omitted from the
County of Orange Master Plan of Arterial Highways and the City's Master Plan of
Highways (MPH); and 2) implementation of the City's MPH would result in significant
impacts due to land and structure acquisition to accommodate the improvements in the
MPH. The environmental impacts are not increased in severity due to implementation
of the 2013-2021 Housing Element. The environmental analysis of the General Plan
Program is still applicable and the environmental conclusions are unchanged.
Addendum to the General Plan Program EIR (SCH#200031120) Page 30
6.0 Conclusion
The Addendum to the Program EIR finds that the environmental analysis and mitigation
measures as described in the previous General Plan Program EIR are still applicable to
the 2000 General Plan, inclusive of the updated 2013-2021 Housing Element.
While the following environmental topics are revised with updated information related to
the 2013-2021 Housing Element, no new mitigation measures or significant impacts are
identified in this addendum.
• Housing, Population, and Employment
• Land Use
• Transportation and Circulation
ALL other environmental analysis sections, including project alternatives and
mandatory findings of significance, are not contained herein because the original
Program EIR for those environmental areas are still applicable and do not require
revisions or updating.
The Addendum to the Program EIR satisfies CEQA requirements to provide additional
updated information related to the proposed 2013-2021 Housing Element for the
previously certified General Plan Program EIR. Minor changes and updated information
is provided as none of the conditions described in §15162 of the CEQA Guidelines have
occurred.
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