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10. Growth-Inducing Impacts of the Project The Platinum Triangle Subsequent EIR City of Anaheim • Page 10-1 Pursuant to Sections 15126(d) and 15126.2(d) of the CEQA Guidelines, this section is provided to examine ways in which the Proposed Project could foster economic or population growth, or the construction of additional housing, either directly or indirectly, in the surrounding environment. Also required is an assess- ment of other projects that would foster other activities which could affect the environment, individually or cumulatively. To address this issue, potential growth inducing effects will be examined through analysis of the following questions: • Would this project remove obstacles to growth, e.g., through the construction or extension of major infrastructure facilities that do not presently exist in the Project Area, or through changes in existing regulations pertaining to land development? • Would this project result in the need to expand one or more public services to maintain desired levels of service? • Would this project encourage or facilitate economic effects that could result in other activities that could significantly affect the environment? • Would approval of this project involve some precedent setting action that could encourage and facilitate other activities that could significantly affect the environment? Please note that growth inducing effects are not to be construed as necessarily beneficial, detrimental, or of little significance to the environment. This issue is presented to provide additional information on ways in which this project could contribute to significant changes in the environment, beyond the direct consequences of developing the land use concept examined in the preceding sections of this EIR. Would this project remove obstacles to growth, e.g., through the construction or extension of major infrastructure facilities that do not presently exist in the Project Area, or through changes in existing regulations pertaining to land development? As discussed in the Initial Study (see Appendix A) and in Section 5.11, no major new infrastructure facilities are required to develop this project, as proposed. Existing utility facilities are readily available throughout The Platinum Triangle. However, some facilities including water and sewer lines will need to be upgraded to serve the level of development of the Proposed Project. Development pursuant to the adopted Master Land Use Plan for The Platinum Triangle, allows for the construction of up to 9,175 dwelling units, 5,000,000 square feet of office use, 2,044,300 square feet of commercial uses, industrial square footage (up to 0.5 FAR), and institutional square footage (up to 3.0 FAR). This intensity of development is currently allowed by the existing General Plan and Zoning Designations for the site. The Proposed Project includes amendments to the General Plan, Zoning Code and The Platinum Triangle Master Land Use Plan to allow for an additional 325 dwelling units and 210,100 square feet of commercial uses. These increases are minor and are consistent with the overall vision for The Platinum Triangle. Would this project result in the need to expand one or more public services to maintain desired levels of service? As discussed in Section 5.9, none of the public service agencies consulted during the preparation of this EIR have indicated that this project would necessitate the immediate expansion of their existing resources, in order to maintain desired levels of service. In the event that their resources do need to be expanded, funding mechanisms are in place through existing regulations and the Standard Development Agreement for The ---PAGE BREAK--- 10. Growth-Inducing Impacts of the Project Page 10-2 • The Planning Center May 2005 Platinum Triangle to accommodate such growth. This project would not, therefore, have significant growth inducing consequences with respect to public services. Would this project encourage or facilitate economic effects that could result in other activities that could significantly affect the environment? During project construction, a number of design, engineering, and construction-related jobs would be created. This would be a temporary situation, lasting until project construction is completed. This would be a direct, growth inducing effect of this project. As new dwelling units are developed and occupied, residents of the Proposed Project would seek shopping, entertainment, employment, home improvement, auto main- tenance and other economic opportunities in the surrounding area. This would represent an increased demand for such economic goods and services and could, therefore, encourage the creation of new businesses, and/or the expansion of existing businesses which address these economic needs. However, the Proposed Project is balanced in that it also provides for new office and commercial development. The new commercial uses are intended to serve the shopping needs of the future residents and will generate additional employment opportunities. Therefore, although the Proposed Project will have a direct growth inducing effect, indirect growth-inducing effects will be minimized due to the balance of land uses set forth by the Proposed Project. Would approval of this project involve some precedent setting action that could encourage and facilitate other activities that could significantly affect the environment? As discussed in Section 5.6, the Proposed Project includes General Plan Amendment No. 2004-00420 to amend the City of Anaheim General Plan Land Use Element to redesignate a 3.21-acre property located at 2400 East Orangewood Avenue (“Fire Training Site”) from the Office-High to the Mixed-Use land use designation. The General Plan is also proposed to be amended to provide for an additional 325 dwelling units and up to 210,100 square feet of additional commercial square footage in The Platinum Triangle Mixed- Use land use designation. This amendment would increase the maximum overall residential density from 9,175 to 9,500 dwelling units and the maximum overall commercial density from 2,044,300 to 2,254,400 square feet. In addition, The Platinum Triangle Master Land Use Plan and PTMU Overlay Zone are proposed to be amended to reflect the increased commercial and residential intensities and to provide technical refinements and clarifications to these documents. However, these intensity increases and document refinements and clarifications are minor and are consistent with the overall vision for The Platinum Triangle. No changes to any of the City’s building safety standards building, grading, plumbing, mechanical, electrical, fire codes) are proposed or required to implement this project. Mitigation measures have been identified in the preceding Sections 5.1 to 5.11 to ensure that subsequent subdivision maps and site-specific development projects comply with all applicable City plans, policies, ordinances, etc., to ensure that there are no conflicts with adopted land development regulations and that environmental impacts are minimized. Pressures to develop other land in the surrounding area may derive from regional economic conditions and market demands for housing, commercial, office and industrial land uses that may be directly or indirectly influenced by the Proposed Project. As the development intensity associated with the Proposed Project is allocated through development agreements, proposals may arise to further amend the General Plan, PTMU Overlay Zone and The Platinum Triangle Master Land Use Plan to allow for additional residential, commercial and/or office development. These amendments would require a full environmental analysis of the impacts of such actions. Therefore, although the project may be considered a precedent setting action, the impacts of subsequent similar actions would require environmental analysis and associated mitigation to ensure that such subsequent impacts would not significantly affect the environment.