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3. Environmental Setting Anaheim General Plan and Zoning Code Update EIR City of Anaheim • Page 3-1 3.1 INTRODUCTION The purpose of this section is to provide, pursuant to provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the State CEQA Guidelines, a “description of the physical environmental conditions in the vicinity of the project, as they exist at the time the notice of preparation is published, from both a local and a regional perspective.” The environmental setting provides a set of baseline physical conditions that serve as a tool from which the lead agency will determine the significance of environmental impacts resulting from the proposed project. 3.2 REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING Physical Features The project site lies in northern Orange County, in the City of Anaheim and Sphere-of-Influence (see Figure 3.2-1, Regional Location Map). Orange County is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the west, Los Angeles County to the north and northwest, San Bernardino County to the northeast, Riverside County to the east, and San Diego County to the southeast. Orange County is comprised of approximately 798 square miles, stretching approximately 40 miles along the coast and extending inland approximately 20 miles. The natural setting of Orange County provides a combination of mountains, hills, flatlands, and shorelines. Orange County lies predominantly on an alluvial plain, which is generally less than 300 feet in elevation in the west and central section. The western portion of the County is made up of a series of broad sloping plains (Downey and Tustin Plains) formed from alluvium transported from the mountains by the Santa Ana River, Santiago Creek, and other local streams. Several low-lying mesas interrupt the plain along the northern coast. Orange County is semi-enclosed by the Puente and Chino Hills to the north, the San Joaquin Hills to the south, and the Santiago Foothills and the Santa Ana Mountains to the east. The Puente and Chino Hills, which identify the northern limit of the plain, extend for 22 miles and reach a peak height of 7,780 feet. To the east and southeast of the plain are the Santa Ana Mountains, which have a peak height of 5,691 feet. The climate of Orange County is typified by warm temperatures and light winds. The average temperatures range from about 52o Fahrenheit in the coastal areas in January, to 72o F in the inland areas of the coastal plain in August. The average rainfall across the County is 14 inches, typically occurring in the winter months. The County’s rainfall also exhibits characteristically wide variations annually, from a low of 3.6 inches in 1961 to a high of 32.1 inches in 1940. Regional Urban Characteristics According to the State Department of Finance (DOF), in January 2000, Orange County had a total population of 2.8 million residents and was comprised of 33 cities. Orange County’s land area is comprised of approximately 50% residential, 9% commercial, 6% industrial, and 35% open space. The County has approximately 40 miles of shoreline, over 125 miles of bikeways and over 200 miles of riding and hiking trails. Regional attractions include Disney’s California Adventure, Disneyland, Knott’s Berry Farm, Wild Rivers, Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim, Angel Stadium of Anaheim, and the Orange County Performing Arts Center (source: County of Orange Facts and Figures). ---PAGE BREAK--- 3. Environmental Setting Page 3-2 • The Planning Center May 2004 This page intentionally left blank ---PAGE BREAK--- ---PAGE BREAK--- 3. Environmental Setting Page 3-4 • The Planning Center May 2004 This page intentionally left blank ---PAGE BREAK--- 3. Environmental Setting Anaheim General Plan and Zoning Code Update EIR City of Anaheim • Page 3-5 Local Environmental Setting Located in northeastern Orange County, the City of Anaheim and its Sphere-of-Influence lies approximately 35 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles and 7 miles north of Santa Ana. The City is surrounded by the Cities of Fullerton, Placentia, and Yorba Linda to the north; Riverside County to the east; the Cities of Orange, Garden Grove, Stanton, and unincorporated Orange County to the south; and, the Cities of Cypress and Buena Park to the west. The City encompasses over 32,000 acres of land, stretching nearly 20 miles along the SR-91 Freeway, and includes another 2,431 acres of unincorporated land within its Sphere-of-Influence. In addition to SR-91, regional access to and from Anaheim is provided by the I-5, SR-57 and SR-55 Freeways; the SR-241; and Amtrak and Metrolink passenger train services at Angel Stadium and Anaheim Canyon Stations. Anaheim is currently home to over 328,000 people, approximately 16,000 businesses, and over 4,600 acres of parks and open space. Over the next 20 years, the population is expected to grow to over 400,000. The City includes approximately 49.7 square miles. The City boundaries generally form an elongated irregularly shaped area, which extends approximately 16 miles east to west. Major freeways traversing the City include the I-5 Freeway, which travels generally northwest to southeast; the SR-57 Freeway, which travels north and south through the central portion of the City; the SR-55 Freeway, which abuts the southern edge of the City at the western edge of the Hill and Canyon Area; the SR-91 Freeway, which travels east and west along the northern portion of the City; and, the SR- 241, which travels north and south near the eastern edge of the City. 3.3 ADOPTED GENERAL PLAN (JULY 1984) The City’s existing General Plan, adopted in July 1984 by the Anaheim City Council, and subsequently amended, includes various Elements as described below. The existing General Plan Land Use Map consists of various land use designations, as shown on Figure 3.3-1, Existing Anaheim General Plan Land Use Map. These designations are grouped into broad categories such as Residential, Parks and Recreation, Schools, Conservation, Commercial, and Industrial. Table 3.3-1 illustrates each designated land use by acreage and percentage. • Land Use Element. The Land Use Element represents the City’s intention for its physical development and the orderly, well-balanced distribution of land uses through-out the City. It includes a discussion of residential, commercial, and industrial uses followed by a discussion of community services and facilities, which includes police, fire, libraries and schools. These four sections include a brief summary of existing conditions and future outlook for community services and facilities with a discussion of existing conditions and future outlook. Also in the Land Use Element is a discussion of the infrastructure systems for water distribution, electrical distribution, sewer and storm drains. Goals and policies were established for all sections of the Land Use Element. • Redevelopment Element. The Redevelopment Element provides a discussion of the history of the establishment of the Anaheim Redevelopment Agency and the Redevelopment Plan, its authority, and status of redevelopment projects. This Element also contains a discussion of the relationship between the Land Use Element and the Redevelopment Plan and establishes goals and polices for redevelopment. ---PAGE BREAK--- 3. Environmental Setting Page 3-6 • The Planning Center May 2004 This page intentionally left blank ---PAGE BREAK--- ---PAGE BREAK--- 3. Environmental Setting Page 3-8 • The Planning Center May 2004 This page intentionally left blank ---PAGE BREAK--- 3. Environmental Setting Anaheim General Plan and Zoning Code Update EIR City of Anaheim • Page 3-9 TABLE 3.3-1 EXISTING GENERAL PLAN LAND USE DISTRIBUTION Land Use Acreage 1 % of Total Residential Hillside Estate 1,329 3.8% Hillside Low Density 2,792 8.1% Hillside Low-Medium Density 1,755 5.1% Hillside Medium Density 1,446 4.2% Low Density 7,365 21.3% Low-Medium Density 1,617 4.7% Medium Density 2,366 6.8% Subtotal 18,670 54.0% Commercial General Commercial 2,354 6.8% Commercial Recreation 1,264 3.7% Commercial Professional 308 0.9% Subtotal 3,926 11.4% Industrial General Industrial 3,629 10.5% Subtotal 3,629 10.5% Mixed-Use (Non-Residential) Business Office/Service/Industrial 136 0.1% Business Office/Mixed-Use/Industrial 670 1.9% Subtotal 806 2.3% Parks and Recreation Parks/Open Space 5,184 15.0% Water Uses 1,121 3.2% Subtotal 6,305 18.2% Public/Quasi-Public Facilities Schools 1,166 3.4% Subtotal 1,166 3.4% Other Other/Unknown 152 0.1% Portion of Featherly Park 9 0.1% Subtotal 161 0.1% TOTAL 34,663 100.0% 1 Acreage numbers for the existing General Plan are not based on parcel-specific data, therefore, acreages are approximate and are not as precise as those associated with the Recommended Land Use Alternative. ---PAGE BREAK--- 3. Environmental Setting Page 3-10 • The Planning Center May 2004 • Circulation Element. The Circulation Element addresses the existing and proposed road networks and describes freeways, major highways, primary highways, secondary highways and commuter streets throughout the City. Other issues such as parking and transportation modes (transit, rail, truck, air and pipelines) are also discussed. This Element also includes a discussion of the improvements that will be needed to accommodate anticipated travel demands in the future including improvements to major freeways, and local roadways and railroad crossings. • Scenic Highways Element. The Scenic Highway Element identifies the existing roadways that have been designated as Scenic Highways and those that may be considered for future designation. Goals and policies are established to protect scenic views along these corridors. • Environmental Resource and Management. The Environmental Resource and Management Element of the General Plan was established to consolidate and satisfy the requirements of the Conservation Element, Open Space Element, Recreation and Riding and Hiking Trails Elements and to recognize the interrelationships, similarities and overlapping responsibilities of these Elements. The Conservation and Open Space Elements are mandated by the State Government Code. The Conservation Element includes a description of the watershed and groundwater recharge lands, flood plains, mineral resources, archaeological resource sites and agricultural areas and reserves. Wildlife habitat and soils are also discussed. This Element identifies the relationship between these resources and various agencies that may have other responsibility for their management. The purpose of the Open Space Element is to specify those spaces, or areas, whether land or water, which should remain open for 1) the preservation of natural resources; 2) the managed production of resources including food and fiber; 3) outdoor recreation and the enjoyment of scenic beauty; and 4) the public’s health, safety and welfare. All of these resources within the City are identified in this Element. The Recreation Element is an expression of the City’s objectives, needs and priorities for recreational and leisure time, facilities and programs. It is intended to be a tool for planning the type and location of new park and recreation facilities and other public facilities, such as libraries with respect to the population to be served. The Riding and Hiking Trails Element was established to provide a focus for the implementation of a system of bicycle and equestrian/hiking trails, which is illustrated in that section. • Safety and Seismic Safety Element. The Safety and Seismic Safety Element identifies major potential hazards and the City resources or procedures by which to prevent or respond to disasters. The potential hazards discussed include fire hazards, geologic and seismic hazards, flood hazards, and disasters. • Housing Element. The Housing Element of the 1984 General Plan is taken entirely from the adopted “Housing Element of the General Plan” for the City of Anaheim, dated August 1980, and was incorporated by reference. This Housing Element has been superceded by numerous mandated updates; the most recent is discussed below. • Noise Element. The Noise Element is a summary taken entirely from the adopted, “Noise Element of the General Plan of the City of Anaheim”, dated August 1978, which is incorporated by reference. The purpose of the Noise Element is to serve as a guide to all concerned with noise issues within the City by establishing uniformity of policy and direction concerning actions to eliminate or minimize noise impacts. Goals and policies toward that end are discussed in the Element. ---PAGE BREAK--- 3. Environmental Setting Anaheim General Plan and Zoning Code Update EIR City of Anaheim • Page 3-11 In addition to the Elements identified above, the following Elements have been prepared and adopted since the General Plan was first adopted in July 1984: • Growth Management Element. (February 1992). The Growth Management Element contains policies for the planning and provision of public facilities and services that are necessary for orderly growth and development and continued quality of life. This Element presents policies and programs for the establishment of specific traffic levels of service (LOS) and other public facility/service standards. It also includes an implementation program for monitoring. The Growth Management Element is implemented through various coordinated programs developed to support and carry out its goals, objectives and policies. • Parks, Recreation and Community Services Element. (1992). This Element essentially combines, updates and replaces two Elements of the 1984 General Plan, the Recreation Element and the Riding and Hiking Trails Element. It provides policy guidance for the development of Anaheim’s park, recreation and community services system through the year 2010 and beyond. It documents existing facilities and demographic trends and provides a factual basis for recommendations for improvements. • Housing Element of the City of Anaheim. (October 2002). The Housing Element was last updated in October 2002 (certified by the State in February, 2003) and contains a description of the policies and programs to be implemented during the 1998-2005 planning period. It is consistent with, and based upon the information, policies and programs adopted by three other plans. These plans are: AB 1290 Redevelopment and Housing Implementation Plan adopted in December 1999 by the Redevelopment Agency; Public Housing Agency Plan adopted by the Anaheim Housing Authority in April 2000; and, Housing and Community Development Consolidated Plan adopted by the City Council in May 2000. These three Plans provide a solid foundation for the Housing Element, particularly in regard to housing programs. ---PAGE BREAK--- 3. Environmental Setting Page 3-12 • The Planning Center May 2004 This page intentionally left blank