1st Reading of a Zoning Ordinance to amend Chapter 41 and an Ordinance Amendment to amend Chapter 8 to regulate group homes and modify land use definitions and

The City of Santa Ana is implementing a citywide regulatory framework for group homes through Zoning Ordinance Amendment No. 2025-01, Ordinance Amendment No. 2025-01, and Resolution No. 2025-039. This initiative establishes comprehensive regulations governing the location, licensing, permitting, and operational requirements for group homes, while also modifying existing land use definitions within Chapter 41 and Chapter 8 of the city code. As part of this legislative action, the city is updating the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Miscellaneous Fees Schedule to introduce new fees specifically for the review of Group Home Special Use Permit and Group Home Operator's Permit applications. The project has undergone a two-stage approval process, with the first reading approved on August 19, 2025, and the second reading approved on September 16, 2025. The City has filed Notices of Exemption confirming that the amendments are exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) under sections 15060(c)(2), 15060(c)(3), 15061(b)(3), and 15301, as the changes are determined to have no significant direct or indirect physical impact on the environment. Senior Planner Siri Champion serves as the primary point of contact for the project.