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 proceeding with regulatory changes through Zoning Ordinance Amendment No. 2025-01, Ordinance Amendment No. 2025-01, and Resolution No. 2025-039 to establish comprehensive regulations for group homes within the city. These actions involve revising Chapters 41 and 8 of the Santa Ana Municipal Code to define and govern the location, licensing, permitting, and operational standards for group homes, including updates to key land use definitions. The amendments aim to clarify oversight procedures and ensure consistent enforcement while aligning with state-level environmental compliance requirements under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), specifically invoking exemptions under Sections 15060(c)(2), 15060(c)(3), and 15301, which classify the action as having no significant environmental impact. A corresponding resolution introduces new, one-time administrative fees for reviewing Group Home Special Use Permit and Group Home Operator’s Permit applications, with fee amounts tied to the type of environmental review required—$4,123.50 for an Environmental Impact Report, $2,968.75 for a Mitigated Negative Declaration or Negative Declaration, and $1,401.75 for a Conditional Request Package. These fees are not contractual payments but rather cost-recovery charges administered by the city’s Department of Community Development. All activity is coordinated through the City of Santa Ana as the lead agency, with Senior Planner Siri A. Champion serving as the primary point of contact for planning and environmental compliance. The regulatory changes are not a procurement contract and do not involve federal acquisition regulation (FAR) clauses, line-item pricing, contract types, or federal reporting requirements. Instead, the actions are legislative and administrative in nature, finalized through the city council’s adoption process following public review and environmental clearance. The place of performance is citywide, with official filings handled through the Santa Ana City Clerk’s Office and recorded with the Orange County Clerk-Recorder. While physical submissions are the norm, no federal invoicing systems, payment portals, or standardized delivery formats are required. The proposed fees and permitting framework are designed to support efficient, transparent, and compliant processing of group home applications under the city’s jurisdiction, with no federal oversight, contract awards, or vendor obligations involved.