Updates

• 05.18.09
• Answers to Your Frequently Asked Questions about the Notice of Preparation Process
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• 05.07.09
• Text of Letter From Residents to City Regarding Agreement
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• 04.21.09
• Sully-Miller Arena Owner Takes Steps to Ensure Ongoing Public Access to Arena
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A Plan to Protect and Preserve

Rio Santiago spans 110 acres in the East Orange area of Orange, California.

The plan for Rio Santiago includes approximately 80 acres of open space and recreational uses on the site of a former sand and gravel operation (and current rock-crushing operation). Today, the plan for Rio Santiago features the following:

• 42 acres encompass natural open space along Santiago Creek, creating the Santiago Creek Greenway Reserve.
• 38 acres of recreational open space, including sports fields and other active uses such as a potential equestrian boarding facility
• Land for a potential YMCA facility
• Land for a much-needed autism center to provide local services to local families
• Nearly two miles of public hiking and bike trails
• A land dedication that could provide future connectivity to the regional trails system and Santiago Oaks Regional Park

• When completed, nearly 73% of Rio Santiago will remain open space

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A Plan to Meet Local Needs, Today and Tomorrow

The remaining 30 acres of Rio Santiago has been planned to meet an increasing local need for nearby, easy-to-reach, up-scale Senior living through a new luxury active-adult community complete with the following:

• 64 one and two-story casitas around its perimeter (with a zoning overlay which would replace the casitas with either 44 townhomes or 25 single-family detached homes on lots no less than 8,000 sq, ft,)
• 315 independent living residences (with a perimeter two-story height limit and a restricted number of interior-situated three-story residences)
• 80 assisted-living units
• Central resort-style clubhouse offering spa and fitness facilities, dining room, kitchen, library and other uses
• Architectural styles and landscaping to reflect the character of the surrounding area

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A Plan that ensures Promises Made, are Promises Kept

Any development plans for each of Rio Santiago's five planning areas will be subject to additional layers of public review before development can commence, thereby ensuring that land use promises made, are land use promises kept.

Even before there was a formal application to the City of Orange for Rio Santiago, we reached out to the surrounding community, key stakeholders and groups to secure their input on desired land uses. The end result of this process as the signing of an official Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) by The Coalition Group (representing the Mabury Ranch HOA, Santiago Creek Greenway Alliance and Orange Citizens for Parks and Schools). The MOU identifies project components and timelines, guarantees MOU signators the right to review all detailed plans before development approvals are granted.

To help create an additional layer of review by the City as well as our neighbors and members of The Coalition Group, each of the five planning areas for Rio Santiago will have to go through a Major Site Plan Review process requiring the creation of detailed plans, drawings, illustrations, and other information to ensure that what is being proposed for the planning area is in compliance with the Specific Plan. In addition, members of The Coalition Group and other stakeholders will be asked to review the plans for each planning area to ensure compliance.

Plus, a legally-binding Development Agreement will be signed between us and the City of Orange to mandate all project improvements as well as other requirements and obligations. The Development Agreement will then be adopted by City ordinance and will run with the land.

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