Resolution-PC2025-048RESOLUTION NO. PC2025-048
A RESOLUTION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY
OF ANAHEIM APPROVING A VARIANCE TO PERMIT FEWER
TREES ON KATELLA AVENUE FOR `SOUTH PLAZA' AND
DETERMINING THAT THE PREVIOUSLY -CERTIFIED FINAL
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT NO. 339, ADDENDA NO. 11
AND ADDENDA NO. 13, SERVE AS THE APPROPRIATE
ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENTATION AND MAKING CERTAIN
FINDINGS IN CONNECTION THEREWITH
(DEV2025-00013)
(2625 AND 2725 EAST KATELLA AVENUE)
WHEREAS, the Planning Commission of the City of Anaheim (the "Planning
Commission") did receive a verified application from Anaheim Real Estate Partners, LLC for the
approval of Development Project No. 2025-00013 (the "Proposed Project") on certain real
property located at 2625 and 2725 East Katella Avenue in the City of Anaheim, County of Orange,
State of California, as generally depicted on Exhibit A attached hereto and incorporated herein by
this reference (the "Property"); and
WHEREAS, the Property is approximately 4.5 acres in size in the Arena District of the
Platinum Triangle Master Land Use Plan. The development standards and regulations of Chapter
18.20 (Platinum Triangle Mixed Use (PTMU) Overlay Zone) of the Anaheim Municipal Code (the
"Code") applies to the Proposed Project. The Property is designated on the Land Use Element of
the General Plan for Mixed -Use Urban Core land uses; and
WHEREAS, on September 27, 2022 and October 4, 2022, the City Council approved
Addendum No. 11 to the Revised Platinum Triangle Expansion Project Subsequent Environmental
Impact Report No. 339 (FSEIR No. 339) associated with the OCVIBE Mixed Use Project,
including General Plan Amendment No. 2020-00532; Miscellaneous Case No. 2020-00739;
Reclassification No. 2020-00333; Zoning Code Amendment No. 2020-00174; Development
Agreement No. 2020-00004 including Master Site Plan (Miscellaneous Case No. 2020-00751), a
request for Density Bonus and Development Incentives, and Deviation from Engineering Standard
Details; Final Site Plan No. 2020-00004; Final Site Plan No. 2020-00005; Final Site Plan No.
2020-00006; Final Site Plan No. 2020-00007; Final Site Plan No. 2020-00008; Conditional Use
Permit No. 2010-05492 Amendment; Conditional Use Permit; Minor Conditional Use Permit; and
Tentative Tract Map No. 19153, including Street Name Change; and
WHEREAS, on October 29, 2024 and November 13, 2024, the City Council approved
Addendum No. 13 (Development Project No. 2023-00050) to FSEIR No. 339 associated with
Amendment No. 1 to the OCVIBE Master Site Plan, including a General Plan Amendment, a
Bicycle Master Plan amendment, a Platinum Triangle Master Land Use Plan amendment, a Master
Site Plan amendment, a Zoning Code amendment, an Amended and Restated Development
Agreement No. 2020-00004, a Conditional Use Permit amendment, and a Minor Conditional Use
Permit amendment; and
WHEREAS, the Proposed Project would demolish an existing surface parking lot on the
south and east sides of the Honda Center to be replaced by a new activity area consisting of a hotel,
entertainment venues, public spaces, murals, and associated landscaping and hardscaping. The
Proposed Project includes the following land use entitlements:
1. A Final Site Plan which encompasses approximately 4.5 acres in the Arena District
at the northwest corner of Katella Avenue and River Road, to construct new entertainment venues;
a sixteen -story, 320-room hotel with ancillary uses; and publicly accessible outdoor terraces and
garden spaces known as South Plaza.
2. A Minor Amendment to the OCVIBE Master Site Plan (MIS2020-00751) to reflect
the changes proposed for South Plaza.
A Minor Conditional Use Permit for an electronic message board sign.
4. A Minor Conditional Use Permit amendment to modify the OCVIBE Coordinated
Sign Program and OCVIBE Mural Plan for updated signage size, quantity, and locations resulting
from updated building footprints in South Plaza.
5. An Administrative Adjustment to permit fewer hotel parking spaces.
6. A Variance to permit fewer trees on Katella Avenue; and
WHEREAS, Section 18.60.080 (Planning Director Reviews) of Chapter 18.60
(Procedures) of the Anaheim Municipal Code provides that, when multiple discretionary land use
applications are submitted for concurrent Planning Commission review and approval, and one or
more of such applications requires Planning and Building Department Director review and
approval, all such applications shall be subject to full review and approval by the Planning
Commission as the granting authority; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to and in accordance with the provisions of the California
Environmental Quality Act (Public Resources Code Section 21000 et seq.; herein referred to as
"CEQA"), the State of California Guidelines for Implementation of the California Environmental
Quality Act (Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations; herein referred to as the "CEQA
Guidelines"), the City is the "lead agency" for the preparation and consideration of environmental
documents for the Proposed Project; and
WHEREAS, the Planning Commission did hold a public hearing at the Civic Center in the
City of Anaheim on December 1, 2025, at 5:00 p.m., with notice of said public hearing having
been duly given as required by law and in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 18.60 of the
Code, to hear and consider evidence for and against the Proposed Project and to investigate and
make findings in connection therewith; and
WHEREAS, the Planning Commission finds and determines that previously -certified
FSEIR No. 339 and its Addenda, including Addendum No. 11, Addendum No. 13, and Mitigation
Monitoring Plan No. 383 (MMP No. 383), prepared for the OCVIBE Mixed -Use Project in
compliance with the requirements of CEQA and the State CEQA Guidelines; and Mitigation
Monitoring and Reporting Program No. 106C (MMP No. 106C); and other previously -approved
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environmental documents for development in the Platinum Triangle area, serve as the appropriate
environmental documentation in connection with the Proposed Project (collectively the "CEQA
Documents"); that the approved mitigation measures continue to be appropriate for the project;
that no further environmental documentation needs to be prepared under CEQA for the Proposed
Project; and
WHEREAS, none of the conditions described in Sections 15162 or 15163 of the State
CEQA Guidelines calling for the preparation of a subsequent or supplemental EIR or negative
declaration have occurred, specifically:
1. There have not been any substantial changes in the Proposed Project that require
major revisions of the CEQA Documents because of new significant environmental effects or a
substantial increase in the severity of previously identified significant effects.
2. There have not been any substantial changes with respect to the circumstances
under which the Proposed Project is undertaken that require major revisions of the CEQA
Documents due to the involvement of new significant environmental effects or a substantial
increase in the severity of previously identified significant effects.
3. There is no new information of substantial importance, which was not known and
could not have been known with the exercise of reasonable diligence at the time FSEIR No. 339
was certified as complete or the other CEQA Documents were adopted, that shows any of the
following: (a) the Proposed Project will have one or more significant effects not discussed in
FSEIR No. 339 or the other CEQA Documents; (b) significant effects previously examined will
be substantially more severe than shown in FSEIR No. 339 or the other CEQA Documents; (c)
mitigation measures or alternatives previously found not to be feasible would, in fact, be feasible
and would substantially reduce one or more significant effects of the Proposed Project, but the
Owner declines to adopt the mitigation measures or alternatives; or (d) mitigation measures or
alternatives which are considerably different from those analyzed in FSEIR No. 339 or the other
CEQA Documents would substantially reduce one or more significant effects on the environment,
but the Owner decline to adopt the mitigation measures or alternatives; and
WHEREAS, the Planning Commission, after due inspection, investigation and study made
by itself and in its behalf, and after due consideration of all evidence and reports offered at said
hearing with respect to the request for a Variance, does find and determine the following facts:
1. That there are special circumstances applicable to the property, including size,
shape, topography, location, or surroundings, which do not apply to other property under identical
zoning classification in the vicinity. The applicant is requesting a variance to allow fewer trees
along Katella Avenue street frontage than required (23 trees required; six trees proposed). The
requested variance is warranted due to special circumstances unique to the property, including its
location and surroundings. The Katella Avenue frontage of South Plaza is physically constrained
by the future pedestrian bridge crossing on Katella Avenue with overhead clearances that result in
limited tree spacing and species selection. While this only occurs on a portion of the frontage, after
accounting for other physical and operational aspects of the project, the Katella frontage is
substantially reduced for purposes of tree planting. The physical and operational conditions of the
project include maintaining line -of -sight triangles at the two drive approaches, future utility
placement, and preserved views of the Golden Bear mural facade that is designed as a major
architectural and cultural placemaking piece.
- 3 - PC2025-048
The Katella Avenue street frontage includes both public and private landscape areas that consist
of a curb adjacent public parkway, public sidewalk, a minimum 8-foot-wide public parkway, and
a minimum 10-foot-wide private landscape setback in front of the building. When combined, the
public parkway and the private landscape setback provide an 18-foot-wide landscaped area
between the sidewalk and the building, allowing for an enhanced landscaped corridor along Katella
Avenue. Within this area, a total of 18 trees will be provided, consisting of six trees within the
private setback plus an additional 12 trees in the public parkway, creating a layered grouping of
trees. Additionally, existing Date Palms along Katella Avenue in the curb adjacent parkway and
visible landscaping on the upper levels of the proposed buildings in the form of tree planters and
greenery that drape over the third -floor railing will provide additional landscape layers that
enhance both the street edge and the project frontage.
The physical circumstances significantly limit the number and placement of trees that can be
located within the required setback area that do not generally occur elsewhere along Katella
Avenue or within the PTMU Overlay Zone.
2. That, because of such special circumstances, strict application of the zoning code
deprives the property of privileges enjoyed by other property under identical zoning classification
in the vicinity. The applicant is not seeking to eliminate landscaping obligations; rather, the project
incorporates substantial alternative landscaping methods that include additional parkway trees,
upper -level landscaped terraces, and architectural planting features to achieve equal and similar
visual and environmental benefits of landscaping. Due to the special circumstances discussed
above, strict application of the Code will eliminate key aspects of the project that will deprive the
property of privileges enjoyed by other properties under the same zoning classification in the
vicinity.
WHEREAS, the Planning Commission determines that the evidence in the record
constitutes substantial evidence to support the actions taken and the findings made in this
Resolution, that the facts stated in this Resolution are supported by substantial evidence in the
record, including testimony received at the public hearing, the staff presentation, the staff report
and all materials in the project files. There is no substantial evidence, nor are there other facts, that
negate the findings made in this Resolution. The Planning Commission expressly declares that it
considered all evidence presented and reached these findings after due consideration of all
evidence presented to it.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, pursuant to the above findings, the Planning
Commission does hereby approve the Variance, in the form presented at this meeting, contingent
upon and subject to (1) the adoption of resolutions to approve a Final Site Plan to construct new
entertainment venues; a sixteen -story, 320-room hotel with ancillary uses and publicly accessible
outdoor terraces and garden spaces known as South Plaza, a Minor Conditional Use Permit
amendment to modify the OCVIBE Coordinated Sign Program and the OCVIBE Mural Plan, a
Minor Conditional Use Permit for an electronic message board sign, and Administrative
Adjustment to permit fewer hotel parking spaces; and (2) the condition of approval set forth in
Exhibit B attached hereto and incorporated herein by this reference, which are hereby found to be
a necessary prerequisite to the proposed use of the Property in order to preserve the health, safety
and general welfare of the citizens of the City of Anaheim.
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BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Planning Commission does hereby find and
determine that adoption of this Resolution is expressly predicated upon compliance with each and
all of the conditions hereinabove set forth. Should any such condition, or any part thereof, be
declared invalid or unenforceable by the final judgment of any court of competent jurisdiction,
then this Resolution, and any approvals herein contained, shall be deemed null and void.
THE FOREGOING RESOLUTION was adopted at the Planning Commission meeting of
December 1, 2025.
OF THE CITY OF ANAHEIM
- 5 - PC2025-048
EXHIBIT "A"
DEV NO.2025-00013
APN:
253-521-33
253-521-34
253-521-35
N 361'Lj
79'
'a
0
165'
Pn
C
G �
H
i
425'
Q
Q.
CO)
E KATELLA AVE j W KATELLA AVE
1
o iao Source: Recorded Tract Maps and/or City GIS.
Please note the accuracy is +I- two to five feet.
-6- PC2025-048
EXHIBIT "B"
VARIANCE FOR TREES ON KATELLA AVENUE
(DEV2025-00013)
NO.
CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL REVIEW
BY
GENERAL
1
The premises shall be developed substantially in accordance
Planning and
with plans and specifications submitted to the City of Anaheim
Building
by the applicant, which plans are on file with the Planning
Department,
Department, and as conditioned herein.
Planning Services
Division
STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF ORANGE ) ss.
CITY OF ANAHEIM )
I, Bridgette Bambrick, Secretary of the Planning Commission of the City of Anaheim, do
hereby certify that the foregoing resolution was passed and adopted at a meeting of the Planning
Commission of the City of Anaheim held on December 1, 2025, by the following vote of the
members thereof:
AYES: Commissioners Abdulrahman, Castro, Kelly, Lieberman, Perez, Tran-Martin, and
Walker.
NOES: None
ABSTAIN: None
ABSENT: None
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this I' day of December 2025.
SECRE , LANNING COMMISSION
OF THE CITY OF ANAHEIM