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Orange Packing House Comment by OTPA via emailJune 17, 2020 Comments DRC No. 4890-16 Orange Packing House Committee Members, The improvements on the packinghouse building are a plus although the additions seem contemporary in nature. It is hard to tell exactly how they will appear as no renderings are included and the plans do not make it clear. We do applaud the applicant for investing in the improvements of an important historic resource. There a very few of these intact packinghouses left and we are fortunate to have three of them within our National Register District. We want to be sure that any additions and changes to the packinghouse do not adversely impact the building. We do have issues with the assessment of the 8000sf-shed building specifically the sections listed below. Granted, the building has been altered with additions/alterations etc. but it seems that there is still a potion of the 8000sf building that may be significant. We question the statement on page 22 of the LPA assessment: The City of Orange has criteria for evaluating historic districts, but not for evaluating individual resources, such as buildings. Since the property is not a historic district, the local criteria are not being applied. This is not accurate, the city does have criteria for evaluating buildings and the Preservation Standards are always applied to historically significant buildings. In addition the “shed” does have an association with the citrus industry due to its tie to the packinghouse. You all remember that the ancillary buildings associated with the VPO packing house were significant and were required to be relocated and preserved. We have not toured the building recently but I remember a large portion of the shed looked as if it was intact. The shed did contribute to the significance of the packinghouse. The building is not required to meet the criteria for listing on the California Register to be part of the historic site and contributing to the district. It may be the case that the building is too compromised and has gone through significant changes through the years but still needs to be closely evaluated as maybe a portion that still has significance the can be retained. Thank you, Jeff Frankel Preservation Chairman Old Towne Preservation Association Page 22 LPA Assessment City of Orange The City of Orange has criteria for evaluating historic districts, but not for evaluating individual resources, such as buildings. Since the property is not a historic district, the local criteria are not being applied Under Criterion 1, the storage building is associated with the OMCA Packing House, which is historically significant for its association with the citrus industry in Orange. However, the storage building has sustained interior and exterior alterations that have impaired its ability to convey its original use or purpose. Aside from its proximity to the packing house, there is nothing to indicate that it was associated with the citrus industry. Therefore, it is not individually significant under this criterion and because it is not able to clearly convey an association with the citrus industry or its role in the operations of the packing house, it does not contribute to the significance of the packing house or the Old Towne Historic District. Under Criterion 3, the storage building is nondescript and has sustained interior and exterior alterations. It does not embody the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, region, or method or construction. It does not represent the work of a master or possesses high artistic values. There is no indication from its appearance or construction what specific purpose it may have served in conjunction with the packing house/citrus industry. It is not individually significant under this criterion and does not contribute to the significance of the packing house or the Old Towne Historic District. Under Criterion 4, the storage building was constructed in the early to mid-20th century using common methods and materials and does not have the potential to yield information important to the prehistory or history of the local area, California, or the Nation. Therefore, it is not individually significant under this criterion and does not contribute to the significance of the packing house or the Old Towne Historic District. For these reasons, the storage building does not meet the criteria for listing in the California Register individually and does not contribute to the significance of the packing house or the Old Towne Historic District. Related Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) 523 forms can be found in Appendix B. Page 27. Old Towne Orange Historic District As previously discussed, the packing house property is within the Old Towne Orange Historic District and is a contributor to that District. Therefore, changes to the packing house have the potential to result in impacts to the Historic District. However, the foregoing analysis indicates the proposed project is in compliance with the SOIS and will not impair the historic significance of the packing house. Based on that conclusion, it follows that project will also not impair the significance of the Historic District. For that reason, no further discussion regarding the District is warranted. Page 28 As a result of this study, it was determined that the storage building has sustained numerous additions/alterations since it was built in circa 1935. It does not convey an association with any specific part of the citrus packing/industry process and because of alterations it is not clear what its historic purpose may have been beyond possibly storage. As such, it does not contribute to the significance of the packing house or the Old Towne Orange Historic District and its demolition would not result in any substantial adverse changes to a historical resource. Therefore, LSA recommends to the City a finding of No Impact regarding the demolition of this building.