5/23/2000 - Council Minutes - CC Minutes Adj
APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL ON JUNE 13, 2000
CITY COUNCIL MINUTES ORANGE, CALIFORNIA
OF AN ADJOURNED REGULAR MEETING May 23, ;1000
3:30 P.M. SESSION
The City Council of the City of Orange, California convened on May 23, 2000 at 3:30 p.m. in an
Adjourned Regular Meeting in Conference Room C, 300 E. Chapman Avenue, Orange,
California.
1. OPENING
1.2 PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG
Led by Mayor Coontz
2. ROLLCALL
PRESENT - Murphy, Slater, Mayor Coontz
ABSENT - Spurgeon, Alvarez
(Councilman Alvarez arrived at 3:45 p.m.)
3. PUBLIC COMMENTS - None
4. ADMINISTRATIVE REPORTS
4.1 Discussion ofthe Santiago Hills II Project.
Planning Manager Stan Soo Hoo gave a brief synopsis of The Irvine Company's proposal to
substitute the urban center type of concept with something similar to Santiago Hills as it now
exists on the other side of Jamboree. The Irvine Company proposes different intensities of
residential uses as well as a commercial development at the corner of Chapman and Jamboree.
Open space will be integrated into the development. It is anticipated that the Supplem(mtal
Environmental Impact Report (EIR) will begin its 45 day public review period this week. Three
more study sessions have been planned with City Council, as well as with the Planning
Commission. Several public meetings will be held near the end of June to provide the public an
opportunity to learn about the project and express their comments, in particular with the
Environmental Impact Report issues. The anticipated timeframe is for a Planning Commission
public hearing in August, with a City Council public hearing in September.
Dan Young, The Irvine Company, presented an overview of the Santiago Hills II Project. The
Irvine Company is trying to make sure that the plan is presented to the community and meet with
groups that have specific issues to address. The Irvine Company has met and may have
subsequent meetings with the Trails Committee in the East Orange area regarding the trails issue.
Since mid-April, The Irvine Company has met almost weekly with the Orange Unified School
District (OUSD) on school issues related to this phase. Mr. Young stated that by law a
development can take fees or can get schools built through a mitigation agreement. The Irvine
Company strongly desires not to go the fee approach but is working towards a mitigation
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CITY COUNCIL MINUTES
May 23, 2000
agreement. The meetings have been going well with OUSD in that regard. It is hoped that The
Irvine Company can get a good idea on the table for school mitigation in the next few weeks, so
that it can be previewed with the community, the neighborhood groups, and with Council.
The Irvine Company sees Santiago Hills Phase II as part of the completion of the Santiago Hills
Phase I project that has been constructed and occupied, and part of a Master Plan that is being
completed. The Master Plan is a living plan that changes as it goes through the process of time
and the development of communities. Santiago Hills Phase II is framed by Jamboree Road, the
Eastern Transportation Corridor, Chapman Avenue, and Santiago Canyon Road. The project
will include retail, parks, schools, open space, and a variety of different types of housing. Public
landscaping is an important part of the project. Residents have been consulted with issues that
have come forth, i.e., schools, trails, parks, landscaping, as well as keeping a sense of place.
Santiago Hills Phase II is comprised of 518 acres of land located in the 1989 East Orange
General Plan, which covers 7,115 acres. The EIR for this project was approved and certified in
1989 as part of the approval for the East Orange General Plan. The Supplemental EIR will
include any changes to be made to the 1989 East Orange General Plan. Mr. Young explained
that the 1989 East Orange General Plan requires providing a little over 2,700 acres of open space
within its 7,115 acres. In addition, there was an agreement to provide about 2,300 acres of open
space that was designated to be dedicated over time in Limestone Canyon Regional Park. Of the
total 5,000 acres of open space, some acreage is located within and some adjacent to the 7,115
acres. Included within the plan is a provision for a high school site to work out with the school
district and local schools that would be provided as the development would proceed. Mr. Young
pointed out that the zoning in the East Orange General Plan is being updated with significantly
less development.
Mr. Young explained how the vision for the City has changed since the 1989 approved East
Orange General Plan. Commercial development has now seen a revival on the west side of
Orange, which gives the chance to look at more residential character on the east side of town.
The proposed project has a good mix of housing. The commercial, with the exception of one
retail site, has been taken out. Housing has been distributed around the commercial development
and the intensity has been lowered. There would be two neighborhood parks, one above
Chapman and one below Chapman, and a community park. A school site is proposed to be built.
The proposed plan offers 134 acres of preserved open space in the form of passive parks, trails,
wetland areas, and improved parks. A K-6 elementary school would be located next to a park.
The proposed amendment to the 1989 East Orange General Plan would delete the extension of
Canyon View which would have come through the community. For circulation purposes, the
commercial development was removed from the plan. The proposed plan will have 1/3rd of the
daily trips than the project that was approved in 1989. Ultimately the project would be annexed
into the City through a pre-annexation agreement.
In summary, the project is built on 518 acres; 134 acres are parks and open space; 1,886 homes;
and 220,000 square feet of commercial center to service the area. It fits with the evolution of the
City's vision to upgrade, improve, and revitalize the west side of town with The Block, etc., to
CITY COUNCIL MINUTES
May 23, 2000
4. ADMINISTRATIVE REPORTS (Continued)
preserve the historic downtown and center of the City, and gives a more residential character to
the east side oftown. There is a 139% increase in open space over the 1989 East Orange General
Plan. The Santiago Hills Phase II project is less dense than Santiago Hills Phase I. There will be
cluster planning to preserve open space with the wetlands, etc. Commercial development has
been reduced by 87%.
COUNCIL COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS:
Councilman Alvarez asked for more information on how the schools would be built. Mr. Young
explained there would be Mello Roos funding. OUSD has indicated that they qualifY for State
matching funds. The Irvine Company will advance funding for the design, etc., and will commit
by contract with OUSD to take the financing to get a school built as quickly as possible. As
requested by Councilman Alvarez, Mr. Young indicated The Irvine Company will put together a
matrix of a comparison of Santiago Hills Phase I and the proposal Phase II development.
Mayor Coontz asked if OUSD has received the demographic information to determine their
school needs? Will the data that is received have an affect on The Irvine Company's agreement
with OUSD? Mr. Young responded that OUSD is undergoing a facilities and demographic
analysis and should receive the report between June and the Fall. The report will indicate
whether an elementary school is needed for the project. There will be no disagreement on
whether an elementary school is needed. The Irvine Company will look to the report as to when
and how OUSD wants to proceed on a new high school. It was mandated in the 1989 East
Orange General Plan that a school site be designated for a high school. It is up to OUSD to come
forward with the data, trend analysis, and the date and financing plan needed. The Irvine
Company will work with OUSD to get the school built.
Councilman Murphy asked if the demographic information indicated that a school site was not
needed on the basis of this development, would The Irvine Company still push to build a school?
Mr. Young responded yes, because the school is fundamental to their marketing.
5. ADJOURNMENT
The City Council adjourned at 4:25 p.m.
~,~~
M AN CO RERAS, CMC
DEPUTY CITY CLERK
JOANNE COONTZ
MAYOR