02-21-18 Amendment to the Southwest Project Area
TO: Chair Glasgow and
Members of the Planning Commission
FROM: Anna Pehoushek, Assistant Community Development Director
SUBJECT
COMMISSION BUSINESS: An amendment to the Design Standards for the Amendment to the
Southwest Project Area for purposes of eliminating content related to the Old Towne Orange thematic
district in response to adoption of the 2017 update to the Historic Preservation Design Standards for
Old Towne.
SUMMARY
The proposed amendment to the Design Standards for the Amendment to the Southwest Project Area
removes content related to the Old Towne Thematic District, which includes a portion of the Old
Towne Orange Historic District. With adoption of the update to the Old Towne Design Standards in
December 2017, the subject amendment is intended to clarify that the Historic Preservation Design
Standards for Old Towne is the established policy document for design review in the historic district.
RECOMMENDED ACTION
Adopt Planning Commission Resolution No. 5-18 entitled:
A RESOLUTION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDING
AN AMENDMENT OF THE DESIGN STANDARDS FOR THE
AMENDMENT TO THE SOUTHWEST PROJECT AREA TO REMOVE
CONTENT RELATED TO THE OLD TOWNE THEMATIC DISTRICT TO
THE CITY COUNCIL
AUTHORIZATION/GUIDELINES
Orange Municipal Code (OMC) Section 17.08.020 authorizes the Planning Commission to provide
technical and advisory assistance to the City Council regarding land use matters and to encourage the
preservation of cultural historic resources, while allowing for orderly and compatible development.
PUBLIC NOTICE
No public notice is required. Public hearings were held for the adoption of the 2017 update to the
Historic Preservation Design Standards for Old Towne.
Planning Commission
Agenda Item
FEBRUARY 21, 2018
Planning Commission Staff Report
February 21, 2018
Page 2
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
Categorical Exemption: The amendment to Design Standards for the Amendment to the Southwest
Project Area (Southwest Design Standards) that removes content related to the Old Towne Thematic
District is categorically exempt from the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act
(CEQA) per State CEQA Guidelines 15308 (Class 8 - Actions by Regulatory Agencies for Protection
of the Environment) and 15331 (Class 31 - Historical Resource Restoration/Rehabilitation). The
amendment deletes text and modifies graphics related to a geographic area of the former Merged and
Amended Southwest Redevelopment Project Area that falls within the boundaries of the Old Towne
Orange Historic District in order to recognize the 2017 update to the Historic Preservation Design
Standards for Old Towne (Old Towne Design Standards) as the primary policy document regulating
historic properties. The Old Towne Design Standards are intended to protect and preserve the
character of Old Towne as a historic district by assuring the maintenance and protection of the
environment through the preservation of historic resources and appropriate standards for new
construction in the historic districts, as required by the Class 8 exemption.
In addition, the Old Towne Design Standards are written such that projects that are found to be in
conformance with the Design Standards also will be in conformance with the Secretary of the
Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties (Secretary’s Standards). The Old
Towne Design Standards are consistent with and uses extensive guidance from the National Park
Service on interpreting and implementing the Secretary’s Standards, including the Guidelines for
Preserving, Rehabilitating, Restoring, and Reconstructing Historic Buildings. The content of the
Southwest Design Standards pertaining to the Old Towne Historic District has not been entirely
consistent with either the Old Towne Design Standards or the Secretary’s Standards. Therefore,
removal of Old Towne content from the Southwest Design Standards results in clarified City policies
with respect to project implementation in conformance with the Secretary’s Standards as described
in the Class 31 exemption for Historical Resource Restoration/Rehabilitation.
No public review is required.
PROJECT BACKGROUND
The Design Standards for the Amendment to the Southwest Project Area (Southwest Design
Standards) were adopted in June 1988 to provide guidance for property reinvestment and
redevelopment in the area encompassed by the boundaries of the Southwest Redevelopment Project
Area. Portions of the Old Towne Orange Historic District were included within the boundaries of the
Redevelopment Project Area, and are represented in the Southwest Design Standards as the “Old
Towne Thematic District.” Following adoption of the Southwest Design Standards, the local Old
Towne Orange Historic District was established in 1994 followed by the listing of the Old Towne
Orange National Register Historic District in 1997.
The Historic Preservation Design Standards for Old Towne were adopted in 1995 and amended in
1998. The entirety of the “Old Towne Thematic District” addressed by the Southwest Design
Standards fall within the boundaries of the Old Towne Historic District and are thus subject to the
Old Towne Design Standards. The adoption and amendment of the Old Towne Standards was never
addressed in the Southwest Design Standards. Therefore, over the years there have been instances of
Planning Commission Staff Report
February 21, 2018
Page 3
inconsistent guidance between the two sets of standards, including aspects of the Southwest Design
Standards that are out of step with best practices for historic preservation and the Secretary of Interior
Standards.
The Southwest Design Guideline’s “Old Towne Thematic District” also overlaps with the Santa Fe
Depot Specific Plan. The Santa Fe Depot Specific Plan was originally adopted in 1993. With the
adoption of the update to that plan in 2012, the Old Towne Design Standards were incorporated by
reference, and incorporate supplemental standards for certain property types found only in the Depot
Specific Plan planning area. No changes to the Southwest Design Standards were made at that time
to address the Specific Plan’s relationship to the Southwest Design Standards due to the fact that the
primary reference for the Specific Plan was the Old Towne Design Standards.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
With adoption of the update to the Old Towne Design Standards in December 2 017, staff is now
bringing forward the subject amendment to the Southwest Design Standards to remove all content
related to Old Towne so that the primary source for design guidance in Old Towne is the Old Towne
Design Standards, with supplemental guidance provided by the Santa Fe Depot Specific Plan.
APPLICATION(S) REQUESTED/ REQUIRED FINDINGS
The update to the Design Standards will be adopted by City Council Resolution. The update is
consistent with the City’s General Plan, as described in Planning C ommission Resolution No. 5-18
(Attachment 1).
General Plan Findings:
1. The project must be consistent with the goals and policies stated within the City’s General Plan.
ADVISORY BOARD RECOMMENDATION
None required.
ATTACHMENTS/EXHIBITS
Attachments to Report:
1. Planning Commission Resolution
1-A. Amended Design Standards for the Amendment to the Southwest Project Area (Clean)
2. Amended Design Standards for the Amendment to the Southwest Project Area (Redlined)
3. Figure 1, Design Standards for the Amendment to the Southwest Project Area