10-15-18 EICHLERS Attachment 1 - Res No. 30-18ZONE CHANGE NO. 1291-18
RESOLUTION NO. PC 30-18
A RESOLUTION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION
RECOMMENDING CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL OF ZONE
CHANGE NO. 1291-18 TO CREATE A HISTORIC DISTRICT
OVERLAY ZONE FOR THREE EICHLER TRACTS AND
ADOPTION OF THE ORANGE EICHLER DESIGN
STANDARDS
APPLICANT: CITY OF ORANGE
Moved by ________ and seconded by _____________ that the following resolution be
adopted:
WHEREAS, the three tracts developed by Eichler Homes, Inc. in the City of Orange
(Fairhaven, Fairhills, and Fairmeadow) are distinctive examples of postwar Modernist housing in
California. The 340 houses in three tracts are the largest concentration of Eichler Homes in
southern California and the only examples in Orange County; and
WHEREAS, the Eichler neighborhoods in the City of Orange have a high degree of historic
integrity, reflecting the care of generations of homeowners since their development in the early
1960s; and
WHEREAS, the residents of the Orange Eichlers have long recognized the importance and
historic character of their neighborhoods and have advocated for the protection of the
neighborhoods as historic districts since the early 2000s; and
WHEREAS, the residents’ efforts prompted the City of Orange Community Development
Department to conduct a historic resources survey of the tracts in 2005, which identified the Eichler
neighborhoods as potential historic districts; and
WHEREAS, the City Council adopted the City of Orange 2010 Historic Resources
Inventory, including survey results and a historic context statement for the Eichler Homes, through
Resolution No. 10426 in March 2010; and
WHEREAS, the City of Orange 2010 General Plan includes a Goal and Implementation
Program to designate the Eichler neighborhoods as local historic districts; and
WHEREAS, in the summer of 2016, the City Council received a petition supporting the
concept of historic district designation from over 80 percent of Eichler residents; and
WHEREAS, in the fall of 2017, the City Council directed Planning staff to start the process
for designation of historic district overly zones for the three neighborhoods; and
WHEREAS, Orange Municipal Code (OMC) Chapter 17.17 establishes that “application
for a historic district shall comply with the zoning amendment procedure for a change in the zoning
Resolution No. PC 30-18
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district classification upon designation approval by City Council as prescribed under OMC Section
17.10.020”; and
WHEREAS, a historic district overlay zone includes additional regulations over the base
zoning of a particular area to encourage historic preservation and complementary new
development; and
WHEREAS, the Orange Eichler Design Standards (OEDS) were developed with extensive
community input to accompany the historic district overlay zone in order to provide rules and
guidelines on how to preserve the historic features and character of the Eichler Historic Districts
while allowing for change that is compatible with the aesthetics of Eichler designs; and
WHEREAS, a nine person Advisory Committee, consisting of three homeowners from
each Eichler tract, met four times with City staff and the consultant team between February and
April 2018 to provide input on the topics to be included in the OEDS; and
WHEREAS, the City held community workshops on local historic district designation and
design standards on February 8, 2018 and May 3, 2018; and
WHEREAS, the first public review draft of the OEDS was released on July 12, 2018 and
a community workshop on the draft was held on July 19, 2018; and
WHEREAS, the Design Review Committee held study sessions on the draft OEDS on
August 1, 2018 and August 29, 2018; and
WHEREAS, the City received over 200 comments on the draft OEDS and prepared revised
drafts based on the comments; and
WHEREAS, the Design Review Committee having considered the Orange Eichler Design
Standards at a public meeting held on September 19, 2018, including review of the staff report and
having received public testimony on the item, determined the adoption of the OEDS is justified
and recommended approval thereof to the Planning Commission and City Council by a vote of 3-
0; and
WHEREAS, under OMC Section 17.10.020, the Planning Commission shall hold at least
one public hearing on a Zoning Ordinance Amendment and shall make a recommendation to the
City Council on the request; and
WHEREAS, the Planning Commission, having considered the proposed Ordinance and
Zone Change at a public hearing held on October 15, 2018, including review of the staff report
and having received public testimony on the item, has determined the proposed amendment is
justified and recommends approval thereof.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Planning Commission recommends the
City Council approve the subject Ordinance and Zone Change, as depicted on maps and historic
Resolution No. PC 30-18
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resource survey forms included in Attachment A to this Resolution based on the following
findings:
SECTION 1- FINDINGS
The Eichler historic district overlay zone achieves goals of the General Plan Cultural
Resources and Historic Preservation Element and the Implementation Program. The Zone Change
and Orange Eichler Design Standards provide long-term assurance that historic resources will be
used, maintained, and rehabilitated in conformance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards
for the Treatment of Historic Properties (SOI Standards). Projects in the Eichler Historic Districts
will be reviewed for conformance with the Orange Eichler Design Standards, which are consistent
with the SOI Standards. Designation of the Historic Districts also provides access to incentives for
preservation including the Mills Act Program and California Historical Building Code.
Consistent with General Plan Implementation Program 1-18, the historic district overlay zone is
established using procedures for local historic district designation, including notification of
property owners. The historic district overlay is consistent with the criteria in Orange Municipal
Code Section 17.17.050, as enumerated in the findings in the staff report and incorporated herein
as if fully set forth. The Orange Eichler Design Standards have been developed for project review
in the Eichler Historic Districts to preserve the character of historic resources.
SECTION 2-ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The historic district overlay zone and adoption of the Orange Eichler Design Standards are
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
overlay zone is established for the protection of historic resources and makes no changes to the
land uses permitted by the base zoning. It assures 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 Orange Eichler 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 (SOI Standards). The regulatory
process for projects within the historic district overlay zone involves review to ensure conformance
with the Orange Eichler Design Standards and the SOI Standards, as required by the Class 31
exemption. Creation of the historic district overlay zone ensures that historic resources will be
preserved and protected from changes that may affect the integrity of the historic character, design,
materials, and features.
Resolution No. PC 30-18
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I hereby certify that the Planning Commission of the City of Orange adopted the foregoing
resolution on October 15, 2018 by the following vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSTAIN:
ABSENT:
_______________________________________
Ernest J. Glasgow, Planning Commission Chair
_______________________________________
Date
N:\CDD\PLNG\Applications\Zone Changes\ZC 1291-18 Eichler Historic District Zone Overlay\PC Reso Eichlers.docx
ZONE CHANGE NO. 1291-18
Attachment A
[Beneath this sheet.]