07.03 Southwest Project Area Design Standards1. SUBJECT
AN AMENDMENT TO THE SOUTHWEST PROJECT AREA DESIGN STANDARDS
FOR THE PURPOSES OF ELIMINATING CONTENT RELATED TO THE OLD
TOWNE ORANGE THEMATIC DISRICT.
2. SUMMARY
The proposed amendment to the Southwest Project Area Design Standards 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.
3. RECOMMENDED ACTION
Adopt Resolution No. 11071:
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
ORANGE AMENDING THE DESIGN STANDARDS FOR THE
SOUTHWEST PROJECT AREA TO REMOVE CONTENT
RELATED TO THE OLD TOWNE THEMATIC DISTRICT
4. FISCAL IMPACT
None.
5. STRATEGIC PLAN GOAL(S)
3(c). Enhance and promote quality of life in the community; support and enhance attractive,
diverse living environments.
5(b). Recognize, promote and preserve Orange's rich heritage; expand and strengthen
processes and practices related to protection of cultural resources.
6. GENERAL PLAN IMPLEMENTATION
Land Use Element
Goal 5.0 Maintain and enhance the vibrant, transit - accessible, pedestrian- friendly, and
livable character of Old Towne's neighborhoods and commercial core.
Policy 5.5 Continue to require consistent, high quality, historically- referenced design
within Old Towne.
Cultural Resources & Historic Preservation Element
Goal 1.0 Identify and preserve potential and listed historic resources, including buildings,
structures, objects, sites, districts, and archaeological resources citywide.
Policy 1.3 Provide long term assurance that potential and listed historic resources will be
used, maintained, and rehabilitated in conformance with the Secretary of the
Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties with Guidelines
for Preserving, Rehabilitating, Restoring and Preserving Historic Buildings
(Secretary of the Interior's Standards).
Policy 1.4 Encourage alternatives to demolition such as architecturally compatible
rehabilitation, adaptive re -use, new construction or relocation.
Urban Design Element
Goal 5.0 Maintain Old Towne's identity as the only authentic and intact historic
downtown in Orange County.
Policy 5.3 Require infill development to be compatible with the scale and appearance of
neighboring historic structures and to comply with all applicable historic
preservation design and development standards and Secretary of the Interior's
Standards.
Implementation
Program I -4 Adopt, review, implement, and update as necessary the following master plans,
standards, and guidelines for areas including the Southwest Project Area.
(A more extensive list of areas is contained in the text of Program I -4.)
ITEM 2 3/13/2018
7. DISCUSSION and BACKGROUND
With adoption of the update to the Old Towne Design Standards in December 2017, 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. This is necessary to remove the potential for confusion and to
further streamline the development review process.
Background
The Southwest Design Standards were adopted in June 1988 to address properties located within
the boundaries of the Southwest Redevelopment Project Area. Portions of the Old Towne 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 the establishment
of the Old Towne Orange Historic District in 1994, the City adopted the Old Towne Design
Standards in 1995. As a result, over the years there have been instances of 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.
With adoption of the Old Towne Design Standards update in December 2017, 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
recently updated Old Towne Design Standards.
As a follow up to the clean-up of the Southwest Design Standards, for purposes of streamlining
and creating refreshed guidance documents, planning staff will be taking a more comprehensive
look at the Southwest Design Standards and Tustin Street Design Standards in the future, to
consider their relevance in light of the dissolution of the Redevelopment Agency and the City's
redevelopment activity, as well as present -day expectations for the appearance and design quality
of development along the City's major commercial corridors. In addition to the review of design
standards, staff will also be considering options for the Commercial- Tustin Redevelopment Area
(C -TR) zoning that exists along the North Tustin Street corridor to consider more conventional
zoning that reflects the City's vision for the future of North Tustin. These efforts will culminate
later in 2018, with staff outlining options for a consolidation and refresh of these design
standards, as well as zoning.
Design Review Committee
During the course of the review and adoption of the 2017 update to the Old Towne Design
Standards, staff communicated to the Design Review Committee that as a follow -up action, the
Southwest Design Standards would be amended to delete content related to the "Old Towne
Thematic District." Therefore, the subject amendment to the Southwest Design Standards was
not taken to the Design Review Committee, as there was no formal need for a recommendation
to the Planning Commission.
ITEM 3 3/13/2018
Plannine Commission Recommendation
The Planning Commission reviewed the amendment to the Southwest Design Standards at its
February 21, 2018 meeting and recommended adoption to the City Council with a 5 -0 vote.
Environmental Review
The amendment to the Southwest Design Standards removing 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 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. The Old Towne Design Standards are consistent with and uses extensive
guidance from the National Park Service on interpreting and implementing the Secretary of the
Interior'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 of the Interior'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 of the Interior's Standards as
described in the Class 31 exemption for Historical Resource Restoration/Rehabilitation.
No public review is required.
8. ATTACHMENTS
Attachments to Report
1. City Council Resolution No. 11071
• Exhibit 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. Planning Commission Resolution No. PC 5 -18
4. Planning Commission Minutes, February 21, 2018
5. Planning Commission Staff Report from February 21, 2018 (without attachments)
ITEM 4 3/13/2018
RESOLUTION NO. 11071
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF
THE CITY OF ORANGE AMENDING THE
DESIGN STANDARDS FOR THE SOUTHWEST
PROJECT AREA TO REMOVE CONTENT
RELATED TO THE OLD TOWNE THEMATIC
DISTRICT
WHEREAS, the Planning Commission has authority per Orange Municipal Code (OMC)
Section 17.08.020 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; and
WHEREAS, in June 1988 the Design Standards for the Amendment to the Southwest
Project Area (Southwest Design Standards) were adopted to provide guidance for property
reinvestment and redevelopment in the area encompassed by the boundaries of the Southwest
Redevelopment Project Area, and portions of the Old Towne Orange Historic District were
included within the boundaries of the Redevelopment Project Area, and were represented in the
Southwest Design Standards as the "Old Towne Thematic District "; and
WHEREAS, the Old Towne Orange local historic district was established in 1994,
followed by the district's listing on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997; and
WHEREAS, 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, there have been
instances of 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
Secretary of Interior Standards; and
WHEREAS, the Southwest Design Standards' "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, with the Specific Plan incorporating 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; and
WHEREAS, the purpose of the Historic Preservation Design Standards for Old Towne is
to protect the historic and architectural resources which contribute to the cultural richness of
Orange; and
ATTACHMENT NO. 1
SOUTHWEST DESIGN STANDARDS
CITY COUNCIL
RESOLUTION 11071
MARCH 13, 2018 CC MEETING
CITY COUNCIL MINUTES MARCH 13, 2018
7. ADMINISTRATIVE REPORTS (Continued)
City Manager Otto suggested appointing an ad hoc committee to get feedback and direction
from the Council as adjustments are made to the contracts.
Finance Director Kolbow informed the Council that making adjustments to the contracts
could delay the project about two months. Council agreed that a delay in the project would
be fine as it is more important to have a quality project.
City Manager Otto stated that an update can be given to Council at the Budget Study
Session Meeting on March 27, 2018.
There was discussion regarding starting on the infrastructure portion of the project as
planned; however, staff confirmed that the demolition can wait until the A/V portion of the
project is approved.
MOTION — Murphy
SECOND — Whitaker
AYES — Alvarez, Whitaker, Smith, Murphy, Nichols
Moved to continue Items 7.1 and 7.2 to April 10, 2018, and direct staff to provide an update
at the March 27, 2018, Adjourned Regular Meeting.
Mayor Smith asked for volunteers to be on the ad hoc committee. Mayor pro tem Murphy
and Councilmember Whitaker both volunteered to be on the committee.
MOTION — Smith
SECOND — Nichols
AYES — Alvarez, Whitaker, Smith, Murphy, Nichols
Moved to appoint Mayor pro tem Murphy and Councilmember Whitaker to the Council
Chamber Remodel project ad hoc committee.
During the remodel, Traffic Commission and Planning Commission meetings will be held
in the Weimer Room. City Council meetings will take place throughout the community
beginning in May. The schedule will be posted on the website.
7.3 An amendment to the Southwest Project Area Design Standards for the purposes of
eliminating content related to the Old Towne Orange Thematic District. Resolution
No. 11071. (R3500.0.6)
A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Orange amending the design standards for
the Southwest Project Area to remove content related to the Old Towne Thematic District.
Community Development Assistant Director Anna Pehoushek presented the staff report.
She noted that this amendment will eliminate the inconsistencies that currently exist
between the two sets of standards.
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CITY COUNCIL MINUTES MARCH 13, 2018
7. ADMINISTRATIVE REPORTS (Continued)
MOTION — Nichols
SECOND — Murphy
AYES — Alvarez, Whitaker, Smith, Murphy, Nichols
Moved to approve Resolution No. 11071.
8. REPORTS FROM CITY MANAGER
City Manager Otto reported that the Metrolink parking structure is 30% complete, and is
still on track to be completed in the Fall 2018.
He also reported that it was Human Resources Director Steve Pham's last Council meeting;
his last day with the City is March 22, 2018.
9. LEGAL AFFAIRS
9.1 Ordinance amending Section 17.08.040 of the Orange Municipal Code to Establish
Notification Requirements for Design Review Projects involving Construction of
Second Stories or Additional Units on Properties in Residential Zones within the
Boundaries of an Established Historic District. Ordinance No. 02 -18 (Second
Reading). (A2500.0)
An Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Orange amending Section 17.08.040 of
the Orange Municipal Code to Establish Notification Requirements for Design Review
Projects involving Construction of Second Stories or Additional Units on Properties in
Residential Zones within the Boundaries of an Established Historic District.
MOTION — Smith
SECOND — Alvarez
AYES — Alvarez, Whitaker, Smith, Murphy, Nichols
Moved that Ordinance No. 02 -18 be read by title only and same was approved and adopted
by the preceding vote.
9.2 Ordinance Amending Chapter 12.32 of the Orange Municipal Code regarding tree
preservation. Ordinance No. 04 -18 (Second Reading). (A2500.0)
An Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Orange amending Chapter 12.32 of the
Orange Municipal Code regarding tree preservation.
MOTION — Whitaker
SECOND — Nichols
AYES — Alvarez, Whitaker, Smith, Murphy, Nichols
Moved that Ordinance No. 04 -18 be read by title only and same was approved and adopted
by the preceding vote.
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