Foothills Sentry April 2020

Foothills Sentry Page 8 April 2020 By Andie Mills The new and revamped Fred Kelly Stadium was originally slated to open in May for its first event, the Special Olympics, fol- lowed by June graduation cer- emonies. Those plans, of course, were altered. But prior to that, on Feb. 28, Orange Unified School District and city officials donned hardhats and were treated to a preview, following months of work to renovate and bring the venue into ADA compliance. The entrances have been up- graded, with separate ticket booths and concession stands for visitors and home, both with updated signage, loading areas and enhanced lighting along the walkways. Metal detectors were not in- stalled, but cameras snapping photos every 20 seconds are implemented. Sophisticated sta- dium lighting has been adjusted so as not to annoy neighbors, and the stadium boasts the only Bose sound system in the county. The “jumbotron” has the capability for scrolling video and advertis- ing on both sides. The field is beautiful, with striping embedded in the turf; the Orange logo is in the center, with the logo from one of the four high schools on each corner. New alu- minum bleachers will now seat 5,000. An ADA compliant press box may be reached via eleva- tor. Larger new locker rooms and showers (in greige, with orange accents) for both home and visit- ing teams, new restrooms, land- scaping, fountains and enhanced fencing will complete the reno- vation. Over 100,000 tons of dirt, some of which was used to build up the original concrete grand- stands, were removed. A portion of it will be used to construct a new aquatics center at nearby El Modena High. The stadium is striped for foot- ball, lacrosse and soccer, plus it may be used for track and field events. The original stadium, built in 1967, is named for Or- ange Union High student Fred Kelly, who won Olympic Gold in the 110-meter high hurdles in the 1912 games; he was also Univer- sity of Southern California’s first Olympic Gold Medalist. OUSD will install a hurdle Kelly used, an expanded monu- ment wall and seating, and a new plaque; a dedication ceremony will be announced. The stadium has been closed since December 2018 for recon- struction by contractor Byrom- Davey, Inc., under architect Har- ley Ellis Devereaux, to the tune of $18.4 million funded by pro- ceeds from developer fees and property sales. Fred Kelly would be proud of his new stadium An overview of the renovated Fred Kelly Stadium field, with the Orange logo in the center, and the em- blem for each of the four OUSD high schools on the corners. Left, a workman puts the finishing touches on the larger team shower and locker room. The new Fred Kelly press box, above, will be acces- sible by elevator, in compliance with ADA. The Orange City Council ap- proved, without fanfare, a seven- year extension for the tentative tract map overlaying the 7.44- acre horse arena in East Orange owned by Milan Capital. The extension appeared on the council’s consent calendar along with 33 other routine items, March 10. All consent calendar items are approved in a single vote, with no discussion, unless a specific item is pulled by a coun- cil member or by public request. The extension passed without a whisper, as did the original ap- proval, because it did not require a zone change on the property. The tract map, allowing for six estate-style homes on one to 1.9-acre lots, was originally ap- proved in November 2018. Milan Capital also owns the 109-acre Sully-Miller property across the street from the horse arena, and had promised to give the seven acres to the community if neigh- bors would support a proposed 128-unit project on the larger property. The community did not support the larger project, and Milan re- sponded by subdividing the horse arena into six lots and getting city approvals for it. Because that property had long been zoned r-1- 40 (residences on one-acre lots), Milan was well within its pur- view to produce a tract map. The Sully-Miller parcels, how- ever, have been designated open space in two specific plans, and in the city’s General Plan since the 1970s. Milan’s housing proj- ect required the city to amend its General Plan and rezone the prop- erty to r-1-8, which it did, Oct. 22. The East Orange community opposed any zone changes on the property, and had fought off two previous developments, go- ing back to 2003. When the city council gave Milan’s project the go-ahead, residents immediately launched a referendum to put the zone change issue on the Novem- ber ballot. The effort succeeded. Milan erected a “for sale” sign on the horse arena shortly after the referendum was certified. The investor group is asking $6.6 mil- lion for the property, and wants to sell it whole. Its real estate listing states Milan is not willing to sell individual parcels. Meanwhile, the tract map ap- proval was due to expire on Nov. 13. Milan asked for the extension that the city’s Municipal Code and the state’s Subdivision Map Act allows. The approvals now stand until Nov. 13, 2027. Milan Capital tract map approvals extended The Old Town Tustin Home and Garden Tour has been post- poned from May until Saturday, Sept. 12, in compliance with the California Public Health guide- lines. This tour celebrates the charm of the city’s older homes and unique gardens, as well hosting other activities including an Old Town history walking tour, quilt show, old-fashioned Maypole dancing, live music, and horse- drawn trolleys. The event will be the 24th annual tour held by the Tustin Area Historical Society to benefit their programs, includ- ing “History in a Box” for school children and their free, open-to- the public museum. Pre-sale brochures with tour in- formation will be mailed in in late July and appear on TustinHistory. com. If you would like to be on the advance mailing list – either by email or by postal mail, send your request to tustinmuseum@ att.net or call (714) 731-5701. Tustin tour postponed El Modena High School junior Owen Mull won first place for his film in the ElMo PTA Reflec- tions competition. He continued to compete, and won first at the district level, and second at the county level. The PTA Reflections competition is a national program to encourage students to explore the arts. Angie Kardashian (right) presented a video/slide show to the Tustin Area Woman’s Club titled “The Heroes, the Tragedy and the Hope.” Her talk centered on her experiences cooking meals for firefighters in New York. Kardashian owned a restaurant in south Tustin called Angie’s Cuisine Italiano, where many Marines from the El Toro base came to eat and visit. When 9/11 happened in 2001, she sold her house and business and flew to New York, where she launched her “cooking ministry,” making meals for first responders in the city’s firehouses. She is seen here with club President Sheryle Franke.