Foothills Sentry April 2024

Page 5 Foothills Sentry APRIL 2024 JOHNSON MOTORCARS 34 Years of Specializing in the Service and Repair of Mercedes-Benz Gary Johnson 714-997-2567 982 N. Batavia # B13, Orange, CA 92867 gary@johnsonmotorcars.com @ ramblingroseoc "Housing project" continued from page 1 ing a car wash and fast food res- taurants, however none but the housing units has been formally submitted. The planning commissioners expressed concern that not ap- proving this project could open the door for other developers to take advantage of recently en- acted California Bill AB 2011, a provision that allows for stream- lining in the development pro- cess for the construction of low- income housing on commercially zoned areas. Small concessions Intracorp took community and DRC feedback into account and made several changes to its origi- nal design. Bedroom windows on the units backing up to the neigh- bors on Carleton St., that would look into residents’ backyards were raised above eye level, a hedge row was added to enhance privacy along that same border, and a four-foot wide path now grants ADA access to a previous- ly inaccessible common space. “We’re happy to say that grandma can now come to the barbeque,” quipped Intracorp project manager Emilie Simard. The company is not, however, willing to make any additional changes. The Planning Commission found that even with modifica- tions made based on feedback from the DRC, the project still didn't meet standards laid out by the city’s small lot subdivi- sion guidelines. Those guidelines were cited by the DRC when it recommended denial of the pro- posal at its Mar. 6 meeting. “This is a dilemma that's being faced not just here in Orange but throughout all of Southern Cali- fornia and beyond,” said DRC member Mary Anne Skorpanich, “There isn't any more raw land to build on. What's happening is higher density development is coming in and replacing what was low density. We're moving from this world of one-story, single-family detached units to a completely different world." Respect the guidelines “Because this is a brand new project,” she advised, “the first one to come under the city's new small lot subdivision standards and design guidelines, I think it is important that we really pay a lot of respect to those guidelines and require that projects live up to those guidelines.” Some of the guidelines that re- main unmet include the require- ment that new housing match the aesthetic of existing homes; that there should be architectural vari- ety in the design, and a continued concern that existing residents’ privacy should be adequately protected. “It's not one or two items in the guidelines that we’re not meet- ing,” DRC member Greg Ledes- ma pointed out. “There's a num- ber of them, and I want to reiter- ate that they're by design. They're absolutely created inherent in the design that's been brought to us. None of them have to be there.” Final approval or denial now falls to the city council. Temporary homeless shelter flies in under the radar By Tina Richards A well-financed nonprofit has purchased a $2.97 million home located between Hewes and Earl- ham in Orange to serve as tempo- rary shelter for homeless families. The home, at 688 Hewes, is in a neighborhood zoned r-1, which precludes multi-family residences and commercial properties. The Illumination Foundation bought the house in January, worked on it in February and was prepared to move families into the residence in March. The foundation did not notify the city or the neighbors because it didn’t think it had to. Homeowners living next to the six bedroom, six bathroom, 5,018 sq. ft., home, were curious about the ongoing construction traffic and activity, and became alarmed when they watched a number of mattresses and refrigerators being moved into the premises. The im- mediate neighbors were shocked to learn that the property was to become a temporary homeless shelter. No meeting of the minds The Illumination Foundation agreed to meet with neighbors to address their concerns. The meet- ing, however, simply increased community anxiety. The Foun- dation told them the plan was to move families (up to 30 people) into the home for 90 days each. The 90 days gave the families a window to get back on their feet and move into permanent hous- ing. They would then be replaced with another family for 90 days. There would be Foundation staff on site during the day, but they would leave at 6 p.m. “They didn’t answer any of our questions and told us this was a done deal,” a resident reported. “They said that they could open the shelter at will and did not need city approvals or permits to do so,” another said. “They told us they had similar homes in Anaheim and Stanton that no one objected to. We were told that the mayor supported them.” Mayor Dan Slater, however, knew nothing about the Founda- tion’s plans for the site. Several irate neighbors attended the Feb. 27 city council meeting to ex- press their concerns and outrage. It was the first the city had heard of the multi-family shelter. In the dark Slater, Councilwoman Ana Gutierrez and Asst. City Man- ager Susan Galvan arranged a community meeting to hear from residents, March 6. Galvan set up a separate meeting with the Illu- mination Foundation principals to take place the following day. About 100 residents packed the El Modena Library Community Room to explain their objections to the shelter and find out “what the city is going to do about it.” Neighbors were angry that the shelter was apparently forging ahead without addressing their concerns or with city concur- rence. The overwhelming com- plaint was that “no one seemed to know what was going on.” They were disturbed that a multi-family facility was en- croaching on their single-fam- ily neighborhood, that 30 or so strangers would be routinely moving in and out, and that 20- plus cars would be coming and going on a gravel driveway. They were worried about fire safety, crime and drug use. “We don’t know whether these people are being vetted or not,” a resident pointed out. “We don’t know any- thing about them and we have no reason to trust the Illumination Foundation.” Looking for answers Slater explained that the city was in the same position as resi- dents; it didn’t know more than they did at that point. Galvan re- ported that before the city could do anything it had to understand what the Foundation’s plans were and ask “a lot of questions.” That was the purpose of the March 7 meeting. “The city,” she said, “will do everything it can to keep the neighbors and the community safe.” The city also encouraged the Foundation to hold another community meeting to better ex- plain itself. That meeting was March 13. It, too, attracted about 100 residents and was attended by Slater, Guti- errez and Galvin. The Illumination Foundation gave a presentation on its overall A nonprofit foundation wants to convert the property at 688 Hewes Street into a temporary homeless shelter for families. mission – disrupting the cycle of homelessness by offering shel- ter, health care and advocacy. It noted the success of its other shel- ters, that there were 500 home- less people in Orange, that there were students in the Orange Uni- fied School District living in cars and that the situation is desper- ate. Questions from the audience were answered with examples of the foundation’s good works and the help it gives people in need. “We think you’re wonderful,” a homeowner acknowledged, “but you don’t belong here. Not in an r-1 zone. Why don’t you look for a facility in an r-3 zone? No one would complain about that.” Those views were an accurate representation of everyone in the audience. Yes, the Foundation is a worthy cause, yes, it is filling a need, yes, we support your mis- sion. But no, not in a single-fam- ily residential zone. An unlikely location “You could have made this a win-win with support from the community by picking an ap- propriate location,” another con- cerned citizen asserted. “Instead, you come bullnosed into our neighborhood and now you’re fighting with us.” The foundation insists that its use of that residence to house families is supported by state leg- islation, that “supportive housing is considered a residential use and is subject only to restrictions ap- plied to other residential zones.” Indeed, group homes, halfway houses and rehab facilities are legal in single-family neighbor- hoods, but they are limited to six beds. It is not clear whether the law extends to temporary shelters housing some 30 people. “The house has six bedrooms,” one neighbor pointed out. “How many people will be in one room?” He was told only that the Foundation was “following state law.” “So does the law have a cap on the number of people you can house in one room? Can you put 50 people in there? 100?” He did not get an answer. The city continues to meet with the Foundation principals and is “looking into” all the legal pa- rameters. Neighbors of a proposed infill development say the two-story units 10 feet from their backyards will invade their privacy.