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Foothills Sentry Page 2 May 2022 RELAX DON’T GET Protecting your family, home and business from burglary, fire and medical emergencies. 714 282 0828 | jadtec.com jadtec.com $ 15 95 /mo SECURITY JADTEC SURPRISE TAKEN BY aco# 4202 "Ukraine" continued from page 1 Old Towne charm challenged by change By Tina Richards Residents attending the State of Old Towne Forum, April 14, learned that more Chapman students will be back living on campus this fall; the impact of state housing mandates is, so far, minimal; a decision on the future of the Paseo is coming later this year; community input on that is- sue and other upcoming changes to the area will be solicited, and that Orange is “a pretty darn safe city.” Hosted by the Old Towne PreservationAssociation (OTPA), this year’s annual meeting featured panelists Mayor Mark Murphy, Councilwoman Arianna Barrios, Police Chief DanAdams, City Manager Rob Houston and Chapman University Community Liaison Vice President Alissa Driscoll. Each gave brief introductory remarks and then answered questions submitted by members of the live audience and those watching via Zoom. Questions ranged from historic streetlamps (expensive), police ride-alongs (no), filming in Old Towne (not much action lately, but still welcome) and “out of control” delivery trucks (a plan is forthcoming). A good number of the questions presented to the panel by OTPA President Sandy Quinn concerned Chapman expansion, enrollment, student housing and off campus party houses. Growing pains and gains Chapman’s Driscoll reported that physical additions to the campus will take place on “property the university already owns,” and that its enrollment calculations have been modified to be more transparent. The Environmental Impact Report for Chapman's proposed Specific Plan amendment (more students) will be available for public review in late summer or early fall. Asked about an enrollment cap, Driscoll advised she couldn’t say there would be a cap, but the university its “aware of its limita- tions” and is expanding classes at is Irvine campus. With the pandemic subsiding, all freshmen and sophomores will once again be required to live on campus, beginning with the fall semester. The university is also considering expanding Panther Village to house more students. Regarding party houses, Alissa noted that Chapman has a liaison with the Orange Police Department, and that a liaison team visits offending houses in person. A student conduct office imposes fines on disruptive students, sends them to a “good neighbor” course and may expel them if all else fails. OldTowne residents continue to report unruly Chapman students who drink, carouse and urinate in neighbors' yards; the problem is compounded by investors who buy houses, remodel them with more bedrooms and rent them to up to 10 students at a time. “We have to enforce our boarding house ordinances,” District 1 Councilmember Barrios stressed. Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), encouraged by state mandates, are considered “very controversial" in Old Towne be- cause they increase density with- out adding parking. City Man- ager Houston said that Orange had received 50 applications for ADUs, but only about 15 have been built. “People find out how much effort it takes, and the ap- plications go away,” he said. Community input Mark Murphy reported that the new fire department headquarters is on schedule, under budget and will be open in September. Asked about the status of the old headquarters, he noted that it had limited public use because it was not seismically retrofitted and had second floor access via stairs only. He assured the audience, however, that the public would be included in discussions about its fate. The Paseo, Murphy said, is undergoing environmental review and the city is doing the legal legwork upfront on three possibilities. It could be reopening permanently, seasonally or not at all. Asked about community input, he noted that a workshop is planned for May. “It’s going to be a pragmatic process,” he said. “It’s all subject to review, we will apply lessons learned. It may just be sidewalk dining, or maybe a good idea that hasn’t been brought forward yet.” Barrios urged Old Towne residents to participate in Paseo discussions. “You did your part during COVID, now we need to hear from you. You’re going to be affected more than anyone; your voices are important.” Police present Police Chief Adams reported that crime in District 1 has decreased in “almost everything,” although catalytic converter theft is up. He noted an uptick in transient activity, particularly in Hart Park. “We’re removing abandoned property, making arrests,” he advised. “We work every day to get resources to those who need them. We made thousands of contacts last year, but only 1.8% of those accepted help. That’s a disappointment." Both Houston and Barrios Pennsylvania volunteered to pay for and coordinate the shipping. There was one small glitch: rather than a week to pack up 11 pallets of supplies, the couple learned, on a Friday night, that the shipper would be there the next day. “Friday night we had a total of four people to help us," Karl Ea- ton recalls. "I was the only male, and only one person was under the age of 65. I was a bit pan- icked.” They reached out to friends, neighbors and the Ukrainian community. Over two dozen individuals gathered to pack up the 4,000 pounds of supplies in less than three hours. NJT anticipates further shipments to the war-torn country, as well as to Poland, whose health care system is overwhelmed by tens of thousands of refugees. They will continue to send suitcases full of supplies to far- flung countries. Though medical supplies are lightweight, they are surprisingly bulky. NJT, which is operated from the couple’s home, would very much appreciate stor- age space to be donated for three to four pallets of supplies. They also need a constant supply of used suitcases, preferably full size, with working wheels. To donate, or volunteer to de- liver supplies during your next journey, contact NJT at OC@njt. net or at (714) 997-5910. commented on the changes taking place in Old Towne. Houston mentioned a new coffee shop at Chapman and Olive and another in the Wells Fargo building. The stucco on the Chapman-Olive structure is being sandblasted to bring it back to historic level, he added. “We’re at an interesting crossroads,” Barrios proffered. “There are lots of new things around the Plaza. The Richland Hotel, the Shroeder Art Studio is going to be Chipotle. The Presbyterian Church admin building is turning into offices, a restaurant, some retail. The Old YMCA on Grand is being transformed. It’s not easy for OPTA to stand up for residents. We can’t say 'no more growth,' but we have to define a middle ground.” The Old Towne Specific Plan and zoning designations governing Old Towne were set in 1989. “Those plans were highly suc- cessful,” Barrios allowed. “But now we’re going from wildly successful to off-balance. It’s time to rethink it. I’m going to be bringing this forward.”