Foothills Sentry June 2021

Foothills Sentry Page 2 June 2021 Orange bends design standards to accommodate a good cause, the Ronald McDonald House expansion By Tina Richards City approval of the proposed expansion of the Ronald McDon- ald House (RMH) on Batavia Street in Orange came down to the value of its charitable mis- sion versus the value of design standards intended to preserve the architectural heritage of Old Towne. The RMH provides a home away from home for families of seriously ill children undergo- ing treatment at nearby hospi- tals. Opened in 1989, the facil- ity serves some 800 families per year. “The expansion is critical to our mission,” Project Manager Jan van Dijs told the council at its May 11 meeting. “Our focus is on the needs of families that we’d have to turn away.” The Old Towne design stan- dards restrict building height, scale and mass. No building in Old Towne is as massive as the expanded RMH (17,325 sq. ft. added to its existing 12,580) or as tall (38 ft.). Expansion plans were rejected by the city’s design review committee last Decem- ber, but approved by the planning commission in February. Its first hearing before the city council, April 13, was continued to al- low RMH to address the project’s compatibility with the historic district and neighborhood con- cerns about privacy and scale. Concessions count Throughout the approval process, the RMH architectural team made numerous changes in response to neighbors’ concerns about loss of privacy: window alignment was altered, taller trees added to the landscape design, and walls heightened. The roof slope was modified to appear shorter, and catwalks placed well away from the outer edges of the building. At the second council hearing, RMH reported that it had recently increased the size of the trees to be planted from 24-inch boxes to 36- inch. Those trees will stand 16 to 18 feet from day one. In addition, RMH agreed to limit construction hours and construction parking will not be allowed on adjacent residential streets. “We’ve met with the neighbors,” van Dijs said, “and are addressing their concerns.” Public comments made at the design review, planning commis- sion and council meetings were split between neighbors who were alarmed at the size of the building that would loom over their backyards, and supporters who stressed the need for the ex- pansion to serve more families. Proponents ranged from CHOC medical personnel to RMH vol- unteers to Orange residents. All noted the invaluable service RMH provides, the physical and psychological benefits it offers to families coping with severely ill children. Mission merits amendments RMH wants to increase its ca- pacity from 21 rooms to 44. It is asking the city to amend the prop- erty’s General Plan designation from “low-density resident” to “public facility and institution.” It also needs a zone change from “single-family” to “public institu- tion.” A historic home on Culver Avenue, located just behind the facility, was also subject to rezon- ing. It will be used as office space for RMH staff. Early in the review process, the Old Towne Preservation As- sociation (OTPA) submitted a list of suggested changes to make the structure more in keeping with historic standards. RMH agreed to a number of exterior changes to make the building more “crafts- man” looking. The sticking point remained the expansion’s sheer size. When asked by planning com- missioners in February and coun- cil members in May if the project met Old Towne standards, the city planner said no. OTPA ultimately conceded that the benefits provided by RMH exceeds the issues of scale and mass. And, it was explained by city staff, the building is on the western edge of Old Towne, across the street from another large building and shares that portion of Batavia with several other three-story office buildings. Not a sore thumb The height limit in Old Towne is 30 feet. The existing house ex- ceeds that because, staff said, a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) is- sued in 1987 allows it. That CUP stays with the property and cov- ers the expansion. Councilwoman Ana Gutierrez asked city staff and City Attorney Gary Sheatz re- peatedly how the CUP bestowed on the original lot transfers to the lot where the expansion will reside. “I’m not trying to be diffi- cult,” she said, “I just really want to understand.” The explanations provided by the city planner and Sheatz were unclear, with the city attorney noting that the CUP in question was “a descriptor” only, and that today a variance would be need- ed. But, in 1987, the CUP was sufficient. Gutierrez moved on to another topic. Thecouncilvoted 6-1toapprove the General Plan amendment and zone change to accommodate the project. Arianna Barrios, whose constituents live in the shadow of the house, voted no. “I think what you do is extraordinary,” she said, “but I still have a lot of reservations because of the size.” The existing Ronald McDonald House looms over the backyard of a neighbor. Following a nationwide search, the Rancho Santiago Community College District Board of Trust- ees unanimously approved the ap- pointment of Dr. Pamela Ralston to serve as President of Santiago Canyon College (SCC), making her the first female president in the college’s history. Dr. Ralston’s term will begin on Aug. 2. TAWC awards scholarships Graduating seniors from Tustin Unified School District were each awarded $1,000 scholarships by the Tustin Area Woman’s Club. Tustin High’s Elise Lauren Carlen-Jones will attend DePaul University, Chicago, majoring in communications and media. Emma Vandal, also from Tustin High, will attend UCLAor Berke- ley with a major in molecular, cell and developmental biology. Foothill graduate Audrey Ped- erson will attend the University of Oregon, and plans to major in human physiology and sports medicine. Claire Poissonnier, also from Foothill, will attend Brown University to study medi- cine and compete as a D1 college athlete playing water polo.