Foothills Sentry December 2020

Foothills Sentry Page 2 wishing you a safe & joyful HOLIDAY SEASON! GETTING BY WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM OUR FRIENDS jadtec.com $ 15 95 /mo SECURITY JADTEC 714 282 0828 | jadtec.com | ACO4202 PEACE OF MIND PROTECTION December 2020 Orange Design Review Committee gets a reprieve from undecided city council By Tina Richards The City of Orange Design Re- view Committee (DRC) survived an attempt to strictly limit its mandate and may have emerged with a stronger sense of direction due to a city council decision, Nov. 10. Review by the DRC has been a step in the city’s development approval process since 1974. It was created to ensure design standards in historic districts were maintained and to consider how new building projects would fit in with their surroundings. The committee is comprised of archi- tects, landscape designers and building industry professionals and is advisory only. Most projects are approved by the DRC with little fanfare. Those deemed flawed or poorly designed are asked to make re- visions and return for another review. Apparently a few de- velopers complained to the city about the process, and city hall responded with an amended or- dinance that severely limited the scope of the committee. Streamlining or steamrolling? The amendments, portrayed as streamlining the process, limited DRC review to projects in his- toric districts only, deleted any consideration of landscaping, and changed the requirement that members be industry profession- als. The design and compatibility of projects outside of historic dis- tricts would be the purview of the community development director. The city’s DRC streamlining effort did not come to light until it was presented to, and approved by, the planning commission in August. And that’s when the pub- lic spoke up. A flurry of phone calls, let- ters, emails and public comments asked the city council to deny the amended ordinance and uphold the legacy of the committee. The council delayed making a deci- sion from its September meeting to October, and then again until November. Council members asked for the delay so they could better research the issue. Talking it out “I spoke with all of the DRC members and it was an ah-ha mo- ment,” Councilmember Chip Mo- naco reported at the November meeting. “I heard the voice of the public, talked to staff. The time out was beneficial to me.” He discovered, he said, that the com- mittee takes its job very seriously, that it is creative and that “cre- ativity in the government process doesn’t always align.” Because the committee is not supported by legal counsel or high level staff, he pointed out, it is harder for them to “stay in their lane.” He also observed that the city hadn’t done a historic survey in a long time and that it should be refreshed. “I don’t know what problem they were trying to fix,” he said. Mike Alvarez related that he had also met with DRC members and found it “very enlightening.” He stressed that he did not want to see its scope limited, that he appreciated the opportunity for public participation that it provid- ed. “Maybe it’s time to elevate it from a committee to a commis- sion,” he advised. “Maybe we should redefine its scope rather than limit it.” “The public has communicated to us what they think is impor- tant,” Kim Nichols offered. “We need to look at this more intent- ly. We’re not on the same page. Maybe we need to have a policy discussion as a council and deter- Elks honor veterans By Bill Neessen The Orange Elks support and honor veterans throughout the year, in accordance with their saying “As long as there is a vet, the Orange Elks will never for- get.” During the week of Veterans Day, the Elks hold a number of events. This year, the Elks again helped to set up the Field of Val- or, the fifth year of the patriotic tribute at Handy Park honoring the men and women who have served, or are serving, in the armed forces. There were 1,776 flags on the field, with a special display hon- oring our country’s Medal of Honor winners. The Orange Elks also donated $2,500, as a Silver Star Sponsor, to honor 50 veterans with a flag that included their name, their branch of service and rank. A ribbon on each flag indicated the status of that individual: returned home; Medal of Honor winner; killed in action or didn’t return home; a POW; on active duty or currently deployed. The Elks Lodge in Orange also supports and has donated to Dogs on Deployment, an organization that provides temporary housing for the pets of servicemen while they are deployed. An Orange Elk is currently taking care of canine Otto while his owner is deployed. The theme of the annual patri- otic lodge Veterans Day program was “Thank you!” and recognized the veterans who, at one point in their life, wrote a blank check payable to the United States of America for an amount up to, and including, their life. Elks members who had served were saluted and recognized for their service with a resounding “thank you” by all. Elks member Harvey Johnson, a Korean War Army veteran, was recognized for his service and given a standing ovation before the traditional program close of “God Bless the USA” by Lee Greenwood. Otto visits his serviceman’s flag at the Field of Valor. While his owner is currently deployed, he lives with an Orange Elk through the Dogs on Deployment pro- gram. mine what their ‘lane’ looks like. We don’t need to throw it out, just take a step back.” Take another look The council appeared to agree that the DRC deserved more at- tention that it had been getting, that more discussion about what it is and what it should be is war- ranted. It was also noted that any policy decision or changes should be made when the new, by-district city council is seated. “The one thing I’ve heard,” Mayor Mark Murphy said in summary, “is that the level of staff support for the DRC should be the same as the planning com- mission. I’ve also heard that we are not ready to make a decision on this ordinance. And it’s impor- tant to pursue this as a council of seven. We’ve all gained a better appreciation of what the DRC is, and what it does.” He suggested waiting until the new council is in place, then have a policy discussion. The decision on the ultimate fate of the DRC was postponed again by a 4-0 vote.