TO: Chair and Members of the Design Review Committee
THRU: Chad Ortlieb, Principal Planner
FROM: Angelo Huang, Assistant Planner
1. Subject
title
A request to add 491 square feet to a single-family home in the Old Towne Historic District located at 345 S. Pixley Street. (Design Review No. 5145).
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2. Summary
body
A proposal to add a total of 491 square feet to an existing single-family home located at 345 S. Pixley Street. The property is located in the Old Towne Historic District, and it is designated as a non-contributing property.
3. RECOMMENDED ACTION
recommendation
Approval of Design Review No. 5145 by the Design Review Committee.
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4. BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Applicant: Scott Tsuno
Owner: Scott Tsuno
Property Location: 345 S. Pixley Street
General Plan Designation: Low Density Residential 2-6 du/ac (LDR)
Zoning Classification: Single Family Residential 6,000 square feet (R-1-6)
Existing Development: 1,116-square-foot single family residence with a detached garage
Associated Application: None
Previous DRC Project Review: None
5. project description
This project includes:
• Addition of 491 square feet to the rear of a single-family home. The addition consists of a new 197-square-foot master bedroom, 40-square-foot closet, 70-square-foot bathroom, and a 100-square-foot dining room addition. The exterior will consist of stucco and Hardie board to match the exisitng.
6. EXISTING SITE
The site is developed a 1,116-square-foot home and 326-square-foot detached garage. The home was constructed circa 1949 and is a non-contributor to the Old Towne Historic District.
7. EXISTING AREA CONTEXT
The building is located on the 300 block of South Pixley Street between Palmyra and Culver Avenue and outside of the Downtown Plaza Core. The surrounding properties on the block consist of single-family homes and the rear property line abuts a self-storage facility.
8. analysis of the PROJECT
The project matches the style, color, and materials of the home. The addition is proposed at the rear of the home and is not street visible. The stucco exterior north elevation wall distinguishes the addition from the original home. The project meets all zoning code requirements as specified in the development standards table on the project plans.
The 34% Floor Area Ratio (FAR) proposed is within 5% of the average FAR of the block (29.25%). This is an acceptable increase given that the addition occurs at the rear of the property.
Staff recommends that the DRC approve the proposal.
9. ADVISORY BOARD RECOMMENDATION
None.
10. PUBLIC NOTICE
Notice was provided to owners and tenants within 300 feet of the project on or before May 22, 2025, and the site was posted with a notice on or before that date.
11. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The proposed project is categorically exempt from the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) per State CEQA Guidelines 15301 (Class 1 - Existing Facilities) because it consists of a negligible addition (491 square feet) of less than 10,000 square feet to an existing single-family residence, in conformance with allowable development in the General Plan and in an area where public facilities and services are available.
12. STAFF RECOMMENDATION AND REQUIRED FINDINGS
Based on the following Findings and statements in support of such Findings, staff recommends the DRC make a final determination on the proposed project with recommended conditions (Orange Municipal Code 17.10.070.G).
1. In the Old Towne Historic District, the proposed work conforms to the prescriptive standards and design criteria referenced and/or recommended by the DRC or other reviewing body for the project.
The proposed project is in conformance with the Historic Preservation Design Standards (HPDS), which are the prescriptive design criteria for projects within the Old Towne Historic District. The proposed rear addition is subordinate to the existing building and is not visible from the street. It is compatible with the mass, scale, and roof form of the historic building and would not affect the appearance of the Historic District. The stucco north elevation exterior wall creates clear distinction between the addition and the original home.
2. In any National Register Historic District, the proposed work complies with the Secretary of the Interior’s standards and guidelines.
The project is in conformance with the HPDS. Projects found to be in conformance with the HPDS are generally considered to be in conformance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.
3. The project design upholds community aesthetics through the use of an internally consistent, integrated design theme and is consistent with all adopted specific plans, applicable design standards, and their required findings.
The project upholds community aesthetics through an internally consistent and integrated design theme. The proposed project is in conformance with the Historic Preservation Design Standards (HPDS), which are the prescriptive design criteria for projects within the Old Towne Historic District. The proposed rear addition is subordinate to the existing building and is not visible from the street. It is compatible with the mass, scale, and roof form of the historic building and would not affect the appearance of the Historic District. The stuccoed north elevation exterior wall creates clear distinction between the addition and the original home. The 34% FAR proposed is within 5% of the average FAR of the block (29.25%). This is an acceptable increase given that the addition occurs at the rear of the property.
13. CONDITIONS
The approval of this project is subject to the following conditions:
1. This project is approved as a precise plan. All work shall conform in substance and be maintained in general conformance with the plans (date stamped approved June 4, 2025, and in the project case file), including modifications required by the conditions of approval, and as recommended for approval by the Design Review Committee. After the application has been approved, if changes are proposed regarding the location or alteration of any use or structure, a changed plan may be submitted to the Community Development Director for approval. If the Community Development Director determines that the proposed change complies with the provisions and the spirit and intent of the approval action, and that the action would have been the same for the changed plan as for the approved plan, the Community Development Director may approve the changed plan without requiring a new public meeting. If the Community Development Director determines that any proposed change is substantial, he may refer the plans to the Design Review Committee for subsequent review and determination.
2. The applicant agrees, as a condition of City’s approval of Design Review No. 5145, to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless, at applicant’s expense, the City, its officers, agents, and employees (“City”) from and against any claim, action or proceeding brought against the City, including, but not limited to, any claim, action or proceeding commenced within the time period provided in Government Code Section 66499.37 to attack, review, set aside, void or annul the City’s approval, to challenge the determination made by the City under the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) or to challenge the reasonableness, legality or validity of any condition attached hereto. City shall promptly notify applicant of any such claim, action or proceeding to which the City receives notice and to cooperate fully with the applicant in the defense thereof. Applicant shall reimburse the City for any and all costs and expenses, including, but not limited to, court costs and attorney’s fees that the City may be required to pay, including any expenses ordered by a court or expenses incurred through the Office of the City Attorney in connection with said claim, action or proceeding. City may, in its sole discretion, participate in the defense of any claim, action or proceeding but such participation shall not relieve applicant of the obligations of this condition. In the event the applicant is required to defend City in connection with such claim, action or proceeding, City shall have the right to approve counsel to so defend the City, approve all significant decisions concerning the manner in which the defense is conducted and approve any all settlements, which approval(s) shall not be unreasonably withheld. The obligations set forth herein remain in full force and effect throughout all stages of litigation including any and all appeals of any lower court judgment rendered in the proceeding. Further, applicant agrees to indemnify, defend and hold harmless the City for all costs and expenses incurred in enforcing this provision.
3. The applicant shall comply with all federal, state, and local laws, including all City regulations. Violation of any of those laws in connection with the use may be cause for revocation of this permit.
4. The final approved conditions of approval shall be reprinted on the first or second page of the construction documents when submitting to the Building Division for the plan check process.
5. Construction permits shall be obtained for all future construction work, as required by the City of Orange, Building Division. Failure to obtain the required building permits will be cause for revocation of this permit.
6. If not utilized, project approval expires 24 months from the approval date. Extensions of time may be granted in accordance with OMC Section 17.08.060
14. ATTACHMENTS
• Attachment 1 - Vicinity Map
• Attachment 2 - DPR Form
• Attachment 3 - Project Plans