TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THRU: Rick Otto, City Manager
FROM: Anna Pehoushek, Assistant Community Development Director
1. Subject
title
Public Hearing to consider expansion of the Orange County Ronald McDonald House located at 383 S. Batavia Street and 802 W. Culver Avenue.
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2. Summary
A request to construct a three-story, 17,325 square foot addition to the Orange County Ronald McDonald House at 383 S. Batavia Street with associated surface parking, landscaping, and utilities and to convert a historic single-family residence at 802 W. Culver Avenue to an associated office on a 60,670 square foot site. A General Plan Amendment and Zone Change are required to align the institutional use of the Orange County Ronald McDonald House with City land use policy and development standards.
3. Recommended Action
recommendation
1. Adopt Resolution No. 11311. A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Orange adopting Mitigated Negative Declaration No. 1868-19 and associated Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program for the expansion of the Orange County Ronald McDonald House at 383 S. Batavia Street and 802 W. Culver Avenue.
2. Adopt Resolution No. 11312. A Resolution of City Council of the City of Orange approving General Plan Amendment No. 2019-001 to change the General Plan designation of a 60,670 square foot site from Low Density Residential to Public Facilities and Institutions on property located at 383 S. Batavia Street and 802 W. Culver Avenue.
3. Introduce and conduct First Reading of Ordinance No. 04-21. An Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Orange approving Zone Change No. 1298-19 to change the zoning of a 60,670 square foot site from Single-Family Residential to Public Institution on property located at 383 S. Batavia Street and 802 W. Culver Avenue.
4. Adopt Resolution No. 11313. A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Orange approving Major Site Plan Review No. 0976-19, Variance No. 2251-19, Design Review No. 4977-19, and Administrative Adjustment No. 0274-19 for the expansion of the Orange County Ronald McDonald House at 383 S. Batavia Street and 802 W. Culver Avenue.
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4. Fiscal Impact
None.
5. Strategic Plan Goals
3. Enhance and promote quality of life in the community.
a. Refurbish, maintain, develop, and/or expand public use places and spaces.
e. Develop and strengthen collaborative partnerships to enhance and promote quality of life programs, projects, and services.
6. Discussion and Background
Project Description
The Orange County Ronald McDonald House provides housing and support to families with seriously ill children receiving treatment at nearby hospitals. It operates in a manner similar to a bed-and-breakfast with private guest rooms and shared amenities for families. It also contains offices and meeting rooms for staff and volunteers.
The project consists of construction of a three-story 17,325 square foot addition to the existing Ronald McDonald House to create a total of 44 guest rooms. The addition is designed in a contemporary Craftsman-influenced style intended to complement the existing building and the surrounding neighborhood. The new surface parking lot to the south will contain 43 parking spaces accessed by two new driveways from S. Batavia Street. The project includes removal of 49 trees on the site, including a total of 29 orange trees, and replacement with 52 new trees.
The historic single-family residence at 802 W. Culver Avenue will be converted to an administrative office for support staff or volunteers. Staff and volunteers will park and enter 802 W. Culver from the Ronald McDonald House site.
In response to concerns about the project’s interface with neighboring residential properties, the applicant made a number of modifications to the design during project review. These include reducing the size of the addition by 3,158 square feet, increasing the setback from neighboring residences, and changing the building’s paint colors and materials. Related to privacy, the applicant also modified window placement and orientation to address neighbor concerns. A comprehensive discussion of the site plan, architecture, and landscape design changes is provided in Attachment 6.
Land Use
The applicant is requesting a General Plan Amendment and Zone Change to align with the property’s land use designation with the institutional use and operational needs of the Orange County Ronald McDonald House. The General Plan designation for the project site is Low Density Residential (LDR), and it is zoned Single-Family Residential (R-1-6). The request would designate the site as Public Facilities and Institutions (PFI) in the General Plan and re-zone it to Public Institution (PI).
The Ronald McDonald House was permitted in 1987 through Conditional Use Permit No. 1618, which approved a 20-unit residence for short-term use by families of children hospitalized at Children’s Hospital Orange County. At the time, the property was zoned Multi-Family Residential (R-3) and the use was permitted as the equivalent to a boarding house. The Conditional Use Permit also permitted a three-story structure.
In 2010, the property’s General Plan designation was changed from Medium Density Residential (MDR) to Low Density Residential (LDR). This was part of the broader effort of the General Plan Update to reduce the permitted density of residential properties in the Old Towne Historic District to preserve historic single-family residences. In 2012, the property’s zoning was changed to the corresponding Single-Family Residential (R-1-6). 802 W. Culver was also rezoned to R-1-6 at the same time.
The R-1-6 zoning does not permit boarding houses or similar uses that correspond to the unique service provided by the Ronald McDonald House. As a result, the Ronald McDonald House cannot expand under the existing zoning.
The General Plan Amendment and Zone Change are necessary to permit the project. The proposed PFI General Plan designation and PI zoning reflect the property’s connection with the hospitals and medical uses to the west and are consistent with the General Plan and zoning across Batavia Street. It also recognizes the Ronald McDonald House as a community-serving institution and provides the opportunity for a reasonable expansion consistent with the non-profit’s mission. Establishment of PI zoning will also provide more flexibility for the Ronald McDonald House in the future if adjustments are desired to accommodate modifications to its operational program.
Variances and Administrative Adjustment
The applicant is requesting three modifications to development standards: 1) a variance for a decrease in the required front yard setback from 20 feet to fifteen feet; 2) a variance for an increase in the fence height at the rear property line from the six foot maximum permitted to eight feet; and 3) an administrative adjustment for a reduction of one parking space.
The southern end of S. Batavia Street at W. La Veta Avenue has been widened over time through a series of City road projects. As a result, the lot dimensions and area containing the Ronald McDonald House have been reduced. In requesting the variance for a fifteen foot front yard setback, the applicant is proposing to maintain the front yard setback of the existing Ronald McDonald House for the new addition. This places the addition in line with the majority of the residential properties to the north and maintains the existing street edge along Batavia Street. Granting the variance allows the property to enjoy a similar front yard setback to adjacent properties in the block.
The maximum fence height for any zoning district is six feet. However, this maximum does not take into account varying interfaces between residential and institutional properties such as the Ronald McDonald House. The Ronald McDonald House is permitted to build to three stories under a Conditional Use Permit approved for the construction of the original building. This condition interfaces with adjacent low-rise residential properties to the east. The variance will allow a six foot rear yard wall with a two foot green screen extension for a total of eight feet. This will improve the edge conditions between these adjacent uses and reduce potential privacy or noise concerns.
The required parking rate for the property is one space per guest room, which is the typical rate required in the Orange Municipal Code (OMC) for a hotel or bed-and-breakfast. This rate was determined to be the most compatible with the operation of the Ronald McDonald House. However, given the close proximity of the Ronald McDonald House to hospitals and the out-of-state residence of some guests, it is unlikely that each guest will at all times need space to park a vehicle on the property. The applicant chose to remove one parking space in order to reduce the addition’s massing and scale at S. Batavia Street. The administrative adjustment allows a more compatible building and landscape design and should not result in parking impacts to the neighborhood because of the varied parking demand for the use.
Mitigated Negative Declaration
Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) No. 1868-19 (State Clearinghouse No. 2020120130) was prepared to evaluate the physical environmental impacts of the project, in conformance with the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) per State CEQA Guidelines Section 15070 and Local CEQA Guidelines.
The analysis contained in the MND determined that implementation of the project may result in significant environmental impacts without mitigation. These impacts are related to Biological Resources, Cultural Resources, Geology/Soils, and Tribal Cultural Resources. CEQA Guidelines require the identification of mitigation measures to reduce such impacts to a less than significant level. Mitigation must be fully enforceable through permit conditions, agreements, or other legally binding instruments.
The MND includes mitigation measures, referenced in the project Conditions of Approval and adopted with the certification of the MND, that reduce potential impacts to a less than significant level. The Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program of the Final MND summarizes the project’s mitigation measures and responsible parties for implementation and monitoring. Incorporation of the mitigation measures into the project results in a reduction of impacts to a less than significant level.
The Notice of Intent (NOI) to adopt the MND was mailed to residents, property owners, and tenants within 300 feet of the subject property and was advertised in the Orange County Register on December 7, 2020. The public review period began on December 7, 2020, and ended on January 6, 2021. Copies of the document were available for public review on the City’s website, at the Libraries, and at City Hall.
Staff received one written comment letter during the public review period. A response to comments was incorporated into the final MND.
Committee and Commission Review
The Design Review Committee (DRC) reviewed the project at its December 4, 2019, February 5, 2020, and December 16, 2020 meetings. At its December 16, 2020 meeting, the DRC recommended denial of the project by a 4-1 vote. The minutes for that meeting are provided in Attachment 7.
The Planning Commission reviewed the project at its February 17, 2021 meeting and adopted Resolution Nos. PC 05-21, PC 06-21, PC 07-21, and PC 08-21, recommending approval of the project to the City Council by a 4-0 vote.
7. ATTACHMENTS
• Attachment 1 Resolution No. 11311
• Attachment 2 Resolution No. 11312
• Attachment 3 Ordinance No. 04-21
• Attachment 4 Resolution No. 11313
• Attachment 5 Planning Commission Resolution Nos. PC 05-21, PC 06-21, PC 07-21, and PC 08-21
• Attachment 6 Planning Commission Staff Report and Minutes
• Attachment 7 Design Review Committee Minutes
• Attachment 8 Final Mitigated Negative Declaration No. 1868-19
• Attachment 9 Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program
• Attachment 10 Project Plans