TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THRU: Tom Kisela, City Manager
FROM: Russell Bunim, Community Development Director
1. Subject
title
Continued Public Hearing to consider rezoning of public-school properties to Public Institution to establish consistency with the Public Facilities and Institutions General Plan Land Use Designation; and introduction and First Reading of associated Ordinance No. 14-24 (Zone Change No. 1313-24). (Continued from June 11, 2024)
body
2. Summary
Public school elementary, middle, and high school campuses have a General Plan Land Use Designation of Public Facilities and Institutions yet have a long-standing residential and Recreation Open Space zoning. The Zoning Classification that corresponds to the Public Facilities and Institutions General Plan Designation is Public Institution. State law requires zoning to be consistent with the General Plan. The subject zone change addresses this requirement.
This public hearing was continued by the City Council on June 11, 2024 to the July 23, 2024 City Council meeting.
3. Recommended Action
recommendation
1. Conduct and close Public Hearing.
2. Introduce and conduct First Reading of Ordinance No. 14-24. An Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Orange approving Zone Change No. 1313-24 re-zoning Public School sites to the Public Institution Zoning Classification to establish consistency with the Public Facilities and Institutions General Plan Land Use Designation of the Public School Sites in accordance with State law.
3. Find that Zone Change No. 1313-24 is within the scope of the previously certified Final Program Environmental Impact Report (EIR) No. 1815-09 for the Comprehensive General Plan Update certified on March 9, 2010.
end
4. Fiscal Impact
None.
5. Strategic Plan Goals
Goal 3: Enhance and promote quality of life in the community
a: Renovate, maintain, develop, and/or expand public use places and spaces.
6. Discussion and Background
Public school campuses in Orange have had long-standing residential and recreational open space Zoning Classifications despite having established General Plan Land Use Designation of Public Facilities and Institutions (PFI). The Zoning Classification that corresponds to the PFI General Plan Land Use Designation and that is appropriate for the school sites is Public Institution (PI). State law requires zoning to be consistent with the General Plan designation. The subject Zone Change is part of the ongoing reconciliation of scattered citywide General Plan and Zoning inconsistencies, which has become a priority based on Council direction and changes in the law. Detailed information about relevant legislative requirements is provided in Attachment 3.
The proposed Zone Change involves school site re-zoning as follows:
|
Facility |
Address |
General Plan |
Existing Zoning |
Proposed Zoning |
|
California Inspire Academy |
1080 N. California St. |
PFI |
R-1-6 |
PI |
|
Cambridge Elementary School |
425 N. Cambridge St. |
PFI |
R-1-6 |
|
|
Early Learning Center Parkside Education Center EDGE Virtual Academy |
2345 E. Palmyra Ave. 250 S Yorba St. 250 S Yorba St. |
PFI |
R-O |
|
|
El Modena High School |
3920 Spring St. |
PFI |
R-1-7 |
|
|
Esplanade Elementary School |
381 N. Esplanade St. |
PFI |
R-1-7 |
|
|
Fletcher Mandarin Language & GATE Academy |
515 W. Fletcher Ave. |
PFI |
R-1-7 |
|
|
Handy Elementary School |
860 N. Handy St. |
PFI |
R-1-6 |
|
|
Jordan Academy of Language and Computer Science |
4319 E. Jordan Ave. |
PFI |
R-1-7 |
|
|
La Veta Elementary |
2800 E. La Veta Ave. |
PFI |
R-1-8 |
|
|
Linda Vista Elementary School |
1200 N. Cannon St. |
PFI |
R-1-8 |
|
|
McPherson Magnet School/Sports Park |
333 S. Prospect St. |
PFI |
R-1-7 |
|
|
Olive Elementary |
3038 Magnolia Ave. |
PFI |
R-1-7 |
|
|
Orange High School |
525 N. Shaffer St. |
PFI |
R-1-6 |
|
|
Palmyra GATE Magnet |
1325 E. Palmyra Ave. |
PFI |
R-1-6 |
|
|
Peralta Middle School/ Super Sports |
2190 N. Canal St. |
PFI |
R-1-8 |
|
|
Portola Middle School |
270 N. Palm Dr. |
PFI |
R-1-6 |
|
|
Prospect Elementary School |
379 N. Virage St. |
PFI |
R-1-7 |
|
|
Richland Continuation High School (portion) |
615 N. Lemon St. |
PFI |
R-3 |
|
|
Santiago Charter Middle School |
515 N. Rancho Santiago Blvd. |
PFI |
R-1-7 |
|
|
Taft Elementary |
1829 N. Cambridge St. |
PFI |
R-1-8 |
|
|
Yorba Middle School |
935 N. Cambridge St. |
PFI |
R-1-6 |
|
Key:
Single Family Residential (6,000 sq ft minimum lot size): R-1-6
Single Family Residential (7,000 sq ft minimum lot size): R-1-7
Single Family Residential (8,000 sq ft minimum lot size): R-1-8
Multiple Family Residential: R-3
Recreation Open Space: R-O
Chapman Hills Elementary School is not included in the re-zoning because its Planned Community zoning is consistent with the General Plan. In the case of Sycamore Elementary School, a portion of the Richland Continuation School, and the Orange Unified School District offices/Villa Park campus, there are split General Plan designations that warrant a separate cleanup effort to establish a single uniform land use designation prior to re-zoning.
It should be noted that the PI zoning district allows the development of housing affiliated with the institutional use it shares a site or campus with. Representative projects in Orange with the development of housing associated with an institutional use include the Villa St. Joseph project through which the Motherhouse at the Sisters of St. Joseph campus is being adaptively re-used as affordable senior housing, and the ActivCare Memory Care facility developed as a use related to the Chapman Global Medical Center and St. Joseph medical office building.
7. ADVISORY BOARD ACTION
Planning Commission
The Planning Commission conducted a public hearing for the Zone Change on April 1, 2024 and recommended approval to the City Council by a 5-0 vote. Meeting minutes are provided as Attachment 4.
8. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
Final Program Environmental Impact Report (EIR) No. 1815-09 for the Comprehensive General Plan Update was certified on March 9, 2010 and prepared in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The proposed activity is within the scope of the previously approved General Plan and is adequately described in the previously certified General Plan Program EIR for purposes of CEQA.
7. ATTACHMENTS
• Attachment 1 Ordinance No. 14-24
• Attachment 2 Planning Commission Resolution No. 09-24
• Attachment 3 Planning Commission Staff Report, April 1, 2024
• Attachment 4 Planning Commission Minutes, April 1, 2024