TO: Chair and Members of the Design Review Committee
THRU: Chad Ortlieb, Principal Planner
FROM: Arlen Beck, Associate Planner
1. Subject
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A request to construct a new single-family residence with a detached one-car garage in the Old Towne Orange Historic District, 323 E. River Avenue (Design Review No. 5136-24).
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2. Summary
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The applicant proposes to construct a new 934 sq ft single family residence with a 416 sq ft detached one-car garage on an existing vacant lot in the Nutwood Tract of the Old Towne Orange Historic District.
3. RECOMMENDED ACTION
recommendation
Recommendation to the Planning Commission
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4. BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Applicant/Owner: Michael Muhonen
Property Location: 323 E. River Avenue
General Plan Designation: Low-Medium Density Residential (LMDR)
Zoning Classification: Duplex Residential (R-2-6)
Existing Development: Vacant
Associated Application: Variance No. 2262-24
Previous DRC Project Review: None
5. project description
The project includes a new 934 sq ft single family residence with a 416 sq ft detached one-car garage on an existing vacant lot in the Old Towne Orange Historic District. The existing lot is legal non-conforming in that the existing lot size is 3,995 sq ft whereas there is a 6,000 sq ft lot size minimum to establish a new legally subdivided lot for the R-2-6 zoning district. The constraints created by the small lot size of the vacant lot has resulted in proposing a one-car garage which does not meet the two-car garage requirement for the development. A Variance request for the substandard garage will be considered by the Planning Commission.
The major components of this project include:
• A new 934 sq ft two-bedroom, two-bathroom single family residence with a 3:12 pitch gable roof finished with shakewood type shingles and exposed rafter tails. The proposed house siding is Hardie Plank Lap Siding with a 7” lap and smooth finish in the Mountain Sage color.
• A 416 sq ft flat-roof detached one-car garage and storage space with Board and Batten style finish Hardie Panel and a LED Gooseneck light fixture finished in the Rust color above the garage door.
• 454 sq ft of open space.
• 160 sq ft covered front porch with concrete floor with a clinker brick wall finish at the exposed foundation, exposed beams and columns, and a craftsman style wood picket guardrail, matching the proposed front craftsman style wood picket fence.
• A new 42” high sliding gate at the driveway entrance.
• A new 3’-0” high wood picket fence along the front property line at River Avenue.
• A 18” high clinker brick wall along the east property line (between 323 and 327 E. River Avenue)
• Wood Craftsman style windows and trim and California Lantern lighting fixtures at the front door finished in a warm brass color and champaigne glass.
• A new single light wood front door.
6. EXISTING SITE
323 E. River Avenue is an interior lot and the site is not improved with any structures. There is an existing mature tree that bisects the west property line, between 315 and 323 E. River Avenue, near the rear of the lot. There are overhead electrical lines and an existing palm tree in the parkway.
7. EXISTING AREA CONTEXT
The project site is is surrounded by a mix of single-family homes with detached carriage house garage structures and duplexes. The block includes contributing and non-contributing properties. The predominant architectural style of the block is Craftsman bungalow, but there are also Minimal Traditional, and Ranch style homes.
The applicant prepared an FAR analysis of the block that includes all properties. The FAR of the block including both contributing and non-contributing properties averages to .34. The project proposes a FAR of .34, notwithstanding the substandard lot size.
8. analysis and statement of the issues
Consistent with the guidelines for Infill Construction in the Historic Preservation Design Standards, the location of new primary and secondary structures would follow the historic pattern of front and side yard setbacks in the neighborhood. The new building would be similar in mass and scale to surrounding buildings and have a comparable height and roof form. The main entrance and facade will be parallel to and facing the street and the pattern of windows and doors on elevations visible from the street generally follow similar patterns to surrounding historic buildings (attachment 4). Exterior materials are compatible with the size, scale, design, texture, reflectivity, durability, and color of historic materials used on comparable historic buildings in the Historic District and the proposed Hardie fiber cement siding, while not a traditional building material, is appropriate and compatible in design and appearance. The new infill construction was designed to be compatible with the adjacent historic buildings. The use of appropriate and compatible materials for the new single family house and detached one-car garage do not create a false sense of history, and therefore the Historic District continues to retain its integrity of setting that conveys its significance.
Issue 1: Single Car Garage:
A single car-garage is proposed for site design and neighborhood compatibility purposes. The proposed 416 sq ft detached one-car garage does not meet the requirements of the Orange Municipal Code Section 17.34.060 in that a new single-family house of four bedrooms or less requires two enclosed parking spaces. Initially, the project proposed a design providing a two-car garage, however, due to the small lot size constraint the requirement to have a 25 foot back up out of 90-degree angle parking space (OMC 17.34.110) could not be met while trying to meet the City of Orange Historic Preservation design guidelines for infill construction projects, which states, “Parking areas should be located at the rear of the site and should be screened from public view by appropriate fencing or landscaping.” Additionally, the design of the project with a two-car garage resulted in the project not meeting the minimum open space requirement of Orange Municipal Code 17.14.110(B)(1)(b). The matter of the code deviation is the purview of the Planning Commission but the design appropriateness of the single car garage is the purview of the Design Review Committee.
The proposed one-car garage does not compete visually with the residence and is subordinate in height, width, and area in comparison to the proposed primary structure. The proposed garage has a flat roof, Board and Batten style finish Hardie Panel siding and a LED Gooseneck light fixture finished in a Rust color above the garage door which are all elements that differentiate it from the primary house. The proposed new one-car garage is similar in size, scale, and design to historic garages in the historic district and development along E. River Avenue. Staff supports the single-car garage design.
Issue 2 Floor Area Ratio:
Most historic residential properties in Old Towne range from 0.15 to 0.25 FAR. The project proposes a FAR of .34. In general, an infill project should aim for an FAR that is no higher than the average FAR on the surrounding block. The applicant prepared an FAR analysis of the block that includes all properties. The FAR of the block including both contributing and non-contributing properties averages to .34. Staff believes that the proposed FAR for this substandard lot is appropriate, given that the minimized development on this small lot contributes to the character and sense of place in the neighborhood and to the Old Towne historic district overall.
9. ADVISORY BOARD RECOMMENDATION
The City’s inter-departmental Staff Review Committee (SRC) conducted reviews of the project on May 28, 2024, and subsequently on August 7, 2024, at which time the SRC recommended that the project proceed to the Design Review Committee (DRC).
10. PUBLIC NOTICE
Notice was provided to 97 owners and tenants within 400 feet of the project on or before September 5, 2024, 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 Section 15303 (Class 3 - New Construction or Conversion of Small Structures), because it consists of one new 934 sq ft single family residence with a 416 sq ft detached one-car garage on an existing 3,995 sq ft vacant lot.
12. STAFF RECOMMENDATION AND REQUIRED FINDINGS
Findings for DRC applications come from four sources:
1. The Orange Municipal Code
2. The Infill Residential Design Guidelines
3. The Historic Preservation Design Standards for Old Towne (commonly referred to the Old Towne Design Standards or OTDS)
4. Orange Eichler Design Standards (or OEDS)
The Findings are applied as appropriate to each project. Based on the following Findings and statements in support of such Findings, staff recommends the DRC approve the project with recommended conditions.
• 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 (OMC 17.10.070.G.1).
The proposed project is in conformance with the Historic Preservation Design Standards, which are the prescriptive design criteria for projects within the Old Towne Orange Historic District. It is compatible with the mass, scale, and roof form of the surrounding neighborhood and would not impact the appearance of the Historic District. Materials and color proposed would be complimentary to the homes in the surrounding neighborhood and preserve the character of the street.
• In any National Register Historic District, the proposed work complies with the Secretary of the Interior’s standards and guidelines (OMC 17.10.07.G.2).
Consistent with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standard 9, new additions, exterior alterations, or related new construction will not destroy historic materials, features, or spatial relationships that characterize the property. No historic materials, or features exist to destroy and the proposed complimentary FAR, building siting on the lot, and size and position of the garage in relation to the house will be compatible with, and preserve the character of the neighborhood. With adoption of the conditions of approval, the new single-family house and detached one-car garage will be designed and constructed in accordance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and Guidelines.
• 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 (OMC 17.10.07.G.3).
Projects located in the Old Towne Orange Historic District must comply with the Historic Preservation Design Standards for Old Towne. As described above, the work conforms with these design standards. The project upholds community aesthetics through an internally consisted and integrated design theme.
• For infill residential development, as specified in the City of Orange Infill Residential Design Guidelines, the new structure(s) or addition are compatible with the scale, massing, orientation, and articulation of the surrounding development and will preserve or enhance existing neighborhood character (OMC 17.10.07.G.4).
The design of the new single family residence takes cues from the surrounding historic neighborhood and its buildings without creating an exact replica of a historic architectural style and is consistent with the mass, scale, floor area ratio, materials, height, roof form, setbacks, architectural details, and pattern of windows and doors of existing buildings on the street. The proposed front and side yard setbacks are consistent with the historic pattern of front and side yard setbacks in the neighborhood and has a main entrance and façade facing, and parallel to, the street. The proposed infill single family house and detached one-car garage create a building that responds to its context within its historic neighborhood and does not create a false sense of history.
14. ATTACHMENTS
• Attachment 1 - Vicinity Map
• Attachment 2 - Letter of Explanation
• Attachment 3 - Project Plans
• Attachment 4 - Photos of Surrounding Properties and FAR Analysis
• Attachment 5 - Development Standards Table
• Attachment 6 - Color and Material Board (to be provided at meeting)