TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THRU: Jarad Hildenbrand, City Manager
FROM: Russell Bunim, Community Development Director
1. Subject
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Agreement with Chattel, Inc. for preparation of a Historic Preservation Ordinance.
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2. Summary
The historic preservation provisions of the Orange Municipal Code (OMC) do not fully address the City’s historic preservation program needs, nor the Cultural Resources & Historic Preservation Element of the General Plan. The City intends to retain consultant services from Chattel, Inc. to prepare a Historic Preservation Ordinance to refine and expand upon existing policies and procedures to better address the management of the City’s historic and cultural resources and implement the General Plan.
3. Recommended Action
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Approve the agreement with Chattel, Inc. in the amount of $66,317 for preparation of a Historic Preservation Ordinance; and authorize the Mayor and City Clerk to execute on behalf of the City.
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4. Fiscal Impact
The expense for this agreement is $66,317 and will be funded by vacancies in the General Fund:
100-6001-55999 Other Professional/Technical Services
5. Strategic Plan Goals
Goal 6: Ensure the Preservation of Historic Resources.
6. Discussion and Background
The Orange Municipal Code includes policies and processes related to the City’s historic districts that are narrowly focused primarily on establishing historic districts, the applicability of design standards and Historic Building Code, demolition review, and design review. The current content falls short of providing a complete toolkit for the effective management of historic and cultural resources in Orange such as establishment of a local register of historic resources, processes for listing and de-listing resources, guidance for accessory buildings, and guidance for cultural resources other than buildings. The scope of work associated with the proposed agreement is designed to meet the City’s desire for a comprehensive Historic Preservation Ordinance. A detailed list of topics that will be addressed in the ordinance are presented on page 3 of the scope of work (Attachment 1). Highlights include the following:
• Establishment of Local Historic Register.
• Process and criteria for listing and de-listing of historic resources.
• Process and criteria for establishing historic districts.
• Process and criteria for designation of local landmarks (structures and publicly accessible spaces).
• Establishment and purview of a Heritage Commission.
• Guidance for historic resources outside of designated historic districts.
• Development of innovative, robust preservation incentives and refined Mills Act program requirements.
• Policies and procedures related to unsafe or dangerous conditions and catastrophic events.
• Process and criteria for establishing Cultural Heritage Districts and Neighborhood Character Districts.
• Applicability to Archaeological and Tribal Cultural Resources.
• Voluntary covenants.
• Waiver of Building Code requirements for the benefit of maintaining the integrity of a historic resource.
The scope of work addresses in whole, or in part, the following General Plan Cultural Resources and Historic Preservation Implementation activities:
• Program I-1
• Program I-17
• Program I-23
The community outreach component of the scope of work includes engagement with stakeholders including the Old Towne Preservation Association and Orange Legacy Alliance group team involved in recent efforts to develop an ordinance, as well as workshops with the community at large.
7. ATTACHMENT
• Agreement with Chattel, Inc.