| Advance Planning Advance Planning staff are responsible for the development of polices and plans intended to guide the City’s growth and development in the future, managing information about the City’s population and housing growth and representing the City in regional planning activities undertaken by the Orange County Council of Governments and Southern California Association of Governments. Advance Planning efforts involve implementing and maintaining the General Plan, drafting new or revised standards to address changes in State planning laws, new types of land uses that are not already addressed by the Municipal Code, or problematic land uses and development conditions in the community. In addition to its policy and statistical work, Advance Planning is also responsible for preparing environmental analysis and documents for the City’s Capital Improvement Projects such as the Main Library expansion, road widening projects, park renovations, new bike trails, and new water pumping stations. In some instances, staff coordinates the preparation of technical reports (traffic, noise, biological resources, etc.) or more complex environmental documents by consultant. Long-range Planning Projects in the Works!
City of Orange Housing Element Update - Public Review Draft Released!
  
The City is accepting public comments between January 6, 2010 and February 4, 2010 for the Public Review Draft Housing Element and Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND)
The City has released the Draft Housing Element and Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration for public review. These documents are available online under "Project Notices and Related Environmental Documents". Written public comments are being accepted between January 6, 2010 and February 4, 2010. All public comments must be received by 5:30 p.m. on February 4, 2010, and should be directed to Jennifer Le, Senior Planner, Community Development Department, Orange City Hall, 300 East Chapman Avenue, Orange, CA 92866. Comments may also be submitted via email at jle@cityoforange.org. Following the 30-day public review period, City Planning Commission and City Council public hearings will be scheduled to consider adoption of the Housing Element.The Housing Element is one of the required "elements" or chapters of the City's General Plan, and is an important tool the City uses to plan for the existing and future housing needs of the community. The City's current Housing Element was adopted in 2001. The Housing Element identifies housing needs in terms of affordability, availability, adequacy, and accessibility. It also identifies strategies and specific housing programs for addressing housing needs. Ultimately, the Housing Element is required by State law to demonstrate that the City is providing opportunities for housing development that meet the City's Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) allocation in terms of number of housing units and housing affordability as well as programs that help to maintain the quality of the City's housing stock and provide citizens with access to affordable housing. The first Housing Stakeholders Workshop and Community Workshop were held on December 18, 2007, at the Orange Public Library and History Center in Orange. This workshop provided an opportunity for the public to learn about the Housing Element update process and to identify the housing issues that are important to the Orange community. The powerpoint presentation and the meeting notes summarizing the community's feedback are provided here. A second Stakeholders Workshop and Community Workshop were held on March 12, 2008. At this workshop, the City presented key findings of our housing context research, more specifically discussed the Housing Element's goals and policies, and received community feedback regarding opportunities and constraints to housing development. The powerpoint presentation and the meeting notes summarizing the community's feedback at the second workshop are provided here. In May 2008, the City submitted a draft 2006-2014 Housing Element to the State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) for review (as required by State law). In June 2009, the City received notification from HCD that the Draft Housing Element was found to be in conformance with State law. HCD's conformance letter is provided here. An Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration has been completed for the Housing Element. The IS/MND is a study of the environmental effects of the Housing Element required by the California Environmental Quality Act. The Public Notice, Public Review Draft Housing Element and MND are now available online for public review. Links to these documents are provided under "Project Notices and Related Environmental Documents". Following the 30-day public review period, City Planning Commission and City Council public hearings will be scheduled to consider adoption of the Housing Element. For additional information or to be added to the project mailing list, please contact Jennifer Le, Senior Planner with the Community Development Department, at (714) 744-7220 or at jle@cityoforange.org.
CITY COMPLETES DEPOT-PLAZA PEDESTRIAN CONNECTION STUDY (AVAILABLE ONLINE!) AND APPLIES FOR OCTA GO LOCAL GRANT FUNDS In May 2007, the City initiated work on the Depot-Plaza Pedestrian Connection Study (also called the Paseo Study). This study is a unique planning effort that evaluates feasibility and design options for enhancing pedestrian walkways or "paseos" that connect the Plaza area to the Santa Fe Depot/Metrolink station and OCTA Transit Center in Old Towne Orange. The study identifies opportunities and constraints in the study area, develops preliminary concepts and preliminary costs for improving the identified alignments. The study is funded by Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) Go Local grant funds, with the objective of improving access to transit in Orange County communities. The study was intended to identify a scope of work so that the City could apply for “Step 2” Go Local grant funds for paseo design and future implementation. In May 2007, the City retained a consultant, RRM Design Group, to assist City staff with preparation of the study. The City held two community workshops on June 19, 2007 and on September 4, 2007. In addition, staff met with the Plaza Design Collaborative members, a group of local architects, to discuss their previous efforts in creating the “Celebrate the Vision of the Orange Plaza District” (1997) guidance document. Staff also met with local stakeholders including property owners and tenants adjacent to the paseo study corridors, as well as community groups such as the Chamber of Commerce, the Orange Barrio Historical Society, and the Old Towne Preservation Association (OTPA). A draft of the paseo study was completed in December 2007. The study recommends streetscape improvements on Maple Avenue, Lemon Street, Almond Avenue, Cypress Street and Olive Street. It also recommends building upon existing alleys and shortcuts by creating mid block pedestrian "paseos" such as the "South Alley" and the "North Alley". The types of improvements recommended generally include utility undergrounding, installing sidewalk "bulbouts" at intersections, special paving to delineate a pathway, wayfinding signage, pedestrian lighting, street trees, landscaped parkways or planters, and street furniture such as benches, bike racks and trash receptacles. Each leg of the paseo network is prioritized based on ease of implementation, as shown here. It should be noted that the "North Alley" is shown as Priority 4 and was identified as a desirable east-west connection. However, due to extensive private ownership along the alignment, it will not be pursued as a City-led project at this time. The study recommends implementation of the "North Alley" over time as properties in the area redevelop. On March 25, 2008, the Council accepted the study and directed staff to apply for Go Local "Step 2" grant funds for the paseo network as well as for further study of options for widening the Chapman Avenue sidewalk in the Depot-Plaza area. The City submitted its application to OCTA for grant funds on May 8, 2008. The final Depot-Plaza Pedestrian Connection Study dated May 8, 2008 is now available online (see below)! For further information, please contact Jennifer Le, Senior Planner, jle@cityoforange.org or Anna Pehoushek, Principal Planner, apehoushek@cityoforange.org, with the Advance Planning Section at (714) 744-7220.
Final Paseo Study 05-07-08/Part I, II, III Final Paseo Study 05-07-08/Part IV Final Paseo Study 05-07-08/Part V
Preservation Online Now Available!
Interested in Historic Property? Need information for Old Towne Orange?
Check out Preservation Online, where Old Towne meets new technology! The City of Orange now offers an interactive map application so you can access Old Towne information from your home. Visit Preservation Online at www.cityoforange.org/preservationonline Preservation Online is where Old Towne Orange meets new technology to bring you Old Towne information with modern convenience. It's a portal to an interactive map application that allows you to access parcel-based historic resource data through the City of Orange Internet site. As you browse through the preservation online web site, information is at your fingertips to meet all your Old Towne informational needs. July 2007 Press Release .pdf
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