Agenda Item
City Council
Item #: 8.4. 11/15/2022 File #: 22-0637
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
FROM: Jeff Adams, Interim Community Development Director
1. SUBJECT
Public Hearing to consider Introduction and First Reading of Ordinance No. 10-22 creating the Neighborhood Preservation Overlay Zone; providing development standards to regulate the addition of bedrooms or bathrooms to a primary residence within specified boundaries; revising or adding definitions pertaining to residential additions and student housing; and updating provisions for reviewing body approval of specified matters.
2. SUMMARY
The proposed ordinance establishes a Neighborhood Preservation Overlay District to provide regulations crafted to control surges in construction of new additions and interior renovations to single-family dwellings in neighborhoods that have experienced a high volume of construction activity that has resulted in adverse impacts to their single-family character, and to allow orderly home additions and renovations.
3. RECOMMENDED ACTION
Introduce and conduct First Reading of Ordinance No. 10-22. An Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Orange creating the Neighborhood Preservation Overlay Zone; providing development standards to regulate the addition of bedrooms or bathrooms to a primary residence within specified boundaries; revising or adding definitions pertaining to residential additions and student housing; and updating provisions for reviewing body approval of specified matters.
4. FISCAL IMPACT
None.
5. STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS
Goal 3: Enhance and promote quality of life in the community c: Support and enhance attractive, diverse living environments.
6. DISCUSSION AND BACKGROUND
Over the course of 2019 and 2020, the City saw numerous applications for additions or interior renovations to single-family dwellings (primary residences) in which several bedrooms and bathrooms were added, many with exterior doors and wet bars in each bedroom, in some cases transforming two or three bedroom homes into seven or eight bedroom and bathroom structures. In response, on February 16, 2021, the City Council adopted interim Ordinance No. 02-21, which prohibited the addition of three or more bedrooms or three or more bathrooms to the primary residence on lots less than 12,000 square feet and refined definitions of Dormitory and Student Housing. On March 23, 2021, the City Council extended interim Ordinance No. 02-21-A until City of Orange Printed on 11/10/2022Page 1 of 2
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Item #: 8.4. 11/15/2022 File #: 22-0637
Housing. On March 23, 2021, the City Council extended interim Ordinance No. 02-21-A until February 15, 2022; and on February 8, 2022, the City Council extended interim Ordinance No. 02-21- B until February 15, 2023. Since February 2021, staff has developed regulations for allowing bedroom and bathroom additions in that area of the City most affected by the types of projects causing the adverse impacts, resulting in the proposed Neighborhood Preservation Overlay District Ordinance.
Staff has identified the geographic area within the City where applications for multiple bedroom and bathroom additions were most concentrated and contributed to the negative impacts discussed in the interim ordinance staff report (Attachment 7). Based on the general location of those applications, the proposed permanent ordinance (Attachments 1 and 2) would be applicable to the area bounded by Katella Avenue to the north, Main Street to the west, SR-55 to the east, and SR-22 to the south (Attachment 5 - Neighborhood Preservation Overlay District Zoning Map Excerpt).
The proposed ordinance does not prohibit the addition of bedrooms or bathrooms, but certain additional space requirements apply. Projects adding bedrooms will generally require:
· additional usable open space (100 square feet per bedroom), · additional indoor common living area (100 square feet per bedroom), and · additional 50 cubic feet of unified indoor storage area per bedroom.
Furthermore, the maximum floor area ratio for a lot is reduced by five percent for each bedroom added, up to two bedrooms in order to keep the scale of homes with bedroom additions compatible with the surrounding neighborhood context.
The Community Development Director may ministerially approve the addition of one or two bedrooms and/or bathrooms meeting the ordinance criteria. Zoning Administrator approval is required for the addition of more than two bedrooms and/or bathrooms, or for ordinance development standard deviations, subject to neighborhood preservation findings. The Design Review Committee remains responsible for the review of all projects in the Historic Overlay Districts that add square feet or propose exterior modifications.
The Planning Commission reviewed proposed Ordinance No. 10-22 at their November 7, 2022 meeting and recommended by a vote of 5-0, that the City Council adopt Ordinance No. 10-22.
7. ATTACHMENTS
· Attachment 1 - Ordinance No. 10-22
· Attachment 2 - Ordinance No. 10-22, Redlined Version
· Attachment 3 - Planning Commission Resolution No. PC 29-22 · Attachment 4 - November 7, 2022 Planning Commission Staff Report · Attachment 5 - Neighborhood Preservation Overlay District Zoning Map Excerpt · Attachment 6 - Citywide Zoning Map with Neighborhood Preservation Overlay District (digital attachment only)
· Attachment 7 - February 8, 2022, City Council Urgency Ordinance No. 02-21 City of Orange Printed on 11/10/2022Page 2 of 2
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