RESOLUTION NO. 11697
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF
THE CITY OF ORANGE, CALIFORNIA,
DECLARING CERTAIN REAL PROPERTIES TO
BE EXEMPT SURPLUS LAND PURSUANT TO
THE SMALL PARCEL EXEMPTION OF THE
SURPLUS LAND ACT (GOVERNMENT CODE
SECTION 54221(f)(1)(B)), MAKING FINDINGS IN
SUPPORT THEREOF, AND AUTHORIZING THE
CITY MANAGER TO TAKE ALL ACTIONS
NECESSARY TO EFFECT THE DISPOSITION OF
SUCH PROPERTIES
WHEREAS, the City of Orange (“City”) is a municipal corporation duly organized and existing under the laws of the State of California; and
WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Orange (“City Council”), acting as the governing body of the Successor Agency to the former Orange Redevelopment Agency (“Successor Agency”), is responsible for winding down the affairs of the former Orange Redevelopment Agency in accordance with Parts 1.8 and 1.85 of Division 24 of the California Health and Safety Code (collectively, the “Dissolution Act”); and
WHEREAS, pursuant to Health and Safety Code Section 34191.5, the Successor Agency prepared a Long Range Property Management Plan (“LRPMP”) addressing the disposition and use of the real properties of the former Orange Redevelopment Agency, which LRPMP was approved by the Oversight Board on December 7, 2015 and approved by the California Department of Finance by determination letter dated December 22, 2015; and
WHEREAS, the LRPMP identifies certain real properties to be transferred to the City for disposition consistent with the redevelopment plans, implementation plans, and community plans adopted for the Project Areas of the former Orange Redevelopment Agency; and
WHEREAS, the California Surplus Land Act, Government Code Sections 54220 through 54234 (the “Surplus Land Act” or “SLA”), governs the disposition of land owned in fee simple by a local agency that is no longer necessary for the agency’s use; and
WHEREAS, Government Code Section 54221(b)(1) provides that, before a local agency may take any action to dispose of land owned in fee simple, the agency’s governing body must take formal action in a regular public meeting declaring the land to be either “surplus la nd” or “exempt surplus land,” as supported by written findings; and
WHEREAS, Government Code Section 54221(f)(1)(B) provides that surplus land that is less than one-half acre in area and is not contiguous to land owned by a state or local agency that is used for open -space or low- and moderate-income housing purposes is “exempt sur plus land” (the “Small Parcel Exemption”); and
2 WHEREAS, the properties identified in Exhibit A attached hereto and incorporated herein by this reference (collectively, the “Subject Properties”) are real properties identified in the LRPMP and held in fee simple by the City; and
WHEREAS, each of the Subject Properties is less than one -half acre in area, is not contiguous to any land owned by a state or local agency that is used for open -space or low- and moderate-income housing purposes, and therefore satisfies the criteria of the Small Pa rcel Exemption set forth in Government Code Section 54221(f)(1)(B); and
WHEREAS, even if the subject properties located at 171 N. Cypress Street (APN 039 - 172-04), 177 N. Cypress Street, and the Royer Mansion at 307 E. Chapman Avenue (APN 039 - 253-23), Orange, California, would otherwise qualify for an exemption from the standard Surplus Land Act process under Government Code section 54221, subdivision (f)(1), including the exemption for parcels less than one -half acre, the City Council finds that, notwithstanding paragraph (1) of subdivision (f) and pursuant to Government Code s ection 54221, subdivision (f)(2)(C), each of the subject properties is a contributing resource to the Old Towne Orange Historic District and is therefore listed on or eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP Reference No. 97000617), such that the properties do not qualify as exempt surplus land for purposes of the open-space noticing requirement, and the City must, before disposing of the properties, send a written notice of availability for open-space purposes to the entities described in Government Code section 54222, subdivision (b) — namely the park and recreation departments of the City and the County of Orange, any regional park authority having jurisdiction within the area, and the California Natural Resources Agency — and hold the properties available for not less than sixty (60) days following that notice, in addition to submitting this declaration to the California Department of Housing and Community Development through the Surplus Land Portal for review; and
WHEREAS, any of the Subject Properties acquired by the former Orange Redevelopment Agency in furtherance of the goals and objectives of the redevelopment plans for the Northwest Project Area and the Southwest Project Area of the former Orange Redevelopment Agency, including the elimination of blight, site assembly, and supporting public improvements, and the governmental purpose for which each Subject Property was acquired has been fulfilled, completed, or is no longer applicable; and
WHEREAS, none of the Subject Properties is being used, or is planned to be used pursuant to a written plan adopted by the City Council, for any of the purposes constituting “agency’s use” under Government Code Section 54221(c), including without limitation utility sites, watershed property, land used for conservation purposes, land used for demonstration, exhibition, or educational purposes related to greenhouse gas emissions, or buffer sites near sensitive governmental uses such as wastewater treatment plants; and
WHEREAS, declaration of the Subject Properties as Exempt Surplus Land is consistent with the LRPMP, the Dissolution Act, the Surplus Land Act, and the City’s Strategic Plan; and
WHEREAS, the City Council finds that the adoption of this Resolution is not a “project” within the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) (Public Resources 3 Code Section 21000 et seq.) and the State CEQA Guidelines (14 Cal. Code Regs. Section 15000 et seq.) because the declaration is an administrative action that will not result in any direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment, and is therefore exempt under State CEQA Guidelines Sections 15060(c)(2), 15060(c)(3), and 15378(b); any subsequent disposition or development of an individual Subject Property will be evaluated under CEQA at the appropriate time.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Orange as follows:
1. That the foregoing Recitals are true and correct and are incorporated herein by this reference as the findings of the City Council in support of this Resolution.
2. That the City Council hereby finds and determines that each of the Subject Properties identified in Exhibit A satisfies the criteria for “exempt surplus land” set forth in Government Code Section 54221(f)(1)(B), in that each Subject Property:
(a) is less than one-half acre (21,780 square feet) in area; and
(b) is not contiguous to any land owned by a state or local agency that is used for open-space or low- and moderate-income housing purposes.
3. That t he City Council hereby further finds and determines that the original governmental use for which each Subject Property was acquired by the former Orange Redevelopment Agency has been fulfilled, completed, or is no longer applicable; that none of the Subject Properties is being used, or is planned to be used pursuant to a written plan adopted by the City Council, for any purpose constituting an “agency’s use” as defined in Government Code Section 54221(c); and that none of the Subject Properties is being retained for the sole purpose of investment or generation of revenue.
4. Each Subject Property identified in Exhibit A is hereby declared to be “exempt surplus land” pursuant to Government Code Section 54221(f)(1)(B). Pursuant to Government Code Section 54222.3, the notice and good-faith negotiation requirements of Government Code Section 54222 shall not apply to the disposition of the Subject Properties.
5. The City Manager, or the City Manager’s designee, is hereby authorized and directed to take any and all actions necessary or appropriate to effectuate the purpose and intent of this Resolution, including without limitation: (a) transmitting written finding s and supporting documentation regarding the Exempt Surplus Land declaration to the California Department of Housing and Community Development in accordance with the Surplus Land Act Guidelines; (b) commissioning appraisals of the Subject Properties; (c ) initiating disposition activities for the Subject Properties consistent with the LRPMP, the Dissolution Act, the Surplus Land Act, and other applicable law; and (d) executing such documents and instruments as may be necessary or convenient to carry out t his Resolution, subject to such approvals of the City Council as may be required by law.
4 6. Net unrestricted proceeds from the disposition of any qualified subject properties that are former redevelopment agency sites shall be remitted to the Orange County Auditor-Controller for distribution to the affected taxing entities in accordance with the LRPMP and Health and Safety Code Section 34191.5(c)(2)(B), based on chain of title findings from a formal title report, provided that the City’s allocable share of such proceeds shall be deposited in the General Fund (100).
7. This Resolution shall take effect immediately upon its adoption.
ADOPTED this day of , 2026
Daniel R. Slater, Mayor, City of Orange
ATTEST:
Pamela Coleman, City Clerk, City of Orange
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
Nathalie Adourian, City Attorney, City of Orange
STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF ORANGE ) ss.
CITY OF ORANGE )
I, PAMELA COLEMAN, City Clerk of the City of Orange, California, do hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution was duly and regularly adopted by the City Council of the City of Orange at a regular meeting thereof held on the day of , 202 6 by the following vote:
AYES: COUNCILMEMBERS:
NOES: COUNCILMEMBERS:
ABSENT: COUNCILMEMBERS:
Pamela Coleman, City Clerk, City of Orange
EXHIBIT A
SUBJECT PROPERTIES
Property Address /
Description
Assessor Parcel No. Approx. Size (sq. ft.) Constraints
307 E Chapman Avenue
(Royer Mansion)
039-253-23 18,312.46 SF Historic Property
Contributing to
District (LRPMP Govt
Use)
318 E Almond Ave.
390-393-12 5,999.71 SF Existing Surface
Parking Lot
(Non LRPMP Site)
326 E Almond Ave.
390-393-11 6,000.27 SF Existing Surface
Parking Lot
(Non LRPMP Site)
177 N Cypress St. 039-172-03 4,646.29 SF Historic Property Contributing to
District (Non LRPMP
Site)
171 N Cypress St. 039-172-04 7,260.10 SF Historic Property Contributing to
District