75A - PH - EIR -1584 E SANTA CLARA AVE

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%,+ N1 A,Y )j//��, r .wy t g l C fire Jeannie Gillett President Ryan Bens1ey Vice - President Treasurer uT- Patrick Mitchell Moises Plascancia Steve Ray Nick Spain "To preserve, acquire, restore andrnanage the Old Orange Orchard located in Santa Ana, California, as an historic, cultutat, agricultural and educational rosour'oe for all (714) 296 -4642 P. G. Box 10088 Santa Ana, California 92711 -0038 November 6, 2013 VIA EMAIL AND U.S. MAIL Members of the Santa Ana City Council 20 Civic Center Plaza P.O. Box 1988, M31 Santa Ana, California 92701 Subject: Preservation of the Sexlinger Farmhouse and Orchard Dear Honorable Members of the Santa Ana City Council: As you know, members of The Old Orchard Conservancy have been working tirelessly for more than two years toward the preservation of the historic Sexlinger Farmhouse and Orchard. It is the official position of The Conservancy to preserve the entire five- acre property; however, we are now open to considering a preservation alternative acceptable under California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) that would allow up to half of the property to be developed and the remainder preserved. One of our principal objections to the environmental review process has been, and continues to be, that the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) prepared for the proposed development project has never included a feasible preservation alternative. The EIR currently includes an alternative that would provide for the development of 21 single family houses on the Sexlinger property, which would result in the destruction of more than 90 percent of the orchard and the Irreparable loss of the integrity of the historic resource. Lack of a preservation alternative was one of the reasons the Planning Commission voted not to recommend approval of the project. Earlier this year, we met several times with representatives of Orange Lutheran High School and Concordia University of Irvine in an effort to reach an agreement for the purchase of the property by The Conservancy. When It became clear that our discussions were not going to lead to a successful resolution, The Conservancy began to think more broadly about other preservation options which could include a limited amount of residential development. We have come to the position that the development of up to 50 percent of the orchard could take place while still maintaining a significant portion of the original historic integrity of the resource. Acceptable development would Include single -story architecture consistent with the historic character, period and style of the property with transitional landscaping that would seamlessly blend Into the orchard. This approach would respect the City's decision to add this last example of our agricultural past to the historic register and preserve this Irreplaceable landscape creating a community resource with a huge potential for educational and health and wellness programming, www.0Id0rchardConservancy.org 75A -83