ORANGE : Panel Refuses to Ease Old Town Zoning

A request to rezone 19 parcels in the northwest section of historic Old Town so that their owners can build more than two dwellings on each plot has been rejected by the Planning Commission.

Some residents on 300 block of North Olive and Lemon streets had asked for the rezoning, alleging that they were improperly notified in 1990 when the Planning Commission changed the zoning to prohibit more than two dwellings per parcel.

During an often-acrimonious, two-hour debate Monday, members of the Old Town Preservation Assn., who want the more restrictive zoning, faced off against members of the Orange Political Action Committee, a vocal property rights group.

“A lot of people are not planning on building up on their property. They just don’t want someone to tell them what they can and cannot do,” said Carole Walters, a Political Action Committee member and candidate for mayor.

But those who want to preserve the character of Old Town said they were worried about the impact of further building in the area, giving voice to fears of increased crime, traffic, parking problems and overcrowding.

“We have so much traffic there already, and with (additional) apartments there would be much more,” said Angie Lopez, a resident who supported leaving the current zoning as is.

Moreover, Planning Commission members were armed with a staff report saying that with current real estate values and average rents, it was financially difficult to build more than two units on most of the 19 parcels.

Commissioner Teresa Smith pointed out that the neighborhood, which contains houses almost 100 years old, has a historic value not easily measured in dollars.

“The pristine property that people now have has more value than the real estate value,” Smith said. “I don’t see the value of taking a lovely sheltered street in almost perfect condition and turning it into multifamily units.”

But planning commissioners, while denying that the notification procedure used in 1990 was flawed, agreed to review the process.

“I think in the future we should work on a new way of doing this,” said Planning Commissioner Michael Alvarez.

The City Council will hear an appeal of the Planning Commission decision in November.