Item 34 - Public Hearing - Appeal Application No. 2024-01 for Construction of a 23’-4” Tall Accessory Building (2221 N Heliotrope Drive)

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CUP No. 2022-06 — Maharajah House Moon Pavilion (2221 N. Heliotrope Drive) August 26, 2024 Page 4 Existing Site Development The subject site is developed with a two-story historic single- family residence known as the Maharajah House. The Maharajah House is individually listed on the Register of Historical Properties as "Landmark" and a contributor to the Floral Park National Historic District. Use Permissions Allowed with a conditional use permit CUP Zoning Code Sections Affected Uses I Section 41-232.5 Site and Project Background The site contains a historical structure known as the Maharajah House, which was constructed in 1938 and was placed in the Santa Ana Register of Historical Properties ("Register") and categorized as "Landmark" in 2003. The property qualifies for listing in the Santa Ana Register under Criterion 1 for its exemplification of the Art Moderne variant of the Moderne style and under Criterion 4b, for its association with a foreign ruling family, the Holkars of Indore, India. Moreover, the property satisfied two criteria for landmark categorization: "unique architectural significance" as an example of the Art Moderne style in Santa Ana and "historic/cultural significance" as the residence of a sitting ruler of Indore. The Maharajah House is also listed as contributor to the Floral Park National Historic District. Lastly, the City of Santa Ana entered into a Mills Act Agreement with the property owners in 2014. For reference, additional historic information on the property can be found on Exhibits 7 and 8. The subject site was previously improved with a freestanding one-story garden house with a porch, built in 2004. Similar to the proposed pavilion, the garden house was dismantled, shipped from Vietnam, and reconstructed on the property. The garden house was built in Vietnam circa 1847 and was brought over piece by piece to Santa Ana. At the time, the property owners also imported a bell tower with three 18th- and 19th-century bells, marble sculptures, a collection of 11th-century foo dogs, and a water feature. The building permits for the garden house were reviewed and processed administratively by City staff. Pursuant to Chapter 30 of the SAMC, on -site accessory structures can be reviewed and approved administratively by staff. Therefore, the structure did not require discretionary review due to the fact that it is considered an accessory structure, it was no more than 15 feet in height, and did not physically change and/or alter the Maharajah House. As discussed in the Planning Commission Action section of this report, during the March 28, 2022, Planning Commission meeting staff was made aware that a previously permitted one-story pool house/cabana (built in 1955) was significantly altered circa 2021. On May 4, 2022, Planning and Building Agency staff conducted a site visit/inspection of the structure and determined that the original one-story pool house/cabana had been significant altered. While the original footprint of the structure was not altered, the height was increased from thirteen feet to twenty feet and the roof structure was modified from a flat roof to a pitched roof. Moreover, the exterior of the structure was modified in an East Asian influence to include new brick veneer, new clay