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Amendment Application No. 2005-04 Conditional Use Permit No. 2005-20 July 25, 2005 Page 2 includes 61,200 square feet. Immediately to the north of the museum is a former motel site currently utilized by the museum as ancillary office and storage space as well as employee parking. Additionally, to the south of the museum exists a surface parking lot. The current (C1-MD) with Surrounding facility to uses to the and 2) . zoning designation is Community Commercial-Museum District a General Plan land use designation of District Center (DC). land uses include the Kidseum and Saint Josephs Ballet the south, residential and office uses to the west, office north and various commercial uses to the east (Exhibits 1 Project Description The Bowers Museum intends to expand the existing museum building to provide additional exhibit and special events space. The proposed addi tion will be one story, 33,100 square feet structure constructed to the north of and contiguous with the existing museum. The addition will provide a new main lobby to the museum, two additional exhibit galleries, an atrium for both rotating exhibits and events, a 340 seat theater/auditorium for lectures and seminars, restrooms, a gallery service and preparation area and a cafe/catering kitchen. A new gated and walled landscaped sculpture garden/courtyard is planned adj acent to the atrium and will provide overflow space for special events as well as providing a visual amenity (Exhibit 3) . The new entry courtyard and building lobby is oriented to Main Street and is distinguished by a grove of orange trees reminiscent of historical Orange County. The existing entry through the historic bell tower arch will remain as an entry for group tours. All other patrons will enter through the new entry lobby and courtyard located at the center of the new museum facilitating equal access to the galleries located in both the existing and new expansion. As part of a separate transaction, the existing south parking lot site will be swapped with the existing office site to the north of the museum. The terms of the land swap will facilitate the demolition of the existing office structures to the north, construction of a new surface parking lot and the installation of a traffic signal. The existing southern surface parking lot will be processed through a separate applicant and entitlement requests. A new landscaped parking lot for approximately 131 parking spaces will be located adjacent to the expansion. 750-6