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SAVE OUR ORCHARD COALITION <br />P.O. Box 10038, Santa Ana, CA 92711-0038 <br />April 16, 2012 <br />Hally Soboleske, Associate Planner <br />Santa Ana Planning & Building Agency <br />20 Civic Center Plaza,.Ross Annex <br />Santa Ana, CA 92702 <br />RE: Historic Resources Commission Application No. 2012-01 <br />Historic Register Categorization No. 2012-01 <br />For the property located at 1584 E. Santa Clara Avenue <br />Dear Ms. Soboleske, <br />We are formally challenging the decision of the Santa Ana Historic Resources <br />Commission that denied the listing of the Sexlinger Orange Orchard Complex on the <br />Santa Ana Register of Historical Properties, The following details our challenge. <br />The five-acre property, known locally as the Sexlinger Orange Orchard, Is one of only a <br />handful of heritage orchards remaining in the County of Orange, according to the OC <br />Weekly (June 24-30, 2011; Vol. 16, No. 43, pp.56-57). And, of the listed properties, the <br />Sexlinger example is the only orchard that is intact and not a remnant of its original size <br />and composition. This orchard complex, consisting of 230 mature, productive Valencia <br />orange trees and the original residence occupied continuously by the Sexlinger family <br />for 92 years, is the sole remaining archetypal representative of this important historical <br />era in our community. <br />The Sexlinger orchard complex possesses three crucial elements imbedded in any <br />formal evaluation of historical significance: Integrity, uniqueness, and <br />representativeness of the resource. The contextual integrity of the property is <br />established through the association between linked features, elements, or activities; in <br />this case, the presence of a heritage orchard (230 trees), original acreage (1913), <br />original family residence (1914), and continuous family occupancy for nearly a century <br />(92 years). This resource is undoubtedly worthy of our protection and preservation. <br />The city of Santa Ana, in its recommendation that the Historic Resources Commission <br />"adopt a resolution approving the Historic Resources Commission Application No. <br />2012.01 and Historic Register Categorization No. 2012-01," has recognized the <br />historical significance of the property. This view is explicitly expressed in the historical <br />property's nomination "Executive Summary," (pursuant to Chapter 30 of the City's <br />Municipal Code): <br />Preserving History & Heritage <br />Promoting Edimition & Health <br />Producing Food & lobs <br />www, s ave o n ro rc l i a rti . o rg <br />defendourorcharti ftmail.com <br />www.facebook.com/saveourorchard <br />75B-22