75B - PH - APPEAL 1584 EAST SANTA CLARA AVE

Home Browse Search

Dwight & Lowell Schroeder 2332 Old Grand Street Santa Ana, CA 92705-6963 714-547-3104 April 24, 2012 City Council, City of Santa Ana, CA. City of Santa Ana Planning and Building Agency. RE: Appeal Application No. 2012-1 Santa Ana Historic Resources Commission denial of listing of the Sexlinger Orange Orchard Complex on the Santa Ana Register of Historical Properties. We wish to rebut the allegations of the Save Our Orchard Coalition (SOOC) in their Appeal Application dated April 16, 2012. We further urge the denial of the appeal and also urge the confirmation of the April 5, 2012 decision of the Santa Ana Historic Resources Commission to reject Application No. 2012-01 and Historic Register Categorization No. 2012-01. The appellant described the orange orchard as "intact" of its original composition. In fact, the original grove consisted of about 420 orange trees, of which about 230 are remaining, a loss of about 45%. The appellant also feels that the arguments made on April 5 in favor of the proposal were weak. However the majority of persons making comments were in favor of approval The appellant also listed several factors which it believes may have contributed to the decision to deny "historical properties" status. These are: 1. Condition of Orange Trees. Because of our lifelong experience with the orange growing business, we feel that we can offer a valid opinion about the present condition of the trees remaining on the Sexlinger property. My brother and I are 86 and 87 years of age and have lived in the immediate area of the subject property for all of those years except for some time in the US Navy and while away at school. Our grandfather arrived in Santa Ana in 1880 and purchased 25 acres of farm land along Santa Clara Avenue from Lincoln Ave. to Old Grand Street. As we were growing up on this farm it was devoted to production of oranges and walnuts. We participated in all of the typical farming operations such as irrigation, fertilization, cultivation with a tractor and hoeing weeds. We are familiar with the pest control methods, picking of the fruit and marketing by the Santiago Orange Growers Association. In 1946 and 1954, we each built our current homes on part of the original family farm along Old Grand Street. We continue to irrigate and maintain about 100 orange trees and 30 avocado trees adjacent to our homes. The Sexlingers were friends and neighbors of our family. In recent years we have helped Martha Sexlinger with some issues of pest control and other items on her property. Despite valiant efforts by Martha, the grove fell into decline. This was largely due to the loss of irrigation water about 1974 when Santa Ana Valley Irrigation Company ceased operation. 75B-28