20130124_2013-01_1584ESantaClaraAv

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January 24, 2013 City of Santa Ana Historic Resources Commission Re: The Sexlinger Orchard and Farmhouse The Historic Resources Commission of the City of Santa Ana is tasked with the responsibility to identify, investigate and suggest alternatives to the proposed demolition of the Sexlinger Orchard and Farmhouse. The property has been designated as historic by the Santa Ana City Council. The hearing before the Historic Resources Commission will be held on January 24, 2013. The Staff Report for the HRC hearing recommends that the commission suggest that the City buy the property to preserve it. The Old Orchard Conservancy supports this recommendation. In support of the recommendation the Conservancy offers five potential scenarios through which the City may engage in the purchase and preservation of the property. This list of scenarios is certainly not exhaustive but should provide formative discussion on the potential methodologies to acquire the property. 1) City Purchase and Preservation. The City could purchase the property and through appropriate city agencies/departments plan and execute a preservation plan for the Sexlinger Orchard and Farmhouse. The Old Orchard Conservancy and other community groups could support and assist in the preservation process. 2) City Purchase and Private Restoration and Management Under this public/private partnership, the City would purchase the property and contract with a private non-profit entity (the primary candidate being The Old Orchard Conservancy) to restore and manage the property. The contract partner would create a vision plan and a master plan to be approved by the City, perform restoration of the orchard and rehabilitation/renovation of the farmhouse, develop community and education programs, manage and maintain the site and acquire necessary funding for all these activities. A successful model for this scenario is the Shipley iQature Center in Huntington Beach, apublic-private partrrership between the City of Huntington Beach and the Friends of Shipley Nature Center. 3) City Purchase with Private Buyout This scenario would closely mirror the scenario in Scenario 2 above with the additional provision that the City would, after the purchase of the property, contract with the private non-profit entity to acquire funds and purchase the property from the City at some future time specified in the agreement between the parties.