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Home My WebLink About1 -SPR19-01;DBA19-01_114 AND 117 E 5TH STREET COMBINED COMMENTSPage 1 of 1 PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING CORRESPONDENCE 10/28/2019 ITEM NO. 1 - SITE PLAN REVIEW NO, 2019-01 AND DENSITY BONUS AGREEMENT NO. 2019-01 FOR THE PROJECT LOCATED AT 114 AND 117 EAST FIFTH STREET Comments received by posting of the agenda First Name Last Name Organization Favor Oppose General Maria Perez Chevitas X Allison Young Preserve Orange County X TOTAL 1 0 1 From:Chevita Juice To:Bernal, Sarah Subject:First American Site Date:Friday, October 04, 2019 7:24:29 PM Dear Chairman McLoughlin and Members of the Santa Ana Planning Commission: I am a small business owner of Chevitas, located on 4th street between Sycamore and Broadway in DTSA. My restaurant serves bagels, sandwiches and fresh juices. As a small business owner, I invest all my time and effort here in downtown Santa Ana. I want to mention that I also live in DTSA and I love the vibrant community here. I am urging you to support and expedite the Toll Brothers downtown Multi-family project replacing the First American site. This site has been vacant for so many years and I know that once the Toll Brothers complete their project, more people will move here to live, work and play. Please support this project now as this will benefit not only me but the entire community as well. Sincerely, Maria Perez Chevitas Business Owner 1 10/24/2019 Mr. Mark McLoughlin Chair, Planning Commission City of Santa Ana Re: Proposed First American Title Co. Development at Main and Fifth Dear Mr. Chairman and Planning Commissioners: This letter is sent on behalf of the Santa Ana Historical Preservation Society and Preserve Orange County (“Preservation Organizations”). It memorializes the additional conditions necessary to implement the amended design for the proposed First American Title Company project (“Project”) presented by the developer, Toll Brothers, at the 10/21/2019 meeting with these preservation organizations and planning agency staff. The preservation organizations look forward to working with Toll Brothers and the City to ensure that these conditions are incorporated into Project approval and to implement the amended design in an expeditious manner. Toll Brothers presented the Preservation Organizations and City with renderings and revised plan documents at our meeting of October 21. In concept, the amended design includes preservation of the original 1931 west façade in its entirety together with a portion of the north façade that includes 2 of the original 5+ window bays. The facades will be set forward, retaining the exterior appearance of the First American building, while the upper floors of the new structure will be set back approximately 5 feet from the façade. Many details remain to be worked out, but this reflects the main changes to the previous design. We expect the revised renderings and plan documents will be submitted to the Planning Commission prior to its October 28 meeting. The following conditions were generally agreed at the 10/1/2019 or 10/21/2019 meetings, so should be familiar to all parties involved.  If determined to be reasonably possible through the partial demolition and review process described below, the Project developer will implement the amended plan as A Legacy of Preservation Since 1974 2 shown in the renderings and design documents. At a minimum, the Project will incorporate the entirety of the original 1931 west façade of the existing First American Title building and a portion of the north façade that includes two (2) of the original five- plus (5+) window bays in a design that provides visual separation between the original and new portions of the Project through setbacks or other architectural features. The Project will incorporate interior elements of the existing First American building to the extent determined historic and feasible to salvage and re-use through the process described below.  A preservation architect who meets the qualifications of the Secretary of the Interior shall be retained by the developer to assist in the evaluation of the structure’s character- defining features, and their physical condition, on both the exterior façade and interior during and after the initial partial demolition (discussed below). This preservation architect will also consult on the design of the interior space, with the purpose of assessing and, when possible, incorporating historic interior elements.  The Project developer will notify the Preservation Organizations at the emails listed with each signature below at least 5 days in advance of commencement of partial demolition, defined as removal of any portion of the interior or the exterior cladding of the existing First American building. The Project developer will set a specific timeline and notification structure for future meetings and actions with the Preservation Organizations following the partial demolition. In all cases, the Preservation Organizations will receive ample time to review reports and prepare for meetings and responses.  The Project developer will conduct the partial demolition before removing any materials from the existing, other than those necessary to perform the assessment described above. The partial demolition will be performed by appropriate professionals under the guidance of the preservation architect to uncover the building façade; the demolition will then be paused while evaluation of both the exterior and interior is performed by the Project developer in consultation with the preservation architect. Once evaluation is complete, the developer and their architects will meet with the Preservation Organizations, and any other local preservation groups expressing interest, to discuss their findings and what actions are proposed going forward, and to attempt to reach consensus. Preservation groups will be allotted a reasonable amount of time to review findings, consult with their own experts as needed, and prepare a response to the conclusions and proposed plans for moving forward with the Project.  After the partial demolition, a detailed plan will be drawn up by the Project developer specific to interior salvage and re-use. This plan will take all reasonable measures to preserve existing features in place, or relocate them within the Project site. The Preservation Organizations will have a reasonable opportunity, not less than 10 business days, to suggest changes or alternative designs prior to additional demolition moving forward.  If after partial demolition, the Project Developer, historic preservation architect, and Preservation Organizations agree the original 1931 is unsalvageable, the amended 3 design may be modified to eliminate incorporation of the west and partial north façades in the Project, subject to the requirement that reasonable measures be taken to preserve exterior and interior elements determined to be viable or salvageable for re-use in the new structure.  In the event that interior or exterior architectural elements are not able to be preserved or re-used and incorporated on site, the Project developer will offer rights to these elements to the Santa Ana Historical Preservation Society. In the event that the Society wishes to take possession of elements, the Project developer will provide resources (workers, tools, trucks, etc.) to remove and transport these elements. The Society will take all reasonable measures to retain salvaged items within the Santa Ana community. We from the Preservation Organizations are pleased to be included in the final disposition of this Project for the benefit of the entire Santa Ana community. We are available to discuss the language of the above conditions and any other matters with the Project developer and the City. Sincerely, Alison Young, Associate Director and Past President/Santa Ana Historical Preservation Society (SAHPS); alison_young@sbcglobal.net Tim Rush, Associate Board Member/Santa Ana Historical Preservation Society (SAHPS); board member/Preserve Orange County (POC); timrush@bhhscaprops.com Alan Hess, architect; board chair/Preserve Orange County (POC); alanhes@gmail.com Jeff Dickman, member/Historic French Park Association; dickmanaj@att.net CC: Minh Thai, City of Santa Ana Planning Michael McCann, Toll Brothers