Proposed
General Plan Land Use Alternatives
What
is a General Plan
Proposed
General Plan Land Use Alternatives
Q: Why does the City need to grow or change?
A: One thing we can be certain of is that change
happens whether we want it to or not. The population
of Orange is forecast to grow by nearly 16,000
people by the year 2030 as a result of natural
birth and
death rates, people relocating to the City, and
the expected continuation of multi-generational
households
due to housing costs and family care needs related
to an aging population. The City must be smart
and strategic about how it plans for this population
increase and the services, infrastructure, jobs
and
development conditions needed to support additional
citizens and preserve the quality of life in Orange.
The General Plan Update and the land use alternatives
under consideration is the process through which
this planning occurs.
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Q: Why is the City considering alternative land
use designations?
A: Included in the City’s General Plan Update
is a review of land use designations throughout the
City. Certain focus areas have been identified for
the following general reasons:
• Existing
development policies do not encourage property
improvements and there has been a lack of
private investment or developer interest in the area
over the past 15 years (since adoption of the current
General Plan).
• Interest
on the part of private property owners and developers
to redevelop underutilized
property near major community medical and educational
institutions, and the Metrolink station in ways that
existing land use designations do not allow.
• Existing
land use designations are not appropriate due to
the fact that the actual uses on the ground
are not consistent with the land use designation,
or previous uses of the land are activities that
no longer occur in the City.
• Existing
land use designations may not promote compatible
land uses on the ground.
• Existing land use designations are not consistent
with the City’s accepted long-term vision for
the area.
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Q: How could a change in land use designation affect
the use of my property?
A: Changes in land use designation could affect property
in different ways, depending on the focus area. Some
examples include:
• Change
from General Commercial (GC) to Neighborhood Mixed-Use
(NMIX): The existing GC designation allows
for typical commercial uses such as retail stores,
offices, and restaurants. Under the proposed NMIX
designation these uses would continue to be allowed,
but the new designation would also allow for multi-family
residential development (apartments or condominiums)
to be integrated with the commercial uses in order
to create districts that encourage places where people
could live, work, and shop with greater convenience.
The NMIX would accommodate a higher development potential
on a piece of property than currently exists under
the GC designation.
• Change from General Commercial (GC) or Industrial
(I) to Medium Density Residential (MDR): A change
from GC or I to MDR would reflect the City’s
desire to significantly change the character and
function of an area, and transition it to multi-family
residential use to provide more housing opportunities
in the community. Existing uses would be allowed
to remain until such time that a property owner decided
to redevelop the property. At that time, the existing
use would be phased out and the property would redevelop
with apartments or condominiums.
• Change
from Medium Density Residential (MDR) to Low Density
Residential (LDR): The existing MDR
land use designation allows for the development of
16-24 dwelling units per acre of land. A change to
LDR would only allow up to six (6) dwelling units
per acre of land. This change would limit the number
of residential units that could be built on a piece
of property, and is being considered primarily in
Old Towne where there are other constraints related
to the Historic District designation and strict design
standards that in effect limit the number of units
that could feasibly be built on a property.
If a change in land use designation resulted in
a conflict between an existing use of property and
the new land use designation, the use would become
a legal non-conforming use. In other words, the City
would continue to recognize the use as a legal use
until such time as the property owner decided to
redevelop the property in a manner that was consistent
with the new land use designation, or sell the property
to someone interested in redeveloping it. The City
would not force anyone to terminate their legal non-conforming
use. The Orange Municipal Code allows for the continuation
of legal non-conforming uses provided that there
is no expansion of the use. Any discontinuation of
the use for more than six months would terminate
all non-conforming privileges and any future use
of the land would have to conform to the new land
use designation.
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Q: How could a change in land use designation affect
the value of my property?
A: Changes in land use designation could affect property
values in different ways subject to the real estate
market. Depending on its size and location, a particular
underutilized commercial or industrial property could
become more valuable under a land use designation
that provided for more development options or greater
building intensity. Ultimately, the effect that a
change in land use designation might have on property
value is speculative and cannot be predicted.
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Q: Has the City already made a final decision about
changing the land use designations?
A: No. The public input received at the workshops
will be used to refine or reconsider proposed alternatives.
In some cases, existing land use designations may
ultimately remain unchanged.
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What
is a General Plan?
Q:
What is a General Plan
The General
Plan is a City's most fundamental planning
document. The General Plan establishes a
vision for the City’s future growth and change. It
provides a blueprint for development throughout
the community and is the vehicle through
which community needs, desires, and aspirations
are balanced and meshed. The General Plan is a key tool for influencing
the quality of life in a community.
A General
Plan addresses all aspects of development
and community enhancement, including housing,
traffic, natural resources, open space,safety,
land uses, recreation, and public facilities.
The Comprehensive General Plan
Update will cover all of Orange, including the East Orange Area
and all of Orange’s Sphere of Influence.
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Q:
What does it do?
The
General Plan serves to:
- Identify the community's
land use, circulation, housing, environmental,
economic, and social goals and policies
as they relate to land use, development,
and overall quality of life in the community;
- Inform residents, developers,
decision-makers, and other cities and counties
of the ground rules that guide development
within the community.
- Provide a basis for local
government decision-making, including decisions
on development approvals and exactions;
- Provide residents with opportunities
to participate in the planning and decision-making
process for their community; and
- More clearly define the City’s
role in the larger region.
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Q:
Why is it being updated?
General
Plans need to be updated periodically to
reflect current community values, update
technical information, and address locally
relevant issues.
Orange’s General Plan
is being updated to reflect changes in land
use, community needs and values, lifestyles,
and the regional marketplace that have occurred
since 1989, when the City adopted its current
General Plan. This update provides an exciting
opportunity for Orange residents to develop
a strategic community vision for our City’s
neighborhoods, commercial districts, and
open space areas, and to identify how we
can implement that vision into the future.
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Q:
What are the General Plan Elements
General
Plan elements are chapters within the plan
document that describe the goals and policies
for different topics. State
planning law requires cities to address the
following seven topics in their general plans:
- Land useCirculation/Transportation
- Housing
- Safety
- Noise
- Open Space
- Conservation
However,
cities have the freedom to include additional
elements tailored to the particular needs
of a community. These
are typically referred to as “optional” elements. The
updated Orange General Plan will include
the following elements:
- Land Use Element
- Community Mobility
and Circulation Element
- Housing Element
- Resources Element
(Open Space and Conservation)
- Public Safety Element
(Safety and Noise)
- Growth Management
Element
- Historic Preservation
Element
- Infrastructure Element
- Urban Design Element
An updated General Plan that clearly
establishes Orange’s vision and provides a meaningful,
directed action plan to achieve this vision
will guide the challenging decisions that
lie in Orange’s future including:
- ranking development priorities
- developing transportation
plans
- charting an economic development
course
- preserving the City’s historic
and natural resources
The primary aim of the General
Plan update is to understand and capture
the community’s hopes, needs, and aspirations
and craft them into a single document focused
on implementation and execution of the community’s
vision.
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Questions
and Answers