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1 <br /> ORANGE COUNTY <br /> BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br /> Meeting Date: October 5, 2010 <br /> Action Agenda <br /> Item No. � <br /> SUBJECT: Design Standards for Orange County Local Landmarks and Local Historic <br /> Districts, and Amendments to the Historic Preservation Commission Ordinance <br /> and Rules of Procedure <br /> DEPARTMENT: Environment, Agriculture, PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No <br /> Parks and Recreation <br /> ATTACHMENT(S): Under Separate Cover <br /> 1) Draft Design Standards for Orange County INFORMATION CONTACT: <br /> Local Landmarks and Local Historic Districts <br /> 2) An Ordinance Creating the Historic David Stancil, 245-2522 <br /> Preservation Commission of Orange County Rich Shaw, 245-2514 <br /> 3) Orange County Historic Preservation <br /> Commission Rules of Procedure <br /> 4) HPC August 25, 2010 Minutes <br /> 5) Letter from State Historic Preservation Office <br /> (SHPO) <br /> PURPOSE: To consider adopting design standards for the County's historic designation <br /> program, and to approve amendments to the historic preservation ordinance and historic <br /> preservation commission rules of procedure to reflect the new design standards and the <br /> creation of the Department of Environment, Agriculture, Parks and Recreation. <br /> BACKGROUND: In 1997, Orange County adopted a voluntary program to designate properties <br /> of local historic and architectural significance called the Local Landmark Program. Local <br /> designation programs are administered by historic preservation commissions or historic district <br /> commissions. Owners wishing to make changes to their locally designated properties must <br /> apply for a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA). In Orange County, the Historic Preservation <br /> Commission (HPC) reviews applications for COAs and determines the appropriateness based <br /> on approved design standards. <br /> When the County adopted its Local Landmark Program in 1997, the HPC had not yet finished <br /> preparing design standards specific to Orange County's historic resources, so the Secretary of <br /> the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation were referenced as the standards for evaluating COA <br /> applications. Now, several years later, the HPC has prepared Design Standards for Orange <br /> County Local Landmarks and Local Historic Districts (Attachment #1). The attached manual <br /> represents new design standards that would supersede the Secretary of the Interior's <br /> Standards. It adheres to the general philosophy of the ten standards, but goes into more detail <br /> to help guide property owners with specific design questions. <br />