The Orange County Planner

2009 OCAPA Awards Ceremony By: Michelle McCready The annual OCAPA Awards are the Orange Section’s opportunity to recognize exemplary work in the profession. In May, many members of the local planning community gathered at the Muzeo in Anaheim to celebrate our 2009 winners. Attendees enjoyed hors d’oeuvres and drinks while taking in the exciting sights and sounds of the exhibit, “How to Make a Monster: the Art and Technology of Animatronics.” The unique creatures provided a memorable backdrop for our awards ceremony! Continued on Page 6 A Negative Declaration This article was selected as the winning submittal in the most recent OCAPA article competition on cultural awareness and diversity. By: Ata ul Malik Khan The origin of all diversity can be ascribed to a single phrase: “no.” For some, diversity is standing against a cultural norm and boldly embracing an alternative. For others, diversity is consciously cultivating a respect for the ideas of others. For me, diversity started at home. The diversity I speak of isn’t about growing up as a Pakistani-American in Southern California; nor of being a minority Muslim in a post-9/ world; or of belonging to a sect within Islam considered heretical. My diversity started when I chose urban planning as a career. The norm in Pakistani culture for young men is to unflinchingly pursue one of three fields: medicine, law, or engineering. For Pakistani parents, a son is the ultimate 40k. Cautiously, and with much strife, I squirmed through the grapple hold of such expectations and persuaded my parents otherwise. To a confused family audience, I said no. Continued on Page 5 Plann ing u nleas hed 2009 OCAPA Award Winners To learn more about our winning projects, they are reviewed on pages 7-12 by jurors Diane Bathgate, AICP, Kenneth Chew, PhD, Robert F. Dannenbrink, Jr., FAICP, AIA, Mona DeLeon, AICP, and Sheri Vander Dussen, AICP In This Issue Director’s Message New AICP Members AICP Exam Scholarships OCAPA Award Winners Advertisements (P. 2-3) (P. 3) (P. 4) (P. 6-11) (P. 3-5) Orange County Planner - Summer 2009  Director’s Message By: Kimberly Brandt, AICP 2009 Orange Section Awards The Muzeo in the City of Anaheim was one of our most unique venues for our annual Section Awards ceremony on May 6th. Amongst a unicorn, crocodile, and other assorted animated monsters, the Section recognized 2 planning projects in various categories. These award-winning projects are featured in this newsletter. Many thanks to Michelle McCready for all of her outstanding efforts for making the event truly memorable, and to Sheri Vander Dussen, AICP, for helping us secure The Muzeo. I would also like to thank and recognize the hard work of our awards jurors: Diane Bathgate, AICP; Ken Chew, PhD; Bob Dannenbrink, Jr., FAICP, AIA; Mona DeLeon, AICP; and Sheri Vander Dussen, AICP. Thank you also to our sponsors: The Planning Center, KTGY, BonTerra Consulting, Civic Solutions, Lilley Planning Group, and ICC Orange Empire Chapter. Bob Goldin Scholarship Recipients At our awards ceremony last month, our Section in conjunction with the Planning Directors Association of Orange County awarded a $500.00 scholarship to each of the following students at the University of California-Irvine: Alexis Hickman, Maha Darwish, Bonny O’Neill, and Shannon Vitale The money for the scholarships is raised each year at our annual Summer Golf Tournament. Since the student scholarship program has been in place, $7,000 has been awarded as scholarships and over $,000 has been given as a stipend for students to attend the annual Planning Officials Forum which is organized by the Planning Directors Association. Save Thursday, August 13th for our annual Summer Golf Tournament Mark your calendars now for our annual afternoon golf tournament and dinner. Once again, we will be holding the tournament at the beautiful Monarch Beach Golf Links in Dana Point; the event proceeds are used for future student scholarship awards. More information will be sent out soon or check our website. Continued on Page 3 Orange County Planner - Summer 2009 2 Director’s Message [Cont.] The Value of Your APA Membership in an Economic Down-Turn It should come as no surprise to any of you that APA membership has dropped significantly at both the National and State Chapter levels. This is a direct reflection of the economy and the many APA members who are either out of work or have experienced reductions in salary and benefits. The California Chapter Board believes that your membership in APA is even more valuable during this recession because of the importance of keeping connected to the planning profession and ongoing networking opportunities. To that end, the Chapter Board has earmarked $50,000 for assisting members with their annual dues and this year’s State conference. Questions regarding the program can be directed to sgassoc@msn.com or you may call (96) 76-244. At our Orange Section level, we will continue to provide free or low-cost professional training opportunities that are eligible for AICP certificate maintenance credits. Please see our web page for events in July and August. In addition, we want to provide opportunities for getting together in a relaxed atmosphere, and this summer we are joining the Association for Environmental Professionals for a night at the Laguna Beach Pageant of the Masters on July 8th and for Angel’s Baseball on August 28th. Please join us as you are able! Advertisements 2008 AICP Members Congratulations to the following Orange Section members who passed the AICP exam in November, 2008. These members were honored at a recent Orange Section event on June 8, 2009. Jason Burke, AICP Nicole M. Coats, AICP Ethan Edwards, AICP Evan Langan, AICP Maryann V. Marks, AICP Carlos Rodriguez, AICP Edward A. White, AICP Kimberly L. Wong, AICP Courtney E. Wood, AICP Orange County Planner - Summer 2009  Reduced 2009 AICP Exam Fee Scholarships for November Exam By: Claire Flynn, AICP The Orange Section of APA is eligible to nominate 8 people for scholarships towards reduced AICP Exam fees. The 2009 Reduced Exam Fee Scholarship program offer assistance to those individuals who may defer taking or are unable to take the AICP exam because of the high cost. Scholarship recipients pay reduced fees to AICP as follows: First time AICP applicants will pay reduced fees at $25 (combined $60 application and $65 exam fee) and previously approved AICP applicants will pay $65 (exam fee only) Once a Scholarship recipient’s name has been received and approved, we will inform the nominated individual that has received the Scholarship. APA staff will then preset the candidate’s application type to “SCHOLARSHIP” so that when the Scholarship applicants click on the “Apply Here” link at http://www.planning.org/certification, the preset application will be shown recognizing that particular person and the applicable fees. Prospective test takers interested in a scholarship should submit a written explanation of financial hardship to Claire Flynn, Vice Director of AICP, at cflynn@ci.costa-mesa.ca.us, by Monday, July 6th. The selection criteria established by APA includes the following general framework: • • Members of ethnic or racial minorities are encouraged to apply. The applicant(s) selected will be otherwise unlikely to take the exam without the reduced fee. The applicant’s employer will not subsidize the exam fee. Please include any other pertinent information for consideration. Advertisements DOWNTOWNS | WATERFRONTS | STREETSCAPES & PLAZAS | MIXED USE & INFILL DEVELOPMENT ARCHITECTS | ENGINEERS | LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS | PLANNERS | SURVEYORS • • Please note that no refunds will be given to Scholarship applicants who have a current paid application in the system. Awarding of a scholarship does not guarantee that a recipient will be approved to take the AICP Exam. The exam application will be evaluated like any other. Nomination/selection of scholarship recipients are strictly confidential. Orange County Planner - Summer 2009 4 Neg. Dec. [Cont.] I didn’t enter this field so that I could represent Pakistani-Americans in the professional planning world. I entered this field so I could represent myself. I refuse to embody a single label that can be easily penciled in on an admissions application (besides, I’d have to pencil in the nebulous “Asian” box). The random, serendipitous collisions of my suburban neighborhood, Muslim upbringing, public school education, and social circles are what, I believe, ultimately constitute my “diverse” background—a diversity to which everyone can claim their own style. It is easy to obfuscate diversity with race, gender, religion or ethnicity. But it is much more than that. Diversity undergirds our own self-worth, for it is the ultimate declaration of our own past; our own budding intellect and interests; our own style. In short, diversity, by acting as a catalog of infinite perspective, is the breeding ground for new ideas and innovation. For planners then, who are entrusted with the responsibility of changing space into place, it is clear why the perpetuation of such new ideas and innovation is so critical to understand. How can we, as planners, ever hope to achieve the creation of vibrant, innovative, creative cities without ever having first understood the concept of diversity? If we fail to give space to the multitude of opinions, cultures, ideas, persuasions, and beliefs in our communities, then we fail to create sustainable, competitive places. So where do we start? Perhaps we can start within the walls of our own profession. Must we accept that planning hearings are the most effective way to voice community concerns? Must we accept current engineering practices as the most technologically advanced way to build our roads? Must we accept that every American wants a picket fence? No. Mr. Khan is pursuing his Masters in Urban and Regional Planning at the University of California, Irvine, where he recently participated in a student-initiated and peer-taught course, “Critical Urbanism.” Advertisements Orange County Planner - Summer 2009 5 Awards Ceremony [Cont.] The evening was kicked off with welcoming remarks from Section President Kimberly Brandt and juror Sheri Vander Dussen. Each juror presented several awards and shared their thoughts on the merits of the winners. We are very proud of our twelve award-winning projects, nine of which will compete at the California Chapter level. That evening we also presented the Bob Goldin Memorial Scholarships to four UCI Master in Urban and Regional Planning candidates. The awards process relies on high quality nominations and the participation of dedicated experts in various aspects of the planning profession. The 2009 jury approached the selection process and awards presentation with enthusiasm, which made the ceremony a great success! Thank you to our jurors: Diane Bathgate, AICP, Kenneth Chew, PhD, Robert F. Dannenbrink, Jr., FAICP, AIA, Mona DeLeon, AICP, and Sheri Vander Dussen, AICP. The ceremony also benefited from the volunteer efforts of Robert Kunzman, Ryan Potter, Maha Darwish, and Jahmese Myres. Robert Kunzman’s photos of the event can be viewed at the new OCAPA Flickr page, accessible through www. oc-apa.org. Our generous sponsors cannot be thanked enough for providing the funding necessary to have this fun and festive event! The Planning Center KTGY Group, Inc. BonTerra Consulting International Code Council Orange Empire Section Civic Solutions Lilley Planning Group The 2009 OCAPA Awards highlighted the wonderful accomplishments of our local communities and collaborative efforts between community groups, government agencies, nonprofits, and consulting firms. It is our pleasure to provide a forum in which we can elevate the work of planners. We look forward to learning the results of the California APA competition and to your nominations for next year’s OCAPA Awards. The OCAPA Award Winners are reviewed by the jury on pages 6-. Top: Dinosaurs from the exhibit “How to Make a Monster: the Art and Technology of Animatronics,” at the Museo. Middle: The 2009 Awards Jury from left to right - Mona DeLeon, Sheri Vander Dussen, Diane Bathgate, Robert F. Dannenbrink, and Kenneth Chew. Bottom: Orange Section Director, Kimberly Brandt, Inland Empire Section Director, Charles Rangel, and Sheri Vander Dussen. Orange County Planner - Summer 2009 6 2009 OCAPA Award Winners Outstanding Planning - Best Practices City of San Clemente Historic Preservation Ordinance Update The City of San Clemente provided a blueprint for other jurisdictions to follow when it tackled the controversial topic of updating its Historic Preservation Ordinance. The City effectively used public participation to develop a thoughtful, creative, incentive-based approach to promoting historic preservation. The ordinance also recognizes the higher value of certain historic resources in the history of the development of San Clemente, establishing priorities and giving more credibility to the overall effort by reflecting both public and expert points of view. Several factors in the update process stand out as exemplary practices that should be emulated by other jurisdictions. A strong educational component for stakeholders, elected and appointed officials, and the public provided the baseline for sound decision making and planning. San Clemente’s process gave the public the opportunity to assist in the selection of community landmarks and refine the ordinance. The City was also able to include key preservation professionals and community advocates to ensure that the ordinance properly addressed issues of critical concern. The end result is an ordinance that uses incentives to promote historic preservation. Both the process and the incentive-based approach are readily transferable to other communities seeking to achieve specific goals. Award of Merit - Best Practices City of Irvine Irvine Energy Plan The Irvine Energy Plan is holistic and includes energy conservation, demand management, energy efficiency, and carbon reduction. It encompasses City facilities and existing and future development throughout the entire community. The plan targets schools, homeowners associations, and property managers in an effort to educate all residents of energy conservation measures. The plan also builds on the General Plan Energy Element to implement actions pertaining to carbon footprint reduction and to guide the City’s efforts to comply with AB 2. The plan is very transferable and can be an example for other communities seeking to reduce energy use. Orange County Planner - Summer 2009 7 2009 OCAPA Award Winners Outstanding Planning - Plan Implementation City of Buena Park Buena Park Transit Village The Buena Park Transit Village represents the evolution from an idea to provide affordable housing to an outstanding transit-oriented development that includes affordable housing, employee-sponsored housing, market rate housing, and a Metrolink Station. The project also showcases the successful coordination of many public agencies. The City’s partnership with California State University, Fullerton, is a model for other university-adjacent towns to explore housing and transportation opportunities to reduce vehicle miles traveled. This project demonstrates how cities can carve out space to accommodate transit, employersponsored, and affordable housing while maintaining the character of existing neighborhoods. Furthermore, the transformation of vacant land and underperforming industrial uses to vibrant housing with improved streetscapes has bolstered support for continued investment and redevelopment in the City of Buena Park. The Buena Park Transit Village is a catalyst for change in the community and an example for other communities to follow. Outstanding Planning - Planning Project City of Santa Ana City Place Mixed Use Development The City of Santa Ana’s City Place project is a progressive step forward for integrating uses in Orange County. City Place is an 8-acre mixed use development that includes 60,000 square feet of restaurants and retail space and several types of housing. The project combines townhomes, live-work lofts, and the commercial areas through the use of walkways, plazas, fountains, and public art. The resulting project accommodates both pedestrians and automobiles in a setting that is neighborhood friendly. A very popular place for residents and visitors that is continuing to grow, City Place is an example for future mixed use and infill projects in Orange County and other intensifying areas. Orange County Planner - Summer 2009 8 2009 OCAPA Award Winners Outstanding Planning - Focused Issue Planning KTGY Group, Inc. ARTIC Mixed-Use District Conceptual Development Design Guidelines The Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center (ARTIC) Mixed-Use District Conceptual Design Guidelines are a vision for establishing a strong urban design framework and a vivid place identity for this transit-oriented development. The design guidelines emphasize the internal and external connections, integrating the complexities of vertical and horizontal layering of multiple uses and modes of transportation, and providing a high level of flexibility for future market opportunities. Near unique entertainment venues, major employment centers, world renowned tourist destinations, and connections to airports, the ARTIC project is an incredible opportunity to set a new standard for transit oriented development. Outstanding Planning - Planning Outside Orange County by an Orange County Firm Parsons Brinckerhoff Matilija Dam Pipeline and Recreational Trail Phase 1 Alignment Study This project team was challenged with identifying a way to decommission a dam and remove manmade structures in order to re-establish natural ecosystems, integrate a trail network, and exploring potential pipeline alignments. The planning process included collaboration with resource agencies and environmental stakeholders and will result in restored ecosystems along Matilija Creek and the Ventura River, maximizing the use of existing trails and creating new trail linkages. The trail component will create recreation opportunities in pristine natural areas that have not previously been accessible to the public. The project is a win-win for the public and the ecosystem. It will provide public access to a high quality riparian river corridor along a scenic trail, while also improving the necessary hydrological function of the river system. The project is a good example of collaborative planning to create new public and environmental benefits from aging and minimally functional infrastructure. Orange County Planner - Summer 2009 9 2009 OCAPA Award Winners Award of Merit - Planning Outside Orange County by an Orange County Firm Hogle-Ireland, Inc. The Shoppes at Chino Hills Specific Plan The City of Chino Hills set out to create a central gathering place for the community, establish a permanent government center, enhance community recreation facilities, and expand the City’s economic base. The Shoppes at Chino Hills Specific Plan accomplished these goals through a successful, longstanding public-private partnership. The plan accommodates retail, government, residential, and park uses and incorporates pedestrian paseos, unique signage, and enhanced landscaping as unifying elements throughout the project. The project has met its goals, as evidenced by occupancy rates, use of public spaces for community events, and an increase in City revenues. Outstanding Planning - Innovation in Green Community Design City of Irvine Hines California Green The Hines California Green plan shows how the cities and developers can implement sustainable design elements to create a compelling, healthy, and inviting work environment. Passive solar orientation, natural ventilation with windows that open, heat gain reducing screens and glass, radiation reflecting roofs and green roofs on low support uses, solar panels on garages, innovative mechanical systems, use of recycled materials and transit-friendly components (including on-site hourly electric car rental) are all cutting edge energy conserving efforts that are often talked about but rarely incorporated into workplace design. Hines California Green combines these innovations and more, and will be the largest LEED certified building effort in the City of Irvine and it establishes a forwardlooking example for business park design throughout the state. Orange County Planner - Summer 2009 0 2009 OCAPA Award Winners Outstanding Planning - Neighborhood Planning City of San Juan Capistrano Los Rios Park Master Plan With the Los Rios Park Master Plan, the City of San Juan Capistrano faced the challenge of integrating a historical district comprising some of the nation’s oldest houses with a dense neighborhood of affordable housing. Just to make things interesting, some commercial circulation and parking requirements were thrown into the equation. The solution is the Los Rios Park Master Plan, five acres of creative planning and urban design that balances recreation for families, access and parking for businesses, and preservation of buildings that were erected over 200 years ago. The plan also creatively incorporates native plants and indigenous landscaping elements that honor the area’s first residents. Outstanding Planning - Grassroots Initiative National Park Service Coyote Creek Bikeway Master Plan This project is a textbook example of planners creating value by assembling a whole that is more than the sum of its parts. In this case, the parts were 8 zigzagging miles of leftover parcels straddling the concrete-lined Coyote Creek channel at the boundary of Orange and Los Angeles counties. The project addressed the question of how these parcels, of marginal value individually, could be linked together to become a regional amenity. One of the most difficult planning challenges is to achieve consensus on a project that transects multiple jurisdictions. Leading a diffuse and previously leaderless group of stakeholders, the nonprofit organizationTrails4All and the National Parks Service created a template for regional collaboration in trail alignment, design priorities, financing, fund raising, and implementation. This grassroots effort will create a regional amenity from a scattering of underutilized assets–an amenity that truly promises to be greater than the sum of its parts. The Coyote Creek Bikeway Master Plan will ultimately benefit of more than one million potential users in the numerous cities and two counties through which Coyote Creek flows. Orange County Planner - Summer 2009  2009 OCAPA Award Winners Planning Achievement - Hard-Won Victories City of San Clemente San Clemente Beach Trail The approval and implementation of this rail-adjacent trail finally came to pass after fifteen long years of hard work and perseverance. The initial proposal, dictated solely by transportation regulations, was unacceptable to the community. Local groups, such as DeRail the Trail, formed to protest the project. After an initial project denial, the City regrouped and facilitated a design process that turned its most vocal opponents into passionate advocates. The City successfully waged the arduous undertaking of obtaining approval by sixteen various state and federal agencies, while balancing a wide variety of interests and needs. The planning process was characterized by negotiation and collaboration among numerous agencies and stakeholders, including railroad representatives, residents, business and community groups, and environmental organizations. The San Clemente Beach Trail is an excellent example of how planners can facilitate a project that meets the wants and needs of the public within a multiagency framework. The outcome reflects a creative combination of access, safety, and aesthetics. The project has become an integral part of the community. The story of the San Clemente Beach Trail is one that will be told by City staff, residents, environmentalists, and surfers alike for years to come. Outstanding Planning - Education Project City of Costa Mesa Prototype Plans for Freedom Homes The Prototype Plans for Freedom Homes literally provides the blueprint for residents to make improvements to homes in this 950s neighborhood. The standardized plans provide simple and functional guidance for room addition and other improvement projects that respect the original architecture while making the homes more modern and livable. The prototype plans help retain neighborhood character, address overcrowding, and prevent mansionization, all while helping homeowners save money by providing preliminary, shelf-ready plans. For a relatively small investment, the City has produced educational materials to show homeowners how they can update and expand their homes without changing the feel of the neighborhood and without breaking the bank. Costa Mesa’s efforts promote reinvestment in that will help preserve the neighborhood for decades to come. The Prototype Plans for Freedom Homes approach can be adapted to all communities with tract home development of any age. Orange County Planner - Summer 2009 2