Orchard Hills Update Website

<p>I noticed that Northwood HS is now accesible through Orchard Hills. This has shifted the morning traffic jam from Portola to the new road in OH. This is a bit of drawback for me... Nevertheless I still really like this area. I am already enjoying the new Settler's Park with my kids...</p>

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Judging from Zovall's posting of the illustrative plan the lots are not Shady Canyon size. The streets in Turtle Ridge are mostly single loaded so one side does not have parkings. Street is obviously narrower when street parking is only on one side. The New Urbanist like the idea of a narrow street for better scale and slower traffic. All old neighborhoods in the US have narrow streets and they all look great. However the setback of the houses is very important to compensate for the narrow street.
 
With the Great CA Fires still fresh on my mind, isn't that whole area of OH considered a high fire danger zone. I like views and big lots but I also don't want my biggest investment to turn into a BBQ. I visited Portola Springs recently after the fire and you could see visible charred hills near the community and the sales agent said: "At least you don't have to worry about fire danger for another 5 years since it all burned down already!" I wasn't sure to laugh or feel sorry for this guy--plummeting housing market and a huge fire next the master planned community; he must of spent all night thinking of what to say to customers.
 
Big thumbs up from Le Offspring De IPO for Settlers Park. We played there this weekend and my 3-year loved it. He wants to bring back his Tykeboard so he can ride that little track... Dudes were flying remote control copters and planes over the big grassy area on Saturday late morning. Fun to watch. Gotta get me one of those. My son might get a turn every once in a while!
 
Yeah, what's up with locking the bathroom doors? I've let my little guy water the bushes on more than one occasion at Irvine parks, when we've been locked out.
 
<p>I thought the closest trains to Orchard Hills were along Edinger? That's about 4 miles away and I could still hear a faint train whistle around midnight with the double pane windows closed at the OH apartments. I had no idea the whistles could carry that far. Can't believe how it is for people living within a mile of the trains.</p>
 
Will the new houses in Orchard Hills have a view of <a href="http://www.ocregister.com/articles/landfill-chay-see-2005472-site-northwood" target="_blank">the unstable Bee Canyon landfill?</a>
 
<p>Fumbling - The train runs across Culver parallel to the 5 Fwy just southeast (?) of Walnut (between Walnut and Irvine Center Drive). That was likely the whistle you heard.</p>

<p>ABC - The dump sits between OH and Portola Springs. Run a search for comments containing "landfill" and you should find at least one thread dedicated to Bowerman. With respect to the landslide, I can only guess that <a href="http://gmw.consrv.ca.gov/shmp/download/pdf/ozn_elt.pdf">the liquefaction and landslide map</a> came out after they decided to put Bowerman in.</p>
 
A couple of days ago in comments on the main blog, someone posted that they had received a notice that TIC was apply for a three year extension to its, I think, tentative subdivision map for Planning Area 1. Aside from the obvious delay, what does that mean? Will they be able to rejigger the plans such as density and lot size, or is the plan currently approved the one they are stuck with? Anyone?
 
Eva - I don't know if this helps, but the word "tentative" in the phrase tentative subdivision map, does not mean tentative in laymens terms, ie. the map is tentative and subject to changes in lot size, number of lots, street size, greenbelt area, etc. Tentative in civil engineering terms mean the map is not final and will still be checked for mistakes and compliance many, many times. The map will go back and forth between the engineer and the county many times until the county is satisfied with the map and records it. At recordation, the map is final as opposed to tentative, mistakes and all. Yes, even the mistakes are final and if the improvements are made to the mistakes, and the land is monumented, the mistakes will probably hold. The point is, the county uses the word tentative to convey non-finality to cover their keister and allow changes, not to allow profound development changes.
 
That's incorrect, a tenative map is not subject to changes. A tentative map is what is approved by planning commission and city council as what they will accept as the final map upon satisfaction of the conditions of approvals for final map. Final map allows the developer to subdivide the parcel and sell lots. It's another exhibit that the city can go back to when the developer starts selling units to verify that they built what they said they would build.
 
jc - Aren't we saying the same thing?<p>

<i>"upon satisfaction of the conditions of approvals for final map"</i><p>

Aren't some of those conditions map checking? My view is limited to my area and I am not thinking of all the conditions, but isn't it true that some of the map checking is still being done after tentative approval? Or is it finished by then? Is all map checking finished when the map becomes tentative?
 
<p>"I respect the sensitivity to save the existing orchard rather than scraping it for a few more houses and generating more revenues."</p>

<p>At a dollar an avacado, who knows, it might turn out to be a prudent decision!</p>
 
Eva - I just got done reading parts of the Subdivision Map Act. Did you know there was such a thing?<p>

Anywhos, jc is 99% right and I was only 5% right. I was only looking at it from a land surveyors perspective and completely forgot about all the other junk that needs to be complied with before a final or parcel map is recorded.<p>

But, to your question, an extension of the tentative map does not give the developer any more leeway in changing material aspects of the map. If the developer wanted to change the location of streets or something, the developer would have to start all over again and get a new tentative map, whether the developer had a final or a tentative map.
 
<em>>>Did you know there was such a thing?</em>





I did, but the one time I went looking for a quick answer, it wasn't so quick (for me, anyway).





Thanks to all for your expertise and research!
 
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