Restoration moves ahead for historic Yorba Linda Craftsman-style residence--1918 Trueblood home

Restoration of one of Yorba Linda's best-known historical structures – the Trueblood house near the intersection of Imperial Highway and Lemon Drive southeast of the post office – is moving forward, with an “optimistic” completion date in the first quarter of 2020.

And negotiations are underway for the Chamber of Commerce to lease the 1,167-square-foot, city-owned Aeroplane Craftsman-style residence on a 7,362-square-foot lot as a headquarters facility for one full-time and three part-time employees.

The long-awaited rehabilitation project for the 4801 Park Avenue home is part of a larger 48-unit senior housing development on a 2.4-acre site one-half mile north, at the intersection of Lakeview Avenue and Altrudy Lane.

The City Council “conditioned the sale and development of the Altrudy property to require that the Trueblood house be reconstructed concurrently for a public use benefit,” according to a

report presented to the Planning Commission by Associate Planner Jamie Smith last month.

An affordable housing agreement with the Orange Housing Development Corporation and C & C Development to build the senior units and rehabilitate the Trueblood house was approved by the council in December 2018.

The Planning Commission approved the design review and a use permit with 67 conditions for the Trueblood house restoration at a July 10 meeting on a 4-0 vote.

The project involves a complete rehabilitation of the exterior and an interior conversion into office uses, including removal of the second floor to increase ceiling height for a lobby, four offices, conference and break rooms and a restroom. Five parking spaces will be provided.

The exterior will exhibit such traditional Aeroplane Craftsman-style features as wide, horizontal roof forms, multiple roof planes, wood panel facades, brick accents, exposed rafters and beams and tapered columns supporting the roof, with white paint and light blue/gray trim.

The existing tall palm trees will be removed, with new landscaping consisting of drought-tolerant Mediterranean and Southern California plantings, with arid accents and grasses placed along the slope fronting Lemon Drive.

First owners of the home built in 1918 were H. E. and Ada Trueblood. Later occupants were the Luther Janeways, who operated a Main Street grocery store, and a couple of businesses, including the popular Calico House fabric and craft store.

The home has been vacant for the past 15 years and has suffered significant deterioration, despite the city's best efforts to “mothball” the structure. Planning commissioners were told, “It will require significant improvements to provide a serviceable building.”

In an earlier report to the council, construction costs were estimated at a bit more than $1 million, with the city footing $545,000 from developer impact fees. The city's now-defunct Redevelopment Agency bought the home from the last private owner in 2010 for $385,000.