PLACENTIA

School officials object to a plan to build 12 houses on property surrounding the historic Gilbert Kraemer House, saying the project would cause overcrowding at nearby schools. “There’s just no room for more students from new developments,” said Stella Doiron, the facilities planning director for the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District. Kraemer Middle School is north of the property, and Valencia High School is within walking distance.

The Planning Commission will consider the request to renovate the Kraemer House on Angelina Drive, built in 1918, and construct 12 houses on 1.5 acres at tonight’s meeting. The Planning Department has recommended the commission deny the project because noise and traffic congestion during construction could be harmful to students, Doiron said. The developer also has asked that the property’s residential-agriculture zoning designation--the city’s lowest density district--be changed to medium density, which allows 10 houses per acre. The 5,872-square-foot house, which is vacant, has a swimming pool, cabana and tennis courts. The developer has proposed tearing down the cabana and tennis courts. Building a dozen structures around the Kraemer House would hide the view of the historic site from Angelina Drive, according to a city document.