Repairs Under Way at El Dorado Ranch

Constructed in 1919 on the 90-acre property known as El Dorado Ranch, the two-story Spanish-style residence was acquired in 1931 by the Chapman family, who promptly pressed it into service as part of their vigorous support of area philanthropic and educational organizations.

For almost 60 years, the family made the ranch property "the hub of community awareness and caring" by opening its doors and grounds to countless philanthropic and community events. Over the years, the family hosted dozens of organizations and thousands of guests for events benefiting a wide range of charitable, education and community organizations from the YWCA, Western Youth Services to Florence Crittendon Services, the Shriners and the Masons. In the interim, the Chapman family extensively remodeled the house in the early 1950s.

In 1989, the Chapman family donated the 4.5-acre property that remained of the original ranch to the California State University, to both serve as the residence for the Fullerton campus president and to further the university's mission by "improving the quality of life and cause of higher education in Orange County."

Located close to downtown Fullerton, approximately four miles from the university's rapidly developing campus, the residence and its grounds quickly became one of the university's most frequently used reception sites. Even before the first president had moved in, the university launched an ambitious calendar of significant events and meetings—a tradition that continues to this day. The area that once served as a tennis court was tented over to serve larger gatherings.

In thousands of meetings and events over almost 24 years, the university, its presidents and senior executives have hosted tens of thousands of guests, from here and abroad — visiting scholars and international students; university donors and volunteers; faculty, staff, students and alumni; campus neighbors; and members of the Fullerton community and Orange County.

The original building was expanded and modernized in 1951. From then until the present, the building has received only the maintenance required to patch the now-failing 50s-era plumbing, electrical and HVAC systems and maintain equally aged utility lines.

Over the last 23 years, scarce funds in hard times and growth needs in boom times pushed the property farther down the list of assets whose maintenance would be deferred.

Its unbroken occupation throughout that period and frequent use for university functions further limited efforts to maintain the aging property.

WIllie Hagan became interim president January 3. He declined to occupy the residence given the temporary nature of his appointment, and when the Gordons moved out early this year, the building was empty and accessible for extensive maintenance for the first time in 23 years.

This time, circumstance and the opportunity to take on long-needed deferred maintenance pushed the property to the head of the university's 'to do' list. In the face of the state's ongoing budget crisis, and the threat of significant mid-year cuts to next year's operating budget, the university authorized a $300,000 budget, enough to cover only the property's most pressing needs although a preliminary assessment of all potential upgrades was significantly higher.

The small, 60-year-old kitchen must be adapted to better serve university events and modernized to meet 21st-century standards. That requires replacing deteriorated cabinets that are beyond repair and built-in appliances that were state of the art for 1951, but for which parts are no longer available; relocating the washing machine and hookups now in the kitchen to an upstairs utility room constructed for that purpose; removing and reframing three walls; plumbing, electrical, drainage and waste system upgrading; relocating utility lines;  drywall and patching; remediating lead paint and repainting.

Work on the rest of the house will focus on patching the leaking deck, repairing water damage, replacing leaking sewer piping, replacing and grounding unsafe wiring, mold removal, lead paint and asbestos remediation, replacing 60-year-old lighting controls and fixtures, repairing the restrooms for heavy use, restoring the wood flooring which has seen decades of heavy wear and upgrading the security systems.

The university aims to complete the work in time to allow incoming President Mildred García to occupy the home by July 1 and for events to continue being held there in the interim.

04/28/2012