Great Park Quick Poll Now Closed
Check back here in the coming days for the results.
Dear Friend,
The Irvine Cares poll is now closed. We will report the results of the poll next week to the city council, media and interested residents.
Sincerely,
Dick Ackerman
Chairman, Irvine Cares
State Senator & Minority Leader (ret.)
GOOD READ from the ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER:
By Tomoya Shimura
IRVINE – The city once again will seek public opinion on what should be built at the Orange County Great Park, which could match the size of San Diego’s Balboa Park when completed.
The City Council on Tuesday voted 4-1 in favor of spending an estimated $240,755 for consultants to conduct telephone surveys and interact with Irvine and county residents about future amenities at the Great Park. Irvine, which owns the land at the former Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, had conducted public outreach between 2004 and 2010.
“Yes, there has been a past effort at public engagement, but I believe that effort is dated now,” said Mayor Pro Tem Lynn Schott, who brought up the proposal earlier this year. “I think it doesn’t hurt us to take a little extra time when we have such a big investment already made. Let’s check our measurements so to speak. Let’s make sure that we are on the right track.”
Councilwoman Christina Shea opposed it, saying the city has already spent millions of dollars on public outreach and the new public engagement campaign will slow down park development.
The city has developed 200 acres of about 1,300 acres it received from a developer in mid- to late-2000s. Amenities include the Great Park balloon, a carousel, a visitor center, a kids rock play area, walkable historical timeline, a Hangar 244 event center, an arts complex, a horticulture area and sports fields.
Developer FivePoint is developing another 688 acres of the park for the city in exchange for approval to build more than 4,600 homes adjacent to the park. That portion will include a 175-acre sports park, an 18-hole golf course, trails, agricultural fields, playgrounds, open space and a wildlife corridor. The City Council is having second thoughts about the golf course, however.
The third component of the Great Park is the future Cultural Terrace, a 248-acre area where the city is considering an amphitheater, a lake, a library and museums. The city can’t develop the site because Tierra Verde Industries operates a recycling facility on the site and has a lease until 2018.
Last month, FivePoint revealed a plan to replace Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre with an interim 12,000-seat outdoor venue on its property bordering the Great Park, pending approval by the city. Also, the city is seeking bids from potential operators to build and run a water park at the Great Park.
The new public outreach campaign will ask Irvine and other county residents what they think about the current plans and if anything is missing.