Massive Apartment Project, Delayed for 2 Weeks, Back on City Council Agenda

At its last meeting (February 28th) the City Council deadlocked 2-to-2 on whether to give the green light to process a massive Irvine Company proposal to build 1,710 apartment units at Sand Canyon and the I-5 Freeway.

Mayor Donald Wagner and Councilmember Jeff Lalloway voted to direct staff to begin processing the proposal.

Councilmembers Christina Shea and Melissa Fox voted against processing the project. Councilmember Lynn Schott, who was absent from the last City Council meeting, will apparently break the tie when the Council again considers the matter Tuesday afternoon, March 14th, at 4:00 p.m.

At the February 28th “Scoping Session,” the Council got a first look at an Irvine Company proposal to amend the City’s General Plan land-use provisions in order to build 1,710 apartment units on a 69-acre parcel of land at Sand Canyon and the I-5 Freeway (across Sand Canyon from Denny’s and Old Town Irvine). If approval is given to build the project, the apartments will house about 5,000 additional people, who will bring with them about 3,500 cars that generate an estimated 14,000 added daily rush-hour trips on Irvine’s already overcrowded streets.

The City Council meeting and Scoping Session are scheduled to begin at 4:00 p.m., in the City Council Chambers. The Irvine City Hall is located at 1 Civic Center Plaza (corner of Harvard and Alton). Public testimony is generally welcome on most City Council items.