City Council - Regular Meeting

The meeting please come to order. This is the regular meeting of the irvine city council on 04/14/2026. The time in the council chamber is 04:07 p. M. And at this time I would like to have the clerk please call the roll.

Councilmember Carroll is absent. Councilmember Goh. Here. Councilmember Lu. Here. Councilmember Martinez Franco. Here. Councilmember Trecedor?

Here.

Vice Mayor May? Here. Mayor Egren?

Here. Would the clerk please take a moment to advise those who might be wishing to participate remotely as well as those here in the council chamber, precisely how they can participate.

Thank you, mayor. Members of our audience who wish to speak may submit their name into one of the speaker kiosks next to the city clerk or in the main lobby. We also offer the ability to provide live comments via Zoom and submit written comments through our e comment system. For those who wish to participate virtually, visit zoom.us using any web browser or the Zoom app on smartphones or tablets and enter meeting ID 844. The passcode is 272906.

You may also dial in by calling (669) 254-5252 or (669) 216-1590 and entering the same meeting ID and passcode. Those who wish to provide comments via Zoom are asked to enter the speaker queue by raising their hand electronically. The city clerk will call your name and allow you to unmute your microphone at the appropriate time. Those dialing by telephone will be identified by the last three digits of their telephone number. We ask that you please state your name for the record.

The time limits per speaker are noted in the posted agenda and are established based on the number of requests submitted. All requests submitted after the first speaker is called shall receive ninety seconds. Those who wish to provide written comments may do so by clicking comment on the City Council meeting agenda webpage at cityofrvine.org/ictv. All comments will be provided to the City Council as part of the meeting record and will be uploaded to the city's website. For technical assistance with Zoom before or during the meeting, please call (949) 724-6078. For any other questions or assistance, please contact the city clerk's office at (949) 724-6205 or via email at clerkcityofrvine dot org. Thank you mayor.

Thank you. We will be recessing momentarily to convene in closed session. Closed session is item one on our agenda this afternoon and evening. With that ill turn to the city clerk to identify items one point one and one point two on our closed session agenda and then please if our legal counsel would read and tell us exactly what we're going to be speaking to, we'd appreciate it.

Certainly, mayor. We have two items on for closed session consideration this afternoon. The first is a conference with legal counsel concerning existing litigation. This is under government code section 54,956.9 D1. That's in regards to the national prescription opiate litigation. It's United States District Court case number 117, CV 2,804. The second item is a conference with real property negotiators under government code section fifty four thousand nine hundred fifty and sixty eight. The property there is 510 Technology Drive. The agency negotiators are Sean Crumby, the city manager Pete Carmichael, the assistant city manager and me, the city attorney. The negotiating parties are the city of Irvine and Jeff Shaw, who is the vice president of leasing at the Irvine Company.

And under negotiation are the price and terms of payment. And that's all.

Thank you, Mr. Melchin. I think we've dispensed with your introduction of these items, Mr. Carl. With that, at this point, I'd like to have us recess with the understanding we'll be reconvening at 05:00.

All right? Absent objection, we're into closed session. Thank you. The meeting please come to order. The council having been in closed session is now reconvened the time is 05:02 I''ll turn to our city attorney to ask if there was any reportable action from our closed session.

Thank you mayor there was no reportable action this afternoon.

There being no reportable action we move on with the agenda this evening. At this time I wish to invite those who are able in a moment to rise for the pledge of allegiance and then to remain standing for what probably will be about five minutes because we will have a moment of silence that I will introduce once we are all ready for that. Please rise for the pledge which will be led tonight by council member William Goh.

Ready begin. Pledge allegiance to the flag of The United States Of America

At this time, I'd like to introduce a moment of silence and that this council meeting be adjourned in recognition of three wonderful individuals who have unfortunately passed away. Two of these are former employees and one is a former council member. Their legacies have left a profound impact on our community with their combined public service of fifty five years. So it's with heavy hearts that we remember one of these, Winifred Todd, fondly known here at City Hall as Winnie, an Irvine residence since 1981 Winnie devoted twenty five years to serving the community she loved. Winnie was a proud UCLA alumna who began her city career in 1995 as a community services leader before joining the city clerk's office, where she became the welcoming face of city hall as a senior office specialist working at the city hall main reception desk.

Winnie took great pride in her work, deeply loved her family, and cherished her relationships with coworkers and the community alike. Winnie is survived by her husband Neil and her daughter Kelly. Her legacy of dedication, professionalism, and genuine care will continue to inspire all who knew her. And of course, she will be dearly missed. Tonight, we also remember Robin Shuang.

Twenty six years ago robin began her journey with the city of irvine she started her career as a senior accountant clerk in the administrative services department working her way up to become a vital member of the budget team as a management analyst. What made robin exceptional was the way she treated people putting others before herself offering help without hesitation. Her kindness was not occasional. It was constant. Robin is survived by her husband, Mostafa, and her sister, Meow.

Her legacy is one of dedication, kindness, and resilience. Robin showed us the power of compassion in the workplace and reminded us that success is measured not only by achievements, but by how we lift others up along the way. She'll be greatly missed. And finally, would also like us to remember former council member Barbara Weiner, who passed away earlier this month. I had the privilege of serving on the city council with Barbara from 1982 to 1986.

Her vision and active participation on the city council helped ensure the benefits of long term land use and master planning that we see here in Irvine today. She was instrumental in defining the framework and gathering community support for the Irvine Station our train station which opened in 1990 and plays a vital role in connecting residents to work and in shopping entertainment and open space. She also was instrumental in leading the way to what is today the remarkable shady canyon residential development in the hills above Turtle Rock. Her service to the broader community included her tenure with the Irvine child care committee helping to identify child care needs and the availability of quality affordable child care within our Irvine community. Our thoughts are with Barbara's loved ones including her husband, son, and daughter.

We offer our deepest sympathies to all who knew Winnie, Robin, and Barbara. So please join me now in a moment of silence in remembrance of Winnie Todd, Robin Chuang, and Barbara Weiner. Thank you. And please remain standing, if you would, for tonight's invocation. By the way, Mr.

Peterson, if you would make sure that it's noted in the minutes that we've adjourned our meeting tonight in honor of the three whom we are remembering.

Alright?

Tonight's invocation will be in the form of a musical presentation. At this time, it's my pleasure to introduce Irvine singers, Irvine High School's advanced mixed singing ensemble that specializes in performance of challenging literature of diverse genres. Please come forward. Most members are graduating seniors and have been in Irvine choirs for at least three consecutive years under Irvine High School choral music director Tina Peterson. Tonight, the Irvine singers, conducted by student teacher Bryce Rivera, are here to perform our national anthem, for which we will remain standing, followed by Unclouded Day.

Thank you so much for joining us this evening. And now, the center is yours. To the audience, before we hear the next song, please be seated to enjoy the next song. Thank you for that beautiful rendition. Please, don't don't leave.

Don't leave. Stay where you were. We're going to take a photograph. We want to be part of all this. All right? I'm going to ask my counsel colleagues to stand up. And we want to thank you so much and preserve this moment making us all famous. All right? Ready? Go ahead.

Thank you so much. And we wish you all the best. We wish you all the best and a very, very bright future for each and every one of you. That was wonderful. We' going to have presentations at this time item two item two on our agenda is presentations.

At this time I would like to turn to our city clerk to announce what presentation item 2.1 is please.

Thank you mayor item 2.1 is the united states men's national soccer team.

I' also like the city clerk and folks at home to know that this is a time when zoom speakers can raise their hand those who are participating remotely can raise their hand electronically to enter the speaker queue for this item or for anything else as well. I would like to take a moment to invite our city staff, in this case Steven Stewart, community services superintendent, to reintroduce himself if you would, and then our special guests this evening.

Thank you mayor and council. Again, my name is Steven Stewart, community services superintendent for community and library services. Tonight I have an exciting update on the United States men's national soccer team. So, you know, the Great Park has been selected as a team based camp for the FIFA World Cup, and we are honored to host the United States men's national team. This opportunity places Irvine at the center of a global event.

To put the scale into perspective, this World Cup will span three countries, include 48 national teams, and feature 104 matches. It will draw millions of visitors and a global audience in the billions. This is not just a sporting event, it's one of the largest global events of any kind. And through the great park, Irvine will play a direct role in supporting our country's national team as they live, train, and prepare for the tournament. I also like to highlight how this partnership extends beyond operations and creates a meaningful opportunity for our community.

In addition to hosting the team, are two key community focused opportunities. First, the city will host a community training session on Monday, June 8. This free event will be the only opportunity for the public to come and watch the team train, and we expect strong interest from the community. We will be eagerly sharing more details as they're made available. Second, through U.

S. Soccer Forward's initiative, we will host a community activation event on April 26. This event will bring together local coaches, educators, and youth for a workshop and clinic focused on using soccer as a tool for positive impact and connection within the community. Together these efforts ensure that this partnership creates a lasting and meaningful experience for Irvine residents. This is truly a unique opportunity for Irvine not only to support our nation's team, but to be part of something that we recognized around the world.

Also want to take a moment to recognize the city staff who manage maintain and protect the great park. What makes this even more impressive is that they are preparing for an event of this magnitude while the park remains fully open and incredibly active. On any given day our fields facilities and venues are filled with community programs youth leagues concerts and community events. Yet at the same time our staff are preparing coordinating and planning to host one of the most premier sporting events in the world. Balance that level of daily public use with the demands of an international event is no small task.

It speaks to their professionalism, their community experience, and their commitment to this community. At this time, I'd like to introduce Sam Zapica, and we'll watch a brief video before he speaks.

Reality says the odds are stacked against us to think our men can ever raise the world's biggest trophy, be the first soccer team to beat them at football. But here's the thing about us. Refusing to accept reality is kind of our thing. Reality told us to stay grounded. We built planes. We walked on the moon. Reality told us not to dream, but we stand united chasing legacy. Being unrealistic, that's not a flaw. It's a force. It's a fuel. When the world says you won't, our fans say,

I believe that we will win.

I believe that we will win.

We haven't lifted every men's trophy yet, but we have carried this fight for decades. We have enough grit to make the doubters eat their words. And when we spill blood in the name of the crest, it's not blind belief. It's how we put The US way. No, we're not realistic at all, and we're proud of it. Because if you wanna be great and make history, chase dreams, chase greatness, chase legacy. Never chase reality.

Hello everyone. Nice to

see everyone. My name is Sam Zapatka. I'm the team manager for the U. S. Men's national team. Thank you Stephen for the introduction. Mayor Egreton, thank you for the opportunity to speak today. Council members, thank you for the opportunity. As many of you know, the World Cup is coming it'll be here in a couple months and we as the men's national team host country for this for this amazing event had the opportunity to go throughout the entire United States to see where we as the U. S.

Team should base camp and we came to Irvine and came to the city of Irvine the first thing that Steven said when we walked through the doors at Great Park was welcome home and we knew immediately that this is where we want to be for the month of June in preparation for our three massive group stage games and then obviously beyond to represent not only the city of Irvine the state of California but obviously The United States was amazing watching the national anthem here got me super excited hopefully it did everyone else but we're here to represent you were here to represent our great country in the in The United States we're doing more hopefully than just training here at Great Park for for the month of month of June we're here to hopefully have a legacy that goes beyond just the World Cup some people might not know but in 1994 we were also in the Orange County Irvine area when we were here for training so it's good to be back it's been a long time and most importantly the legacy goes beyond just the the training here and that will be for all the youth all the kids in this community to really fall in love with the beauty of football it's an amazing sport it's growing here in The United States we're really really excited to do two initiatives with the city in April 26 with our U.

S soccer forward program and then obviously the amazing June 8 community event where hope to pack the stadium with a ton of kids cheering and chanting USA as we go on to hopefully lift the World Cup in New York City on July 19 just as a quick token of thank you and gratitude for the city We've made a jersey for you guys. The first one of its kind. This is our brand new jerseys for a great park with the year '26. So thank you again. If I can present this to you, I would love to.

I don't think we can all get in that one jersey.

Okay. But

I'll tell you what we're going to do. We're going to come down. How about for a photograph?

That'd be great.

And you can be holding it up right in and the we'll be holding you up. All right?

Sounds great. Thank you.

SPEAKER Thank you so much. Obviously, we wish you the very, very best. As a procedural matter, I need to, at this time, turn to our city clerk to ask, are there any requests for public comment on this item?

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. We do have two requests to speak via Zoom.

Please go right ahead.

Thank you. Our first speaker is Jeremy Ficarola. Jeremy, you may unmute your mic.

Yeah, hi there. Jeremy Ficarola. Just really quick, I think this is so amazing that we have US men's national team practicing here in the Great Park. I think the thing that I take away from that is we have a world renowned national team on the world's biggest event. They went all around the country, and they chose one spot,

and that's the city

of Irvine. So, you know, as for me as a president of Irvine, I'm pretty, you know, flattered that they chose our beautiful city. So so definitely I'm I'm I'm excited about this. My only complaint, and of course I always have complaints, but I wish there was more than one public event. It's going be frustrating knowing the Mets national team. And I'm personally a soccer fan. I had a season passes for OCSE games. I've been to that stadium many times. Beautiful stadium. I wish there was no public events or some way other than that one event that's planned to get local, Irvine, Fort Worth, Orange County, or wherever,

to get

people exposure to the team. So I just hope that there's that. I don't know the details, but maybe more than one event with the public interacting with the team would be great. But again, this is pretty amazing. Thank you.

And Mary, other caller dropped, so that's all the speakers. Well, you.

Thank you to Mr. Ficarola for his comments. And of course, we all wish the US men's team well. It's going to be a great event. Did you have anything further to add at this time?

No. That concludes our presentation.

All right. Well, thank you. This is a receive and file item. No action is necessary. Just oh, yes. Councilmember Betty Martinez Franco.

I just have a moment. Mean I just want to thank such a great job recruiting the US team for someone who grew up watching football my entire life in the world cup. The only one that I missed, it was, I believe, when I was in South Africa because it was at midnight, or it was in Russia, one of them. I'm so excited about this. So I can't wait. Thank you so much.

Thank you. Anything further? There being nothing further on this item, again, is a receive and file item allowing us to move on. And we're on schedule here to public comments for nonagendized items. This is an opportunity within a collective time of no more than thirty minutes at the front end of our meeting for residents and others to be heard on items not on our printed agenda for this evening.

As long as it' within the subject matter jurisdiction of our counsel people are welcome to come forward under non agendized public comments. With that I''ll turn to our city clerk and ask whether we have any requests from citizens to be heard under this item.

We do miss kamare we have 14 requests to speak, nine in person, and five on Zoom.

CHRISTOPHER M. All right. Why don't we close the queue now and give with fourteen, give the speakers up to two minutes to be heard.

Go right ahead. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. If I could call forward Susan Sayer, Steven Sponer, Eva Kaye, Rolf Parks, and Michaela McAulister. And we'll start with Ms. Sayer.

Welcome.

Yes, good afternoon. My name is Susan Sayer and I'm a longtime Irvine resident and I'm a longtime political activist with a strong interest in protecting our democracy, democratic system and the basic human rights of every one of our Irvine residents my interests include protecting the freedom of all qualified voters to register to vote have their votes supported and upheld by city council state and federal government and an active voting system that best represents the will of the Irvine voters. Request first that voters be protected from ice and other governmental interference during all election processes including mail in voting drop box voting and in person precinct voting I suggest that it form an organized volunteer force activated to guard and protect voting and the registrar of voters ballot verification and counting process to ensure all qualified ballots are validated and counted. Secondly, I request that the terms of voters and active initiatives be supported and upheld by the city council city attorney the city manager and city commissions especially the planning commission and that all initiative provision amendment proposals be returned to the voters for approval including the proposed amendment to the urban open space initiative which was mailed out to the urban residents.

The proposed zoning change may appear attractive to our city council city manager city attorney and to our commissioners.

I'

m going to have to interrupt you that' an agenda item.

Yes it is.

Please this is for non agenda items. But

the first part wasn' t

a minute. The

third suggestion is that our city council members were elected to support the will of the majority of all Irvine residents. Request that our city council of irvine our city council approved ranked choice voting.

Your time is up.

Thank you.

Steven Spooner. Welcome sir.

My name is Steven Spooner. This is a public request for FBI investigation into IPD corruption, delays, and obstruction. I mailed certified documents to the city council on February 4 that remain unanswered so I asked again in public why is the ipd protecting a business criminal for seven point five plus years? Deputy DA Marcos suggested FBI intervention so I asked the council to request the FBI also. The IPD wrote outright false reports then hid two additional reports without my import and knowledge while supposedly performing a five month IPD corruption investigation into Shane barrels.

Lieutenant Scherer and Kyle Turner obstructed and lied about IPD corruption involving that same business criminal. Both were part of the incorrectly named office of professional standards conversely if I lied about even a single thing it would warrant public humiliation this is far too important to be dishonest Officer Voigt who was in charge of a 2021 report failed to investigate or even half donkey finished the report until three to four years later. Orange County Attorney's Office has no record of it. How many people were convicted or framed by false reporting sworn testimony by the senior officials is now a job for the FBI. Cheat one of us you cheat us all.

Please do not vote for any city council member that accepts IPD corruption obstruction and public greed. The FBI can provide some light honesty and clarity on IPD's deceptive practices. The council should now be called the greed and corruption council only greed turns open space into a cash deal while rejecting a veteran Cemetery. This is begging to be a news story by local and national news. Thank you very much.

Thank you for your comments. Eva? Welcome.

Good evening council members. My name is Eva Cotei, and I am a student at the University of California Irvine. I'm here today to speak about a concern that is increasingly present among students at my school. The feeling of uncertainty surrounding safety and protection in our very city. Given that Irvine is home to one of the top 10 public universities in the nation, it is undoubtedly a place where students from a plethora of diverse backgrounds come together.

At UCI, international students make up roughly 15% of the undergraduate population and a significant majority of students identify as a part of a majority community, sorry, minority community. This diversity is one of our school's greatest strengths but it also means that campus and community safety concerns have a have a potential broader impact on a large portion of our student body. Through conversations with my peers I've come to understand that many students are feeling a real fear and uncertainty right now amidst the current administration. We have seen the threats of ice creep closer and closer into our city and community creating an unstable and unsettling environment for many students and residents of Irvine. All students deserve to feel safe on campus so I ask you all what steps is the City Council taking to ensure that all students and residents of Irvine feel protected regardless of their immigration status And we hope to see support systems established in place for students and residents who feel directly impacted by increased ice activity in the community.

Thank you.

Thank you for your comments.

Rolf Parks.

Welcome. I

only got two minutes so I'm going get right into it. Good evening mayor and councilman my name is role parks I'm here to address a serious breakdown of the administration of the citizens initiative process by the city clerk carl petersen. Under California election code there' a ministerial duty to provide proponents with accurate procedural instructions including correct adjudicated newspaper for publishing a notice of intent to file a citizen' petition This is not discretionary it is required step that enables residents to exercise their constitutional rights in the initiative process. When I filed my notice with the city clerk I was directed to publish my petition in an adjudicated newspaper of the county and I relied on this instruction in good faith that that's what I was supposed to do. Only later did I learn that the publication was invalid under election code 9205.

That error originating entirely from the city invalidated the notice nullified the signatures I gathered effectively blocked the initiative from moving forward. Those people are here that have signed that. This error was discovered by none other than the ergine company on March 9 when I was presented with a letter from their attorneys neilson and mercs hammer which has an interest in not seeing the petition being placed on the November 2026 ballot. The courts have held in several cases that procedural errors cannot be used to defeat an initiative power. When an official makes a mistake it prevents compliance a remedy is to restore proponent to the position that they have had had the error not occurred.

Asking the council to correct this error by one giving us another one hundred and eighty days to file a petition to have it placed on the November 2026 ballot but I don' believe there' enough time to do that which only leaves us with placing the ballot on the 2026 ballot itself. Mr. Mayor I have notified the ACLU on this you are a proponent of the ACLU and I think this is a worthy cause when the rights of the citizens have been taken away from them. The council has a duty to do something about it.

I thank you for your comments. Thank you.

Michaela McAllister. And if I could also call forward Max, Jason Garfield, Laura Cormack, and Mayor Stephens. Welcome.

Good evening counselors. My name is Mikayla McAulister and I'm a student at UCI and president of the punk club. I come here today on behalf of all students affected by ICE and those who, relate to the testimony I'm about to present. On 08/12/2025, the Irvine City Council voted four to three on an amicus brief supporting a lawsuit against ICE's excessive force and racial profile and warrantless arrests. While council member James Mai claims quote he cannot support any action that places our city in opposition to our own government or federal agencies end quote there is a critical point that needs to be addressed.

Dissent against unlawful actions especially those backed by our own government is essential to in protecting our community and upholding human rights. As we all know an ice office is soon to be built in Irvine just a few blocks away from here. If Irvine becomes home to these unchecked enforcement practices, we risk placing innocent civilians and students in unnecessary danger. At my school in UCI, approximately 15% of students are international making them particularly vulnerable to ICE's unconstitutional actions. And in case there's any confusion of unconstitutional actions students may face by ICE, this federal law enforcement has continuously violated due process rights, performed countless warrantless searches, and profiled based on race ethnicity and language.

I understand that the authority of the city council is limited when it comes to federal agencies. However, as demonstrated by recent policies there are still meaningful steps that can be taken to promote safety, security and sense of belonging within our city. If these issues are not adequately being addressed at a federal level then it becomes your responsibility to address them locally. On behalf of myself and fellow students at UCI, we hope to see you guys take further action to make us feel safe. Thank you.

Thank you. Max, thank you for your comments and welcome sir.

Good evening. I was here last meeting about two weeks ago, and I spoke during public comments. Only after I left, I realized that it was more discussion about affordable housing in the city. I live across the street from the Oak Creek. Across the street from us, there is a community called Orchard Park Apartments.

This community was built in the early nineteen eighties, and I believe that since then, it has been a low income community providing housing for families in need in our city. Some of you may be aware that residents in that community recently received a notice from the owner, the Irvine Company, that their rent may increase to the market rates. After serving as an affordable place for thirty or forty years, this community may no longer be affordable. And this council is considering a two year voucher program. This serves as an example of how over time affordable housing can become unaffordable for the people who depend on it.

Two years is not a real solution. This is misleading approach that does not belong and does not solve the problem. Thank you.

Thank you for your comment. Jason Garfield. Welcome.

Thank you. So I just wanted to point out something interesting. At the last meeting, mister city attorney, you shut down inappropriate comments on the grounds that they were, quote, not city business. So you can in fact do that, and you could in fact have done something when Jews were attacked in this room for months on end in 2023 and 2024. Instead, you stood by, presumably on the orders of our thankfully former mayor, Farrah Khan, and let it happen and sat there

in front

of us all and smirkingly defended her conduct during those meetings. The Jewish community of this city will never get an apology for your disgraceful conduct back then, but we deserve one. And if you think that two years is long enough to forgive and forget, remember that it's been three thousand years and we still celebrate Passover. We have long memories, mister Melching. Thank you.

Thank you for offering your comments. Next please.

Laura Cormack.

Welcome.

Laura Cormack. I would like to speak about the Great Park. I got married in 2005 and moved here where my husband lives since 2000. And in 2006 we were seeing plans for the Great Park and all the great things and all the architects and all the you know contests and all the money And then we finally got broke ground in 2007. And I thought, wow, it's gonna be great.

You know, I used to ride my bike around the Marine Brace before, but I was looking forward to a park that I could actually ride to and, you know, all sorts of things that I thought were gonna come to pass, which did not. We've waited nearly twenty years for a park for these people, everybody. Not we've we've built a park for semi pro and pro teams and get lots of publicity for our ice rinks and all the other amenities. And we are left with a few hours, a few times a week to go ice skating, which I won't because I think that of sucks that you have everything for profit, which I understand because you guys need to generate some revenue and build that whoosh. No whoosh.

I hope that was voted down, but there's no park for the people. There's no picnic tables, simple things, swing sets, barbecues, you know, things for families to enjoy, you know, no more soccer fields. Know, I'm tired, every park in this city is littered with soccer fields. I know it's very popular.

Thank you for

your comments.

We need a park. And I hope it's gonna be Oak Creek Park.

Thank you.

Mayor Stevens, welcome. Hi.

Mayors I'm Mayor Stevens. Mayor.

Mayor like a horse.

There we are. Welcome.

I'm here as one of many voices that feel like we're all in the wind who was here in 1988 and voted that any open space would absolutely be voted upon before any development could take place and now the city planning commission has just gone ahead and ok'd the rezoning making this wide open for another bait and switch and then more of these fancy little mailers are coming out like would you like a nature park or would you like a golf course? I'd Larry Agron sir I have admired you for so many years saving Quail Hill getting us recycled water making Irvine the beautiful and famous and safe world famous actually safe city that it is I urge you please stand up to this and then be so happy when you see yourself in the mirror when you're old and retired. Thank

you. Thank you for your comments. We're going to of course be taking up this item later and since your comments were so admiring of me I let you go on beyond when I should have.

Okay. Oh, I hope so too.

We'll be addressing all those items that you raised.

I wanted

to hire you. Thank you. Thank you. Our

next speaker is Rana. Rana, you may unmute your mic.

Hi. My name is Rana. I would like to speak on behalf of the Bauerman Landfill, not the WISE agreement that's on there, but just overall. I wanna urge you guys to think ahead and don't let this become, like, all American asshole. I'd also like to admire Larry and the amazing work he did getting that shut down and the tricks he had up his sleeve that just worked.

And I do know that and I I really believe that if, you know, Brea is shutting theirs down, we're getting everybody else's, and nobody else wants it in their backyard, neither do we. It's not just about the smell or the property values. It's not just about the people who live right there. It's all of Irvine and surrounding cities. I know that there's a deficit, you know, in the city's fiscal just fiscal issues, and I don't think that we should bridge or try to lessen that gap by putting the health of the residents at risk.

And I say health because I say that we shouldn't be shortsighted. We should look at the long term effects. There can be an earthquake. There could be a wildfire. And with all that methane and expansion they want to do, it can be you know, most of you know me. For those of you who don't, I was in the Porter Ranch disaster. I would have never thought that would happen. And you don't have a lot of people maybe coming and speaking because they might not know what could happen, but I do. And the gas company is gonna get more gas injected into those pipelines right now in Porter Ranch. There's leaks constantly going on.

The gas company is not accountable. They don't warn anybody. It's private funding through Fenceline that's telling the residents, and they can't do anything about it. So I think that if you guys can, thinking of a more long term plan, I know cost is an issue, but thinking of a way to ultimately shut it down and take

Thank you. Your time is up. Our next speaker is James Huang. James, you may unmute your mic.

Good evening, members of the council. Irvine Connect has had its automated stop announcements running for a few months now, and I'd like to bring up some issues that I've been experiencing, namely that these announcements are very inconsistent. Some buses don't have them. Some do have them. And sometimes they're playing for some of the journey and not for other parts of the journey.

And I've also noticed that some bus drivers turn off the announcements, so it's a very inconsistent experience. And even when it's working, only the audio announcements are playing. As per ADA requirements, you need to have both the audio. Next stop is blah blah blah and show it on the display, which the bus already has. OCTA does it.

Every bus agency on earth does it. This shouldn't be a hard ask. Hope you can get that sorted out soon, especially with the Irvine Connect bus expansion hopefully coming up soon since Council voted on it last year. It's the perfect time to make sure that all the systems are working properly. Thank you.

Our next speaker is Osias Garcia. Osias, you may unmute your mic. Osias, can you hear us? Our next speaker is telephone number 347. 347, you may unmute your mic.

Yes, this is Debo. I want to talk about Ann Hu, and her last name is spelled H W U. Ann Hu was nominated on 03/24/2026, to be on Irvine's Wall of Recognition by Councilmember Melinda Lu. Melinda Lu must know the backstory associated with this individual as she is a friend to disgraced former city council member, Tammy Kim. Melinda Liu states that Anne Hughes sits on various association boards in Irvine and the surrounding cities.

Also mentioned was her teaching for a specific class of people and that's it. However, nowhere does it mention her employment as a public relations officer for No nor does it mention her as a consultant and a realtor. No Do is the company that Tammy Kim lied about to rush through the EV charging deal where the city took a huge loss of approximately $2,000,000 a year in revenue. Ann Hu introduced Tammy Kim to this deal and together they lied about the company and their promises. Melinda Liu also neglected to mention that Ann Hu owns the Beechwood Motel in Oceanside where there was a class action settlement against her motel for civil rights violations.

Ann Hu is far from an upstanding citizen. I formally wrote to the city manager and requested Ms. Hu be investigated by city staff and brought back to the council for review and a vote. The wall of recognition is intended to honor individuals whose contributions to the city are clear, widely respected and reflective of Irvine's core values, particularly transparency, integrity and service to the public. Ms. Hughes' involvement in matters connected to the city does not meet that standard. I would hope that Melinda Lou would just remove Anne Hughes' name from the nomination list and save staff time and resources and maintain the integrity of what the wall represents. Thank you.

Our next speaker is Eric Nashanian. Mr. Nashanian, you may unmute your mic.

Thank you council members, Mayor Agron. I'd like to talk about the DEI committee. They canceled another meeting last month in March. This is now nine of the last 25 meetings that they've canceled. And the DEI Committee was formed to provide input on needs of the community and advise counsel on meeting goals set forth in Resolution No.

2,105. There have been four opportunities for the DEI to do anything meaningful. One was to recruit two at large members that helped design the RFP for a DEI consultant. They failed in that. They appointed Betty Franco to the committee as a DEI expert, which she was not, and had no qualifications for such, and actually fraudulently created such qualifications and voluntarily presented them to the city.

Then they failed in actually drafting the RFP for the DI consultant, or they drafted one and they scrapped it and there was never a DI consultant search. Then there are the IRP grants in which the city gave at least $500,000 of 7,500,000 federal funds to two non qualified organizations, one of them CORCDC, which Mayor Khan is an employee of now. Then there was the Office of Inclusive Excellence and Conducting Outreach, which never occurred, although this council ordered it. Isn't it time that we now scrap the DEI Committee? Now I would like to move on to Whale Vagina.

This city has still not put Will Ferrell on that wall of recognition. He was an Irvine resident. I think he was born in Irvine. He was definitely raised in Irvine, and he's an alumni of Irvine University, but he's not on that wall. Ezra Klein, born and raised in Irvine. Journalist, not on that wall. Let's see, who else? I think Zach De LaRelka from Race Against the Machine Music Hall of Fame, not on that wall. But you know who's on that wall at Unity? Jane Stover, who's not even from Irvine. I know she's at UCI, but let's face it.

Thank you. Your time is up. Mr. Mayor, that's all of the original list of speakers. There are three more in the queue. I'll defer to you.

Why don't we give each of those ninety seconds, see if we can wrap this up by six.

Okay?

Thank you, mayor. Our next speaker is Bijan. Bijan, you may unmute your mic. You have ninety seconds. Hello, Bijan. Are you there?

Yes. Good afternoon. I appreciate was this you mentioned

thirty seconds or sixty seconds?

You have ninety. Oh,

okay. Yeah. I appreciate it. Me and my family have been a resident of Irvine since 2005.

Raised a couple of kids here.

We love Irvine. And part of the reason we love it is it's a great environment, controlled communities. We don't like development. My comments are about the Oak Creek. We use the facility. We have parties there. We have golf outings there. American Society of Civil Engineers, we've had golf outings there. I just don' want to see a bunch of boxy looking buildings built there for residents. That' just has to

stop. We

need Irvine protected as Irvine.

Please. I don't want the caller to feel he was just abruptly dismissed but that item of course is on our agenda tonight. This is the time for comments on non agendized items. And I would invite the gentleman to please get in the queue for item 4.1 when he can be heard at greater length. Right.

Thank you, mayor. There's just one more speaker. Telephone number 90. You may unmute your mic. You have ninety seconds.

Ninety, can you hear us? And that is all the speakers. Mayor.

Thank you very much. That concludes our public comment on non agendized items. We thank those who came forward and offered their views on various issues. At this time we will turn to the next item on our agenda which is the city manager's report. Mr. Crumby do you have a report this evening.

Just one quick item tonight. Our police chief, Michael Kent, is going to provide a brief update on immigration.

Thank you.

Thank you, City Manager Crumby. Good evening, Mayor and City Council members. Nothing to report in regards to ICE or border patrol activity in our city since we last met at the last city council meeting. Thank you.

Thank you for keeping us current on those developments. We'll move on then to announcements committee reports council reports this is an opportunity for my colleagues and for me to make very brief announcements to report on their activities and to keep the public informed as to what may be going on in their district or elsewhere where their activities are taking place. So with that, I have several requests. Councilmember Liu, you have requested first to be heard.

Thank you. Good evening, everyone. I'm sharing some updates and upcoming events. Next slide, please. The March OC Mosquito and Vector Control District report shows zero positive disease samples in Irvine this year.

The district is ramping up its sterile insect technique program ahead of summer. At the last hotel improvement district meeting, the director presented exciting updates about the FIFA World Cup and the proposed California welcome center at the Great Park. Orange county sanitation launched a comprehensive cost of service rate study and hosted the largest oc sen citizens academy to date with four Irvine residents among the graduates. I recently joined councilmember rechristian a group of economic and water experts invited by mo dock to inspect the state water project in Delta Island we learned about efforts on water conveyance infrastructure and habitat restoration to keep our water sources sustainable. Thank you to all who joined our community forum on youth domestic violence prevention co hosted with radiant futures and asian american advancing justice in Southern California We hope everyone learned the lifesaving knowledge to help more people.

Next one, please. We're calling for more sign ups at our next Red Cross Blood Drive this Thursday, April 16, at Northwood Community Center, 10AM to 4PM your generosity will save a life please sign up. Do you want to learn more about solar and renewable energy join our office information meeting on April 22 at Portola Springs in partnership with oc go solar and ocpa visit our social media for details please. On April 22 is Armenian genocide commemoration We want to remind all Irvine residents of this historically significant event and that we should all respect one another for peace. Last and last one, please.

Lastly, applications for twenty twenty six Youth Peace Camp are open for grandchildren and great grandchildren of Korean War veterans. Apply by April 27. And last one. Thank you. And please contact our office or follow our social media for more information.

Thank you very much for that report you' very busy. Thank you. I' turn now to councilmember betty martinez franco.

Thank you. Good evening, everyone. I have a few updates to share from my office tonight. Next slide. I recently participated in hands on fire operations activities with OCFA and local three thousand six hundred thirty one just wearing their heavy uniform and equipment while performing under stressful events deepened my appreciation for the teamwork and courage of our firefighters demonstrate in every emergency situation.

I was also grateful to join Rancho San Joaquin residents in thanking the OCFA firefighters whose quick response helped stop a recent garage fire from spreading to neighboring homes. So thank you to o c f a for all you do to keep Irvine safe. Next slide. Last Thursday, I joined congressman Dave Meen and local leaders in a press conference to call for transparency after ICE confirmed its new office lease in Irvine. As an immigrant and as someone who has heard directly from residents who are scared and uncertain, this issue is deeply personal to me.

I remain committed to standing up for due process accountability and the well-being of all who call urban home. Next slide. My office will distribute free food next month to those in need in our communities by partnering with three of new Americans on Saturday, May 23 from three to five at my car community park. Next slide. Lastly, I invite you to stay connected by following me on social media. Next slide. You can also stay up to date by subscribing to our monthly newsletter where I'm sharing updates from District 5 and the city of Irvine. So please reach out if you have any questions or concerns thank you.

Thank you councilmember Martinez Franco councilmember go.

Thank you mayor hello everyone and thank you for joining us tonight I have updates on recent community events board updates for octa and scag as well as invitations to upcoming events next slide please. This past week, we toured the Call to Adventure Fire Museum and the Flying Weather Next Restoration Hangers at the Great Park. The Fire Museum recently had their grand opening in the city of Orange. Additionally, I attended the Exchange Club of Irvine to provide updates at the Great Park and upcoming events. Finally, I joined our community at the Irvine Police Department open house where residents were given a glimpse into our department's day to day operations.

Next slide, please. At OCTA, we authorized funding amendments for public outreach on the Route 55 improvements between the 405 and the 5, as well as allocated 27,800,000 in M2 funds for critical rail infrastructure. At SCAG, we adopted local data exchange and forecasted development pairing guiding principles, which will share regional transportation data across participating jurisdictions to support the Connect SoCal two thousand fifty. Next slide, please. I now invite you all to attend a few upcoming events here in Irvine.

The Great Park Library Planning Community Meeting will be on April 20, six to seven p. M. At the Great Park Studio. This is a great opportunity to provide input throughout the planning process. Additionally sickler vine is taking place on May 2 from 11AM to 4PM on Irvine Boulevard this open streets event will be temporarily closed the roads creating open streets for biking walking and other activities Finally, join my office for the Irvine Dream Run at the Great Park on Saturday, May 9. It's a great way to stay healthy and enjoy live music. Next slide, please. Feel free to scan the QR codes to sign up for updates on our newsletter and social media. This concludes our public comments thank you so much.

Thank you. I see no further requests so let me take a few minutes to offer announcements of citywide events. The irvine animal care center invites all runners walkers and animal lovers to support animals in need by participating in its virtual five ks through April 30. Complete the virtual five ks at your own pace at any location you choose every mile supports the health and well-being of animals in the center' care. To enter submit an entry fee of $35 at irvineanimals.org/5ks.

Complete your race before April 30 and receive an exclusive race medal and certificate. Enter your four legged friend to complete the five ks with you for an additional $8 and they will also receive their very own medal for completing the race. Proceeds go toward special programs at the irvine animal care center which provides sheltering care and enrichment for homeless neglected abused or unwanted animals. Next announcement earth day is April 22 and the entire month of April is recognized as earth month. We encourage residents and businesses to take meaningful actions to help preserve and protect our planet and pave the way for a greener future.

Celebrate earth day at quail hill community center this Saturday April 18 from 11AM to 2PM this event will offer guided hikes compost demonstrations and much more. We' also taking part in the national mayors challenge for water conservation which is taking place this month. This annual challenge presented by the wyland foundation and Vice residents to make a long term commitment to managing water resources more wisely. Visit mywaterpledge.com by April 30 to join the challenge and help conserve water on behalf of the city of irvine. In a city known for thoughtful planning and environmental stewardship we can lead by example and show how small everyday actions add up to real conservation.

For more information on these events visit cityofirvine.org slash earthday. Next, discover the next generation of artists with the return of the high school art exhibition on view through Friday May 15 right here at the Irvine City Hall. Featuring an inspiring collection of artwork by students attending high schools throughout Irvine this exhibition offers a compelling look at the voices and visions shaping the future of art. Awards will be presented for outstanding submissions during a free open reception on Thursday April 23 from 04:30 to 06:30 right here at City Hall. There will even be a mayor's choice award.

Additionally blick art materials will be generously donating art supplies to the classrooms of the winning high school students. Learn more about this exhibition at cityofirvine.org/artcityhall. Finally reporting potholes. Providing an exceptional quality of life is a point of pride for our city and of course safe well maintained roads are an important part of that commitment. Our city staff works diligently to repair potholes but with more than four seventy centerline miles of roadway our community plays an important role in helping us identify areas in need of attention.

If you see a pothole you can report it in one of three ways. First call our hotline at (949) 724-7600. I' going to repeat that (949) 724-7600. Reported a second way is to report it on our access irvine mobile app available at the apple and Google play app stores. Third you can submit your report quite simply at cityofirvine.org slash how can we help.

I' submitted my concern directly to the city manager regarding jamboree which is so heavily heavily used by commuters And, he reports to me all of Jamboree is going to be paved just a little later this spring. Is that correct?

Thank you for the question, Mayor. So, Jamboree is scheduled to be paved on a phased approach over the course of several years done by the worst sections first and yes those are imminently scheduled to be done.

Thank you. Again, we do enlist the public's help in this regard. We appreciate your partnership and helping us keep Irvine's streets safe and in excellent condition. That concludes the announcements for this evening. Allowing us to move on to the next item on the agenda which is additions and deletions. Mr. City manager are there additions or deletions to the agenda tonight?

None that I'm aware of.

All right.

Mayor.

Yes I was going to announce something why don' announce something first and then you can can offer your suggestions as well. Tonight is going to be a busy night for us we' on schedule actually we' a little ahead of schedule and I anticipate that we will be getting to item 4.1 after our consent calendar will be getting to item 4.1 a little ahead of seven and we have set aside in discussing this with the city manager and to some extent the city attorney as well we set aside about three hours to accommodate all the public comment as well as counsel comment and any possible action. There are other requested business items beginning with 5.1 through 5.5. 5.1 is a must address item which we will get to after we have concluded 4.1. Mindful of the concern expressed about the budget and which is put down as item 5.4 at the request of vice mayor and councilmember mye I' suggesting that that item be moved up to right after five point one and then as for the other items we will deal with them as best we can.

But by that time it will be quite late in the evening for those who might have come for those remaining items. With that I' turn to councilmember treseder.

I

thought I might in that regard so there we are. With the agenda now set we can move on to consent calendar items. Consent calendar items number three on our agenda. Consent calendar items are typically considered to be noncontroversial items handled in a single roll call vote. That they are routine doesn' t mean that they' unimportant and we of course offer an opportunity for citizens to be heard on those items.

Let me turn to our city clerk and ask how many requests we have to be heard on consent calendar items which tonight are items 3.1 through 3.6.

Thank you, mayor. There's one request to speak via Zoom.

All right. Why don't we take that right now? And then we can deal with the consent calendar. Right.

Thank you, mayor. If I could our speaker is Matt Pimentel. Matt, you may unmute your mic. And if you would, please note which item you're speaking to on the consent calendar. Thank you.

Hello, and I apologize. I was trying to raise my hand for a different item, so I will go back to you. I'll be back. Thank you.

And that is all Mr. Mayor.

Thank you. Let me just ask that one item be removed for separate consideration, which is item 3.5 and I' explain in a moment item 3.5 is response to the orange county grand jury report regarding connecting Orange County to Lax evaluating transportation options. Requesting that be removed and otherwise all make a motion to adopt the balance of the consent calendar. Is there a second? Second.

Seconded by Councilmember Goh. Would the clerk please call the roll?

Councilmember Go. Yes. Councilmember Liu. Yes. Councilmember Martinez Franco. Councilmember Trecedar.

Yes.

Vice Mayor Monty. Yes. And Mayor Agram. Yes. Carries six to zero of the members present.

Excellent. Let me explain why I withdrew item 3.5. The grand jury was engaged in a very exhaustive study about connecting various cities in Orange County to Lax. We had such a service here in the city of Irvine and would like to see service reestablished and I would like our response to reflect that. What I'm going to suggest for tonight because I don't want to burden this meeting with a major discussion here we have I think a couple of we have I think four to six weeks or so to get back to the grand jury with our response.

I would like to schedule this for a future council meeting for a full discussion including the history of our fire away connection I think it was called at that time years ago and what we might do to reestablish that service going forward. I' moved at this item be continued to an appropriate time giving staff time to look into this a little bit as well, come back to us. I think there' a date in May by which this is due. Am I correct? That' correct.

I move to continue this item to a time chosen by the city manager with the benefit of a staff report that can be made at that time as well. Is there a second?

Second.

Seconded by councilmember Liu. Any discussion? There being none, motion to continue is properly in order. Would the clerk please call the roll.

Councilmember Goh. Yes. Councilmember Lu.

Yes.

Councilmember Martinez Franco. Yes. Councilmember Trecedor.

Yes.

Vice Mayor Monty. Yes. Mayor Akron. Yes. Carries six to zero of the members present.

Thank you. We're ahead of schedule. This is terrific. We move into public hearings. I' like to say a word or two here.

Again, we anticipate as much as three hours of public comment and discussion here, staff presentation, presentations by others. I'm going to suggest that also from time to time as we call people up 10 at a time that if there's clarity about questions that are raised we may from time to time turn to our city attorney or staff to answer those questions to turn this into a little bit more of a give and take perhaps than is customary but we want to have all voices heard and I think we' be as generous as we can with time and opportunity to be heard. With that I will ask the city clerk to please identify this item 4.1 by title and subject.

Thank you mayor item 4.1 is zoning text amendment establishing an alternative open space approach for Planning Area 12 in Oak Creek.

This is a public hearing which is slightly more formal than we handle other things. I''ll declare the public hearing now open. And with that turn to our staff initially and then we will begin to hear from others in short order please introduce yourselves.

Good evening city council my name is alissa matthews I'm the planning manager here and I'm joined tonight by director fradey and we will be presenting a zone text amendment application filed by the irvine company to establish an alternative open space framework for Planning Area 12. The existing zoning ordinance requires Planning Area 12 to provide 176 acres of open space split between two parcels and Planning Area 12. These are required to remain under single ownership and operate as a public golf course. This slide shows the area affected by the zone text amendment and you can see those two parcels here. These parcels currently are operating as the Oak Creek Golf Course.

Can we make sure the monitor in front of us reflects what' behind us thank you.

The intent of this zoning text amendment is to allow the city to consider a nature park alternative to the Oak Creek Golf Course to meet open space obligations for planning area 12 it also requires future discretionary review and approvals for projects moving forward within this area. The zone text amendment specifically requires the following it would establish a public nature park and trail system allow for land dedication and improvements equivalent to 162 acres it would require a future park plan to include a minimum 50 acre public nature park required park improvements Jeffrey Open Space Trail connectivity Irvine Center Drive landscape improvements grade separated crossings and the dedication of three twelve acres of open space in Orchard Hills and Portola Springs. It is also important to understand what the zone text amendment does and what it does not do it allows for consideration of a public nature park and trail system on a portion of the golf course subject to a park plan park plan approval and it establishes a framework to evaluate whether that nature park would be equivalent in value to the current golf course it does not authorize any development or modify the general plan or zoning designations on any property within planning Area 12 and it does not change the obligation that the golf course be retained under single ownership and operate as a golf course nor does it change any requirements under the 1988 open space ballot measure.

Notice that this Council meeting was provided in accordance with all city standards we' received numerous comments in favor of the project and in opposition to this project. Staff reviewed the project and determined that no additional environmental review is required. The planning commission heard this item on March 19 over 100 speakers provided comments on the project both in favor and opposed to the project after hearing those comments the planning commission deliberated and ultimately voted unanimously to recommend city council approval of the item. With that city staff is recommending city council approval of the item. Before I conclude I'd like to note that the applicant is available and will be providing a brief presentation I will turn it over to them and when they conclude both applicant and staff are available for questions.

It's important to me because I live across the street from the nature park in the ranch, and I want to be a part of this because I have a wonderful

Did you want to introduce yourself first?

Yes, please. Mr. Mayor, members of the council, Jeff Davis.

Let me explain. As the applicant, our customary approach is to allow the applicant 10. That I be

think that should be sufficient.

That would be enough for you to present. All right. Go right ahead.

Thank you. Mr. Mayor, members of the council, Jeff Davis, behalf of the Irvine Company, the applicant. I do appreciate the opportunity to be here this evening and present an option to expand public open space in Irvine. The action before the council is unanimously recommended by the planning commission would allow an option to replace 162 acre privately owned golf course accessible and usable to a limited few with up to three sixty acres of publicly dedicated open space including 50 acres to be dedicated and built as a future nature park.

As only an option I'd like to reiterate here what staff just said the zoning does not amend any land use designations for any properties in the area. Moreover I' very pleased to say that our application has emerged from a very positive collaboration and encouragement from an engaged Irvine resident community seeking more publicly accessible open space in the city. In fact this is the same community based process used in the early 2000s to create the existing jeffrey open space trail or Jost in that case the city and the company agreed as an alternative to the 1988 implementing open space agreement for Jost that fewer acres of land could be dedicated in exchange for the company making all improvements to make the trail the wonderful place it is today. This process was possible in that resolution 80 eight-one in and of itself did not define any specific boundaries or any acreages within the open space areas. Instead it called for the establishment of an open space program that would be quote the subject of an agreement between the city and the landowner prior to implementation.

As an example here the investment in the consensus building that took place then and the alternative agreement and the resulting improvements we believe were well worth the exchange. Fast forward to today, consistent with the approach used in the early 2000s, over the last year the Irvine Company has met with 3,000 residents from 23 villages to listen to their ideas on open space thousands more have shared their thoughts online or through printed communications. In the end it became clear to us that residents wanted a consideration for nature park connected to the city's trail networks and closer to the heart of Irvine. This vision was defined with the help of that same community in a truly remarkable process. While the resulting option differs from the current golf course is fundamentally rooted in the Jeffrey Trail process and therefore a consistent approach implementing the open space program.

I want to express my heartfelt thanks to the thousands of residents that we've had contact with in this planning process. Their input led to a community vision for the proposed nature park which our interpretive planner, Jenny Rigby, will now share with you. Jenny?

Good evening my name is Jennifer Rigby I'm an interpretive planner and designer with forty six years of experience in the field and studio. 10 as a frontline naturalist and educator at a nature center public aquarium and a zoo and thirty six years with the acorn group among other projects we planned designed and developed the interpretive media at nicks nature center Portola Springs Quail Hill Bomber Canyon Lagoona Coast Wilderness Park Bolsa Chica Wetlands and the Bolsa Chica Conservancy Interpretive Center my role with this current project is as co facilitator of the community engagement process. In this capacity I work closely with the Irvine Company and SWA Group. Together we focused on creating an open welcoming platform for the community meetings. We encourage feedback at each step and we integrated it into a successive series of drawings.

We began at the dreaming stage, an open ended exploration of what could constitute a nature park. We provided an overview of Irvine's open space and images of sample amenities. Community members shared their thoughts about them, nature trails, bridges, nature centers, botanical gardens, meadows, and woodlands. At the second round of community engagement meetings we shared this draft site plan that you see in a planning notebook all based on the community's input. We entered an analytical stage Community members worked in small breakout groups to review each amenity on the basis of form and function.

At last, at the third set of workshops, we allowed for a draft set of illustrations and ideas to coalesce. Community members responded to refined illustrations of the possible, refined illustrations of possible amenities they included botanical and pollinator gardens these gardens are cultivated spaces that focus on native plants that are specifically designed to support native pollinators such as butterflies and hummingbirds. A meandering creek was strongly desired by the community and it could follow the grade from east to west through the nature park past a potential nature center, cafe, and nature play area. But the top priority expressed by residents was an extensive network of new trails interconnected with the regional trail system. The scale of the land could accommodate up to five miles of new trails.

Safety and continuous travel were major priorities residents identified two potential bridge crossings one at the rail tracks and one at Irvine Center dry as key features to complete the Jeffrey Open Space Trail Within the interior of the nature park, residents requested natural multi track trails that safely accommodate both pedestrians and cyclists. During this planning work, I was struck by three things. The mix of community members from throughout Irvine who consistently showed up for each workshop, college students, millennials, young parents, grandparents and next door neighbors they all shared a common bond that bond is the desire to create a nature park that facilitates enjoyment in a natural environment consisting of native plants plant habitats, and wildlife including songbirds and butterflies. And third, that there is common agreement among all these community members about the desired amenities. Their motivation for visiting a nature park may differ but their vision of that setting is very similar.

SWA group was able to create renderings such as this to capture that vision.

It's important to me because I live across the street from the nature park in the ranch. And I want to be a part of this because I have a wonderful husband who is handicapped. And so we do the parks, but for us, this would be a park where we just go across the bridge on Jeffrey Road and then down into the nature park that would really help us out and give us a place to go on a beautiful afternoon.

They don't just want, you know, feedback about what they wanna hear, but are actually inviting criticism and seeing what works and seeing what doesn't. The planners involved are taking the community, into account and, listening to feedback and rolling it into their plans.

Definitely excited about having separate paths for cyclists and pedestrians. Having a dedicated trail makes it just easier to traverse if I'm just doing more recreational exercise. Having that ability to kinda go through that area and then having it connected to other trails like Quail Hill and then up towards Portola is awesome opportunity. Opportunity.

I'm looking forward to, like, having a great place to go to to decompress, to go on walks with friends, to be able to hang out, to just be by myself sometimes, be with my family, you know. I love it. I love that I can just go to a place in Irvine down the street from me and experience that and feel like I'm in a whole different place on vacation maybe.

Mr. Mayor that concludes our presentation I and my team are here to answer questions either now or at the conclusion of the public testimony.

Thank you thank you for your presentation. I think will probably have you on standby as we begin to get into this. Just wanted to turn to our city attorney at this moment to underscore what is in front of us what it does and what it doesn't do. The word consider was italicized. Would you put that slide up again?

I think it was your first slide. And with that, as you're looking for it, I'm going to turn to Mr. Melchin and have him, thank you, have him speak to these two bullet points. We obviously welcome testimony but we don't want there to be a misunderstanding about what we are or might be doing tonight and what we're not doing tonight.

Thank you mayor. With your permission I'll start with the second question first. The general plan designation for this property is P preservation. There is no general plan amendment in front of the City Council tonight. The general plan designation for the property will remain P, preservation, if the agenda item is approved.

The land use designation for the property is 1.4 preservation. There is a zoning code amendment in front of you tonight, but it doesn't change the 1.4 preservation designation for the land. That is to say, if the agenda item is approved tonight, the property will remain in the 1.4 preservation category. All of it. The 1.4 preservation category is defined in chapter three-37.5 of the zoning code.

Preservation allows no residential development. It generally allows no commercial development, but there is a carve out recognizing that there are some commercial uses on the golf course. So, if the item is approved tonight, because the property will remain in the 1.4 preservation category and because the 1.4 preservation category does not allow residential or industrial, this action item is not an approval of industrial development. That's what it's not. What it is, is the creation of an option that would allow the City Council to consider, as a matter of process, a different means of fulfilling open space obligations in this planning area.

That's all it is. The idea that it is the approval of development or that development has even been proposed is a question for another day. The question whether that development would require a general plan amendment, it would, and whether that general plan amendment would require a vote of the people or the council would require that that general plan amendment go before the people, that's also a question for another day and something that the council can take up if and when development is proposed.

Thank you. I hope that's helpful. And with that, unless my counsel colleagues have any questions of staff at this time or was to say anything, Seeing none without further ado then I would suggest that we go forward with public comment how many requests are there Mr. Peterson to be heard.

Thank you Mr. Mayor we have 114 speakers.

114 speakers let's leave the queue open a little while here. There may be a few more that wish to drop in. How many of those are in person and how many are remote?

Out of the 114 we have 107 on zoom excuse me 107 in person.

107 in person. Correct. So let' leave the queue open there probably will be some who wish to participate let' leave the queue open for at least the next ten or fifteen minutes and allow ninety seconds to those who are testifying in person let me say something to tree lovers including myself I somehow managed to bypass the arbor day recognition which we will take up between this item and 5.1 real quickly, but after this item, all right? So to anybody who was here for that, I apologize. And we'll get into that a little later on.

Shall we begin?

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. If I could call forward Doug Karstens, Rolf Parks, Derek Sherk, John L. Britton, Ray Perello, Lisa Wood, Bill Schultz, Christy Chen, and Christina Shea. Welcome to you all. We'll start with Mr. Carstens.

Hello good evening honorable mayor council members city attorney and city manager. I am Doug Karstens I' here on behalf of the orange tree homeowners association and save rvine open space and among this 114 speakers amazing we oppose this zone change and we ask that you vote no or submit it to the voters let them decide whether initiative resolution 80 eight-one means what it says or may be disregarded or eroded that is a question for tonight and it's not another day the bottom line is this zone change allows the process of converting 176 acres dedication requirement in the ordinance into a 50 acre potential park promise the city should keep the 176 acre dedication or put it to the voters if the change should be made As stated in our March 25 letter to you this zone change would be invalid because it is inconsistent with the open space element of the general plan and it violates initiative resolution eighty eight one. The city council must submit it to the voters of Irvine our letters of March 25 and July 17 show why that is citing palavand of mission indians initiative eighty eight one is effective to change the general plan it is the current law of the city we disagree with the city attorney on this regard the city must obtain voter approval it must comply with the California environmental quality act this is not exempt from environmental review under either of the acclaimed exemptions this leads to development.

Your time is

up.

Thank you.

It should

be put to

the voters or say no.

Thank you thank you for your comments and welcome sir.

I' rell farx and this is my attorney that I brought to speak to all the people about what the real law is and not what the facade is. That the big picture here is the whole space okay it's you're starting with this 50 acre park but you don't get that park unless you give them a 150 acres of homes. Mr Davis am I right or wrong are you still here Yeah he left.

No he didn't.

That would have been a great question for somebody to ask you. You won't get that park without a 150 acres of homes which amounts to I don't know another what 10,000 people or whatever okay I'm not sure where you're trying to go with the park because you can't get it without 150 acres of homes. I'm a retired police officer here. Worked here for thirty years. I was a detective with chief cat over here during several of those years for six of these years I was one of the sergeant at arms and I sat here and I watched you know you guys make laws and stuff like that but I never saw you break a law and you know I never had a chance to break a law if I was a police officer because I just decided I wanted to I don't think you really have the right to break that law either 88 dash one as you heard Mr Carson say is the law of the land And somehow, we're going to have a facade and a make believe that somehow you can break the law.

And you can't. So I'm imploring for you to think about what you're going to tell these people

out here for the rest

of the night.

Thank you. Welcome, sir. Derek?

My name is Derek and I live in Orangetree. This deceptive proposal is not really about building a 50 acre park. It's a backdoor attempt to remove open space requirements from the other 120 acres so that Irvine Company can build luxury McMansions and make a fortune.

The City Council should reject

this piecemeal approach. This matter should be tabled until we get some commitment from the Irvine Company about what they will build on the other 120 acres. We all received their mailer with the pretty watercolor paintings of the nature park. The McMansions are hidden in this map that's in this mailer. But it does show a new school and the slide shown tonight shows a new school too.

They know that the community would support a new school especially the desperate parents in Oak Creek area. This is because the Oak Creek Elementary School suffers from severe overcrowding after Irvine Company built the Los Olivos neighborhood with no school. Irvine Company promised a school in Los Olivos but that was just another one of their lies. Instead they built high rise housing and made out like bandits. So since half the city now believes that this school is include that there's a new school included in this proposal would Irvine Company like to tell us how many acres they will provide for this new school maybe Mr.

Davis can address that in but at this point we have no commitment for that they have offered nothing other than pretty pictures and some slick marketing in summary I urge the council to table this matter reject this piecemeal approach require Irvine company to make specific enforceable commitments regarding Thank the new school shown in the

you very much.

Thank you welcome sir john l britain

mayor council members where is mike carol whose district this affects your staff report says this whole thing doesn't violate 80 eight-one that is an outright lie because this whole thing is about building Oak Creek Village on this permanent open space. If you all pass this thing all of you are complicit in this lie this whole thing started last year with an MOU about Oak Creek Village Now it's just about a 50 acre park and nobody is discussing the Oak Creek Village. During the summer we were discussing a ballot initiative to let the city decide. That got tabled and never picked up because the Irvine company changed their tactic to no longer discuss the Oak Creek Village but just a 50 acre park. This is a Trojan horse.

If you allow this then you are effectively approving the entire Oak Creek Village. You don't have the authority to do this permanent open space open space into a housing development without putting it to a vote of the entire city. All of you know it including your unethical city attorney lawyer. Stop this nonsense and kill this end zone around rezoning attempt to build Oak Creek Village on land that is supposed to be free of development forever as you mayor Agron once wrote on numerous occasions in articles over the years. This is your greatest legacy mayor. Please remember that.

Thank you and welcome. Ray Perello.

Good evening mayor, council members. Irvine company faces several significant criticisms and failings not just customer complaints but legal and regulatory issues. The company has been accused of violating multiple civil codes and engaged in unfair business practices complaints have been filed regarding shoddy business tactics and a lack of accountability. Customer complaints construction and marketing challenges despite plans to build 9,000 new units across California the company faces challenges due to significant decline in construction statewide attributing to high interest rates and marketing oversupply. Is that what you want to align yourself with?

I know irvine has its own challenges I got that beautiful brochure in my mail too they have three zero two open space trails and walkways three zero two you have three courses in Irvine golf courses you take one away that' two. How fair is that it' a beautiful nature park leave it for the people to vote its third decision its third town not ervine company not the council members thank you.

Good Thank

evening, mayor Agram and council members. My name is Lisa Wood, and I'm a twenty three three year resident of Orange Tree, represented by council member Carol, who is not here tonight. I am here tonight because I'm deeply disappointed by that the city council is not standing up for the voters of Irvine. In 1988 residents made their intent clear Oak Creek is permanent open space. The only reason we are here now is because the city failed to record the easement it was legally obligated to record.

That mistake does not erase the will of the people. I also want to address a repeated misrepresentation. The Irvine Company is proposing to develop roughly two thirds of the existing open space and then relabel the remaining one third as a nature park. That is not a gift that is a net loss of protected land and a massive reduction of the open space voters were promised would be permanent the irvine company received major development rights elsewhere in exchange for keeping this land open they have already been compensated now they're trying to use a technicality to undo a voter approved protection and the city council is allowing the process to move forward as if eighty eight one were optional it is not optional it is voter approved law I expect my elected officials to defend voter authority not defer to a private developer

thank you your time is up

you. Welcome Good

evening I'm Bill Schultz, a resident of the Orange Tree neighborhood. You know the person with all the right answers will always have a job. That job is working for the person who has all the right questions. My question tonight is why am I here? What motivates me to come into this hostile environment and let alone speak?

It's because Irvine has my heart it's truly a special city. When I learned of the opportunity to provide input into the development of a nature park that integrates and completes the jost to be built right across the street from Win Street I was curious and I went to observe. I was struck by the sincerity in which input was solicited from the dozens and dozens of residents. Was hooked attending every follow-up session clearly demonstrated to me that the planning team had the right questions and was listening to and incorporating the feedback provided. Over several months a spectacular nature park plan emerged and everyone attended even one of those sessions had a part in that spectacular plan.

I support the rezoning of this area and have one additional request. Require inclusion of a pedestrian walkway over Berronka at over provide connection to the San Diego Creek Trail.

You. Time is up.

Truly complete. Thank you for your comments. Christie Chen. Welcome.

Good evening, mayor, vice mayor, and council members. My name is Christie Chen. I attend the planning workshops and meetings for the proposed nature park in Central Irvine. And after learning more about Irvine's trails, parks, and open spaces, I just wanted to share that I support this effort. This nature park is a great investment in our community.

It will create a safe, beautiful place where people of all ages, kids, adults, and older adults can spend time outdoors, stay active, and connect with nature. As a mother of four, all of my children attended Stone Creek Elementary School, Lakeside Middle School, and Woodbridge High School. With my youngest still at the Woodbridge, I have seen how important spaces like these really are. A nature park gives our youth a positive alternative to hang out. It's a place where they can explore, recharge, and spend their time in a healthier, more meaningful way.

Irvine has always done a great job with thoughtful planning, and this project is another example of that, focusing on wellness, long term well-being, and bring the community together. I respectfully urge your support for the natural park in the Central Irvine. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you for your comments. Christina Shea, and

if I could also call forward Paul Vu, Ryan Bates, Michael I'm sorry, Mr. LeBlanc has a PowerPoint. Joanne Slabodian, Geraldine Larson, Mike Nystrom, Kimberly Go, Jamie Acklander, Tim Wynn, and Natalie Polin.

Welcome former mayor christina shea.

Thank you so much very nice to be here we've been doing this for a year now so you're getting used to be coming back. I want to say hi to all the council members and I'm very very disappointed at Mike Carroll he is our district representative for District 4 that I live in with this project is in and it's amazing how many times he doesn't show up to meetings when things are tough but you all show up and I have to congratulate you for that. I just want to say mayor Agron you are the architect and father of our open space that got approved in 1988 and reapproved in 1992. It is law. This planning process that's been going on this year is illegal we should not even be having this planning process until it goes back to the voters this needs to go back to the ballot.

Do I like that nature park I love it in fact I met with the Irvine Company and my proposal was to build a wildlife park which is pretty much is what what they' proposing but it cannot be done until the voters approve the development that they' planning they' not telling most of the people that to pay for this nature park they're gonna have to build up to 5,000 homes to cover that cost it's gonna devastate center open space and if we do this now can you imagine how many other areas in our city that are open space are now could be open to development because we're violating the law this can't go on it can't continue and I'm asking you to please do the right thing and put it on the ballot Thank you so much.

Paul Vu.

Hello. My name is Paul Vu, and I want to implore you to reject the rezoning request. That planning commission decision was based on wrong legal advice. Attorney Carsten, a land use legal expert, has already sent to you a letter explaining that this rezoning request is invalid and erroneous. Thus, your approval of the zone rezoning request would expose the city to unnecessary lawsuits and liability.

The save Irvine open space committee wants the Oak Creek property to be a nature park with all 176 acres as open space with no new homes built. The people advocating for the Irvine company's plan for a 58 nature 50 acre nature park are actually agreeing with us about the the need for open space, but they only want 30% set aside as a park, not the full 100% as required by eighty eight dash one. The issue of the Oak Creek open space should be put on the ballot as Larry Egren said last year. If you do not put this on the ballot in 2026, the citizens will start another initiative to force a special election in 2027, costing the city 2,000,000 more than if you hold the election this year. With the city already already running a deficit of over $6,000,000, it would be it would be physically physically

Thank you, for

you to not hold this election in 2026. Thank you.

Ryan Bates.

Good evening, mayor and city council members. My name is Ryan Bates, I represent a committee of residents called the irvine neighbors for nature dedicated the expansion of the Jeffrey Open Space Trail Connection and the development of the proposed nature park I and hundreds of individuals met with the planners of the park to provide our input on the plan many of us were not able to be here tonight but it would be a loss not consider the time care and passion they put into making this project representative of all walks of life demographics and length of residency and I'm sure you can appreciate given where we're at this evening and the events of this afternoon why some of them did not feel safe speaking tonight to address some of the things that have been said about supporters of this park we are not a collection of individuals who in any way financially benefit from this option moving forward I personally been accused of being a plant or a paid agent but mayor agron you've met my children at the pancake breakfast you I drive on Jeffrey every day from Oak Creek to my work and on Jeffrey and sorry Jamboree and Michelle I love golfing I don't hike I don't own a bike I've been called an indoor cat and I have every expectation that my commute will be worse in the coming years but the truth is this nature park will make this already special place even better even if I don't directly benefit from it my love for the city and my intention to live here for the rest of my life are the reasons I so fully endorse creating a truly open space in the heart of Irvine We have a chance to create something that will benefit all Irvine residents for generations, and I hope you allow this once in a lifetime opportunity to come to life.

Thank you.

Joanne Slabodian.

Hi everyone you are being offered a 50 acre nature park but to get it you give up a 126 acres of protected open space that's a land swap you lose leverage the Irvine company gains billions the city loses millions under 26 acres at Oak Creek are stripped of protections and traded for alternate land elsewhere including again avocado groves leaving them open to development the land is undervalued prices a golf course not development the land That costs you guys millions. You're facing a $6,000,000 shortfall. You don't fix a deficit by giving away protected land at a discount. You're getting about 96,000,000 proposed benefits, not even direct cash, plus alternate land that leaves the city worse off this is a deal after the deal this is piecemeal that's how you create chaos but not for by not following the general plan twice voter approved resolution 88 dash one was meant to protect this land this proposal does the exact opposite you should be focusing on getting the easement not rezoning there's only an offer of an easement tied to a 75% condition no one can verify without it the land isn't protected move forward and you give up your biggest bargaining power your job is to secure our protection not give away your leverage residents saw council members on the golf course with the Irvine company yesterday People are asking is this a done deal?

Thank you

your time is

up.

Thank you.

Geraldine Larson.

Good evening mayor Egren and esteemed council members. Nice to see you tonight. Sorry. I'm realizing how old I'm getting because I'm kind of slow doing this now. So when we think about the legacy we leave behind in Irvine, we're not just thinking about buildings.

We're thinking about the spaces that bring people, families, and communities together. My name is Gigi Larson. I'm a small business owner, and I'm a past president of the Filipino American Chamber of Commerce of Orange County. So I'm here in strong support of the planned nature park. This project protects our environment, supports community health, and creates opportunities for education and connection.

It reflects the kind of forward thinking leadership that makes Irvine one of the best places to live and work. I respect respectfully urge you to support PH12, the Nature Park zone change, because this is not just a project. It's a legacy for future generations. I loved being an Irvine resident. I loved it when my son grew up here. I was walking my nieces to the schools. We were doing soccer games at the parks here. Irvine is beautiful. There is room for change, but from what I've seen at the nature park.

Thank you. Your time is up.

Thank

you very much for your comments. Mike Nystrom. Welcome sir. Good evening

hello mayor agrin and city council members thank you for going through this again I' an original owner in Northward Point have been here for twenty five years and have been active in the community for all that time. I moved here for the parks for the schools for the sense of community and the open space. Jeffrey Open Space Trail is that open space this nature park proposal continues that and helps fulfill the vision that we' had for Irvine. I' had the opportunity to meet with dozens of business owners and community residents who all want open space which means they want this plan to go forward. We represent we don' have matching shirts were not very loud but we represent a cross section of all the villages all the communities and a cross section of demographics which will all benefit from the new nature park.

There' always opposition and I' been fortunate to go to some of the planning meetings and see the careful work and the acceptance of input and changes that the irvine company has made while putting this plan forward. That this careful consideration is the reason that we fully support the irvine company plan. Thank you.

Thank you for your comments. Kimberly Welcome.

Good evening. My name is Kimberly Goh. I am an entrepreneur and I'm a resident of Woodbury Village. Irvine has always been a city that thinks ahead and I believe this is one of those moments. I'd love to see the Oak Creek Golf Course reimagined as a nature park, a space that any resident can enjoy freely.

A nature park would give families a place to gather, children a place to explore, and neighbors a reason to slow down and connect. No fees, no gates, just open green space in the heart of our city. I understand this is a complex decision with many voices involved. I simply hope that as you weigh those voices you'll consider how many more residents could benefit from this space as a nature park. Irvine has always invested in its people I hope this will be another example of that.

Thank you for your comments. Jamie Acklander. Welcome, sir. Hello, my

name is Jaime Acklander. Thanks the council for listening to me. Yes, I do oppose this rezoning because, you know, I'm concerned, we are talking here about parks. Everybody wants parks and open spaces, but that's not why the urban company is proposing this. They not a philanthropical action.

They want to build 5,000 units, residential units in that space. That should be the issue, not the park. By the way, it seems that the people of Irvine do want parks. Fine, consider that with the park and recreation people, But, now, we don't have to give away 88.1, which is what was bought long time ago. Regarding boats, I'm very concerned about boats.

I disagree to some of my friends here because we are getting this as the Irvine proposal. I have to use CSI Irvine, that's my wife, to understand that this is come from the Irvine company, not from the city. So, if we vote, I'm concerned that this is going to be misleading us. This is not about park, it's about building, okay? And, the other thing, don't kick this five years from now for further discussion. They will come back to us even when none of us will be here. Thanks, counsel.

Thank you for your comments.

Is Tim Nguyen here? Tim Nguyen? Natalie? Okay, go ahead. And if I could also call forward Chenchala Singh, Tiffany Aguinaldo, Claire Na, Pumi, Emix, Sue, Nida, and Jeff Bautista, and Laura Sinanian. Welcome.

Hi, I'm Natalie Poulin and I've lived in Irvine for thirty years and I am an active user of our parks and recreational services. And I am here because I really love this park plan and I want you to know there is support for it. I believe that this park serves a different kind of need than our other existing parks. When my kid was little we went to the community parks and we got to know all the best playgrounds. When he was older we did all of those soccer fields and we've used many of the open space trails that are you know more intimidating physically to use.

But this particular park, it serves the need for those of us who want something closer by, more accessible, but still have that immersive feel in where you feel like you're immersed in nature. I believe that if this park is built it will become the crown jewel of Irvine's park system it will it will connect our Jeffrey Open Space Trail with our other trails and I really look forward to it and I really hope that we can make it happen. Thank you.

Thank you for your comments.

Shinchala, welcome.

It's been ten years I moved here, and I love this place. I lived here, and I support the park. I'm Irvine resident, and I support the park.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Esteemed counsel

welcome

my name is tiffany aguinaldo and I support irvine company and agenda item 4.1 the Planning 12 Nature Park I have been a resident of Irvine for more than ten years and I along with my husband have chosen Irvine as a place to grow our roots and raise our daughter. For several months I have spent several hours alongside my fellow community members and hosted focus groups with irvine company for the development and planning of this nature park. After reviewing the most recent plans I was pleased to see that the irvine company listened and integrated the feedback and input from the group discussions. When you make your decision and vote on this agenda item I hope you' think about the future you' creating for Irvine and the aspects of the city that our family along with other families enjoy. With approval of this agenda item you will help ensure this generation and the next will have years of new experiences enjoying nature and appreciating the city's outdoors.

Thank you.

Thank you for your comments. Is Claire Nong? Claire?

Pumi.

Welcome, sir.

Hi. Hi, council members and Mr. Mayor. This is my second town meeting, and this is really cool. I shook your hand once. I'm sure you don't remember, but I so I'm an Irvine resident. I lived here for seven years. And I just got married. My wife is in the back. Hi, Annie. Sorry. And I love this city. This is a beautiful city. And I think it's fantastic here. And as both of my meetings have been with this policy, it's also a very passionate city.

I love the people here. I love how much they care about this city. And I really want to spend the rest of my life here. I know we've been talking a lot about the nature park, and how that's like the main thing, the main draw. But as someone who has rented their whole life, I would like housing.

I would like to live here. And I don't make a lot of money. Just teach kids with autism. And it's it's it's hard to find a place here. And I support this, and I hope to see more things happen. Thank you Mr. Mayor.

Thank you for your comments. Okay. You. Amix. Welcome sir.

Hello. Good evening. My name is Amix Diehl. Thank you for the time. As a local business owner and a founding member of Phil Am, a local Irvine nonprofit, I've seen what truly helps the community grow and stay connected. I strongly support the nature park. This project will create a peaceful nature's space, bring people together, and enhance the quality of life for the residents. Investments like this make people want to live here in Irvine, stay here, and invest in the city, benefiting both residents and local businesses. I encourage you to move forward with this project. Thank you.

Thank you for your comments, sir. Sue Lipps Sue Lipps Naida

Mohabed.

Welcome.

Good evening, Mayor Agrin and honorable city council members. My name is Nita, and I'm here today to express my support for transforming the Oak Creek Golf Course into a nature park for our community. As an Irvine resident for nearly thirty years, Irvine is just where I live. It's my home. And my son grew up here schooling, completing his college in UCI.

And now as a grandmother to a three year old, I find myself thinking about the kind of environment she will grow up in and how spaces like this will shape her life. Some of my most meaningful moments have been spent walking the Jeffrey Open Space Trail with family and friends, enjoying the beauty and peace that our city so thoughtfully preserves. That is why this vision feels so important to me as nature park that includes botanical gardens, inclusive playgrounds designed for children of all learning abilities and safe hiking and walking trails would be an incredible gift to our community. The opportunity to safely connect trails from Hicks Canyons to Jeffrey Open Space Trail and into the proposed nature park without navigating busy roads would truly be a gift to our community. It would allow the families

Thank you. Time is up.

Finish your sentence. Go ahead. Finish your sentence.

So many others to spend more time outdoors walking, exploring.

Thank you. Thank you for your comments.

Jeff Bautista.

Welcome, sir.

Mayor agrin city council members good evening my name is Jeff Bautista the president of the Filipino American chamber of commerce of orange county and I am one of the over 100 letters in support of this nature park project and giving you the option to make that a reality at the recent city planning commission meeting I shared a personal story where I was taking my young nieces ages seven and nine They recently immigrated from The Philippines and we were visiting beaches and parks in Orange County, and one of them looks up to me and says, Uncle, we get to play here for free? And I looked at her and I said, yes. And she said, wow. With that joyous wonderful child smile. You guys all know what that looks like.

Now, that little exchange reminded me how great our country is. That's something like that is not available to them in The Philippines, which is why for her it was such an amazing, amazing revelation. And so I ask you to remember how great a role it is that you play in making sure that that kind of smile that that kind of feeling and that who we are as a country and as a city remains that beacon for for everyone in the world thank you

Thank you for your comments.

Laura Sinanian, and if I could also call forward Neil Estrada, Bobby McDonald, Hema N, Majid Mohavid, Jerry Chang, Sally Ann Sheridan, Greg Smith, and Linda Smith. Welcome.

Good evening mayor and all the council members. I'm gonna say I was here when you mayor gave your state of the city. You mentioned how you wanna create safe how Irvine is safe. You mentioned community. You mentioned school. All the changes that you're making towards improving the city better to a better and better. This park, we created for that, for community, for family. I know you have grandchildren. You do wanna celebrate their birthdays. Right?

We have a community center over there for free to do it because right now everything expensive. How you gonna afford to have a birthday, quinceanera, wherever you wanna celebrate with your family when things are going more expensive? This is in the park gonna be that safe haven place where you can relax, where you can celebrate, create memories. This is not about just us. This is about us and the future. We cannot only talk about just us and this moment. This moment is just today. It's passing. You sleep. Tomorrow is a new day.

But we're thinking about just now and just ourselves. We're not thinking about the future. We're not

thinking Thank you. About Your time is up.

Thank you.

Thank you for your comments. Neil Estrada. Neil. Bobby McDonald.

Bobby McDonald. Hema.

Welcome.

Thank you. Good evening, all. My name is Hema Nipolleri. I'm here representing ABAOC in support of the proposed nature park. Projects like this are incredibly valuable not just for recreation but for the long term well-being of our community.

Expanding open space and improving trail connectivity reflect Irvine's motto, love where you live, and help bring that vision to life. As a fifteen year Irvine resident and a person who runs a tech company and an active member of the business community, I've seen how access to high quality green space helps attract talent and investment. I appreciate the vision behind this project and encourage the city to move it forward. Thank you for your kind consideration.

Thank you for your comments. Majid?

Welcome. Good evening, honorable Mr. Mayor and city council members, city officials, public at large. I just want to repeat what I wrote to the city already just as a a save time. I want to express my strong support for moving this project forward and making the nature park a reality.

I've been a West Park resident for almost twenty four years, and one of the things I value most about living in Irvine is how seamlessly the neighborhoods are connected. Just last Saturday, I rode my bike from my home to X Canyon Trail, then to the Jeffrey Open Space Trail, and finally to Stonegate Park to watch my four year old grandson play softball. Experiences like that are exactly what makes Irvine special and priceless. With the pedestrian bridge over the I-five nearly complete, only one major safety improvement remains, achieving full uninterrupted connectivity of the trail system at Jeffrey And I-five. The proposed nature park would provide that missing link allowing residents and trail user to travel safely and completely off the roads.

This would be a tremendous benefit to the surrounding neighborhoods and to everybody who enjoys living everyone's living network. Thank you very much.

Thank you for your comments. Jerry Chang.

Is Jerry here? Ms. Sheridan?

Welcome to former mayor Sally Ann Sheridan. Welcome to Irvine. Thank you.

Mayor Egren and council members, I'm here tonight along with my former council law colleagues to speak about the elephant in the room. The elephant that I'm referring to is a new Irvine company with new leadership and no history. The issue before us is not about a change for a nature park. It is the first step in the promotion of a massive development of more than 4,000 housing units in an area designated for permanent open space. The new Irvine company has built a team of public relations people who have been given a task to implementing and convince people that the nature park is a worthy project, not mentioning to many of them the development.

They have a need. They have tried to block the gathering of signatures on a petition. They have threatened HOAs and any other person who would be in opposition to this project, including the Oak Creek Golf Course staff. If the area of Oak Creek is rezoned as proposed, it will be a dereliction of all

the open faces you've missed by the Congressman. Just take a few more moments. Our city clerk is obligated to interrupt at ninety seconds, But I want you to finish your comments. Go Thank you.

We are requesting that you do not vote the zone change tonight and keep open space as voted by the people of Irvine. Thank you. Thank you.

Greg Smith. Thank you we have a number of formers here I want to welcome former city council member former school board member Greg Smith. Thank you very

much good evening irvine council I am Greg Smith a former irvine city council member planning commissioner and school board trustee. Tonight's agenda item and much of the discussion I think missed the main issue. It's not the zone change or the nature park. These are kind of distractions. The overriding issue is simple.

Will a prior vote of the people regarding the entire Oak Creek open space be upheld or will it be ignored? With so much talk these days about democracy and transparency there is only one right and ethical action to take tonight. Table the zone change. Go back to the voters with a straightforward question. No multiple choice. No language about nature parks or land swaps. No complicated initiatives. Just an up or down vote on this vital question. Should the entirety of the Oak Creek open space put in place by the voters be preserved? Thank you very much.

Thank you for your time. Linda Smith. Welcome.

Good evening mayor Agron and city council. I'm Linda Smith, no relation. And I've been a resident of Wood Bridge since 1983. I would agree with mayor shea that mayor agrin you are the architect of the open space in Irvine and that' one of the reasons we continue to live here is the thoughtful development of residential retail recreation and open space how this issue has gotten this far is baffling to me this was mandated in eighty eight point one and Mr. Melching I'm going look at you you're not paying attention he said that development was not a question in this will somebody better tell the Irvine company that because I'm getting mailings that tell me I can joyfully embrace a 50 acre park it should be a 176 acre park and 3,000 units or except 5,000 units this is about development okay so that is the question we should table this nothing should change it's not an issue of how many units It's an issue of open space.

If it's going to be a park, it should be a 176 acres. It's not about a golf course.

Do the

right thing and send this back to the voters.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Neil, and if I could also call forward Katherine Ossan, Dave Fosche, Judith Steinhauser, Sherry Kettler, Paula Miller, Jim Foley, Monte Taylor, Matt B, Farrah Kanchar, and Emma Zhao.

Evening mayor Agram. Evening city council. You for having me here. Well tonight is highly contested but I am here to say I've been a twenty two year resident of Irvine and some of the things we enjoy of Irvine are going to be the open space, the retail shops, the community, and the housing. But I will say this, I do have two children and I take them to a park every single weekend that I can.

And one of the things that I've noticed when Irvine Company invited me to be part of this you know planning to see what's to see what they're doing I was actually very surprised that they actually invited not only people who might be for the park but people who might be against the park they invited all demographics and Irvine the city of Irvine is a city we all love but one of the things about Irvine is has the number one park system in California the number two nationwide and I just think having this nature park will elevate the park experience even more for the city of Irvine for those of us who support it we're going to can we're going to go to the nature park for those who don't support this right now I'm willing to bet some of us will eventually be at the park anyway we have parents we have kids we have grandkids and the nature park I think would be a great use of this open space thank you very much

thank you Catherine Hosann thank you for your comments and welcome

good evening mayor and council members my name is Kathy Hosann I'm a forty plus year Irvine resident I voted for resolution 80 eight-one because it continued the priorities under which the city of Irvine was planned a balance between housing development and open space Under this agreement, some areas including planning Area 12 Oak Creek were designated permanent open space. Permanent in the dictionary means intended to remain unchanged indefinitely. That means forever. The Irvine Company received development rights in other parts of the city in exchange for this. This is a critical location in the center of our city, and it needs to remain open.

So why would we ever agree to accept a 50 acre park when we all voted for a 176 acres of open space? The Irvine company has already received compensation. No one is talking about the effect of three to 5,000 more cars on Jeffrey Road. Drive down Jeffrey on a Saturday. Try to get to this park. The city council cannot ethically and legally consider changes without the vote of city residents

Thank you. Time is already

voted for this open space. Please send

it

to the voters and reject this.

Thank you. Thank you for your comments. Dave Fauci. Welcome sir.

I haven't lived in Irvine all my life. I'm kind of a new guy here. I've only been here thirty years. But the biggest thing that I've seen, and obviously I'm a golfer and I want the golf course to stay, but my biggest concern is like when you drive down Jamboree and Alton and Barranca and you see these five story housing massive units, do we want that there? No.

I think that's what you're gonna get because that's that's how they're gonna build that number of units on that space. You know, I just I don't wanna go against all the regulations and the law stuff that's for you guys to handle. But I think that's the biggest change I've seen in Irvine since I got here. I thought this was a wonderful laid back little place when I came here. And over the last number of years, five years, three years, the last two or three years, all we see are these monstrosities being built.

There are times I go to the grocery store, and I can't even find a parking place anywhere near the grocery store. It happens everywhere you go. I'm against it, but you guys are gonna do what you're gonna do. Thank you.

Thank you for your comments. Judith Steinhauser, Welcome.

Thank you.

I've been a resident and own property here since 1982. I've raised my children. My grandchildren have come here and gone to Woodbridge High School. I've owned three businesses here. And I'm in the health care industry, and I take care of people that live here. I commute every day. And the traffic is just incredibly horrible. And I actually have patients who live in the mobile home park that's off of Irvine Boulevard. Right now, it takes them two to three lights to be able to get out of their community. Their community has one entrance and one exit.

If the Irvine Company is going to add all these new homes, it's going to be impossible for them to get out. And the park, there's plenty of land that we can also appropriate for that, not right there in that congested area. So Jeffrey is just a nightmare, Jeffrey and Sand Canyon. So I can't imagine adding more homes. And I really hope that you consider this and that you do not push this forward. Thank you.

Thank you for your comments. Sherri? Welcome.

I'm also a resident from in Irvine since 1982, so that's about forty four years. Both my husband and I were third generation Orange Countyans, so we certainly have seen orange groves, strawberry fields, bean fields disappear with the growth of Orange County. We understand that. Lately I've been watching the hills above Portola being replaced by housing. I've seen the wild deer, the coyotes, and they're going into new housing. Beautiful brochure the Irvine Company sent out. But my question is also, like we've heard about, 50 acres. I love the natural park. I think it's awesome. It'll be beautiful.

But it's only 50 acres. My question is the housing and the traffic. I live right off Irvine Center Drive. And right now, right by IVC, Irvine Valley College, the traffic is horrendous. People are using IVC to avoid the freeways. We're going to put development there. It'll be more traffic. So we're going to put more housing in, but you've to figure out what you're going to do with the traffic because it is horrible. Thank you.

Thank you for your comment. Paula Miller.

Welcome.

I'm Paula Miller. I am the president of the Ranch Homeowners Association. And I represent over 700 homes. I'm sure there is one or two, as we saw on the film the Urban Company showed, that would like the nature park to go over there. But most of us do not want anything changed.

I mean, we want the open space. Many of my neighbors do enjoy the golf course. I am not a golfer, but I have enjoyed going over there and having lunch, a very quiet, peaceful lunch with friends. But we do not want what is really on the Irvine Company's mind of adding 2,000 to 5,000 housing units over there. It is just too congested. You've heard us say the same thing over and over again. But what we'd like you to do is go back and honor resolution 88.1. We keep going back to that. That's what needs to happen. You need to honor that.

You need to honor it, complete the process, and have the land turned over to the city. The Irvine company has been compensated. We've heard that over and over before. I have not seen that on paper. I would like to see that on paper. What is the status? Something about them building out 75%? They have built out this entire city just about. So I'd like to see some data on that. But we would like for you to honor

Thank you,

your time

is up.

And send it to the ballot. That's what you must do.

Thank you for your comment. Jim Foley. Welcome sir.

Good evening. Hi. My name is Jim Foley. I've been a resident for twenty six years. I got a couple of points I want to make here. The pedestrian bridge over the 5 Freeway started construction about two years ago. So I think we all know that the Irvine Company has been planning to close Oak Creek for many, many years. The Irving company has done a fabulous job promoting this nature park, excuse me, with this beautiful brochure. But unfortunately, they don't mention the 3,000 homes and the apartments that they want to build there in these promotional pieces. Unfortunately, it's a little misleading to say the least and it's disappointing to me as a resident.

If the urban company is promising affordable housing in Oak Creek, please think again. The new marketplace apartments off Jamboree are enormous. Did you know that a six twenty five square foot apartment costs $3,200 a month? So much for affordable housing. There is no reason for changes to the 88 vote the city of Irvine's residents voted on to keep the land a green space in perpetuity.

At a prior city council meeting that I've attended and this is my fourth one the 1988 agreement was supposed to be that land was supposed to be turned over to the city why haven't we pursued that action Why are we laying on our hands? The nature park land revision should not be considered given the 88 vote. Please do the right thing by the people that voted for you. Thank you.

Thank you for your comments sir. Monty Taylor.

Welcome. Seems like everybody before me are professional speakers. I don't know what I'm going do as well. My name is Monty Taylor. My wife and I in our elder years moved here and chose the area that we live in to be close to hospitals and medical and have quick access under those regards.

I live on Jeffrey Road right across the street from Oak Creek where they intend to build thousands of homes. It's not about a little nature park. We all want nature parks, but we also want to be able to get to wherever we want to go without having to worry about dying. In The Meadows where we live, there are close to seven twenty senior citizens. And I live on the Entrance street where we watch ambulance, fire truck, and the police department come in and out, sometimes up to four times a day.

Ambulance and fire trucks need to enter our community and they need to be able to get there first. Being seniors, we are much more at risk than the average citizen of Irvine. With ambulance and fire coming into our community each day and many times during the day, it is imperative, actually mandatory, that emergency services

Your time is up.

Finish your thought. Go ahead.

It's imperative mandatory that emergency services can get to us in a timely manner. I've talked to ambulance drivers who said also that the traffic now is so bad that they're having difficulty even getting to our community. I'm going to say this. I'm not trying to be threatening, but I will sue these people up here and the city of Irvine if one single person in our community dies because an ambulance cannot get to them to save their or my life or my wife's life.

Thank you for your comments sir. Matt Breton. Welcome.

Thank you. Good evening mayor and city council members I'm matthew breadon president of the woodbridge village association board of directors our residents will be among the most immediately affected by whatever happens at this site I'll be straightforward. There are things in this proposal that appeal to our community and that concerns us deeply. The trail connectivity to the Great Jeffrey Open Space Trail and a 50 acre nature park would be a genuine amenity for Woodbridge families. We welcome more accessible open space and safer pedestrian and cycling routes but our residents need an answer to a fundamental question what happens to the remaining 120 acres once the 50 acre park is carved out The amendment opens the door but doesn't tell us what's walking through it.

If future development means high or even medium density housing, Woodbridge bears the direct consequences. More traffic on Jeffrey Road and Irvine Center Drive, pressure on our schools, and strain on infrastructure already serving a mature community. There is also a broader concern. Does the amendment circumvent the protections of 80 eight-one for all open space land across Irvine? In 2025, this council agreed to explore putting this to the voters.

What changed? To be clear, we're all for more nature parks in the heart of Irvine, not just on the edges. But if you cannot give residents of Irvine clear answers tonight on future development density, answers around traffic mitigation and why this council now believes this decision does not belong to the voters vote no thank you

thank you your time is up thank you for your comments era conscience welcome.

Thank you good evening mayor leery and vice mayor james mine council members thank you for your time and continued service to our community my name is farrah conchon and I serve as president of the arb american business chamber I have been a proud Irvine residence for over fifteen years my family and I chose to live in Irvine because it truly puts people first especially families and children and it is intentional about preserving and enhancing our quality of life that is why I'm here today in strong support of this park this is more than just an open space it' an investment in the health and well-being and connection of our residents today and for generations to come. Time spent in parks and green spaces have been shown to reduce stress anxiety and depression while giving our children a chance to be active and reconnect beyond the screens. Projects like this are what make Irvine exceptional. They reflect a forward thinking vision and strengthens community and enriches everyday life. Thank you for your time and thoughtful consideration.

Thank you for your comments.

Emma Zell, and if I could also call forward Linda Brookhiser, Sylvia Kimmier, Maria MC, Sandra Goldman, Karen Kaufman, Dale Brenner, Abdullah M, Clark Colby, Alba Toman, and Susie Winicker.

Hold on for just a moment if you would I think maybe if we pause to see where we are in the speakers.

Let's see Emma is speaker number 50 out of 110 in person.

So we're about halfway through.

Just shy of halfway.

Those who are here. Correct. And is the queue closed now? I can close it now. Please close the queue. How many are wishing to speak remotely? 10. Let's stay to 10. You know what you can leave it open for remote speakers go ahead.

I'm sorry, what?

Leave it open. Don't close the queue. I don't think we've added any remote speakers, have we? Just a couple. All right. We don't want to be cutting folks off if, in fact, they want to get in the queue late. With that, welcome. And you have your ninety seconds.

Thank you. Hi. Good afternoon, everyone. Good afternoon, council members. I'm Emma Zhao, a student athlete, specifically a golfer from University High School.

I'm not sure, but I might be the youngest speaker right here, but I just wanna express my opinions and perspective as a high school student. As a team captain, I'm here to represent our team, begging to say no on rezoning the Oak Creek Golf Course because for us students this isn't just a nice view it's our field of practice first the course has one of the only real grass practice ranges left in Irvine artificial turf is not the same Real grass lets us train the way college and pro athletes do. Without it, our skills, our safety, and our development take a serious hit. Second, this is the home course for UC Irvine. That's right.

Our u university team calls this place home. Between UCI, Northwood High School, Irvine High School, and other local schools, we already struggle to schedule practice times and home matches. There are only a few courses left. If you take this one away, there won't be enough, places for everyone to practice, let alone have their own home course. Rezoning doesn't just hurt one team. It hurts every student athletes who need space to compete, improve, and represent their school. Please don't trade our training grounds for another development. Keep this course. Keep our home. We're asking you to stand with us, not against it. Thank you.

Thank you. Linda Pfeizer. Thank

you for your comments. Welcome.

Thank you. I've lived here for forty eight years, raised five kids here. During my time here, when I first moved here, there were two grocery stores and one restaurant and Ace Hardware. Ace hardware if you want to spend your money you have to go out of town and give another city your money. Irvine company has taken so much away from us now they're trying to take Gelson's away.

So I'm not getting it you talk about a park I get nature walking around Woodbridge Lake and what about the great Park this seems to be you want to make a mini great park on jeffrey we don't have you know it's too much traffic and what and we have been promised for forty eight years we're going to sink the lights we're going to make it better coming out of Fontaine in the in the ranch I have to wait Well, if I want to make a left into the ranch on Fontaine, I actually have to wait until Jeffrey light changes, all the traffic comes to let one car turn left, when it could have just been a yield sign I can see that there's no cars coming let me go. So I'm just I don't get get you guys why why are you doing this to us we're happy with the with the golf course People are saying, oh, the nature center. The nature center is supposed to be at the great park. And you guys haven't managed to do that.

Thank you.

Your time is up.

Thank you.

Thank you for your comments. Sylvia Kimmier?

Welcome. Good evening. My name is Maria MacGregor, and I live in Irvine for more than twenty eight years. Some people are attacking the real problem that is the construction of the homes. We don't need that.

We got enough traffic and pollution. We need green areas. Please keep them. We vote before that we didn't want the homes and then we received this sneaky brochure with the park. I vote for the parks but I didn't read well about all the extension of land that they were taking.

So now the real issue was taken today here. It's not about the park, it's about the construction of the 5,000 homes. I beg you to put it in the ballot. You. Thank you for your comment.

Welcome. Thank

you. Good evening. I'm a new resident. My name is Karen Kaufman. And I moved down here mainly for the open space.

I lived in Los Angeles, which was congested with and filled with homeless people. And here, I don't see any homeless, and I enjoy the openness. And if you do this nature park it doesn't sound like a park it sounds like a city within the park there's no park but a city inside the park with the condos. I even heard that there is going to be a school put in. I would really like the voters to vote on this. Thank you.

Thank you for your comments. Sandra?

Welcome. I'm Sandra Goldman. I've been a resident, I think, for forty eight years on and off in Irvine. What I of everyone that keeps talking about this wonderful park, the brochure was gorgeous. The artwork was fabulous. But the reality is we have to get to that park. And we have Irvine Center Drive that's congested right now. It starts at 03:00 in the afternoon back to back. I live in the ranch, so my two cross streets are Jeffrey And Irving Center Drive. So I understand this trap mess, and we've got it now.

We don't need more homes. What we need is an area like that golf course to stay there. Thank you.

Thank you for your comments. Dear Evan, Welcome.

Hi. You know, we all know that the park is smoke and mirrors. You know, this is about 10,000 people moving in. So, I'm gonna ask you it let's focus on that, and ask this council to do their due diligence. I'm asking them to do one thing.

That is 05:00 in the afternoon, park yourself out at the corner of Jeffrey And Alton, And then imagine 10,000 more people hitting that intersection at 05:00 in the afternoon. Now, I thought about it and then see, think about the quality of life and what we're doing to the quality of life. Now, what I'm going to I'm not sure whether I'm worried or confident, because Mayor Egren has always been a champion for not that. In fact, he fought a bridge that I would have liked to have had over the 405 because of a trackific issue. So, I think you really need to think about that and whether the park trumps the quality of life deterioration caused by by the by placing people in this dense area.

If you wanna if you wanna build all this, fine. Build it out where it's not there's not such density. Anyway thank you guys

thank you for your comments. Thank you. Welcome My

name is Abdullah Moezi I have been living in Irvine for more than twenty years and I was attracted to living until there was an opportunity to buy property and living. I have a problem with what is being proposed having a park is a great idea but the problem is the impact of new housing. Ten, fifteen thousand people, they are going to occupy the park itself. There is going to be other people also trying to get to the park, so you're going to have thousands and thousands, especially on the weekends, and, you know, because Irvine is a beautiful country, everybody wants to be there. Look at Irvine's spectrum.

Attracts so many people who don't even live in this area. And, imagine this park with 10,000 new homes next to it or 5,000 people, I mean 5,000 new residents, 10,000 new residents, it's going to be overwhelmed. And, I live in Orange Tree area and there's only one entrance and one exit to that community and that's the intersection to the golf course and once what you guys propose is going to happen it's going to take us forever to get in and out of our community We don't have any other means and access to get to our community. Everybody has to go through Orange Tree and Golf Club to arrive. Thank you for your time. Thank

you for your comments. Is is Clark Colby here? Clark Colby? Alba Toman? Susie Winoker. Welcome.

Hi. I'm Susie Winoker. Good evening mayor, city council members. I love what the one gal said just a few speakers ago. Sneaky.

I oppose the rezoning of Oak Creek area it' a piecemeal approach I consider the Oak Creek Golf Course already a beautiful nature park we all know what is going on here I believe the city council should honor, respect, and support the voice of the people as evidenced by the resolution 88 dash one and not and not the vote for it and not to vote for any rezoning. I voted in 1988. I feel my vote and all others is being erased, discounted, ignored, discarded. The spin, the propaganda, the silly community meetings were all orchestrated by the Irvine Company to sell this dishonest land grab. Grab.

It's money money money. They've dangled the nature park care leaving out in all of their literature and pictures the 3,000 plus homes in the background. Not to mention the fact that they are dishonoring the residents' voice and vote previously in 1988. Where's Mike Carroll? Mike, you should be here shameful. This is important. The city council needs to be honorable, honor the previous vote of the people, don't bow and cave to the Irvine company. As mayor said many years ago and actually last year, we want to keep the Irvine Open Space Area immune from development and open space in perpetuity.

Thank you for your time.

If I could call forward Max, Diana Colby, Sharon Wallin, Joseph, Alex Wu, Mohammed Islam, Jeanie Luong, R. E. F. L, Barry Whitesides, and Sarah Paik. And we'll start with Max.

Welcome. Welcome

again. Hello. Many people who supported apartments before are now supporting this so called park nature park. Irvine is known for innovation and long term planning. We are talking about nature park under the power lines. And the city is about to invent that park under the power lines. Who will pay for the bridges on the proposed map? What is the future under the power lines? It is dangerous to be even close to the power lines. Just think about that.

Think about your kids and your grandkids, as one of the speakers mentioned before. Ask yourself, where in the world did you see nature park under the power lines? Many residents received a map of this proposed so called park. We promised 50 acres, but when I measured the map myself, it looked to me it was only it was actually 70 or 75 acres. That means we will get less land at the park.

Think carefully about this decision. Support all open space. We need more pickleball courts, more soccer fields, and maybe smaller golf course. You don't have a right to give up 176 acres of the open space. This is immoral. Please think carefully.

Thank you. Diana Colby,

Welcome. Thank you. Good evening council members.