Irvine : Fluor Suffers Setback as Long Legal Study Is OKd

Fluor Corp.’s controversial multimillion-dollar proposal to develop its prime Irvine acreage suffered a major setback Monday night when the Irvine City Council ordered a six-month staff review of the law governing how corporations can develop their land.

Fluor executives insist that Irvine’s present zoning ordinance permits commercial development on the 162 acres surrounding its headquarters buildings. In October, Fluor agreed to sell the land to Trammell Crow Co., a Dallas developer. The two companies formed a partnership to build hotels, office buildings and retail space on Fluor’s land.

Rather than decide whether Fluor’s proposal conformed to the city zoning ordinance, the council voted 3 to 2 for a comprehensive review, including a look at how corporate development affects traffic and how recent county actions to expand John Wayne Airport affect the 2,500-acre Irvine Business Complex.

“We did nothing,” said an angry Councilwoman Barbara Wiener after the four-hour discussion. She and Councilman Larry Agran voted against the 180-day review, saying the staff could do the job in a couple of weeks.

“This is a deep-six motion,” said Agran. “One hundred and eighty days means we are putting it away and asleep forever.”