Irvine : Historic Restoration Plans Are Expedited

Plans for restoration of several historical buildings in east Irvine moved closer to fruition this week when the Irvine Planning Commission decided to shift responsibility for approving plans for the site to the city’s development agency.

Susan Lindquist, associate planner, said the unanimous decision Thursday will enable the agency to speedily approve a new site plan that the developer, Irvine-based J. Ray Development Co., will be submitting next week. “I expect they will get a full-blown site plan approval within two or three weeks,” she said.

Because the city plans to widen Sand Canyon Avenue, which bisects the site, J. Ray Development intended to move an old blacksmith shop several hundred feet to accommodate the project. But the actual widening will take place west of where it was originally planned, Lindquist said, so the need to move the shop was eliminated. However, it forced the builder to draw new plans.