Irvine Council Calls for Survey of Voters on City Tollway Role

Irvine voters will be asked whether the city should continue to help plan--and soon foot the bill for--the future San Joaquin Hills tollway and two other proposed county toll roads, the City Council decided Tuesday.

A year ago, the state Supreme Court ruled that the issue could not be submitted to voters for a binding decision. Tuesday’s council action gets around that ruling by making the election--with mail-in ballots sent to nearly 60,000 registered voters in the city--advisory only.

Mayor Larry Agran, however, said he will follow the advice of the voters.

“I will treat it as binding on my part,” said Agran, who noted that he could not speak for the other four council members.

1985 Initiative Drive

The survey carries out the spirit of a 1985 initiative drive by a group called the Committee of Seven Thousand, which collected 7,000 signatures for a “citizen’s right to vote” initiative that would have required voter approval of fees to help pay for the proposed San Joaquin Hills, Eastern and Foothill corridor projects.

Irvine is a member of a joint-powers authority that is planning the $556-million San Joaquin Hills Corridor, which would run from the Costa Mesa Freeway southeast to Interstate 5 near San Juan Capistrano. Irvine will be responsible for 25% of that cost, which would be paid with developer fees collected by the city.

The city is also involved in planning and paying for the proposed Foothill Corridor, which would run along the county’s eastern foothills and connect Rancho Santa Margarita with central Orange County, and the proposed Eastern Corridor, an inland north-south toll road linking the Riverside Freeway with the Irvine area.

The mail-in ballots will be sent to residents in August. The survey will cost the city $58,540, city officials said.

The San Joaquin Hills Corridor agency is expected to vote on the bond sale in September. If Irvine is then still a member, the city would be committed to remain in the agency for 15 years to help pay off the bonds. That timing precludes the City Council from putting the issue before voters on the November ballot.

Material sent to voters will also include information about the highways and arguments pro and con.

When Irvine became a member of the planning agency, the City Council majority was more in favor of development than now. The currently majority favors slower growth.

The citizens group in 1985 criticized the highway plan, citing environmental concerns, and quickly collected enough signatures to put it on the ballot. The initiative, however, was challenged in court by the Building Industry Assn. of Southern California and other business and transportation groups. The challenge was ultimately heard by the state Supreme Court, which ruled that the highway project was of statewide importance and thus not subject to local initiative.

Agran, who had sided with the Committee of Seven Thousand’s initiative, said Tuesday that he favors approval of the San Joaquin Hills Corridor project.