IRVINE : Housing Proposal to Go to Council

After weathering four drawn-out hearings by the Planning Commission, a massive new housing development proposed by the Irvine Co. finally goes to the City Council next week.

If approved, the Westpark II development would add 3,626 homes to the existing Westpark village, increasing the city’s population by about 7,250 residents. That would be the equivalent of about 7%, and to accommodate such a growth spurt, the development would include two elementary schools, five parks and two child-care centers.

The project, which would be built by the Irvine Co., cleared an important hurdle Thursday night, when it won approval from the Planning Commission after a series of public hearings. That sent the measure to the council, but final action is not expected soon because of the complexity and size of the project.

A variety of issues have dogged the proposal from the beginning, and the Planning Commission on Thursday addressed the question of how much housing should be reserved for low-income families.

City planners had suggested that commissioners require at least 5% of the units in Westpark II to be affordable to families earning half the median county income or less, with another 5% built if the city provided the financing.

But Commissioner Lowell S. Johnson proposed eliminating the 5% requirement, a move the commission approved by a 3-2 vote. Under Johnson’s recommendation, which must be reviewed by the City Council, the Irvine Co. would have to make 10% of the units affordable to low-income buyers, but only if the city provides financing.

Commissioners Effat Mansour and Kate Clark, who have argued that the requirement is needed if the city hopes to increase its low-income housing supply, voted against Johnson’s change.

Requiring low-income housing without providing the financing would only increase the price of all homes in Westpark II, Johnson said. The Irvine Co. would have to subsidize the lower-income units by raising prices on the rest of the homes, he said.

“Saddling future residents with a large bill to accommodate affordable housing is not fair or equitable in my eyes,” Johnson said.

A fairer way of providing low-income housing would be to sell municipal bonds, spreading the cost to all city residents instead of concentrating it on new homeowners, he said.

Besides low-income housing, commissioners also have questioned whether there might be health hazards created by 220,000-volt electrical power lines along Harvard Avenue. The board also raised concerns about noise from Marine helicopters flying over the area.

In both cases, the city and Irvine Co. agreed to compromises that they say will protect residents while still letting the development proceed.