2 Groups at Odds Over Irvine’s Northwood 5 Development

The article (“Petition Targets Northwood 5 Project,” Nov. 19) extensively quoted Fred Schwartz, a leader of a local no-growth faction, on the issue of the proposed new village named Northwood 5. I know of no attempt to contact any member of our resident’s group called Save Our Open Space. I heard of no attempt to contact anyone from NIVA, the North Irvine Village Assn.

We formed Save Our Open Space to advocate the passage of Measure C, an advisory measure which instructs the City Council to implement our Open Space Agreement. Northwood 5 prompts the largest transfer of open space to public ownership as required in that agreement.

NIVA is an association of representatives from homeowner associations in North Irvine. They spent almost three years in negotiations with the Irvine Co., creating a project they found acceptable. They asked for, and got, a neighborhood retail center, increased public park areas, and more recreational improvements. The most important concession they won was the extension of Portola Parkway to Jamboree. This takes the commuter traffic from south county off Northwood’s neighborhood streets.

Northwood 5 isn’t even in the city of Irvine. It’s in unincorporated Orange County. Even if (Irvine Citizens Against Overdevelopment) get enough signatures on their petition, the Irvine City Council can just rescind its approval and cancel the annexation process. The Irvine Co. can process the project through the County Board of Supervisors. All the concessions won by the homeowner representatives will be left up in the air. All the taxes from Northwood 5 will go to support the county bureaucracy.

RICHARD L. ISRAEL, Irvine. Richard Israel is president of Save Our Open Space and vice president of the Northwood Glen Homeowners Assn.