IRVINE : College’s Plan for Houses to Be Heard

The Planning Commission will hold a public hearing tonight to consider Christ College Irvine’s request to convert undeveloped portions of its campus into two residential communities with 349 homes.

The college needs the city’s permission for the development because regulations allow only school-oriented structures on the private college’s 116 acres. If commissioners endorse the college’s building plan, as city planning staff recommends, the plan will be sent to the City Council for approval.

College officials said they proposed selling 40% of the campus land for residential developments to repay $25 million borrowed to build the 15-year-old liberal arts campus near UC Irvine, and to help set up scholarship funds.

The homes would be built on the east and west ends of the campus, with 69 large, single-family homes on one side and 280 medium-density homes on the other. Residents of the nearby Turtle Rock community have criticized the plan as bringing too many people into the hilly community, which is served by only two major streets.

In past public hearings on the Christ College plan, some planning commissioners suggested that the city should receive some benefit in return for allowing residential homes on a college campus. College officials responded with a proposal that would allow public use of several college facilities, including the auditorium, lecture hall, classrooms, aerobics room and athletic fields.

Christ College is proposing that none of the 349 homes be made affordable to low-income residents. Since Irvine has a goal to make 25% of its housing affordable to families earning below the county median income, the college is proposing to pay $1.2 million to the city for alternative affordable-housing programs.

The commission meeting, which will begin at 6 p.m. in the City Council chambers, will probably be the final public hearing on the Christ College proposal before it is sent to the City Council.