IRVINE : Golfers, Neighbors Praise Village Plan

The Irvine Co.’s plan to build up to 4,000 homes and two golf courses on land next to Irvine Valley College has received preliminary approval from the City Council.

The development, known as Oakcreek Village, faced little public opposition and was praised by both nearby residents and golfers, who said they welcomed the prospect of two new golf courses in the city.

Oakcreek Village will be built on 1,200 acres of mostly undeveloped land bounded by Jeffrey Road, Sand Canyon Avenue, and the San Diego and Santa Ana freeways.

The golf courses as well as some industrial developments are planned for the northern end of the village. Most of the new residential housing will go at the south end near the San Diego Freeway.

The City Council last week spent about two hours going over the development. Most of the discussions centered on affordable housing and how to pay for a Jeffrey Road underpass.

The city required that Oakcreek include about 100 units of affordable housing. The council approved the Irvine Co.’s request to provide about 50 of those units just outside the area at a senior citizens housing development in the Woodbridge village. The remaining 50 units of affordable housing would be located in Oakcreek.

The Irvine Co. also agreed to meet with city staffers about an underpass the city wants to build on Jeffrey near the Santa Ana Freeway. The underpass is expected to cost $28 million, and some council members had hoped the Irvine Co. would pay for some of the costs.

But Michael J. Le Blanc, a vice president of the company, said the Oakcreek project would not be fiscally viable if the Irvine Co. was required to spend millions of dollars on the underpass.

The company did offer the city $200,000 to $300,000 to pay for design work for the project. City officials said it will cost a total of $2 million to design the underpass.