Bren Carefully Plans His 11,000-Acre Gift

After three decades of master planning Orange County housing developments and shopping malls, Irvine Co. Chairman Donald L. Bren and his staff are now just as meticulously designing 11,000 acres of open space in the rugged Santa Ana mountains.

The developer, who announced in November that he was donating the land, will maintain control of the property for a decade, gradually increasing public access before signing it over to a government agency or nonprofit.

“Having the land set aside is a good thing,” said company Senior Vice President Monica Florian. “But what really is important is how that land is managed, the stewardship, and how the resources are protected in the long term.... That isn’t something you just do in one day, say, ‘Oh here’s 11,000 acres, have a nice day.’

“This is a very fundamental and valuable part of the Irvine Ranch Master Plan, and we are trying to devote as much attention to the care and designing ... on the natural side as we do on the development side,” Florian said.

Richard Sim, who retired last summer as head of the company’s commercial properties division, said he thought Bren visualized it as a “great park, like a Central Park in New York City.”

There would be jogging, bike and horse riding trails, and other recreational assets, combined with extensive wildlife habitat, Sim said.

While the land is unquestionably remarkable, with remote canyons, rare grasslands and forests full of rare plants and animals, some wonder how and when the public will actually get to enjoy it.

“It’s huge and stunning and beautiful,” said Tom Anderson, a retired Orange schoolteacher and avid horseback rider who leads the Equestrian Coalition, dedicated to more riding opportunities in the county. “Public access, that’s what I want ... although I recognize it is a paramount responsibility to protect the habitat and the flora and the fauna.”

Other open land preserved by the Irvine Co. generally is off-limits, with guards patrolling miles of fences strung with no-trespassing signs.

Hikes led by Nature Conservancy docents and mountain bike rides are allowed in certain areas. But reservations must be made, groups are limited to a few dozen people, excursions must stick to certain trails, and trespassers can be cited or arrested.

Company and conservancy officials say that will eventually change, with a goal of “more liberal access,” according to Florian. Both groups said protecting natural resources while guaranteeing public access was a delicate balance.

“We should be clear that one of the key points that the Nature Conservancy and the Irvine Co. have talked about is being able to provide opportunities for public access,” said Graham Chisholm, director of the California Nature Conservancy office, which will be paid $20 million to manage the lands for the next 10 years.

Some access will come within 18 months, and that gradually will be increased, said company spokesman Rich Elbaum, as studies about the treasure trove of rare species and environmental risks of allowing recreational use are completed.

Bren, who routinely stays out of the limelight on business matters but is known for his scrupulous attention to detail, is watching the preparations closely.

“I think any agreement is blessed by Mr. Bren, and he’s clearly aware of the details,” said Chisholm. “This is Mr. Bren’s vision. I think part of his vision is he wants this to be done to the highest standard of successful land managers.”

In addition to the Nature Conservancy, the company is meeting with a variety of community and recreational groups. But the final decisions will rest with the company. Public hearings and government approvals will not be required, although environmental reviews would be needed for any nature centers or other park facilities that might be built.

Some agree that having the park privately designed and managed for a number of years is a plus.

Steve Small, a Boston-based attorney who has prepared several hundred conservation easements, said “private stewards are more careful ... and aren’t tied up in political issues in taking care of their land.”

Craig Atkins of O’Donnell Atkins, California’s largest land broker, said the careful design and upkeep of the open space would also drive up values on adjacent land that Bren still plans to develop.

“You get premiums for being near this 11,000-acre ‘Bren Park.’ You can walk, jog, enjoy the views.... He’s beautified Orange County and enhanced the value of the remaining lands,” Atkins said. “It’s better to have him as the steward, as opposed to a bunch of kids scrawling graffiti all over it. Don Bren does a great job of creating fantastic atmosphere in his housing communities. He’ll do the same thing here.”

One looming question is who will manage the lands after the Nature Conservancy’s 10-year commitment runs out. Nationally, the organization has been bowing out of land management projects, and Chisholm said he is not sure what will happen.

“At the end of 10 years, our hope would be they would be happy to extend that role here,” said Florian. Even if the conservancy doesn’t, she said, the goal of the company and the nonprofit was to “help get these lands basically turnkey-ready to turn over to a public agency owner.”