At the Wednesday, September 12th Irvine City Council meeting, the City Councilmembers voted unanimously 3-0* to adopt a legally binding resolution that reaffirms the current General Plan and zoning for the Rancho San Joaquin golf course in order to protect it from redevelopment of the property. * Mayor Don Wagner, Mayor Pro Tem Christina Shea and Councilmember Lynn Shott voted in favor; Councilmembers Melissa Fox and Jeff Lalloway were absent at the September 12th meeting. This City Council vote is significant. That is, the adopted legal resolution states: The City Council finds and determines that the current General Plan and Zoning Code designations for the Golf Course property accurately and appropriately reflect the values of the community and City Council’s vision and intent for the development of that property. As such, the City Council has no intent to amend the General Plan and/or Zoning Code to allow for a change in allowable uses on or development of the Golf Course property. The resolution notes that in addition to the original City Council 5-0 vote on August 28th, the Irvine Planning Commission also voted unanimously 5-0 on August 16th to reaffirm the General Plan and zoning for the RSJ golf course. View the adopted City Council legal resolution (pdf) Nicknamed "Gloria's Resolution" by Mayor Don Wagner at the City Council meeting, six-year-old Gloria He, who's already an avid golfer, appeared once again at the Council meeting to speak passionately in favor of protecting the RSJ golf course. Watch a video clip of Gloria's speech at the City Council meeting: Thank you Gloria! And thank you everyone for your continued support on protecting the RSJ golf course and to keep it as an open space amenity for ALL Irvine residents!
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Our RSJ golf course coalition and supporters who attended the City Council meeting on August 28th were encouraged by the public comments made by our City Councilmembers and other officials, which were made in support of protecting the RSJ golf course from development. We thought you'd like to watch & read what they had to say. Councilmember Melissa Fox"...I do want to thank everyone who's come out today [to the City Council meeting]...I am so grateful that you're here today to take the time out of your lives to protect your neighborhood, and our community. Planning Commissioner Anthony Kuo"...as a matter of urgency, I worked with Greg Smith, who is our chairman of the Planning Commission, to get this on our agenda in really, really short order to show the community that we are leading by supporting them and we're leading by supporting them by reaffirming the current zoning, the current standards,and current and perhaps improved quality of life. Councilmember Jeff Lalloway"Of course I'm in favor of this {the RSJ golf course resolution]...I spoke to some of the residents before...and as I indicated then, I'm very supportive of this for two reasons: Transportation Commissioner Carrie O'Malley"...When open space such as the Rancho San Joaquin golf course is compromised we are exasperating the traffic issues in our City, not trying to alleviate them. Our open space, villages and neighborhoods were essential reasons why my husband and I chose to move to Irvine two decades ago. We have raised our two teenage children here since their births. Mayor Pro Tem Christina Shea"...the reason we are reaffirming the General Plan and making it very clear that our intent is not to rezone this [golf course] property for any kind of entitlement. Councilmember Lynn Shott"...I have to come on the side of the residents on this one, and I'll tell you why. The reason that I will vote in favor of the motion -- in the face of being a fierce private property rights advocate -- is on balancing two sets of private property and I'm looking at trying to balance them on the way out, which is: Which does the greatest harm? Which does the greatest good? Mayor Don Wagner"Some of the [Cushman & Wakefield] sales material which was what first got our attention when this was brought to us by community members, stating things like the Council '...is examining other possible land use designations, which creates an opportunity to create value through further densification of [this] Site.' Note: View the Cushman & Wakefield sales brochure on the RSJ golf course. Also see Why Is It For Sale? for more information.
We are now focused on winning "round 2" of our fight to protect the Rancho San Joaquin golf course from development. ("Round 1" was last week's 5-0 Irvine Planning Commission vote to reaffirm the current General Plan and zoning of the RSJ golf course.)
The Irvine City Council has added an agenda item 8.6:
This agenda item is similar to what was voted upon at last week's Planning Commission meeting. We expect the City Council will vote on a similar resolution to reaffirm the General Plan so that any future application to change the zoning for the golf course property will be denied at the City Council. Technically, a developer whose application to change the General Plan and zoning for the RSJ golf course that's denied by the Planning Commission, can appeal to the City Council for reconsideration. That's why it's important that we have alot of supporters attend the City Council meeting:
We don't have an exact time of when the RSJ golf course agenda item will be discussed in the council meeting but everyone should arrive at City Hall no later than 6:00pm. We'll have small signs to pass out to everyone. Planning to speak?
Email us at protectrsjgolfcourse@gmail.com if you would like to speak at the City Council meeting. Or click on the blue button below to sign up.
We'd like each speaker to write a letter to the City Council as part of their 3-minute speech and email their letter to us so that we can bind them together and present the copies to the City Councilmembers.
Here are some photos taken by our coalition's expert photographer :-) of the first of two meetings that were held for the community on Sunday, August 12th. The crowd was even larger at the second meeting!
Thanks to all who attended, and we especially thank our special guests: Councilmembers Christina Shea and Melissa Fox, Planning Commissioner Anthony Kuo, Community Services Commissioner Lauren Johnson-Norris, Transportation Commissioner Carrie O'Malley, and City Council candidates Kev Abazajian, Farrah Khan, Frank McGill, and Jaci Woods. (Anthony, Lauren and Carrie are also running for City Council.) Also, view the presentation slides from the Community Meeting: Due to overwhelming response, we added a second session to our Community meeting on protecting the RSJ golf course. Same day, Sunday, August 12th but at a later time 6:30pm-7:30pm. (Same location too.)
The exact same presentation and information will be provided at this second session. Sign up by clicking on the button below. UPDATE August 7th: Due to overwhelming support, we just added a second session -- same day Sunday, August 12th but at 6:30pm-7:30pm. Register here for the second session
The Rancho San Joaquin Golf Course property is for sale. Attend this meeting to learn more about the sale and how you can help preserve this valued open space and recreational amenity for all Irvine residents. You must Register for the meeting in order to attend. Only those who register will be admitted inside the venue due to the limited space. |
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Coalition To Protect Rancho San Joaquin Golf Course • P.O. Box 5475, Irvine, CA 92616 protectrsjgolfcourse@gmail.com • Tel 949-237-2807 Copyright © 2024 Coalition To Protect Rancho San Joaquin Golf Course. All rights reserved. |