Words of Support For RSJ Golf Course From Our Irvine City Councilmembers & Officials

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.

It is a core principal of Irvine that we protect our open space, and we're here today to do that.  And I wanted to thank my colleagues for bringing forth this issue -- and particularly the right time with the General Plan update -- that there could be no question now that the devotion of our City is to the protection of open space.  And so, I thank you for that."

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.

...so it was absolutely, absolutely, my humble humble opportunity and pleasure and honor to ask the commission -- I'm not here on their behalf, but I will say we vote unanimously, absolutely unanimously the five of us to reaffirm the current zoning...because it was the right thing to do.  It was the right things to do for Irvine.  It was the right thing to do for our community."

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:

First of all, you folks [the Irvine residents] were there first.  And when you're there first and someone else is going to move in and change the entire character of the neighborhood, you have a voice in that.  And we've heard your voice here today.  So, I think it's fair to the developer that they can try to work something out with you.  But if not, they're there after you and they need to respect that.

Secondly, I think the plan to develop student housing is problematic in of itself.  Look, I love UCI, I love the kids over there.  But mixing residents who've been here a long time... with some of us with families, it can be a very, very difficult thing.  They're {the students] out late, they're studying, they're doing other things.  We're home sleeping -- it's past my bedtime already, frankly.  So it can be a very, very problematic thing to develop student housing in the same neighborhood with families."

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.

But today our city stands at a vital crossroads that will shape the type of city that Irvine becomes.  I, like many other residents here today, have built a life in Irvine which extends not just to our homes but to our communities, outdoor amenities, open space, parks, trails, sports programs, and top-notch quality of life.

I urge the City Council to protect the General Plan in its decisions.  Our General Plan is the essence of Irvine that we cannot chip away at this.  Just as Santa Barbara is a beach community and Los Angeles is a metropolitan city.  Irvine's essence is that it is a master planned community that prioritizes open space.  We are truly blessed to live in such a well thought out and planned city."

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.

...​We are making it, hopefully, very clear tonight -- and I hope it's unanimous -- that we are not going to be looking at any entitlements, any approval entitlements.  And so, if someone wants to invest that kind of money [into the golf course] with the understanding that we will not be moving off the dime in regard to your protection of your property, that's their choice.  But our choice tonight is -- my choice tonight -- along with the Mayor, is to give you confidence that we will not be approving any kind of additional entitlements on that property.

...I believe that putting forward in a resolution that reaffirm our commitment to -- in the strongest way -- to let you know that we're behind you 100%.."

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?

And I don't minimize the seller because it's one entity and you [the community] are many.  I'm looking at how does this impact the City going forward?  How will it impact you going forward?  I think that to vote in favor of you as residents and your desires; to ask us to maintain, to keep the General Plan as it is, is consistent with the way I have voted in the past.

...In thinking back to [my] campaign literature, one of the promises was to protect the character of the villages in the city of Irvine. And so, because I had made those promises in the past, because I have voted consistently with that in the past, because the General Plan now says that [the RSJ golf course] is zoned for recreation."

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.'

​That comes really, really close to being a fraudulent statement.  That was not something this Council was considering on this site; had never been presented to us.  And so, if you're moving into a process based on a statement like that or a belief that that's where this Council is, the point of tonight is to say that's not where this Council is."

Note:  View the Cushman & Wakefield sales brochure on the RSJ golf course.  Also see Why Is It For Sale? for more information.