Irvine officials overruled a notice from the Airport Land Use Commission that some planned housing will be too close to John Wayne Airport, risking noise and safety concerns in an attempt to boost housing numbers and push forward the city’s newest general plan update.
It’s become somewhat of a routine vote for South Orange County cities over the past decade as officials struggle to meet state-mandated housing goals and look for where they can build more housing.
For cities near John Wayne Airport, sandwiching housing against the airport is often a solution.
[Read: As OC Cities Spur Affordable Housing Near Airport, County Commission Expresses Safety Concerns]
Irvine’s newest general plan update — which lays out housing and land use goals for the next 20 years — includes developing up to 15,000 housing units in the Irvine Business Complex.
This area, right next to the airport, has been the subject of development plans in the city for decades.
But Airport Land Use Commissioners say about half of the proposed units are in areas that are too noisy or could cause other safety hazards since they would be so close to the airport.
Commissioners sent a letter to Irvine officials in June outlining how the proposed project is inconsistent with their land use plan regarding noise impacts. The letter also describes that housing is proposed in safety zones that should be avoided.
But city council members voted 4-1 last Tuesday to overrule the commission’s findings and add those units to the 2045 general plan update. Councilmember Larry Agran voted no due to concerns about lacking affordable housing and transportation options.
There was no debate of this item during the Oct. 8 meeting, but it was discussed at length during the Aug. 13 meeting.
During the August meeting, Agran said the number of housing units proposed in the general plan update is an “evisceration” of the city’s master planning process.
“Unless we are absolutely committed to installing transit first, and unless we are absolutely committed to addressing and providing affordable housing first, development of this magnitude is just unconscionable in my view,” Agran said. “The spill-over effects will be dramatic. We’re asked here to override all kinds of environmental concerns that have been identified and cannot be properly mitigated.”
The California Department of Transportation also sent city officials a letter agreeing with the airport commissioners’ concerns.
“By placing low to very-low income housing in safety zones and 60-70 dBA CNEL adjacent to the airport, the City is not fully considering the potential disproportionate impacts on these vulnerable populations,” reads the Caltrans letter.
“These communities are often more susceptible to adverse environmental conditions, including those associated with proximity to airports, such as noise and safety risks.”
Irvine officials also overruled the airport commission in 2022 when it had similar concerns about the city’s housing element.
Building New Housing in Irvine
The city’s 2021-2029 housing plan describes the city as having the capacity to build 57,656 housing units.
Irvine’s Regional Housing Needs Assessment — mandated housing numbers from the state — calls on the city to plan for 23,610 units by 2029. Of those units, 10,631 should be allocated for low and very low income tenants.
The council approved the general plan update in August. It includes a 23,610-unit cap to match the Regional Housing Needs Allocation. Once the city hits that number, a vote from the council would be necessary to surpass the cap and approve additional units.
Some residents supported the general plan update because of the importance of bringing new housing — especially affordable projects — to the city.
Others say they fear increasing overcrowding in Irvine and worry about making traffic worse.
At the Aug. 13 meeting, Councilmember Tammy Kim emphasized that the thousands of housing units described in the general plan update aren’t all guaranteed and won’t happen overnight.
“It’s important to understand that this is only simply identifying development opportunities,” Kim said. “I want to make that clear. This does not guarantee that any development will occur because the market will ultimately decide and dictate the outcomes.”
Does University Housing Count?
Councilmember Mike Carroll said he wants city staff to engage with the state housing office to get student and faculty housing at the University of California, Irvine counted toward their state-mandated housing goals.
He said the city tried to do that in 2021, but state officials shot it down.
“We made a great effort, our team went to Sacramento, we talked and talked and talked, and the housing office told us to go pound sand,” Carroll said.
The council voted to direct staff to “aggressively” reengage with state officials in an attempt to get those units counted.
“We’re being assigned something by people that work together to jam us,” Carroll said, referencing the state’s housing goals for Irvine, “and we need to do the job for our residents.”
Other council members expressed hesitancy about trying to get university units included in their housing numbers — Agran said he had “no faith” in that approach.
Carroll also emphasized it’s time for other OC cities to do a better job building affordable housing.
“Thirty-three other cities in Orange County? Step up and do your part please.”
Angelina Hicks is a Voice of OC Tracy Wood Reporting Fellow. Contact her at ahicks@voiceofoc.org or on Twitter @angelinahicks13
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