Shea also mentioned concerns about lobbying efforts to sway the vote on the initiative, but when asked to clarify further she declined to comment. 4. the 63% number is totally irrelevant. Join ourFacebook discussion. How is that going to affect Irvine should they be found guilty of building homes on toxic land? The Roseberry and Dr. Kev comic hack YouTubes? Nick Berardino, former head of the Orange County Employees Association and the president of VALOR, said their work was mutually beneficial. . We have also discovered that the site is located in the middle of a high fire hazard zone. (John Fredricks/The Epoch. Larry Agran, a former Irvine mayor and leading member of Build the Great Park Veterans Cemetery, said that Sheas interpretation of the zoning law was incorrect and that the initiative guaranteed the hangar site would be the final site for the cemetery. And somehow, she still blames other people for where we are today so very sad. Governor Brown signed AB 1453 that directed the State (CalVet) to work with the city to design, develop, construct, and equip a state-owned and state-operated Southern California Veterans Cemetery on the ARDA site and approved funding for the conceptual design work. Instead, Irvine residents are turning to direct democracy to stop Mayor Christina Shea from her relentless campaign to delay, derail, and defeat the Veterans Cemetery at the ARDA site in the Great Park. Aircraft Museum? Depending on who you ask, there are different answers on why the cemetery never got built. One thing both sides agree on is that the longer the debate over funding continues, the greater chance the funding for the cemetery dies altogether. Chair of the State Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs Bob Archuleta sent a letter to Gov. Not one single penny, Agran said. July 10, 2018 Approved substitute motion to identify alternative cemetery sites and have city staff and commissions study ARDA. (deefox: This Petition will by-pass the City Council and go directly to the State. And the ARDA site is the ONLY site that can be built faster than any other site. Lies. The ARDA site will cost $2.5 million for demolition and asbestos removal which will take 120 days. . Is OCPA Engaged in Ongoing Consumer Fraud? Shall I tell you what OCs Veterans think of your Irvine? The combined cost to complete Parts 1 and 2 of the Build it NOW! plan is $13 million. I sense some confusion about former Mayor Agrans proposed ARDA Initiative, which is a limited zoning measure. Veterans groups have been attempting to build a cemetery on the former El Toro Marine Corps Air Station for nearly seven years, but their efforts stalled after funding problems and a previous voter initiative blocked one of the proposed sites. Support Voice of OC Today. Earlier this month, the Irvine City Council approved a voter initiative to place the cemetery on a section of land near the heart of the old air station that still has hangars, barracks, and other remains of the installation on it. The Mayor needs to recuse herself from voting on matters that involve FivePoint, like this cemetery deal. Noah Biesiada is a Voice of OC Reporting Fellow. on a section of land near the heart of the old air station that still has hangars, barracks, and other remains of the installation on it. A new home for USA Water Polo in the Great Park was announced in October 2019, Veterans first started talking about a cemetery in Irvine back in 2012, Bad Feng Shui Doesnt Sway Irvine Council on Vets Cemetery, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. The gun salutes for veterans at funerals, could cause stress to school children. 3. Because they covet that site for their own purposes and profit, Agran said. Sheas comments were supported by the city attorney, who said as long as the city owned the property, the zoning restrictions would not apply. The language of the Initiative, which was adopted word-for-word by the Irvine City Council on May 12th, clearly expresses the will of the people to promptly deliver on the promise of a beautiful Veterans Memorial Park & Cemetery at the 125-acre ARDA site. The narrative can be summed up this way: With the COVID-19 pandemic, the State is broke, the City is broke. * require the City to spend money on the ARDA site Reference Information - Proposed State Veterans Cemetery - City of Irvine Recap of Last Nights Candidate Forum (UPDATED), Irvine Residents Are Last in Representation Far Behind All OC and Midsize California Cities, Voice of OC Irvine Takes No Action on Veterans Cemetery, Opening Door for Possible Anaheim Site, Vice Mayor Kim Meeting with Select Great Park Residents, Opinion: The Good, Bad, and Ugly from the Jan 26th City Council Meeting, Irvine Council Votes 3-2 to Bring Auto and Compost Storage to ARDA Veterans Cemetery Site, Whats New With the Veterans Cemetery, Pretend City, Holiday Faire, & LIFOC Western Sector Cleared For Clean-up And Redevelopment, City Council Contemplates Facilities, Flag, and the Fallen. He now reports for, Live Nation Wont Be Operating Amphitheater in the Great Park, The 1931 Meeting Between Einstein & Michelson in Irvine. He added that no matter where a cemetery is, veterans would express their support for it. Now why do you suppose that is? Instead, taxpayer dollars were used to issue subpoenas, take endless depositions, and target political opponents. Back in 2017, our all-volunteer Build the Great Park Veterans Cemetery committee was founded in response to FivePoints first scheme to get their hands on the ARDA site for massive office, industrial, commercial, and apartment development. No: Shea, July 22, 2014 Approved designating the ARDA site for the State Veterans Cemetery (Resolution 14-92). The Good Diversity, Equity & Inclusion [], Whats Happening on the ARDA Site On the Consent Calendar for both the OC Great Park Board (Item 2.2.) Also, interesting to note, Bill Cook doesnt even live in Irvine. Zip. ARDA has no approvals, not from City, State, or VA. None. FivePoint hatched a deal with City leaders (led by then-Mayor Don Wagner) to give FivePoint the ARDA site in exchange for an inferior site alongside the noisy I-5/I-405 freeway interchange. My impression is theyre eager to go ahead with the state veterans cemetery and helping us line up resources, but they need a resolution that reaffirms and underscores the commitment to the (hangar) site as the exclusive site, Agran said in a phone call with Voice of OC last week. The ARDA site is 2,200 ft from Portola High School and across the street. Theyre going to be putting up tens of millions of dollars of taxpayers money. Support Voice of OC Today. April 4, 2017: Neighboring schools, and many homeowners have voiced that they are against the ARDA site. Meanwhile, the City of Irvine should not hesitate to rely on our own resources already on hand to begin initial property improvements at the ARDA site immediately. Her reason: To give the ARDA site to developer, FIVEPOINT, for a fraction of what it is worth. AB368, which WATCHDOG supported, calls for a CalVet/DGS site evaluation and decision. Yes: Agran, Krom, Lalloway, Choi, Shea. How Did Irvine Fail to Build a Veterans Cemetery After Nearly a Decade Part 1 consists of demolition, removal of debris and hazardous materials (such as asbestos and lead), and clearance of the ARDA site. Getting the ARDA site built and open would take much longer than the Golf Site. The Irvine City Council approved a site for the Orange County veterans cemetery, but questions over how the site will be funded and built are still up in the air. * start construction on a cemetery any time soon and when she cant find anything she will hire someone to lie for her. It is quite clear wants going on here and you are an embarrassment to our City. Part 3 is optional. You stated in YOUR video that we (and by we you were referring to yourself and FivePoint) have to offer this Golf Course site as a diversion because if we dont, then we will have the State coming in and the ARDA site will become a cemetery, and we will have no choice. But everyone agrees on one thing: the project ran in circles for way too long. Most everything she says above has been repeatedly proven false and her constant comments and complaints are little more than harassment. City zoning does not bypass the City ever under any circumstances. As we expected, more desirable and qualified superior SCVC locations were presented, and met with howling opposition by the now ousted Larry Agran and his infamous Fishwrapper. Despite continuing propaganda from developer FivePoint and their surrogates, Irvine residents have always supported the 125-acre ARDA site. The People Have Spoken: The Irvine City Council Should Designate the Approved designating the ARDA site for the State Veterans Cemetery (Resolution 14-92) Both the hangar and golf course sites are owned by the city of Irvine. Shape Uniform boundaries, undivided by roads or easements .). 6. To know that our Mayor is using a supposed Golf Course ONLY to divert attention away from ever getting a Veterans Cemetery should have every person outraged! A Giant Step Closer to Victory, Website: Strategic Communication Consultants. Under the citys municipal code, the city is not bound by zoning restrictions on property it owns, and neither is the state of California. A new home for USA Water Polo in the Great Park was announced in October 2019 with massive fanfare, but it has barely been discussed outside of a single mention by the city council that the developer was redesigning due to the pandemic. buildtheveteranscemetery.org is a BIG LIE using VETERANs as the pitchfork for their manure. By the way, Christina . Howles report also found Irvine didnt follow its policies in choosing the accounting firm and found little evidence that the subcommittee that oversaw both phases of the performance review of Great Park contracts added value. Should the City of Irvine take the lead and immediately begin demolition, site cleanup, and other site improvements including creation of a 2.2-mile perimeter system of trees, trails and memorial gardens around the entire ARDA site in order to accelerate the 30-month construction schedule for the State-funded Veterans Memorial Park & Cemetery? the availability of private, local and federal investment should be considered critical factors . This action was taken after considering a request for a land swap. With that approval, the voter initiative became an official city ordinance, and will not proceed to the November ballot. By a 4-to-1 vote, on May 12th the Irvine City Council adopted the citizens' Build the Great Park Veterans Cemetery Initiative, finally selecting a site for what will become the state-built, state-operated Southern California Veterans Memorial Park & Cemetery. Shea prefers the City-owned site be handed over to developer FivePoint through an unprecedented 99-year lease for massive commercial development.. Is OCPA Engaged in Ongoing Consumer Fraud? NO: SHEA, JULY, 2014 Irvine city council meeting on Dec. 10, 2019. In a virtually empty City Council Chamber closed to the public because of the COVID-19 pandemic Councilmembers nevertheless felt the pressure of 19,790 Irvine residents who had signed the Build the Great Park Veterans Cemetery Initiative . Join the conversation:In lieu of comments, we encourage readers to engage with us across a variety of mediums. Councilmembers Wagner and Shea made a substitute motion to study the ARDA site further and also look for alternate cemetery sites, which was approved. March 11, 2014 - Approved having a cemetery in the Orange County Great Park (Resolution 14-27) 1. Its also recommended HSNO and its lead accountant in the audits have their accounting licenses revoked, suspended or restricted. Additionally, convey to the Governors office, CalVet, and appropriate members of the State Legislature, the Citys offer to guarantee local funding of up to $40 million. May 17, 2023. According to campaign finance data, Agran provides most of Build The Veterans Memorial Park And Cemeterys funding, investing over $170,000 since 2017 along with another $221,000 from Irvine Community News and Views, a publication he owns a four percent stake in that has regularly praised his work on the city council and the veterans cemetery issue. Sign the Petition! Lalloway noted the windfall profit was going to be at the expense of the entire Irvine community. Opponents of the initiative wanted to see the proposal sent to the November ballot, along with a competing measure that would be passed by the city council zoning the golf course as the cemetery site. Assembly member Sharon Quirk-Silva sponsored the bill; and. Send us asecure tip. Approved 3-2 And, Christina Shea has no plans to add or modify existing roads to accommodate the significant increase in traffic that will impact our city. The State Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet) hired design and environmental consultants to evaluate the ARDA site for the development of a Veterans Cemetery. I have not signed the petition and am not promoting it. We actually have residents in that community area that dont want it there, we have the school districts in opposition to it, so I think we still have some hurdles to it.. All that timeline is water under the bridge, along with the ludicrous parsing of the approval. Super two-page spread in INSIDE IRVINE pages 48 & 49 (available via citys website). Message usvia ourwebsite or staff page. Send us asecure tip. A community facility is a conditional use. That is a fact. Is OCPA Engaged in Ongoing Consumer Fraud? So we could adopt it tonight, but at the end of the day, in two weeks, three weeks, a new council could come on and they could just decide to lease the property out.. At an additional estimated cost of $12 million, Part 3 would involve the restoration and re-purposing of the iconic Aircraft Control Tower and three Hangars on the ARDA site, and retention of the tarmac and most or all of the 2,000-foot runway. Nothing you cute is an approval. So are you calling yourself a liar? Under the deal, FivePoint would pay for the first phase of the cemetery on a piece of land near the interchange of the 5 and 405 freeways known as the strawberry fields site, and in exchange the developer would get the hangar site with development rights. No: Fox. The Citys intentions are clear, the Golf Course will be offered. Zero. Citizens Launch Ballot Referendum Campaign. 5. But after the council approved the initiative, Shea suggested that one of the councilmembers reach out to the initiatives organizers to set up an official dedication at the hangar site. Whether its adopted tonight or voted in by the electors in November, the initiative doesnt bind the property as long as its in the hands of the city, Melching said. What is available? Should the city ever decide to sell the hangar site, FivePoint has first dibs on the property under a deal struck with the city over a decade ago when the developer originally sold the land to the city. Irvine residents know whats going on and know the history of this Mayor and her associations with FivePoint and StarPointe Ventures. For almost three decades, Larry Agran, a public interest attorney, served on the Irvine City Council including 10 years as Mayor. City Council Abruptly Changes Course on Veterans Cemetery Site But Why? http://irvine.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=73&clip_id=4758&meta_id=96778 No approvals? She filled the vacancy in the Mayors seat when Mayor Don Wagner was elected to the Orange County Board of Supervisors. This assessment is vital in determining which location will ultimately be the final site for the Southern California Veterans cemetery.. Veterans Cemetery Breaks Ground in Anaheim - The Epoch Times People [], City Council Meeting Tuesday, May 12, 2020, 4:00PM Agenda Click to watch LiveStream Click to submit an eComment Staff Report for Item 5.2 Mayor Christina Sheas competing initiative aims to subvert the wishes of 14,531 residents who signed the citizen-led Veterans Cemetery Initiative Petition (Initiative) Tuesday night, that would place the cemetery at the [], Founded on transparency, accountability, and honesty, Irvine Watchdog is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit Tax ID:87-1116954, Voter Guide: Irvine Mayor & Council Candidates On The Issues, WATCH: Irvine Mayor & Council Candidate Forum, Election 2020: Where Do The Candidates Stand On The Issues? Governor Brown signed AB 1453 that directed the State (CalVet) to work with the city to design, develop, construct, and equip a state-owned and state-operated Southern California Veterans Cemetery on the ARDA site and approved funding for the conceptual design work. 28,638 voters (out of 131,000 voters, so just under 22% of the registered voters of Irvine) voted against a zone change and land swap. A veterans cemetery has been proposed at the Orange County Great Park in Irvine for many years. Schott has described the transfer of ownership and accompanying zone change ordinance as a giveaway of our Great Park to FivePoint. Founded on transparency, accountability, and honesty, Irvine Watchdog is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit Tax ID:87-1116954, Voter Guide: Irvine Mayor & Council Candidates On The Issues, WATCH: Irvine Mayor & Council Candidate Forum, Election 2020: Where Do The Candidates Stand On The Issues? Another easy call for CalVet. With Cadence Blvd already in place and bisecting it, we knew then it was an unqualified location. The City Council votes on the FivePoint deal have been 3-to-2, with Councilmembers Jeff Lalloway and Lynn Schott voting NO. 3. The goal of commencing cemetery operations was identified to begin on or before Veterans Day 2019. Irvine's Veteran Cemetery Report Released Amid Controversy Irvine Endorses Veterans Cemetery in Gypsum Canyon, Ending Yearslong Debate Easy call for CalVet there. The council just voted to rezone the ARDA Site for small retail and some recreation. SCVC on ARDA festered going nowhere no plans, no approvals, no money, certainly no opening date. Dr. Liss is a longtime resident of Woodbridge, the iconic Irvine village he helped design in the 1970s. Bill Cook: We all know we are here today because Christina Shea voted against the funding for the ARDA site. Assembly member Sharon Quirk-Silva sponsored the bill; and She TRIED to strike a deal with FivePoint for the ARDA site and she failed. Once begun, much of the work can be done concurrently, and all of it can be completed in one year. After two years of arguing over whether or not to move forward with a land swap, Irvine voters shot down the exchange on the 2018 ballot, with over 62% of the vote against the new site. There is Dee Fox again attacking Mayor Shea, the ELECTED Councilwoman for nonsensical claims. Owen Report issued. CHRISTINA SHEA doesnt seem to care about the costs. Veterans before a 21-gun salute at a site dedication ceremony at the now defunct strawberry field site. About Voice of OC: Mission | Editorial Policies| Contact Us | Funding| Privacy Policy. Its expected to be completed in May, at which point city council members are slated to decide which site to offer the state. Voters may have another chance to decide location of controversial Were not just saying something, were going to stand behind our residents and make sure this (hangar) site is built for our veterans, Shea said. A city employee recounted her conversation with Money that HSNOs analysis of this issue was outside its scope of contract, and informed the City Council that the money was in a required RDA (Redevelopment Agency) set-aside account. And if you are going to start a baseless rumor about a lawsuit, throw out some names. The City Attorneys summary is here: https://adobe.ly/2Q6JrUY. National Cemetery Administration You take my facts and twist them to make them your facts. Please include your name in the box provided. Keeping it here in Irvine doesnt allow it to move forward; its like holding it hostage.. Great Park Irvine Top Stories OCR Tess Sheets | Reporter Tess Sheets covers Fullerton, Orange and Irvine, along with communities in south Orange County including San Juan Capistrano,. Their signs and tees, if truthful, would say We must keep FivePoint off the ARDA!. Here is the City Attorneys summary of the Initiative: https://adobe.ly/2XkdeuA. by Larry Agran As most Irvine residents know, construction of a beautiful Veterans Memorial Park and Cemetery should have begun two years ago, in 2017 on the City-owned, 125-acre "ARDA" site in the Great Park. July 23, 2019 Approved designating golf course as the site for the cemetery (Resolution 19-76). A lawsuit is still expected. Early life Agran was born in Chicago, the son of Selma Elizabeth (Meyerson) and Reuben Agran (originally "Agranowsky"). All of these features would become integrated elements of the Great Park Aviation Museum. The Great Park Aviation Museum can be constructed concurrently or sequentially, in either case requiring an estimated 18 months to complete. The bill author, Sharon Quirk-Silva said: The Irvine Council voted 4-1 to support the Golf Site. It will NOT establish an aircraft museum. Since the strawberry field went down, its just been a matter of letting this thing gestate out to the bitter end. (Los Angeles Times) By Ben Brazil Staff Writer. The attendees during the pledge of allegiance at the last Irvine City council meeting on June 22, 2021. The bill would require the department, after completing acquisition studies of each site, to consult with the Department of General Services to determine which site to pursue based on specified factors, including, among other things, the availability of each location.. Live Nation Wont Be Operating Amphitheater in the Great Park, The 1931 Meeting Between Einstein & Michelson in Irvine. The district shall have circulation in the form of internal streets and sidewalks, and pedestrian access may be provided to adjacent Great Park uses. She suggested the dedication ceremony as a way to add more permanence to the initiative, and to start moving the process forward. with a competing initiative for the golf course site, giving voters the final choice on the issue. 1. Will The Clean-Up Process Begin On The Veterans Cemetery ARDA Site? Bill Cook is correct that you are incorrect on the ARDA. This means construction of the Veterans Cemetery will once again be delayed indefinitely. 2. Thank you Scott. Please dont use that same auditing firm that you used before because I believe they are being sued as well. With this knowledge, (and the City is well aware of this lawsuit because I sent them a copy), it is the duty of a Mayor to refrain from dealing with any company or individual that could potentially put their City in jeopardy. Irvine Cat Reunited with Family After Being Lost for 2 Years, Council Approves Landmark Deal for City to Acquire Asphalt Plant & Restore the Site to Its Original State, CityWatch:Bending to the Will of the People, CityWatch:YES! . The "Build it NOW!" Plan - Irvine Community News and Views Berardino had previously spoken against the hangar site, saying that the initiative shouldve been placed on the November ballot. The Council acted to rescind the designation of the ARDA site as the preferred site (see 7/22/14) for the Southern California Veterans cemetery, and instead pursue a land exchange with FivePoint of the ARDA site and the Bake Parkway site. With the Veterans Cemetery site issue now resolved, it is time to move forward without delay. While it hurts to see they took the action they took, it hurts more to see how they disregarded a fundamental tenet of our democracy, the right to vote, an issue that men and women they denied tonight, fought for, Berardino said. It portrays Christina Shea as a very vindictive person who will not listen to the people. The Great Park is suppose to be a Great Park, not a Great Development. ARDA was all that was available of old MCAS El Toro at the time. Join ourFacebook discussion. It does NOT require the City to transfer any land to the State. The initiative collected nearly 20,000 signatures to support moving the proposed cemetery to the new location. Fax all discharge documentation to the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 1-866-900-6417 and follow-up with a phone call to 1-800-535-1117. As it turns out, the City Attorney DID NOT exonerate Shea; he did not even address the question of whether Sheas conduct was in violation of State law; his memorandum only spoke to issues of Irvine City law, which of course are not the basis for the FPPC probe. Assembly member Sharon Quirk-Silva sponsored the bill; and If the initiative qualifies for the ballot and is passed by Irvine voters, it will designate and re-zone the 125-acre ARDA site for one use a State built and State operated Veterans Cemetery. Like This Free Civic News? Posted today: The citizens of Irvine should be outraged that our Mayor is further allowing this developer to make billions of dollars at our expense. Those are facts and you wont even address them. Through a series of backroom deals, in April Councilmember Christina Shea became the first UNELECTED Mayor of Irvine in more than three decades. To repeat: We can start building the Southern California Veterans Memorial Park & Cemetery on the ARDA site at our Great Park right now. Nick Berardino, President of the Veterans Alliance of Orange County, said he viewed the move by Archuletta as bringing sanity to the process., Simply, the states going to build it and pay for it.
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