Irvine council opens formal review of Irvine Company’s Oak Park plan after packed scoping session

The Irvine City Council on Tuesday authorized city staff to begin formal processing and environmental review of the Irvine Company’s general plan amendment to establish Planning Area 52, known as Oak Park, and asked staff to return with options on taking any change to voter approval.

The vote (7–0) authorizes staff to accept and analyze the application that proposes a new village near the Irvine Spectrum, which the applicant and city staff said would include about 3,100 homes, parks and a new public school, and a mix of housing types. Staff said the technical review and environmental analyses would likely take roughly nine to 12 months, with hearings and potential decisions expected in 2026.

Why it matters: The property at issue includes the Oak Creek Golf Course and adjacent holdings long identified as preserved open space in Irvine’s 1988 initiative commonly referred to as Resolution 88‑1. Hundreds of residents filled the council chamber and many argued that any change to that preservation designation should go back to voters. City leaders said the council needed to hear those residents before further analysis and directed staff to prepare a path so the council could consider a ballot option while processing the application.

What staff and the applicant…