Irvine council approves general plan amendment, zoning change and development agreement for 2,500-unit University Research Park project
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Summary
The City Council approved a general plan amendment, a rezoning and a development agreement to allow up to 2,500 residential units in Planning Area 25 (University Research Park), including affordable housing requirements and per-unit public benefit fees.
The Irvine City Council voted 7-0 to approve a general plan amendment, a zone change and a development agreement to allow up to 2,500 dwelling units in Planning Area 25 (University Research Park), a change that would add housing to a previously research-industrial area near the University of California, Irvine.
The action: At a public hearing, the council adopted a resolution approving the general plan amendment and read ordinances for the zone change and development agreement introduced for first reading. The council vote carried unanimously.
What the changes do: The amendment redesignates about 131 acres from research-industrial to “multi use,” rezones the area to a new 3.11 multi-use district and establishes a 2,500-unit cap for the planning area. The development agreement includes 416 affordable housing units to be maintained for 75 years (206 of those in phase 1), a per-unit public benefit fee of at least $14,725 directed to parks, trails and affordable housing, and 50 vouchers for an Irvine-based transitional housing program. The approved phase 1 master plan calls for 1,233 apartment units in wrap and podium buildings and includes a density-bonus regulatory agreement and tract map.
What staff and the planning commission found: City staff prepared an EIR addendum to the General Plan program EIR and concluded the proposal would not create new significant environmental impacts beyond those analyzed in the general plan document. The planning commission recommended approval in May 2025.
Public comments and issues raised: During public comment, Jeff Davis, representing the Irvine Company, said the units are part of inventory already assigned to the city’s housing element and emphasized potential transit connections with UCI’s Anteater Express and OCTA; he said the project’s public-benefit fee could support transit and other improvements. Frankie Rodriguez of the Carpenters’ union urged local-hire, prevailing-wage and apprenticeship requirements for construction to reduce environmental impacts and boost local jobs. Other callers raised concerns about traffic and the adequacy of transit access; a resident asked the city to require stronger anteater/Irvine Connect links to reduce reliance on private cars.
Next steps: The zone change and development agreement were introduced for first reading; additional implementing entitlements (master plans, tract maps, park plans) and final ordinance readings will follow the required public-notice and referral process. The project’s transportation analysis and implementation of transit connections will be analyzed as part of the environmental and subdivision review process.
Speakers and attribution: Reporting draws on remarks from Eric Martin (senior planner, Community Development), Jeff Davis (Irvine Company), and Frankie Rodriguez (Western States Regional Council of Carpenters), drawn from the meeting transcript.
Ending: The approvals frame a large-scale conversion of research-industry land near UCI into residential uses, with the council adopting affordability and public-benefit requirements and directing further environmental and subdivision review before building permits are issued.
