Op-Ed: Let’s Get Irvine On The Right Track Again

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By: Frank McGill

The overwhelming issue in Irvine today is the fact that the City Council is very much in bed with FivePoint developers. The city council has not been responsive to the needs of Irvine residents but only with serving the bottom line for FivePoint. And the council is operating with little transparency. As a result, there is massive development without the necessary infrastructure put in place first. So now we have traffic congestion, school crowding, and loss of open space.

We already have council members that promised one thing when they were a candidate but acted differently once elected. This time, we need to elect candidates that have demonstrated that they will say “NO” to big developers. Of all the candidates, only three have done so: Ed Pope, Jaci Woods, and Frank McGill. They were loud and visible in opposing Measure B when it counted. The other candidates were either supporting Measure B or silent.

We need to get a new majority on the city council first and foremost. Until then, all other issues are a distraction. Afterward, we can build the Veteran’s Cemetery, manage development, tackle traffic congestion, provide transparency at city hall, increase developer fees, require more open space and landscaped setbacks with development, synchronize all of our traffic signals, expand the shuttle bus system, etc.

Irvine became famous as a master planning community but it has gone off the track in recent years. It is still a great place to live and work but the current city council is rapidly spoiling the nest. Let’s get Irvine on the right track again.