April 10, 2007 Foothills Sentry Page 3
Orange City Council accepts TIC drainage scheme
By Tina Richards
The Irvine Company’s bid to divert urban runoff from its Santiago Hills II development onto an improved portion of Irvine Park and into the Peters Canyon reservoir was finalized by a unanimous vote of the Orange City Council dur- ing its 4:30 p.m. session, March 27. The City Council approved management agreements giv- ing the city full responsibility for the operation and maintenance of runoff facilities to be built on public parkland. The approval followed an Orange County Board of Supervisors action that gave easements to the city for the Irvine Park based pipeline/riprap basin/ stilling pond. The Irvine Company had already retained easements for runoff into Peters Canyon when it deeded that property to the county in this year. Easement Appeasement Residents and park users actively opposed the Irvine Park plan, but were silent on the Peters Canyon facility because the Irvine Company has water easements there for that purpose. No such easements existed in Irvine Park until the County traded an 1897 easement to transport water across original park boundaries for a new broader easement in the riparian area below the Hillsdale residential community.
Opponents of the project urged the City Council to either delay or deny acceptance of the management agreement. Seventeen individuals representing Orange, Orange Park Acres, Villa Park, county taxpayers and park users, addressed the citing discrepancies in the planning process, environmental damage, misuse of public land, unknown liability for the City, undisclosed costs and Irvine Company strong arm tactics used to push the project through. No Strength in Numbers Many of the same speakers had appeared at the Board of Supervisors meeting, March 6, asking them to reconsider the tacit acceptance of the Irvine Company’s plan to divert runoff into the park. They also presented a petition bearing almost 400 signatures from residents opposed to the transfer of park land to a nonpark related recipient. Despite the fact that the City is the lead agency on this development project, and is therefore responsible for all possible outcomes, it deferred to the County’s wishes to grant easements to the City instead of the Irvine Company. By accepting the drainage easements and agreeing to take charge of the runoff facility, the City will be liable for all routine maintenance as well as environmental monitoring, mitigation, downstream erosion damage, unplanned loss of habitat, pollution cleanup or any other impacts brought on by extreme storm conditions. A Breath of Fresh Air? Conversely, Peter’s Canyon might benefit from the Irvine Company drainage plan. The reservoir was originally constructed by the Irvine Company for agricultural pur- poses and water was physical- ly pumped into it. Water does not naturally flow through the lake except during heavy rains. When the reservoir was no longer needed for agriculture, the pumping stopped and the water quality deterio- rated. As an adjunct to the water quality study phase of the Santiago Hills II project, an Irvine Company contractor
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April 10, 2007 Foothills Sentry Page 5
Orange City Council
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proposed installing an aeration system in the lake. The system, using a number of 1,400 ft. long aeration lines powered by a 25 hp compressor,would introduce air bubbles into the standing water, improving its dissolved oxygen content and thus the overall water quality. While the aeration project is not connected to the Santiago Hills II development project it remains an option. Tina Richards can be reached at trichardsok@ cox.net.
Taken from The Foothills Sentry http://www.foothillssentry.com/