From the desk of Sharon Quirk-Silva in AD-65, this announcement:
SACRAMENTO – Prior to the start of Memorial Day weekend, Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva (D-Fullerton) made the following statement on the inclusion of a $30 million allocation of funds in the 2017 California State Budget Report for an Orange County Veterans Cemetery.
“This is a fitting announcement for Memorial Day Weekend, when we honor those American heroes that made the ultimate sacrifice. An Orange County Veterans Cemetery reflects the values and priorities of our community and gives local veterans the option of a military burial that is closer to home.”
This allocation came directly after Quirk-Silva hosted California Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. in Orange County, where they had a private tour of proposed sites for a new state veteran cemetery in Irvine. Assemblywoman Quirk-Silva and Governor Brown also met with local officials and community groups, in order to facilitate the budget appropriation of funds.
In 2014, Assemblywoman Quirk-Silva authored legislation that set the way for State and Federal approval of plans, leading to the construction and operation of the Orange County Veterans Cemetery project.
And for further information, I invite you to visit my website.
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What the press release doesn’t say, that sources tell TheLiberalOC is that the state funds secured by Quirk-Silva are for the original site off of Irvine Blvd. And now that the city and state have come together, the fastest route to building a Veteran’s Cemetery is to stay the course.
Moving to the “Strawberry Field” site, zoned for commercial development and less valuable than the land FivePoint wants to swap acre for acre (trading marbles for diamonds) will stretch out the development and construction of the cemetery and memorial site by years. And in making a switch to enrich a millionaire developer just gives them that much more money to run IEs to hurt Democrats running for city council and school board.
We urge the Irvine City Council to do the right thing and approve the original site — again. If the vote goes for the land swap, just be transparent and change the name of the city from Irvine to Haddad, CA, because Emile will effectively own it through a bought and paid for city council.
This is wonderful news. Thank you Assemblymember Quirk-Silva..
We know that Wagner (R-Fivepoint) and Shea (R-Fivepoint) will try to do everything to kill the cemetery on the ARDA site, but now it’s up to Fox (D-Fivepoint?) to do the right thing and keep the vet cemetery where the vets originally wanted it to be.
If Melissa sides with Strader, Haddad, Wagner and Shea, she’ll be a one term council member. She’ll lose support from Irvine’s Democratic base. Emile can only pay so much
FivePoints and Strader contribute to IEs that tear down Irvine’s Democrats; vicious attacks were launched against Melissa last election by these same IEs.
Great news, Dan. It has been apparent all along that developers were paying big money to thwart the building of the cemetery. And, although some notable veteran leaders may have been bought and paid for to say the strawberry field was a good deal, veterans deserve to built on the last vestige of hallowed ground in Orange County. Thank you Sharon. You started this and you saw it through.
“Quirk-Silva Funds Orange County Veteran Cemetery”
Wow – fooled me … I figured taxpayers funded public projects.
Great news!! Lets see what Fox does now?
There’s a perception out there that if the Land Swap happened, FivePoint will develop the property. Using the delays of their work on the Great Park as a guide, that’s wishful thinking at best. FivePoints has provided non-specific promises of initial development. No dollar figure is attached to this “promise” but many land swap advocates are placing too much weight on what FivePoints would actually do or how much they’d spend.
Spoiler: not nearly as much as they’d profit by trading cheap commercially zoned land for prime building sites. And for my Democratic friends out there who favor the swap, do you really want to put more money in the pocket on a company that spends millions on IEs that hurt Democrats for almost every local office?
The money SQS scored eliminates the need to swap the land. And fast tracks the development of the cemetery.
Dan says: “Spoiler: not nearly as much as they’d profit by trading cheap commercially zoned land for prime building sites.”
Please explain that statement Dan – it doesn’t seem to make much sense. Commercial land is not “cheap” – it is likely much more expensive than residential property.
not in this case. Haddad makes far more money building expensive homes. He can’t do much with the property where the fields are now but could build lots of mini mansions in the ARDA site
Still doesn’t make any sense. It’s still more valuable land for the vets plus cheaper to build on. You’re losing credibility.
Why are you so concerned that five points will make more money on the deal? Seems like you need to go back and think about what is best for all parties.. not just yourself.
Shea and Wagner are lining the pockets of their friends with public property. This is a crime
Earth to idiots… Noe the original site doesnt have the funding it needs. They are now short of it on a site that will cost 3x more to develop on as oppose to the alternative sites. Keeping the existing site will make sure the project will never happen.
It actually does Johnny; the cost is estimated at $77 million to prepare the site.
The city has committed $38 million; the state has committed $30 million. The announcement from SQS says the feds will commit another $10 million. Let’s add that up; $78 million!
Even if the state and the feds didn’t give a dime; Irvine has the funds to completely develop the cemetery on the original site.
No need to line the pockets of a developer who wanted the project killed from the start until they found a way to profit from the graves of dead military vets.
The Fed hasn’t approved of the 10M! The project is still short and plus will cost 3x than the land swap area. This is why the VETs support the landswap.. but oh no, LiberalOC is run by you know who, and doesn’t want it. They are lined up with that Irvine company money.
TheLiberalOC is run my me; and I want it on the original site which is lovely and close to my home. Irvine Company money — I wish. I have never received a dime from them, but anyone can advertise here.
The fed will approve it; been in the works for some time. Not all Vets support the swap but all support a cemetery
Majority of vets want swap (better chance of actually getting built), residents want swap (better location), the government wants swap (better for tax payers).
Not sure why you are so heck bent on keeping the original site.
Just received an unwanted robocall from some Sleazebag Trumpster’s locked dementia facility calling himself ‘Dick Ackerman’ saying he wants Irvine City Council to give up a Strawberry patch “For Free” rather than proceed with plans for the Veteran Cemetery plans. (The real Dick Ackerman retired in 2009 and is older than Donald Trump!)
It’s not free. We take that and lined Haddad’s pockets with millions. Shea and Wagner are literally paying their political benefactor in cold hard taxpayer cash
Does Melissa Fox realize you can’t negotiate deals for the Strawberry Fields site after you’ve voted to approve the land swap. FivePoint won’t care. Don’t bother running for re-election