LiberalOC friend Harvey Liss sent this note to ask the public’s help in getting work on ARDA demolition started.
We urgently need you to send an email—this weekend (before Tuesday)—to Irvine’s City Clerk, to be read at Tuesday’s City Council meeting (June 23rd) to bring us one important step closer to making the Veterans Memorial Park and Cemetery on the original ARDA site a reality.
With your help, the City Council at their next meeting scheduled for Tuesday, June 23rd, will be voting to implement Councilmembers Melissa Fox and Farrah Khan’s memo – listed as Agenda Item 5.5 Consideration of a request by Councilmember Fox and Councilmember Khan to discuss Amended and Restated Development Agreement (ARDA) Site Improvements.
The Council will be voting to direct City Staff to begin the process of constructing the first phase of the Veterans Cemetery. Improvements to be requested are clearing of the ARDA site, removal of hazardous material and building of a Linear Park around the entire ARDA site on top of a wide berm, comprising trees, bicycling and walking trails.
Please send an email right away—just a few sentences in your own words indicating support for Agenda Item 5.5 on the 6/23 City Council meeting, and urging the City Council to move forward with these improvements without any further delay. (You can also eComment the City Council at any time, even during the meeting, at eComment for Council Agenda Items 5.1 thru 5.5
Your email should be addressed:
To: CLERK@CITYOFIRVINE.ORG
Subject: Support for Item 5.5, 6/23 City Council meeting: Moving forward with beginning construction of the Veterans Cemetery on the ARDA site
Include your name and address.
NEW LAWN SIGNS: We also have new lawn signs (the one pictured) that we’d like to install on your lawn. Just reply to this email with your address and it will be installed by one our volunteers. If you prefer to install it yourself, please so indicate. There will be no personal contact.
Thank you for your continued support.
BACKGROUND: On May 12, 2020, the City Council voted to adopt our Initiative as an Ordinance to permanently zone the ARDA site as the exclusive site for the Veterans Cemetery excluding other competing sites within the Great Park area. The site selection is finally settled and now is the time to finally begin preparing and building the Veterans Cemetery. In addition, on June 15, 2020, the State of California budget reinstated the full $24.5 million appropriation to CalVET for the initial construction costs plus an additional $700,000 for any studies that are required.