Build the Great Park

Larry Agran tried and failed again to push burial uses into our neighborhood disguised as a "columbarium."

Thank the City Council

Recognize Councilmembers Liu, Mai, Treseder, and Go who listened to residents in the December 9th Irvine City Council meeting and voted to move forward with world-class amenities for the Great Park without the divisive columbarium.

Recipients: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]

Email Subject: Thank You: Moving Forward Without the Columbarium

Message to Copy:

Dear Council Members,

I am writing to express my sincere gratitude to the Councilmembers who voted to respect the community's wishes by moving the Great Park proposal forward without the controversial columbarium in Area 51.

By listening to the residents and removing this component, you have taken a significant step toward rebuilding trust with the neighborhoods surrounding the park. It is a relief to know that our consistent opposition to cemetery-related uses in this specific area has been heard and honored.

We are eager to see the Great Park develop into the world-class amenity we were promised, and we appreciate your leadership in ensuring that development aligns with the commitments made to this community.

Thank you for your service and for supporting the residents.

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What is Really Happening

For more than a decade, Great Park residents have overwhelmingly opposed placing a veterans cemetery inside our community. We have fought this over and over, and every time the council rejects it, Larry Agran comes back with another angle, another tactic, another "version" of the same idea.

Now, after being defeated again on the full cemetery proposal, he has suddenly stood down — only to pivot and introduce a columbarium in the same location.

A columbarium is a burial facility. It is not a park, not a memorial, not a harmless structure. It is the first step to force a cemetery into Great Park.

🗓️ FAST FACTS — THE TIMELINE

🗓️ 2014 – Original Cemetery Plan Begins

The ARDA site at Great Park was offered to the State to build a veterans cemetery. Sounds simple — but things got complicated fast.

⚠️ 2018 – Land Swap Rejected

A plan was proposed to move the cemetery to the Strawberry Fields — a site near the I-5 and Bake Parkway, by the El Toro Y freeway interchange. The goal was to shift the cemetery away from neighborhoods.

However, this required a land swap, and Measure B was put on the ballot. 63% of Irvine voters said NO. Their opposition was primarily aimed at the controversial land swap with a private developer — not a vote in favor of keeping the cemetery at the Great Park.

There was widespread concern that developers would profit while residents would bear the consequences.

There was also widespread confusion during the campaign, and many residents later reported feeling misled about what their vote actually meant.

🔒 2020 – Cemetery Zoning Locked In

Councilmember Larry Agran co-authored a "citizen-led initiative" — a formal California process where residents can propose a new law by collecting voter signatures. This initiative aimed to rezone the ARDA site exclusively for a veterans cemetery.

Nearly 20,000 residents signed — but signing a petition is not a vote. Many people signed to allow the issue to be discussed or placed on a ballot.

However, instead of putting it to voters, Agran and the City Council adopted the ordinance directly.

The Council voted 4–1 to approve the zoning change without public vote. Then-Mayor Christina Shea pushed for it to go to the November ballot.

This decision locked in cemetery-only zoning at the ARDA site — without direct voter input.

🚀 2022–2024 – Gypsum Canyon Gains Momentum

  • State law AB 1595 passed to support Gypsum Canyon in Anaheim Hills
  • 34 cities in Orange County (including Irvine) passed resolutions supporting it
  • $20M and land allocated by the Orange County Board of Supervisors

✅ May 27, 2025 – City Council Rejects Cemetery Plan

The Irvine City Council voted to reject Mayor Agran's proposal for a Great Park veterans cemetery instead of supporting Gypsum Canyon. However, Agran vowed to continue advocating for a cemetery at the ARDA site despite the council vote.

✅ December 9, 2025 – Council Rejects Agran's Latest Cemetery Proposal

Mayor Agran once again tried to push burial uses into our neighborhood — this time as a columbarium buried in a 300+ page proposal. The Council voted 4-3 on Dec 9th in favor of proceeding with building a Great Park library minus the columbarium, thanks to your efforts!