Anaheim's utility is running a new electrical line about 1½ miles to the Gypsum Canyon veterans cemetery site, according to the Orange County Cemetery District, which is developing a public cemetery next door. On the $10M federal grant, the district's general manager told its board the money can currently pay only for buildings and burial spaces, and that there's an effort to have it cover utilities, roads, and grading too. CalVet hasn't commented publicly. In Irvine, the City Council voted 4–3 in January to set aside a study of a city-run columbarium.
Council backs study of a new Great Park concert site
The City Council voted 4–3 on November 10 to have staff study moving Great Park Live, the temporary concert venue in the Sports Complex, where games limit which weekends can host shows. Vice Mayor Mai, Councilmembers Treseder and Martinez Franco, and Mayor Agran voted yes; Councilmembers Liu, Carroll, and Go voted no. City staff said the realistic sites are the Cultural Terrace and the Heart of the Park, and that the Northern Sector near Cadence is so close to homes it probably wouldn't survive scrutiny. The city says the venue has lost about $6 million a year. Staff will also suggest loosening the city's sponsorship rules, which bar sponsors such as alcohol and gambling companies. The council dropped the proposed “Irvine Meadows” name so a sponsor could name the venue.
The City Council and Great Park Board voted 7–0 on November 10 to award a $9.84 million contract for the last phase of Perimeter Park, the roughly 13-acre buffer between the neighborhoods north of Cadence and the rest of the park. The work adds trails, trees, and lighting. The city says rough grading began November 2.
In unofficial results updated November 12, Mayor Larry Agran had 69.9% of the vote to Maksim Egorov's 30.1%. Measure D, which would move Irvine to ranked-choice voting, was passing with 53.4%. In District 1, Councilmember Melinda Liu led John Park by 398 votes. Counting continues until the county certifies the results.
Crescent plan next to the Great Park waits for January
The City Council voted 4–3 on October 27 to wait until after the election, continuing early designs for the Crescent to January 12, 2027. The 35-acre city-owned site links the Great Park with the Irvine train station and Irvine Spectrum. The concept calls for about 1,150 homes, up to two hotels with about 300 rooms, shops, offices, and a land bridge from the southern tip of the Great Park. City staff estimate $75 million to $150 million in future revenue. Councilmembers Carroll and Go, Vice Mayor Mai, and Mayor Agran voted to wait; Councilmembers Liu, Martinez Franco, and Treseder voted no.
The Great Park Board and City Council each voted 7–0 on October 27 to advance a $14.36 million construction contract. The city also scheduled Hangar 10 and Bosque Bridge construction to start November 2.
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