Annexation Might Serve Irvine Well : Developers, Residents in 37-Square-Mile Area Could Also Benefit From City Inclusion

Is it greed or is it simply sound planning and common sense that Irvine is showing in considering annexing as much as 37 square miles of unincorporated land on the northeastern fringes of the city?

When you consider the scenarios, and when you look at Irvine’s history of sound planning--as opposed to the county, which has a somewhat less stellar planning history--it looks very much like an idea worth at least exploring.

Most of the land, considered within Irvine’s “sphere of influence” but currently controlled by the county, could be destined for the city’s jurisdiction sooner or later, according to city officials. Unless new developments are prepared to go through the long evolutionary process of growth and eventual incorporation, they may well want to hitch up with Irvine anyway, as Mayor Michael Ward already has suggested is likely to happen.

The recent history of city incorporations in Orange County suggests at the very least that they will want police service and a say in government, as well as an identity.

And the city already has had a preview of the potential trouble with the city’s failure to annex 360 acres of Irvine Co. land near Hicks Canyon Wash, scheduled to be a huge development. If that project is built in the county instead of the city, the city stands to lose an estimated $4 million to $8 million in development fees.

Indeed, without annexation before building in the area, Irvine could lose millions in development fees, only to be asked later to come to the rescue by those seeking a municipality on which to hitch their fortunes.

Since Irvine has been a model city for planning, it makes sense for it to bring its planning expertise to bear at the outset in developments that are likely to come into its orbit.

To annex the unincorporated land in question would require the approval of the Local Agency Formation Commission. LAFCO no doubt would enter the picture down the road anyway, if future developments wanted to form their own municipal jurisdiction.

Under this plan, the game plan for the future would be decided up front, with plans for environmental studies and zoning. The process would require joint planning by the Irvine Co., which owns much of the land, the city and the county.

The City Council is set to look into the idea next month, when the planners deliver a study of annexation options. There is no need to rush into annexation, but considering it now makes more sense than waiting.