IRVINE : Council to Address Park-Bike Path Plan

Plans to transform a dusty railroad right-of-way into a park and bike path will come before the City Council on May 10, officials announced this week.

A council hearing on the proposal would be the next step in the controversial, decade-long process of developing the Northwood village park.

Architectural drawings that depict how the linear park would look were unveiled at a public hearing last week. The drawings met with general praise from residents.

What makes the park plan unique is that it was designed with an unusual amount of public input.

Dozens of people took part in a daylong seminar earlier this year in which noted San Francisco architect Lawrence Halprin moderated a discussion about how the park should be designed.

Under the proposal, a walkway and bike path would be built in the center of an 80-foot-wide, 1.4-mile-long strip of land.

Residents at last week’s meeting expressed concern about lighting for the park, said Kimel Conway, Irvine principal planner for project entitlements.

Developing the park would cost about $1.5 million. If the council approves the general outline for the park, city officials will prepare more finalized plans.