City Moves to Annex Lower Peters Canyon Development

The city has taken the first steps toward annexing the Irvine Co.’s 1,400-acre Lower Peters Canyon development , and officials said they hope to have the process completed by midsummer.

City leaders say the annexation would give Irvine more local control of the community, which is now under the county’s jurisdiction. Lower Peters Canyon is bordered by the Santa Ana Freeway, Jamboree Road, Culver Drive and Portola Parkway.

“If we don’t go through with this, we’ll get nothing but the impact of the development,” Mayor Mike Ward said.

The county approved the Irvine Co.’s development plan for Lower Peters Canyon in May 1995. Company officials and city leaders expressed hope at the time that the land eventually would be part of Irvine.

Under an agreement between the parties, the Irvine Co. recognizes Irvine’s desire to gain control of development within its sphere of influence to ensure the city’s standards for public safety and quality of life.

The Orange County Local Agency Formation Commission must approve all land transactions between cities and the county. Irvine officials said they hope the commission will act by June 30 to approve the city’s request to annex Lower Peters Canyon.

The Irvine Co. project calls for about 8,000 residential units and 1.3 million square feet of industrial and research space.

Home construction could start as early as this spring, company officials said.

Mayor Mike Ward and Councilwoman Paula Werner have been negotiating with Irvine Co. officials to guarantee that revenue from the development will pay for the services needed to maintain it.

Still to be resolved is the size of a park that the Irvine Co. has agreed to build next to a proposed high school site on Bryan Avenue.