Dear Mr. OurGang,
Thank you for your message on the Orange County Veterans Cemetery.
I believe that the Strawberry Field Site is by far the most advantageous for the residents of Irvine. This site, overwhelmingly preferred by the Orange County Veterans Memorial Park Committee (OCVMP), saves at a minimum $77.5 million in city, state and national tax dollars, does not require the substantial remediation and decontamination of the original site, and reduces traffic through the City.
I was one of the earliest and strongest advocates for a Veterans Cemetery located at the old El Toro Marine Air Station. I attended and spoke at every Irvine City Council meeting where the Veterans Cemetery was discussed. As an Irvine resident and as the daughter of an Orange County Korean War combat veteran, I believe that it is time that Orange County offered its veterans, who have sacrificed so much for us, a final resting place close to their families and loved ones.
My strong commitment to an Orange County Veterans Cemetery located on the grounds of the old El Toro Marine base in Irvine has never wavered. My goal remains to establish this cemetery as expeditiously as possible.
Here are the facts:
* The original ARDA Site and the proposed Strawberry Field Site are both within the borders of the old El Toro Marine Base.
* Neither the ARDA Site nor the Strawberry Field Site are within the boundaries of the Great Park. Both are contiguous to the Great Park: The Wildlife Corridor bisects the Strawberry Field Site and the ARDA Site sits just to the north of the park.
* For providing the Strawberry Field Site and a financial commitment to build the entirety of the veterans cemetery through Phase 1, the developer seeks no additional entitlements, only to move what they already have at the Strawberry Field Site to the ARDA Site, adding no additional traffic and no additional automobile trips.
* The $77.5 million estimate to prepare the ARDA site is only an estimate. The ARDA Site contains 77 buildings that would need to be demolished, and a dump site filled with unknown materials dumped over the entire lifespan of the base which is the largest Superfund Project in the Nation.
* The ARDA Site contains FAA facilities that must remain in use and cannot be removed.
* The Strawberry Fields Site is currently used as agricultural fields. No decontamination or demolition would be necessary before construction could begin.
* The majority the funding for the Great Park comes from a settlement with the State of California for the return of $280 million over an unspecified period of time. A portion of those funds are dedicated to affordable housing, leaving $258 million available for the Park. The $38 million proposed by the City would come from these funds, necessarily reducing the funds available for gardens, museums, a library, maintenance and operations.
* The veteran members of the OCVMP Committee, who have fought for an Orange County Veterans Cemetery on the grounds of the old MCAS El Toro for many years, favor the Strawberry Field Site because it would be more visible from the freeway, has easier access, and the motorcade traffic and daily rifle volleys would not impact surrounding residences and schools.
* The ARDA was last appraised in 2014 at $9,425,224. In 2105, the developer sold 72 acres adjacent to the Strawberry Field Site for $128,000,000.
Again, thank you for your concern and your input.
Sincerely,
Melissa Fox
Councilmember, Irvine City Council
