On September 18th, the city of Irvine in Orange County held its third community meeting at Heritage Community Park to discuss the future of the park, considering five redevelopment plans and nearly 40 recreational and architectural elements.
The discussion focused on the most popular choices among residents while also taking into account costs and budgets, as stated by James Mai, the Vice Mayor and District 3 Councilmember of Irvine. The City Council has been conducting events at Heritage Park since July, starting with a resident tour and feedback session, followed by community discussions exploring various perspectives on the park’s future, leading to the recent gathering to gather input on the five proposed sketches and residents’ diverse needs.
Following the solicitation of resident feedback, the City Council will discuss and vote on the final proposal. Mai mentioned that it is still in the early stages, with designers and architects incorporating public input into new redevelopment sketches.
The park, built in 1975, was initially known for its iconic three-story wooden slide, which was later removed. It was replaced by a tractor tire maze, which was then replaced by a playground and basketball court. The pond located at the southeast corner of the park serves as a habitat for various waterfowl, with a popular walking path and gazebo surrounding it.
Among the five sketches proposed, buildings feature most prominently in sketches 3 and 5. Sketch 2 removes the pond, while sketch 5 retains the original layout, with the remaining three sketches reducing the area. Sketches 1, 2, and 3 all reduce green space in favor of a circular amphitheater, soccer field, and fitness center.
Among the 19 park elements, the badminton court received the most stickers from attendees, with over 35, followed by walking paths with over 30 stickers, and water features with over 25 stickers.
In the 19 proposed building expansion elements, the library received 33 stickers (with plans for reconstruction to become a city library), while the movement studio/gym and Fine Art Center Studios both received 30 stickers each. The game room and expanded parking lot each received over 25 stickers.
The proposed building expansions are all within the original building area near Yale Ave. Mr. Chen, a supporter of badminton, stated, “We have been advocating for badminton for four years and are rallying all residents interested in badminton to support this project.”
According to the Irvine city government website in 2023, Asians make up 44.3% of the city’s population, the largest ethnic group. Mr. Chen noted, “Asian residents are enthusiasts of badminton, and our team now has over 2,000 members.” Over ten members of their team attended the event, suggesting options like vertical development instead of expanding building footprint.
Irvine, especially the Great Park area, offers many free sports facilities such as tennis, basketball, soccer, swimming pools, and ice skating rinks, but there are few places for badminton. The community center currently houses a table tennis room popular among Asians.
Resident Carol shared, “I have volunteered at the Fine Art Center for 24 years. It is a place that every city resident visits, meeting the needs of children, stay-at-home moms during school hours, and the elderly. It has more art studios and skill classes than other places in California.”
Opened in May 1980, the Fine Art Center provides activities for art enthusiasts of all ages, including annual exhibitions with dozens of artists, offering classes in painting, ceramics, photography, printmaking, jewelry making, and culinary arts.
The park caters to various needs of residents, hosting summer camps suitable for all ages where children play under the shade of trees. Ronda Sussman, a resident of Irvine for over 20 years, mentioned the initial concern of the city being swallowed by the airport, which was resolved by turning the land into the Great Park.
Sussman, visiting with her 5-year-old granddaughter, expressed concern about the park post-redevelopment not being child-friendly, suggesting features that allow adults to constantly monitor children’s play areas, such as elevated viewpoints or slopes for better visibility.
“Irvine has many beautiful parks, most close to schools where school-age children visit before, after class, and on weekends. Some parks cater to toddlers aged 2-5, but combining them might compromise safety for toddlers,” said Sussman. Apart from outdoor play areas, she emphasized the need for a larger multipurpose room for scout activities.
Sussman previously attended outdoor concerts by the Pacific Symphony Orchestra with her granddaughter this summer and noted the different atmosphere compared to indoor performances.