Build the Great Park Now?

[irvinehomeowner]

Saw this in an ad in the paper the other day:
http://www.buildthegreatparknow.com/

"As an Irvine resident, and a supporter of youth sports, I?m frustrated that after 10 years and $200 million all the Great Park really has to show for itself is a balloon ? and now the Great Park is almost out of money which means they can?t build the park at all.
So if the City Council can get a private company like FivePoints to use $174 million of their own money to finally build the Great Park, then I?m all for it and ask that you join me in letting City Council know that you agree this is the best way to get it built? now!?
~ Guy Lemmon
Irvine Resident

After reading through the articles on that site, it looks like the strings attached are the following:

1. Five Points get to build 5000+ more homes (over 10,000 homes total)
2. $40mil of the $174mil is bonds, so another "tax" for anyone who buys homes there

Seems like everyone part of this movement is related to various sports activities. My question is "Is there really that need now?". I can understand later once the first 5000 homes are built... but if that means another 5000 homes, then will that even be sufficient?

 

[iacrenter]

What a debacle! They should bill Larry Aragan and his cronies for all the wasted money. Now the city is stuck between a rock and a hard place. Agree to the builder terms and have 10K homes overwhelming city services. Don't build more homes and have the GP languish for years due to lack of funding.

At least the GP is continuing to make some revenue with all the car magazines doing their testing on the long runways. Here is the latest one: Motortrend's Worlds Greatest Drag Race 3. Check out the famous GP orange balloon in the background at the finish line.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8k1DIrfNr48[/youtube]

 

[Vinster]

Are the extra 5000 homes going to be built in the part of the Great Park that is in the Saddleback Valley School District?

 

[Irvinecommuter]

Part of the issues was the loss of $1.4 billion from the state taking away redevelopment agency last year.

As much as I dislike Irvine politics, you can't really blame them for having to change plans mid-stream.  Of course you can blame them for the stupid balloon.