Community Meeting: Gateway Preserve Planning and the City's Northern Open Space

The City of Irvine is hosting an informational meeting about the Resource and Recreation Management Plan (RRMP) being updated for Gateway Preserve and the City's northern Open Space Preserve, Thursday, May 16, 6-8 p.m. at Portola Springs Community Center, located at 900 Tomato Springs, Irvine, 92618.

Gateway Preserve is a new 711-acre nature preserve in North Irvine in the area surrounding the now-closed All American Asphalt plant. These natural habitats and open spaces are part of the Natural Communities Conservation Plan and Habitat Conservation Plan (NCCP/HCP) for central and coastal Orange County, which is a regional conservation and development permit under the state and federal Endangered Species Acts. The City is a permittee under the Plan. Once the RRMP is updated, it must be approved by the state and federal regulatory agencies that administer the NCCP/HCP permit.

The Resource and Recreation Management Plan for the northern open space area was approved by the City Council in 2009. The City is updating the plan in partnership with the nonprofit Irvine Ranch Conservancy, which manages the City's Open Space Preserve, to include new trails, visitor facilities, habitat restoration, and other management elements related to the new Gateway Preserve.

The meeting will share information and maps about the planned Preserve, the current status and timeline for the RRMP, and the conditions and terms the City must comply with as part of developing and managing the Preserve under the NCCP/HCP.

There will be an opportunity for questions and answers from City Staff, Irvine Ranch Conservancy Staff, and other technical experts.

For more information about Gateway Preserve, visit cityofirvine.org/gatewaypreserve.