2016-2017 - Great Park Public Outreach Surveys

Public Outreach Surveys Orange County Great Park Results

Final Report: 2016 – 2017 Public Engagement and Community Events

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Survey Metrics …………………………….…………………………………………………………………………………..........................................2

Survey Results …………..……………………………………………………………………………………………………………................................10

Analytics ……………….……..…..…………………………………………………………………………………………………………...........................16

Community Meeting Trends ….……………………………………………………………………………………………………………...................19

Community Meeting Notes ….…………………………………………………………………………………………………................................21

Irvine Civic Center ….…………………………………………………………………………………………………................................21

Lake Forest Sports Park ….………………………………………………………………………………………………….......................33

Lakeview Senior Center ….……………………………………………………………………………………………............................39

Honda Center ….………………………………………………………………………………………………….……................................44

South Coast Chinese Cultural Center ….……………………………………………………………………………………................54

Potential Next Steps .………………………………………………………………………………………………….............................................60

Community Correspondence ….………………………………………………………………………………………........................................61

Collateral ….…………………………………………………………………………………………………............................................................63

Photo Gallery ….………………………………………………………………………………………………….....................................................67

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Survey Metrics

Survey Metrics

The City of Irvine, California requested the assistance of Simon Wong Engineering (SWE) to assemble a comprehensive report of surveys. All surveys were administered by the City of Irvine and SWE public outreach staff throughout Orange County. Outreach staff attended multiple events between July 2016 and April 2017 to reach a representative sample of the citizens of Irvine and other communities. The survey was completed by 3,900 individuals. The table below illustrates the metrics of how many surveys were completed at each event.

Fact Sheets Distributed

TOTAL SURVEYS COMPLETED

EVENT

DATE

Under 18

18+

Sizzlin’ Summer Concert Series Irvine Global Village Festival

July 31, 2016

5

49

54

54

September 28, 2016 December 4, 2016 January 21, 2017 January 27‐29, 2017

93 60

1,244

1,337

1,337

Winter Wonderland

591

0

651

Anaheim Ducks Watch Party

0

1

300 500

1

Tet Festival

25

649

674

Community Meeting – Irvine Civic Center Booth at Orange County Great Park Visitors Center Community Meeting – Lake Forest Sports Park Community Meeting – Lakeview Senior Center Booth at the University of California, Irvine Ring Mall Booth at Orange County Great Park Farmers Market Booth at Swallows Day Parade and Mercado Street Faire Community Meeting – Honda Center Community Meeting – South Coast Chinese Cultural Center Surveys delivered to Irvine Civic Center

January 31, 2017

10

238

200

248

February 12, 2017

1

27

124

28

February 21, 2017

3

53

60

56

February 22, 2017

0

27

30

27

March 10, 2017

0

26

40

26

March 19, 2017

7

83

90

90

March 25, 2017

4

116

120

120

March 27, 2017

4

110

114

114

April 2, 2017

10

137

150

147

March 1 – April 7, 2017

5

322

0

327

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The Current and Future Orange County Great Park Survey was developed by City of Irvine staff. It includes six questions and was available in English, Chinese, and Vietnamese, as well as in electronic and printed versions. It collected demographic information and provided respondents with opportunities to choose their preferred park features as well as to provide their opinions on the Great Park’s current and planned features. The following are questions that were asked, accompanied by survey results and findings:

Question

Survey Response 31‐40 is largest age group  Certified Farmers Market  Great Park Balloon  Special Events  Water Park (Proposed)  Wildlife Corridor  Children’s play area

Survey Findings

1) Please tell us your age range and city of residence.

Respondents were divided between Irvine residents (56%), and Orange County and non‐Orange County residents (44%). Respondents were drawn to the Great Park for special events that focus on healthy living options and gardening workshops. Many respondents are familiar with the Great Park because of the Great Park Balloon. Based on survey results, additional features at the Great Park will be well received by the Orange County community if they include trails and additional playground equipment. Due to the closure of Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre, regional residents are seeking a new venue to host outdoor concerts. Respondents are eager to have future Great Park features to include botanical gardens and a space for a community garden. Constituents would like to attend fireworks displays to celebrate Independence Day or New Year’s Eve, and cultural food festivals at the Great Park.

2) What three current features at the Great Park are the best?

3) What three planned features are your favorite?

4) Please rank the Great Park Board’s priority uses for the future 248‐acre Cultural Terrace.

1. Amphitheater 2. Lake 3. Library 4. Museums

5) What other feature or features would you most like to see at the Great Park? 6) What type of special events would draw you to the Great Park?

Botanical gardens was the most common submission. Events/festivals were the most common response.

The following report will include a copy of the survey, followed by the analysis of data collected, per question. This report illustrates the findings from all 3,900 completed surveys collected up to April 7, 2017.

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SAMPLE SURVEY ‐ English

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SAMPLE SURVEY – Vietnamese

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SAMPLE SURVEY – Chinese

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Survey Results

SURVEY RESULTS

Question 1 Please tell us your age range and city of residence

3,598 respondents provided general background information on their age range and 3,285 provided their city of residence; 302 respondents skipped this question entirely. Surveys collected were administered throughout Orange County and at City‐sponsored events.

Under 18 18‐24 25‐30 31‐40 41‐50 51‐60 Over 61

7%

15%

5%

9%

16%

Age range:

o 31‐40 years old, largest group of respondents o 41‐50 years old, second largest group of respondents o 51‐60 years old, third largest group of respondents

26%

22%

City of Residence: o Cities that had less than 30 survey responses are grouped into two categories, in the below chart.  Other Orange County Cities  Non‐Orange County Cities

City

Amount of Respondents

Irvine

1,847

Non‐Orange County Cities Other Orange County Cities

310 194 129 103 100

Tustin

Lake Forest

Orange

Santa Ana

94 70 65 62 51 50 45 41 33 31 30 30

Garden Grove

Costa Mesa

Anaheim

Mission Viejo

Huntington Beach

Westminster Laguna Niguel

San Juan Capistrano

Fountain Valley

Laguna Hills

Rancho Santa Margarita

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Question 2 What three current features at the Great Park are the best? The second question allowed for respondents to choose the current features of the Great Park that are appreciated the most. 3,497 of the 3,900 surveys collected responded to this question. The most popular choices by survey respondents were the Certified Farmers Market, Great Park Balloon, and special events such as outdoor movies and workshops. The assumption can be made that respondents are drawn to the Great Park for special events that focus on healthy living options and gardening opportunities. Additionally, many respondents are familiar with the Great Park because of the Great Park Balloon. Results are illustrated to the right and ranked below.

First Option – 40.81%

o Certified Farmers Market

Second Option – 40.69%

o Great Park Balloon

Third Option – 37.83%

o Special events such as outdoor movies and workshops

Fourth Option – 30.83%

o Kids Rock Playground

Fifth Option – 25.94%

o Reflecting Ponds with Viewing Pier

Sixth Option – 24.05%

o Farm + Food Lab with gardening workshops (to be relocated) o Agricultural urban farming, the Giving Grove fruit trees, and incredible Edible Farm

Seventh Option – 22.59%

Eighth Option – 21.99% o Carousel Ninth Option – 19.27%

o Walkable Historical Timeline

Tenth Option – 12.32 %

o Historic Hangar 244 special event space

Eleventh Option – 11.32% o Palm Court Arts Complex with Great Park Gallery and Artist Studios  Twelfth Option – 9.29% o South Lawn competitive soccer and lacrosse fields  Thirteenth Option – 7.46% o North Lawn sports clinics and family sports programs

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Question 3 What three planned features are your favorite?

Survey respondents were asked in the third question of the survey to select the three planned features that were their favorites. Of the 3,900 surveys collected, 3,230 respondents answered this question. Based on survey results, additional features at the Great Park will be well received by the Orange County community if they include trails and additional playground equipment. The survey listed the planned features in the following order: water park (proposed); Wildlife Corridor, children’s play area, Upper Bee and Bosque trails and open space area; ice rink; relocated Farm + Food Lab with agricultural component; tennis, volleyball, and basketball courts; new soccer and lacrosse fields; baseball and softball fields; and a 170‐acre golf course.

First Option – 41.08%

o Water park (proposed)

Second Option – 39.54% o Wildlife Corridor Third Option – 38.02%

o Children’s play area

Fourth Option – 32.35%

o Upper Bee and Bosque trails and open space area

Fifth Option – 32.29% o Ice rink

Sixth Option – 29.04% o Relocated Farm + Food Lab with agricultural component  Seventh Option – 22.41% o Tennis, Volleyball, and Basketball courts  Eighth Option – 15.85% o New soccer and lacrosse fields  Ninth Option – 13.75% o Baseball and softball fields  Tenth Option – 8.92% o 170‐acre golf course

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Question 4 Please rank the Great Park Board’s priority uses for the future 248‐acre Cultural Terrace.

When the general public was asked to rank the Great Park Board’s priority uses for the Cultural Terrace, 2,999 out of 3,900 surveys collected had a response. Most surveys did not rank all four options on the surveys and elected to prioritize one or two of the choices. There were a number of survey responses that did not rank the options using numbers 1 through 4 and instead used check marks. When a check mark was used to answer question 4, this response was interpreted the same as selecting that option as the first priority. The graph and tables below shows first priority votes. Survey results indicate that survey respondents would prefer an amphitheater as their first priority, followed by a lake. The choice of an amphitheater as the first priority can be assumed, based on local knowledge, that regional residents are eager to find a replacement for the Irvine Meadows Amphitheater. Additionally, the option of adding a lake to the Great Park provides visitors additional open space and a place for families and other visitors alike to experience outdoor activities not available in many other Orange County cities.

First Priority Votes

Priority Options 1. Amphitheater

42.17% 1,126 34.73% 950 20.33% 545 13.37% 352

2. Lake

3. Library

4. Museums

2,000

0

Amphitheater

Museums

Lake

Library

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Question 5 What other feature or features would you most like to see at the Great Park? (Open‐ended question)

Question 5 allowed for survey respondents to submit options they would like to see built at the Great Park. 1,830 surveys analyzed contained a response to this question and a total of 1,919 features were suggested when multiple responses were recorded. To properly analyze the results from Question 5, a word cloud, also known as a wordle, was utilized to illustrate the most commonly found words in constituent responses. A wordle is a research method that graphically represents the most frequently used words in either a book, document, or survey results. The more specific a word is used, the larger that word appears in the wordle. Analyzing the wordle and analytical data from the surveys revealed that the five most popular features submitted by respondents include botanical gardens and gardens, pool, trails, park space, and events.

Most responses that included gardens indicated the addition of a 59‐acre botanical garden. Pool was mentioned in 301 survey responses. A majority of surveys responses including this response also selected the water park as their favorite planned feature. Surveys including trails in their response was due to the large group of constituents that attend community meetings asking for a BMX track or additional bicycle trails. The high response rate of park space can be attributed to the response from constituents at community events observed by outreach staff who asked, “Why were there only sports facilities at the Great Park?” Events were mentioned in 121 survey responses and included constituents’ requests for additional holiday events and workshops for the community. An overview of responses with more than 20 submissions can be found below:

Amount of responses

Amount of responses

Amount of responses

Associated word

Associated word

Associated word

Gardens and botanical gardens Pool/water park

422

Amphitheater

44

Trees

25

301 232 174 121

Pretend City

37 36 35 31 30 29 26 26

Walking

22 22 22 22 21 21

Trails

Food

Veterans Cemetery

Park space

Museum

Hiking Movies

Events

Sports

Concerts

68 54 52 46

Zoo

Golf Lake

Playground BMX track Bike trails

Dog Park

Farmers Market

Family

There are a total of 1,919 suggested features in the table above from the 1,830 collected surveys; as some survey responses included multiple suggestions. Features not displayed in the table above received less than 10 submissions.

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Question 6 What type of special events would draw you to the Great Park? (Open‐ended question)

Question 6 asked each survey respondent to elaborate on the types of events that would most likely draw them to the Great Park. Of the 3,900 surveys collected, 1,864 constituents responded. Of the 1,864 surveys analyzed for Question 6, those that shared more than 20 similar responses were analyzed. Some 13 responses were submitted more than 20 times, and collectively were submitted 2,245 times, when multiple suggestions were calculated. Of the top responses to Question 6, events/festivals, concerts/music, gardening workshops, movies and family were the top 5 responses. Events/festivals were submitted 746 times as a special event that

would draw survey respondents to the Great Park. Compared with other results and local knowledge, respondents would be drawn to the Great Park for events/festivals presumably for the opportunity to attend a large scale City event such as current holiday events. The chart below outlines the quantity of the most popular responses to Question 6.

Amount of responses

Amount of responses

Amount of responses

Associated word

Associated word

Associated word

Events/festivals Concerts/music

746 618 140 139 103

Cultural events

102

Sports

56 44 35 27

Children’s activities

93 80 62

Farmers Market

Gardening workshops

Holiday events Food options

BMX track

Movies Family

Free parking

Surveys that included events/festivals as a response also elaborated by including fireworks displays to celebrate Independence Day or New Year’s Eve, and cultural food festivals. Responses that included concerts/music, did not elaborate on specific performances. However, community event staff observed individuals who voiced their request for an additional amphitheater since the closure of the Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre. Responses that included gardening workshops elaborated on their response by requesting a 50‐ to 170‐acre botanical garden. Additionally, other submissions requested more community workshops at the Farm + Food Lab and a community vegetable garden at the Great Park.

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Analytics

ANALYTICS

Public Engagement Events

DATE/LOCATION

SUMMARY

A booth was reserved on July 31 st during the Pacific Symphony’s Concert in the Cities event, in which more than 1,000 attendees were present. Great Park fact sheets were handed out and 54 surveys were completed.

Sunday, July 31, 2016 Sizzlin’ Summer Concerts Pacific Symphony Night Mike Ward Community Park ‐ Woodbridge 20 Lake Road, Irvine 92604 Saturday, September 24, 2016 Irvine Global Village Festival Colonel Bill Barber Marine Sunday, December 4, 2016 Winter Wonderland Irvine Civic Center 1 Civic Center Plaza, Irvine 92606 Saturday, January 21, 2017 NHL Centennial Celebration and Ducks Watch Party Honda Center 2695 E Katella Ave, Anaheim 92806 Corps Memorial Park 4 Civic Center Plaza, Irvine 92606

More than 16,000 people attended the 15 th annual signature Irvine event. A booth was reserved and Great Park bags and fact sheets were handed out. 1,337 surveys were completed.

A booth was reserved for the second annual City event and several thousand community members attended. Great Park bags and fact sheets were handed out. 651 surveys were completed.

A booth was reserved on January 21, 2017 during the regularly scheduled Anaheim Ducks Watch Party in which 5,000 fans attended a team‐sponsored gathering and watched an away game. Approximately 300 Great Park fact sheets and rack cards advertising the January 31 Community Meeting were handed out.

Friday‐Sunday, January 27‐29, 2017 Tet Festival OC Fair & Event Center 88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa 92626

A booth was reserved for Jan. 27‐29 for the annual Tet Festival, held at the Orange County Fairgrounds. 442 surveys were completed in English and 232 surveys were completed in Vietnamese. A total of 674 surveys were completed. Great Park fact sheets, Great Park bags, and rack cards advertising the January 31, 2017 Community Meeting were handed out. An OCGP canopy and table were set up in front of the Visitors Center on Sunday, February 12, 2017. 28 surveys were completed in English and 28 bags were handed out along with 28 fact sheets. Due to a wind advisory, the balloon was grounded for safety concerns. The carousel was operable until 11 a.m., when crews closed the ride because of wind. 100 fact sheets were left for display in the Visitors Center.

Sunday, February 12, 2017 Orange County Great Park

Visitors Center 20 Lake Road 6950 Marine Way, Irvine 92618

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Public Engagement Events Continued DATE/LOCATION

SUMMARY

Friday, March 10, 2017 University of California, Irvine Campus – Ring Mall Irvine 92697 Sunday, March 19, 2017 Orange County Great Park Farmers Market 6950 Marine Way, Irvine 92618 Saturday, March 25, 2017 The Mercado Swallows Day Parade Street Faire Historic Town Center (HTC) Park, El Camino Real San Juan Capistrano, CA

OCGP canopy and table were set up in the University of California, Irvine Ring Mall on Friday, March 10, 2017. 26 surveys were completed in English and 26 bags were handed out along with 40 fact sheets. Multiple students stopped to ask questions in between classes but did not have time to complete the survey. OCGP canopy and table were set up within the Great Park Farmers Market on Sunday, March 19, 2017. 90 surveys were completed in English and 90 bags were handed out along with 90 fact sheets. A majority of survey responses were from first time Great Park visitors. Staff advertised upcoming community meetings at the Honda Center, March 27, and the South Coast Chinese Cultural Center, April 2. OCGP canopy and table were set up in the Mercado Street Faire on Saturday, March 25, 2017. 120 surveys were completed in English and 120 bags were handed out along with 120 fact sheets. Staff advertised upcoming community meetings at the Honda Center, March 27, and the South Coast Chinese Cultural Center, April 2.

Community Meetings

DATE/LOCATION

SUMMARY

Tuesday, January 31, 2017 Irvine Civic Center Irvine, CA

More than 300 people attended the first Community Meeting on January 31, 2017 at the Irvine Civic Center. Presentations were made by Pete Carmichael, Director of the OC Great Park, and Craig Reem, Director of Public Affairs and Communications. The audience was invited to meet with and provide input to staff members at five ‘kiosks’ that displayed maps of the Orange County Great Park; the Sports Park; the Cultural Terrace and Golf Course; the current Great Park amenities; and the Community Ice Facility. Note‐takers recorded verbal comments; 248 surveys were completed. 248 Great Park fact sheets were also distributed. More than 75 people attended the Community Meeting on February 21, 2017 at the Lake Forest Sports Park. An overview video was shown, followed by presentations by Pete Carmichael, Director of the OC Great Park, and Craig Reem, Director of Public Affairs and Communications for the City of Irvine. Five kiosks with City representatives were available after the presentation: a comprehensive map of the OC Great Park; the Sports Park; the Cultural Terrace and Golf Course; the current Great Park amenities; and the Community Ice Facility. Note‐takers recorded verbal comments; 56 surveys were completed. 56 Great Park fact sheets were also distributed.

Tuesday, February 21, 2017 Lake Forest Sports Park 28000 Rancho Parkway, Lake Forest, CA 9260

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Community Meetings Continued

DATE/LOCATION

SUMMARY

Wednesday, February 22, 2017 Lakeview Senior Center 20 Lake Road Irvine, CA 92604

More than 30 people attended the Community Meeting on February 22, 2017 at the Lakeview Senior Center. An overview video was shown, followed by presentations by Pete Carmichael, Director of the OC Great Park, and Craig Reem, Director of Public Affairs and Communications for the City of Irvine. After the presentations, attendees were welcome to engage with City representatives stationed at five “kiosks”: a comprehensive map of the OC Great Park; the Sports Park; the Cultural Terrace and Golf Course; the current Great Park amenities; and the Community Ice Facility. Note‐takers recorded verbal comments; 27 surveys were completed. 27 Great Park fact sheets were also distributed. More than 150 people attended the Community Meeting on March 27, 2017 at the Honda Center. An overview video was shown, followed by presentations by Pete Carmichael, Director of the OC Great Park, and Craig Reem, Director of Public Affairs and Communications for the City of Irvine. Five kiosks with City representatives were available after the presentation: a comprehensive map of the OC Great Park; the Sports Park; the Cultural Terrace and Golf Course; the current Great Park amenities; and the Community Ice Facility. Note‐takers recorded verbal comments; 114 surveys were completed. 114 Great Park fact sheets were distributed. More than 250 people attended the Community Meeting on April 2, 2017 at the South Coast Chinese Cultural Center. An overview video was shown, followed by a presentation by Craig Reem, Director of Public Affairs and Communications for the City of Irvine. The presentation was translated by Mike Chen, Chairman of the South Coast Chinese Cultural Center. After the presentations, attendees were welcome to engage with City representatives stationed at five “kiosks”: a comprehensive map of the OC Great Park; the Sports Park; the Cultural Terrace and Golf Course; the current Great Park amenities; and the Community Ice Facility. Translators were provided for City staff and Note‐takers recording verbal comments; 93 surveys were completed in English and 54 surveys completed in Chinese. Great Park fact sheets were also available in English and Chinese.

Monday, March 27, 2017 Honda Center 2695 E Katella Ave, Anaheim, 92806

Sunday, April 2, 2017 South Coast Chinese Cultural Center 9 Truman St, Irvine, CA 92620

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Community Meeting Trends

COMMUNITY MEETING TRENDS

All five community meetings hosted in 2017 were designed to allow constituents to interact with City staff and ask questions regarding the Orange County Great Park. To allow for constituents to learn more about specific areas of the Great Park, five separate kiosks were set up at the meetings: Current Features, 194‐acre Sports Park, 248‐acre Cultural Terrace, Community Ice Facility, and a comprehensive map. At each kiosk, City staff was accompanied by a note‐taker who documented constituent questions, comments, and concerns. The table below illustrates the trends in public comments from all community meetings.

TOPIC

FINDINGS

Amphitheater

 Attendees want a venue to replace Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre  Positive feedback for the addition of an amphitheater  Questions were asked about the location of the proposed permanent amphitheater  Residents assume a permanent amphitheater will be built  Numerous families voiced their concern for new BMX track in Irvine  Orange County families are required to travel to other counties to participate in BMX events  A majority of responses stated a BMX facility requires only 3 acres of land for development  Numerous advocates attended all five Community Meetings  Want to get the former plans for a 59‐acre botanical garden, or something appropriate, back on the table  Support the belief that great parks need great gardens  Part of the survey‐wide sentiment of passive use and open space to distinguish between a Great Park and a park with limited uses  Respondents requested more family events/activities  Requests for more playground equipment were received  Respondents said that the current playground spaces are inadequate for a park  Those in favor of a golf course responded with:  Eager for a municipal course  Local course with lower rates  Those who opposed a golf course responded with:  Use the space for an arboretum/gardens  Feedback indicated that the Great Park no longer adheres to the definition of a park  Many respondents are opposed to additional sports fields beyond those planned and under construction  Requests were received for more “park” type elements:  Create more trails, expand the Upper Bee and Bosque

BMX track

Botanical Gardens

Families

Golf Course

Great Park

 Playgrounds  Open space  Trails

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Community Meeting Trends Continued

TOPIC

FINDINGS

Museums

 Many advocated for Pretend City to have a permanent home at Great Park  This children’s museum would attract families, offer after‐ school programs, and increase attendance at the Great Park  California Fire Museum & Safety Learning Center, as well as Native American Cultural Museum, were requested  Constituents requested a construction timeline be available online  Residents requested updates on the status of construction  Numerous respondents asked for renderings and maps to be added to the Great Park website  Attendees asked if other sporting facilities would be built at the park, for example: an aquatics center, skate park, and track & field  Numerous requests for additional biking/running trails  Additional comments included requests for 5K, 10K and marathons to be held at the Great Park  The Great Park needs to be interconnected by trails  Plans for connecting the park to existing City trails is requested  Future guests want more trails to explore nature

Public Outreach

Sports Facilities

Trails and Open Space

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Community Meeting Notes

Irvine Civic Center Community Meeting Notes

COMMUNITY MEETING NOTES Irvine Civic Center – Tuesday, January 31, 2017

ACCESSIBILITY/ROADS 

Is something going to be done about accessibility for the main thoroughfare?  Are there any plans to improve the roads from the I‐5?  Are new streets being built to accommodate new traffic?

ACROBATIC/GYMNASTICS FACILITY Michele Sam o Would like to see facility for acrobatic/gymnastics training to meet the needs of a large, growing acrobatics community in Irvine/OC o Similar to OMB in Santa Monica o Would like a traveling ring, child & adult size o Sandy/grassy area for safety o Would like to see the space in a high‐traffic location to allow engagement with public o Location: Cultural Terrace; near children’s area AMPHITHEATER  Really want to get the amphitheater. Will attract big names like they did at the Irvine Meadows.  Irvine Company has taken away from the cultural. Rallying for the amphitheater. Losing Wild Rivers and Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre was hard. These were important to Irvine.  We need something to replace the Irvine Meadows  Would like to see an outdoor amphitheater  Amphitheatre should mimic Hollywood Bowl (shuttling people in and out)  We need an amphitheater that is flexible on space

Gregory Pierre Cox, CFRE, CSPG, Vice President of Development Pacific Symphony

o Anxious to see the amphitheater since the Irvine Meadows was closed. People are now driving out to the Hollywood Bowl. Irvine is really diverse. The Pacific Symphony is world class and will help solidify Irvine. Amphitheater near the lake would be great for families to have picnics. o Smaller stages with theater setting would be great for outdoor concerts. o Fully support the amphitheater. Devastating loss of Irvine Meadows. A lot of history was there. It will be beneficial to bring back to Irvine. Bring back the music and the cultural. o Music is a huge part of growing up. Have something that transcends to the community. Great revenue producer.

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AQUATIC CENTER/POOLS  Consideration of an aquatic center. Irvine is one of the highest cities that participate in water events. A lot of people go out of the City. Revenue would come to the City.  It doesn’t make any sense to have this big of a sports and not have any pools  A water park is not comparable to having a facility that can teach kids how to swim safely  There are a lot of new neighborhoods being built, but where are the kids going to swim?  We need another Woollett in the neighborhood, Great Park would be a perfect place  Woollett is overbooked, and you have to book almost up to a year in advance  We want an aquatic center not only for water recreation, but for general health of the community.  Group of swimmers advocating for an aquatic center  It would be great to get 3‐4, 50‐meter pools

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Swimming is huge in Irvine

 It doesn’t make any sense to have a state‐of‐the‐art Sports Park in Southern California without a pool  An aquatic center would be perfect adjacent to the water park  This aquatic center can draw hundreds of thousands of swimmers from all over the country for state, national, and international water polo meets  There is not enough aquatics facilities to support all the new developments, where are these kids going to swim?  Future Olympians can train at the Great Park if Los Angeles wins the bid for the Summer Olympics  Pools can be multi‐purpose, for recreation (water yoga, swimming lessons) or for competitive (high school, water polo clubs)  People from all over Orange County will come to Irvine to use these facilities; we can be a regional hub  There is a huge demand for another Woollett facility to support the community  There are tons of groups for water polo, synchronized swimming, relays  McKenzie study recently done shows that the sport of water polo has a $13M economic impact  An aquatic facility will not only bring economics to the community, it will help Irvine’s profile dramatically  The population needs to match the demand, and right now, there’s not enough water in Irvine for the families currently living here  Aquatics center is very important  We need an aquatic center  Why have a sports complex without aquatics?  Lap swimming is good recreation  Everyone is always fighting over good pool space  It makes sense to have an aquatic facility to accommodate all the water sports  Need pool space so they don’t need to commute long hours to other towns just to swim  Large town need for facility for local use and club use  Irvine could be destination for competitions  Having a local aquatic center means no need to travel for Irvine residents  Orange County has the most popular need for water sports  Water safety is always an issue  This is a family activity that’s being sent to other cities  Between the climate and the higher number of sports here than other places, a center is needed  More aquatics facilities needed  Need an Olympic size pool to be used for swimming and water polo  Aquatic facility can be used for international competitions, number is rising in these sports  Mom wants pools  If in 10‐20 years we don’t have pools – you should be ashamed  Huge need for this aquatic center  Woollett is not enough, we need a new facility  Swimmers need swimming pools  The public needs a new aquatics facility – large demand

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ARCHERY RANGE 

Recommend an archery range near the driving range. There is about a ¼‐mile separation. Or put in the Sports Park near Field E. There are some organizations that can provide some funding. Possibly look into Easton.  Can the flex fields be used as an archery range?  There used to be an archery range in the old El Toro base  The next closest archery range is at Mile Square Park, they average between 300‐400 shooters per weekend  Range can be put by the golf course on nature corridor  Range can be put next to the driving range – 100 yards ARTS CENTER  Area for more musical, visual arts  Workshops, concerts  Outdoor, interactive art – involve local artists in design  Would like to see an innovative, unique, signature art piece at the Great Park, similar to Millennium Park in Chicago  Signature artwork needed  Add outdoor art BICYCLING FACILITIES  Representative from Shimano said some of the largest bike companies are headquartered in the City of Irvine; including Shimano, Felt, and Oakley (Store)  These bike companies can possibly contribute to funding  There is a huge demand from the bicycling community  Irvine was voted Most Bicycle Friendly City in Southern California; why not provide a facility that supports the bicycling community for both recreation and competitive sports?  There are six universities in California that currently give cycling scholarships  UCI has a competitive cycling team; they can use these facilities to train and represent the City  There is a huge demand for a facility like this  These facilities can draw people from all over the state for bicycling activities  Have an event with performance artists and bicyclists to promote health and arts Steve Larson President, Share Mountain Bike Club o Would like to see a multi‐purpose bicycling facility o It doesn’t take much space to have a decent BMX track with skills and jumps o We do not want another skate park o We need a facility that can be for training, progression, for collegiate athletes o BMX started in California Robert De Wilde Olympic athlete, BMX racer o Advocating for bicycling facility in the Great Park that can host the World Championships

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Tim Lane

o Knows Pete Carmichael personally o The City can make money at the facility by renting bikes

o Local schools/PTA groups currently don’t have facilities to hold proper bike safety training for the kids o A bicycling facility would be great for Irvine’s tourism; hosting the BMX World Championship can bring in upwards of $18M

COMMUNITY ICE RINK 

Most rinks are open from 2am‐12pm This is really great, we need more. Great addition because the City needs more

 

 Hotels in Irvine want to bring in larger sporting events, connect sports with people. Want to solidify events at the rink  Will this be used for basketball?  All big events and national competition can be at this rink  Is the City building the rink?  Is inspection and testing taken care of?  How big is the facility?  What will parking look like for the facility?  Is there demand for the rink?  Will the rink allow for speed skating?  Is the rink all indoors?  When does construction start?  Who are the Anaheim Ducks affiliates?  Excited for the opening of the Community Ice Facility  This is going to be a wonderful facility  Will this facility live up to its name “Community Ice Facility?” CULTURAL TERRACE  Cultural Terrace should mimic Balboa Park’s “Artist Village”  Dedicate area in the Cultural Terrace for a botanical garden  Is there going to be a botanical garden?  Will there be an arboretum?  Need a Cultural Terrace that is unique, creative, renowned How did the City come up with how the acres in the Great Park are going to be utilized?  How were recommendations made on what to develop in the Great Park?  Did the City Council vote on what’s going to be built?  Is the City working with Five Point to figure out what to put in the Great Park?  Five Point is a home developer, they should not be involved with developing Sports Park and Cultural Terrace  Is Five Point calling all the shots or is the City going to take input from the community?  This has taken too long  From a Beacon Park resident: Is there a cohesive plan about what the Great Park will look like? Worried about traffic noise and safety of their homes.  What’s in this park that makes it so great? DEVELOPMENT AND LAND UTILIZATION 

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    

Need to be more creative with the space Utilize local artists for Great Park design Plans spent 90 million? Canyons are gone Too much land not being used properly Most people don’t want the Great Park

 Concerns about Five Point not taking community concerns into consideration  Verizon concerns about Five Point using DAS  Representative from Johnson & Johnson: Constantly asked about “kid‐friendly” venues  Geothermal opportunities? Composting large scale?  Add a convention center/expo center with ballrooms and meeting rooms  No more homes  Would like to see more traffic and noise studies  More community input EVENTS  Would like year‐round holiday events held at the Great Park  Wants Great Park to hold event like Tustin Tiller Days to support local charities/local businesses  Add more community events Would like to see the Farm + Food Lab expanded. This is essential to the community and the children. The farmers are very kind and helpful with the kids. They make it comfortable for the kids and they don’t even realize that they are learning.  Concerned about the Farm & Food land. About all the people through the area.  Resident of Irvine for over 40 years concerned about losing connection with nature. Expand the farm land. Put in butterfly gardens. Teach the kids where their food comes from  Bring the Master Gardeners back; they used to come to the Farm + Food Lab but they are no longer there  Farm + Food lab needs to be expanded  It is vital to the community  Children need a place to learn how to grow and get back to roots  Farm + Food Lab has been a phenomenal resource  Want more information on the Farm + Food Lab  Make the Farm + Food Lab bigger  Pretend City and Farm + Food Lab should be combined  Is the Farm + Food Lab staying or will it be relocated or made bigger?  Expand the Farm + Food Lab  More information on Farm + Food Lab needs to be put online  These gardens used to do an incredible job GARDEN SPACE  Botanical garden  Would like to see outdoor botanical garden space similar to Balboa Park in San Diego, including a cultural element – Japanese garden, tea, etc.  Would like to see more than just sports facilities, which only cater to one portion of demographic needs  Easy access parking  Would like to see more community input and involvement in design decisions FARM + FOOD LAB 

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 

Where are the gardens? Great parks have gardens

 The community needs a space to sit down, unwind  Gardens are essential for the community  How can you have a park without a garden?  Would like to see a botanical garden  Butterfly garden  Arboretum needs to expand  Need to have planting spaces for kids to learn  We need greenery with an edible working garden  Botanical gardens with bird aviaries  Need an arboretum/garden, more spaces for all ages  Working edible garden – seniors and mentally challenged people can work in the garden  Why didn’t the presentation talk about the garden aspects?  Balboa and Central Park have so many gardens, why don’t we?  Want a botanical garden  What is a great park without any gardens?  Botanical garden is very important  Please integrate botanical opportunities throughout the park  Make the botanical garden a destination point  Orange Tree resident: would like community gardens for those apartments  Arboretum lacks greenery, mimic Huntington Library  People have to go to Pasadena to see a good garden  Create a children’s garden/botanical garden Teena Spindler o Original plan for the park had botanical garden. There was no mention of any garden. Would like to know what happened to this plan.

Katrina Kirkeby

o There was no talk about gardens. The community needs a place to decompress. When you think of the Great Park, you think of New York. Would like to know what happened to the garden.

Sharon Stollen

o There are no gardens in Irvine. There was no discussion of a community garden. Would like to know what happened to the garden plan.

GOLF COURSE 

In favor of the golf course

 

No golf course

Strongly oppose the golf course

 There are three within 10 miles. Not seeing an increase. Don’t want a course that will turn into a private club. Put the area to better use. I am currently a docent at the park  Strongly opposed to having another golf course; we don’t need another one, make it an open space instead  No golf course. Would like to see a botanical garden, open space or arboretum in its place  There are too many golf courses in the area already; the small demand is from people who afford it. Make in an open space that is free for everyone to enjoy

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 No golf course – it is not an efficient use of natural resource, not a lot of people golf  There are too many already  No golf course  Huge amount of land for one use  Money losses that are coming out of taxes  There are better uses than the golf course – need more natural spaces such as corridor for animals and trails  Golf course is too specialized, it is not needed  Golf course is for special interest group  Need more open spaces for kids  Need to replace the golf course with something that everyone can go to  No golf course – don’t cater to small select group  Golf course is a wasted resource  There are too many golf courses in Orange County  Make it “Executive” size  Use remaining space for green areas for community to freely use  No golf course  Strongly oppose the golf course

GREAT PARK GALLERY 

Needs to be upgraded – looks like it’s made of plywood

GYMNASIUM 

Would like to see gymnasium put in

JOBS

 Any chances for employment with labor unions?

LIBRARY 

In favor of library

 We moved here from Northern California, and we were shocked that the libraries in Irvine are subpar. Need to add a state‐of‐the‐art library in the Great Park  Sad and disappointing that there’s not a world‐class library in Irvine  Other cities have better libraries  It’s an embarrassment for Irvine to not have a great library  For families that don’t play sports, a library is important  Would like library that mimics Cerritos Public library  Resident said Irvine Mayor didn’t know if a library would be included in the Great Park upgrades MUSEUMS/EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHILDREN  Would like to see indoor/outdoor space dedicated to educational opportunities for children  Location: Cultural Terrace  Similar to Pretend City

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More museums

 Would like to see Pretend City Museum. Would be a great opportunity for parents to take their kids while their older siblings are playing sports.  Advocate for Pretend City. Would like to see it next to the library. Possible even have both them link together.  School nurse for the Irvine School District is an advocate for Pretend City.  We need a permanent home for Pretend City  The City needs cultural amenities to foster kids’ physical fitness, socialization skills – early childhood education  Pretend City provides great learning opportunities for kids  Young lady from the Youth Leadership Council on Pretend City loves volunteering her time to help kids have an environment where they can learn how the world works  Educational stuff needed to bring everything together  Need new Pretend City in Great Park to provide an educational space for kids  Would like a museum dedicated to outer space  Advocates for fire museum pushing for safety and learning aspect  Want to add air museum  Wants to partner with the fire museum  More kids will attend the park if Pretend City moves into the museum  Aviation museum needed  Pretend City would be a great addition Carol Tipper o 35‐year resident and member of Pretend City. Allows parents and grandparents to interact with kids. Every month a family is recognized. Would love to see it as part of the Cultural Terrace. Please be open to the idea. o Pretend City has helped my children learn how society works. We have been a part of Pretend City for the past four years. o Pretend City had 200,000 visitors from OC, LA & IE. We currently don’t have an outdoor space and would be a perfect fit in the Cultural Terrace. We are currently holding funds for the buildout but can possibly lose the funding if it is not used. Irvine is centered around family museums. Would like to know a timeline of when the Council will make a vote. o Pretend City is a great opportunity for the kids and families. o Pretend City is a safe indoor clean space for kids to play. It gives kids a great experience. Demetria Jackson Board Member for Pretend City o Has three kids and would like to see Pretend City at the Cultural Terrace. It helps connect the kids with the community. We have overgrown our space and need more parking. Would like more outdoor space. Duleep C. Rodrigo Board Member for Pretend City o Very important to have Pretend City. Will be good for after‐school programs. It is a great place to have children’s birthday parties. The park should be asking the museum to come and not the other way around. The community would welcome it.

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Sandra Bolton Executive Director for Pretend City o Need a lease ASAP. Will lose $5M in funding if they don’t use the money soon. Pretend City has had 1.4 million visitors. o Youth Council junior board for Pretend City helps create events. One of them being autism nights. This allows teenagers to volunteer. o Pretend City Children’s Museum is ready to go. It has a great youth volunteer program. It is the only early education museum in Irvine. Report shows that there are 350,000 visitors a year. $5m dollar seed money; need to get things moving. o Involved with Pretend City. Wonderful resource for children. Goals for Great Park are diversity. Mission for Pretend City is similar. Pretend City distinguishes Irvine and brings a lot credit to Irvine. Sandy Peffer Stone Founder of Pretend City o Been here since 1997 asking for more land. Irvine values education. Incorporate more early childhood education.

OPEN SPACE 

Irvine’s diversity is the best, but need more places to interact  We need more open spaces  Space that allows connection with nature  Create a space that allows children to connect with natural land  Allow more space for children  More green space – as the City grows, people need more space to go and unwind  We are running out of open space, we need more ground  Designate open spaces throughout the property

PLAYGROUND 

Kids Rock playground doesn’t compare to others  It is inadequate  Great Park needs to have the best playground  Expand the playground  Existing playground is too small

PUBLIC OUTREACH  Was there any public outreach done to gather public opinion before the expansion was done?  Were there any meetings before this one?  Resident from Laguna Niguel came for the meeting because they care enough to see what will be developed in the Great Park – all of Orange County is watching, we want a regional hub  Pete Carmichael seemed to just be “telling” us what’s coming, as opposed to being open to public input.  Is there going to be any future public meetings where public comments can be put into official record?  It’s good that we are doing public outreach  When are the surveys going to be put online?  Hold more community meetings  Would like to see more information online  Irvine and Great Park should use social media

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