More to the Story of UC Irvine, Neighbors

Your Oct. 1 article “For UC Irvine Neighbors, Debate Over Housing May Be Academic” contains a number of inaccuracies and does not tell the full story. I would like to set the record straight.

East Campus housing has been part of UCI’s Long-Range Development Plan since 1962. As UCI moved forward with the project, we held two public workshops to educate and inform the campus’ neighbors and to identify their concerns early in the planning process.

Residents’ suggestions--including a substantial setback from Culver Drive, orientation of the buildings toward the campus core, substantial landscaping and shuttle, bike and pedestrian links to campus--were incorporated. Your article incorrectly states that the project will include three-story units within 10 feet of Culver Drive. The facts: The minimum building setback from Culver Drive will be 50 feet (which exceeds Irvine’s zoning standard for similar homes), and buildings within 100 feet of Culver Drive will be limited to two stories. Substantial landscaping will buffer the project edge.

In each area, UCI has met or exceeded the city of Irvine’s own standards, in some cases by more than 50%, relating to building height, building setback and landscaping of perimeters and parking lots.

UCI takes seriously our neighbors’ concerns, and we have been able to address many of them in our planning process. We have been and will continue to be responsive to the interests of the community in the design and management of this and other campus projects.

Wendell Brase

Vice Chancellor

Administrative and Business Services

UC Irvine

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I see Irvine homeowners are upset by the proximity and design of UC Irvine’s new dormitories. I was attending UCI in 1971 when Irvine residents voted to become a city and elected their first city council. The area was still mostly agricultural then, and Turtle Rock was one of few developed neighborhoods.

Eighteen-year-olds had just been given the right to vote, but Irvine residents did not want to extend democracy to the students in dorms at UCI, so they scheduled the vote during the students’ winter break. They voted on Dec. 21! Maybe the “assault on their senses” is just a story of bad karma.

Craig Wright

Newport Beach