The Irvine Planning Commission is set to discuss a request from the Irvine Company asking for the designation of more than 250 acres of land, located less than a mile away from the All American Asphalt facility, for new development in Orchard Hills. With approval, the Irvine Company has plans to construct new homes, a residential park, and child daycare sites. 

A resolution on the agenda for the commission’s Thursday, Oct. 21 meeting asks the Irvine Planning Commission to approve 257 acres of land for the Irvine Company to use for new development. 

Per the item, Approving Vesting Tentative Tract Map 19020, executive summary, the land would be used for more than 500 new homes in an undeveloped portion of Orchard Hills, officially named Neighborhood 4. 

“This map, covering 257 gross-acres, would create numbered and lettered lots for the development of future residential, park, and day care sites. The remainder of the acreage will be reserved for roadways, landscape, and open space.”

While the Planning Commission cannot decide on the fate of Neighborhood 4’s future on Thursday, it does have the power to send the issue to the Irvine City Council for further discussion – and potential approval. 

Yet, Thursday’s discussion has reopened the door for Irvine residents who have become fearful over the level of toxic emissions being released by the All American Asphalt facility. 

Other residents say the Asphalt Facility was not disclosed during the purchase of their home in Orchard Hills. 

In fact, the resolution includes a clause that makes disclosure of the asphalt facility mandatory to future residents. 

“Disclosure of the presence of the AAA facility and its related operations to all future property owners in Neighborhood 4.”

As residents continue to call for the city of Irvine to mitigate noxious odors emitting and the routes of asphalt trucks traveling to and from the facility, many say the facility must be shut down completely, due to the amount of emissions being produced. 

Yet, according to the October 21 agenda, both the South Coast Air Quality Management District and the city of Irvine have concluded that after a six-month air quality study, the asphalt facility’s emissions are not registering within ranges that pose a threat to public health. 

“This monitoring has been completed and concluded that chemical concentrations were within typical regional background levels and below health-based thresholds.” 

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