The City of Irvine is planning to acquire and permanently close the All American Asphalt (AAA) plant in North Irvine to establish the Gateway Preserve as announced at a City Council meeting on Feb. 28.
The Gateway Preserve, totalling 700 acres, will feature new trails, parks, outdoor classrooms and a native seed farm. The Preserve will also expand protected open space and buffer zones between wildlife and residential areas, according to the Irvine City Manager’s presentation from the Feb. 28 City Council meeting.
The Preserve will be partly situated on the AAA plant site, located at 10671 Jeffrey Road in North Irvine. According to city officials, a tentative agreement with AAA stipulates that the city will acquire and shut down the plant. A portion of the site will be sold for residential development to offset the cost of acquisition. Additional land will be donated to the city by the Irvine Company, per a separate agreement, and the total of these two areas will make up the Gateway Preserve.
Irvine Mayor Farrah Khan addressed the project and affirmed the city’s commitment to improved quality of life in a press release from the City of Irvine.
“As a City, we have and will continue to monitor, evaluate, and implement programs to improve residents’ quality of life and public health,” Mayor Khan stated. “The purchase and revitalization of All American Asphalt is a major milestone in continuing this mission.”
City officials anticipate shutting down the AAA plant by the end of 2023. According to the Feb. 28 City Council meeting, formal details of the acquisition deal are expected to be confirmed in March or April 2023.
The decision to close the plant echoes resident concern regarding the Irvine AAA site, according to the OC Register. Resident groups repeatedly demanded for the plant to be relocated or shut down due to health-related issues. Eye irritation, trouble breathing, foul odors and an inability to do outdoor activities have been attributed to air pollution from the plant.
According to a timeline available on the City of Irvine website, the plant began operations in 1994 and predated residential development in North Irvine. As Irvine’s population grew, neighborhoods were built in increasing proximity to the plant. The plant is now approximately half of a mile away from Irvine homes, as stated by the OC Register.
Local activist group Stop Toxic Air Pollutants (STAP) claims on their website that the AAA plant emits dangerous levels of air pollutants and carcinogens, negatively impacting the health of North Irvine communities.
STAP co-founder and Irvine resident, Kevin Lien, M.D., expressed “cautious optimism” towards the city’s announcement to close the AAA site and build the Gateway Preserve.
“Our enthusiasm is tempered by our experience with the city and the city council majority’s resistance and dismissive attitude towards impacted residents,” Lien said. “We will finally be able to truly enjoy our homes and the surrounding areas when the Gateway Preserve is completed.”
Lien additionally described the impact of resident activism on the development of the Gateway Preserve project.
“The Gateway Preserve is the culmination of the intrepid determination and resilience of a handful of resident leaders and volunteer academics,” Lien said. “Now, the city and the Irvine Company will hopefully complete this project.”
Irvine City Manager Oliver Chi explained the details of the project to council and community members and emphasized its significance.
“We have a plan and a pathway forward, and that plan would be the creation of the Gateway Preserve,” Chi said.
Beatrice Lee is a City News Apprentice for the winter 2023 quarter. She can be reached at beatrirl@uci.edu.