Below is a detailed explanation of seven of the many problems with this project - some are obvious from looking at the pictures of the proposed project, and some are less obvious.
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Problem 1 - This Highly Visible Project Will Change Irvine and Woodbridge For The Worse
Because this project is so visible, it will materially change the character of Irvine and Woodbridge away from a charming family-oriented city/neighborhood to more of a symbol of gaudy materialism. Many of us moved to Irvine to escape this gaudy materialism. This City was founded on open space, nature preserves, and parks, not row houses in a concrete jungle. Plus, the City and WVA are both democracies at their core, and the residents must have a say over what can and cannot be built. This project is a slippery slope. If this project can be approved, what won't be approved?
Problem 2 - Mansionization Hurts Our Schools
One of the greatest assets of Irvine is its schools. Mansions are not affordable for almost all families with school-aged children. If affordable homes are replaced with unaffordable mansions, school enrollment with decline (as it has in the past). Once enrollment declines below a certain level, schools will be closed and “consolidated.” This is not theoretical. Schools have closed in Irvine in the past because of declining enrollment, including in Woodbridge. And many other schools have been on the brink of closure in the past and narrowly survived, including schools in Woodbridge. Even if you don’t have school-aged children, damage to our schools will damage property values.
Problem 3 - Mansionization Hurts Housing Affordability
Irvine and Woodbridge may become divided: condos and townhomes which cannot be expanded, and detached homes all converted to mansions. Anyone who owns a condo or townhome who wishes to purchase a detached home will have great difficulty finding a home that is only incrementally more expensive than their current condo or townhome.
Problem 4 - 20 Mandarin Is Seeking Variances That Even Wildfire Victims Cannot Get
Setbacks are distances from property lines where there can be no building. Thus, setbacks limit the footprint, and thus size, of any home. Wildfire victims must comply with the current setback requirements, and are not "grandfathered" into the old setbacks. (See Irvine Zoning section 3-19-5.) 20 Mandarin, which plans to voluntarily tear down their home, is asking the City to let them meet the setback requirements from 1978 so they can make their home even more massive. For reasons unknown, the City is not applying Irvine Zoning section 3-19-5 to this project to force it to comply with the current setbacks.
Problem 5 - The City and WVA Do Not Meaningfully Enforce Construction Deadlines
It's very common that large remodel projects are delayed for years (e.g. 34 Nighthawk). While both the City and WVA do have rules about timely construction, these rules don't have teeth. Usually fines aren't available until the project is one year beyond the scheduled completion date, and even then, just about any excuse is sufficient to avoid fines. Not only will this project be an eyesore once completed, it will be an even larger eyesore while it's under construction (e.g. green chain-link fencing, portable toilets, large dumpsters, exposed lumber, construction debris and dust, construction materials laying out), which could take years if history is any guide.
Problem 6 - Projects Like 20 Mandarin Are Approved Behind Closed Doors
The WVA takes the position that no matter how visible a home is, only a handful of neighbors need to be notified of a proposed remodel before it's approved. The City takes it a step further: they take the position that no notice is required to anyone, period. Both the WVA and City's unwillingness to give notice to the community-at-large of massive remodels is deeply disturbing. As the saying goes, "sunlight is the best disinfectant," and broad public notice is the only reliable way to reduce the risk of mistakes, an unpopular decision, or even corruption/bribery. And notice is so easy and cheap these days with e-mail and websites. Residents of the City and the WVA deserve to be heard and listened to, and that can only happen when they are provided with notice in advance of big decisions, like massively changing the character of the City and Woodbridge.
Problem 7 - Enlarging 20 Mandarin Makes A Dangerous Curve Even More Dangerous
As can be seen from the pictures, below, cars cannot see very far ahead because the road turns 90 degrees right at 20 Mandarin, and there is no stop sign. The area around 20 Mandarin is highly-traveled by pedestrians because it leads to walking trails, the North Lake Beach Club, and another pool. A car traveling at 35 mph, the posted speed limit, can cover 350 feet in less than 7 seconds. And a car traveling at 40 mph, only 5 mph over the posted speed limit, can cover 350 feet in less than 6 seconds. It's just a matter of time before a pedestrian is run over with the current configuration. Expanding 20 Mandarin will make things even more dangerous.
