Orange County, California - Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva, (D - Orange County) issued the following statement in response to the Irvine City Councilâs vote on Tuesday, June 6, to change the site originally designated for a veteransâ cemetery FivePoint developer-owned strawberry farmland near the I-5/I-405 interchange. The developers will build the cemetery at no cost to the city in exchange for the property from the first proposed cemetery site.
âI have remained impartial as to which site is chosen; understanding, of course, it is a local decision. I continue to urge all involved to be reasonable and do what is best for our veterans. I wholeheartedly back the decision of the Irvine City Council,â said Quirk-Silva.
The allocation of $30 million in State funds for the original site was the culmination of years of work by Assemblywoman Quirk-Silva to establish a veterans cemetery. Last month, she and Governor Brown met with local officials and community groups in order to facilitate the budget appropriation of funds.
"I want to personally thank Assembly Member Sharon Quirk-Silva for her excellent work on behalf of Orange County's veterans and their families,â Irvine Mayor Don Wagner stated. âShe was a tireless champion of this project. This is a good day for veterans, for Irvine, and for taxpayers throughout the state. Sharon deserves our thanks for her outstanding efforts to make this day possible," Mayor Wagner continued to say.
Moving forward, a land swap deal needs to take place between the FivePoint developers and the City of Irvine, in a formal resolution. As plans for that next phase come together, the state will congruently do its part on legislation that allows for the land swap. After the deal is confirmed, then planning conceptual development plans can commence.