Blackstar Constuction...

[jcampbell]

During the Adventure race this past weekend at the Blaclstar RV Park and the surrounding areas I noticed the rather large area about a mile after the Blackstar Gate thats being graded. Looks to me that they are putting in a new road as well. This can't be more Irvine Houses... Anyone know more about what is going on?

[Schecky]

Originally Posted by jcampbell

During the Adventure race this past weekend at the Blaclstar RV Park and the surrounding areas I noticed the rather large area about a mile after the Blackstar Gate thats being graded. Looks to me that they are putting in a new road as well. This can't be more Irvine Houses... Anyone know more about what is going on?

Of course it could be more houses, it's the Irvine Company!

[mtnbikej]

Originally Posted by jcampbell

During the Adventure race this past weekend at the Blaclstar RV Park and the surrounding areas I noticed the rather large area about a mile after the Blackstar Gate thats being graded. Looks to me that they are putting in a new road as well. This can't be more Irvine Houses... Anyone know more about what is going on?

I believe that they are installing a new bridge crossing. The current bridge is not strong enough to support a fire truck in the event of a fire.

[JamR]

Not Irvine Company. That area cannot be built on since it has been set aside as a permanently protected preserve area.

The construction is a small private parcel (the Edwards Ranch), that he is improving his access to his property. He owns I believe 162 acres and has access rights to his property.

The construction of the road up to his property gives him easier access to his upper lot. If you look to the left shortly past the construction, he has done a substantial clean-up on his lot on the other side of the creek.

That's why there are several different types of no tresspassing signs along the road. Some say the Edwards Ranch, others are typical buy out signs like at Tuttle's place, and others are the standard Irvine Company Signs.

The road is open to the public, but the parcels to both sides are definitely private property.

Just an F.Y.I.

Factual information is always better than questions, guesswork, or sarcasim.

[Schecky]

I was under the impression that the area in question was the land that the IC has already scheduled for housing. My mistake.

[jcampbell]

How the heck could you ever get factual information if you don't ask questions? What a waste of time...

[JamR]

Originally Posted by jcampbell

How the heck could you ever get factual information if you don't ask questions? What a waste of time...

Sorry.....it does sound confusing?? I meant "unanswered questions"......I was rushing to get out to a meeting this morning.

My main point was to try to put to bed this miss-information that the Irvine Company or other developers were planning on building houses all over the area. There is a planned development area near the Irvine Lake property, but it does not occur on an area that currently has any recreational trails; so no trails will be impacted by the development.

The outline of the ranch and the open space is set, and all of the planned development areas have been established for quite some time now. So any actual developments you may see in the future are planned and expected.

That being said......out of the 93,000 acres of the ranch; 50,000 acres has been set aside for permanent protection for preservation, education and passive recreation. If you look at a map of Orange County; the Irvine Ranch reserve area is an impressively large land- mass that cannot be developed. It's hard to come up with any other area of this size where over 50% of prime land has been set aside to be preserved and not developed.

Sign up for some of the Fremont or Weir rides and see first-hand how much open area exists adjacent to Blackstar.

See ya on the trails.

[Pain Freak]

My dealings with the Irvine Ranch go back 40 years. To me they are a class act. They have done more for the enviornment then any other business that I'm aware of.

When we were kids they allowed us to hunt and fish on their property and even gave us a lift a few times to some of the back country where there was better bird hunting. As we got older they still allowed us to enter their land and as long as we stayed on the dirt roads we could drive all over the place. But as OC grew and more and more people were looking for a wilderness experience, they would enter the ranch illegally and do damage to the place. Stolen irrigation pumps, shot up out buildings, dumped trash and the list goes on and on. They knew who we were and we weren't the culprits, but it got to the point where they just had to have more control and that meant keeping everyone out. Also about this time agriculture was being phased out and the farm hands and superintendant were moving on, so our connections to the ranch were leaving. It was a really cool place to go and really live. I just wish my kids could have experienced what I once did.

[ocrider]

Not sure if this is true or not.... But I heard that since the county is not doing the best job enforceing rules and manageing open space that the county park manegment may be transfered to the IRLT. The leadership for county parks are elected positions... this would not be the case with the trust. Those postions are appointed by the trust/irvine co. sorry kinda off topic.