As a part of a community-driven master-planning process over the past year, the vision for Irvine’s largest nature park on the site of Oak Creek Golf Club is taking shape as a result of significant community input.
Interpretive planner Jenny Rigby and landscape architect Sean O’Malley have guided the community planning process, hosted by Irvine Company at a dedicated design studio. After several months of listening to and engaging with residents, the pair provides insights into features the community favors – from seasonal waterways to wildlife observation points and what could be among the state’s largest designed meadows.
How involved has the community been in the vision for a new nature park?
The response has been robust. The planning team has led dozens of design sessions to ensure a wide variety of perspectives would be heard. More than 2,500 residents have provided feedback.
What does the community want in a new nature park?
The feedback reveals a strong desire to augment Irvine’s renowned active sports parks program with an extraordinary park that has a more natural environment. The consensus has been that a park open to the public that promotes immersive, tranquil nature experiences in the heart of Irvine would fulfill this objective. We’re seeing a preference for walking paths through meadows and quiet places to sit and enjoy the outdoors near residents’ neighborhoods. Essentially, the community is asking for an informal sanctuary for families to engage with nature in publicly accessible open space.
What specific ideas are making it into the draft design?
One standout feature that has emerged from the planning sessions is a strong desire for a creek to meander through the nature park with trails that run alongside its banks. Participants also recommended incorporating dedicated spots for bird-watching, nature observation and a grand overlook. There is strong support for a nature center that would serve as an educational hub at the heart of the park.
What other community planning projects have you worked on?
Rigby: I’ve led many interpretive planning and design projects, including Quail Hill Open Space Preserve, UC Irvine Arboretum’s master plan and Nix Nature Center in Laguna Coast Wilderness Park.
O’Malley: I helped lead the community planning effort for Jeffrey Open Space Trail (JOST), the first segment of which opened 20 years ago. The ongoing community planning for the new nature park is modeled on the success of the JOST process – which resulted in the addition of multiple paths, historical markers and bridges and tunnels to bypass roadways, far surpassing improvements that would have been built without community input.
How would you characterize the community’s role in this process?
The community has truly been the driving force in our planning process. When you have more than 2,500 people participating, it is both rewarding and inspiring. The design is being built up from hours of interaction and respectful dialogue during these sessions, resulting in thousands of comments. The residents’ consensus on tranquility, education and genuine connection to the land is shaping the final concepts that will bring vision to reality.
The planning team continues to host public sessions. Resident feedback is welcome. Visit irvinenaturepark.com for more information.
