Countywide : SCAG Now Forecasts 3,055,000 People by 2010

After criticism by local officials of its earlier population projections, a regional planning agency has modified its forecast for county growth between now and the year 2010.

The new forecast, released this week by the Southern California Assn. of Governments, predicts 3,055,000 people will be living in the county in 2010, compared with 2,066,000 in 1984--a 47.8% increase.

The Board of Supervisors had asked the association to explain its projections after a September report in which the agency had predicted a population of 3,097,000 by 2010.

“What we have here is a more detailed report,” association senior planner John Oshimo said. “What this does is incorporate trends as well as input from various cities.”

But the county administrator’s office still considers the figure too high, a spokesman said, adding that the county’s population forecast for the same year is 2,830,000.

Both the September report and the one released this week are preliminary projections issued to solicit comment for a final draft due July 1.

Irvine Assistant City Manager Paul Brady also was skeptical of the latest report, which predicted that his city will more than double in size, from 96,000 residents to 238,000, by 2010, making it the third most populous in the county. Brady said the figure is too high.

“I’d like to know who in our office had any talks with them, if any,” Brady said.