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IRVINE : Council to Address Park-Bike Path Plan

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Plans to transform a dusty railroad right-of-way into a park and bike path will come before the City Council on May 10, officials announced this week.

A council hearing on the proposal would be the next step in the controversial, decade-long process of developing the Northwood village park.

Architectural drawings that depict how the linear park would look were unveiled at a public hearing last week. The drawings met with general praise from residents.

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What makes the park plan unique is that it was designed with an unusual amount of public input.

Dozens of people took part in a daylong seminar earlier this year in which noted San Francisco architect Lawrence Halprin moderated a discussion about how the park should be designed.

Under the proposal, a walkway and bike path would be built in the center of an 80-foot-wide, 1.4-mile-long strip of land.

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Residents at last week’s meeting expressed concern about lighting for the park, said Kimel Conway, Irvine principal planner for project entitlements.

Developing the park would cost about $1.5 million. If the council approves the general outline for the park, city officials will prepare more finalized plans.

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