IRVINE

In the wake of the Planning Commission’s recent approval of a 2,500-home hillside village, members of the group Irvine Residents for Responsible Development said they hope the city will not sacrifice their community’s rural character in favor of the project.

The group has been lobbying the Irvine Co. to build fewer homes in its newest planned community, called Planning Area 27, for the last two years and had even developed its own alternative. Members were proposing a modified plan to build 2,000 homes with no development along Bonita Canyon in the area referred to as the Crescent. The Planning Commission last week disagreed, however, and forwarded a 2,500-home plan to the City Council for review.