On March 19, 2026, the Irvine Planning Commission voted 7-0 to recommend a zoning text amendment that will create an option for a new 50-plus-acre public nature park in the center of the city. The amendment, which involves an alternative open space framework for the current Oak Creek Golf Club property, will now head to Irvine City Council for review and approval.

More than 125 community members, local business owners, students and civic leaders attended the hearing or wrote in to share their vision for the city’s future. For many, the transition from a fee-based, privately owned golf course to a free, public park represents a profound community benefit.

“What a gift it would be to have this nature park we will all be able to access,” Northwood resident Jennifer King said during the hearing. “Nature and natural spaces are imperative for both physical and mental well-being; as a city, as a community, as families who are growing through generations.”

The framework option was developed in collaboration with the community through a series of planning meetings in which participants considered transforming a significant portion of the privately owned golf course into an expansive natural space. Conceptual designs for the space developed in the planning sessions feature miles of pedestrian trails, botanical and pollinator gardens, seasonal meadows and shaded riparian woodland, as well as connections to Jeffrey Open Space Trail and two new grade-separated bridges.

Proponents of the nature park option who spoke at the hearing represented nearly every Irvine village and a wide range of ages, backgrounds and experiences.

“I think this is an exciting project,” said Kim Frazier, a resident of Woodbridge. “I was involved in the planning sessions. I wish as many people as possible would participate so they realize how incredible this park will be.”

Others viewed the vision through a historical lens. “This nature park is the Irvine Master Plan coming to life,” said Oak Creek resident Ryan Bates. “The planned Jeffrey Open Space Trail bridges are the final pieces of the puzzle.”

Resident Andrew Boehm highlighted the potential for active transportation and ecological restoration, telling the commission, “You have before you a once-in-a-century opportunity to build something truly beautiful that every community in North America will want to emulate.”