The Irvine City Council was unable to agree on a future site for the proposed Southern California veterans cemetery during a City Council meeting on Tuesday, June 22, despite having the results from the dual-site study conducted by the California Department of Veterans Affairs.

In a text message to Irvine Weekly on Wednesday, June 23, Irvine Mayor Farrah Khan explained that after listening to dozens of public speakers supporting the ARDA site, she introduced a motion that would include portions of both the Golf Course and ARDA sites.

“After hearing from many of the ARDA supporters about compromising to move the cemetery forward, I tried to make a compromise motion again, taking portions of ARDA and the former golf course site which was not accepted by Councilmember Agran,” Khan wrote. “At this time, there is nothing more to do.”

Khan added that in Tuesday’s meeting she emphasized that the ARDA site lacks the requirements needed to move forward.

“As I stated at the council meeting last night, the ARDA site is already on the Department of Veterans Affairs list and sits at 77 out of 90 sites throughout the nation,” she said. “It hasn’t moved up the queue because it lacks two of the three requirements, which are community support and full funding.”

Prior to Khan’s motion, Irvine City Attorney Jeff Melching presented some background information on the next “substances steps,” in the process of selecting a site for a veterans cemetery in Irvine.

In his presentation, Melching referenced the federal grant application deadline for a selected site, which is due on July 1. Melching explained that Tuesday’s meeting had a direct influence on the federal grant application.

“I think this is well known, that the federal grant application is due on July 1 of this year and that somewhat influences the timing of this meeting,” he said. “CalVet is hoping to have a site it can propose in a federal grant application in the next nine or 10 days.”

However, while Khan’s motion did not receive a second, she said Wednesday that she will work with state legislators to see what the process is for the Anaheim Hills-based site.

“I believe this provides the veterans the option to pursue a site in Anaheim where there seems to be support across the board,” Khan said Wednesday. “I do not believe there will be any submittals this year.”

The council spent nearly six hours Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, discussing and listening to dozens of public comments for Agenda Item 5.4 — discussion on site selection for the Southern California Veterans Cemetery. The agenda item was added at the request of Irvine Mayor Farrah Khan, and supported by Councilmember Anthony Kuo.

Tuesday’s meeting marked the first time Irvine residents were able to attend an Irvine City Council meeting in person since the pandemic started. However, some expressed frustration over Zoom callers being allowed to address the council before in-person attendees, many of whom were there to speak about the cemetery.

Nick Berardino, a Vietnam veteran and president of the Veterans Alliance of Orange County (VALOR), said he arrived at the meeting at 4:00 p.m., eager to share the voice of the veterans he represents.

In a text message to Irvine Weekly, Berardino wrote that he saw a clear division of interests among the City Council members, and called for a time to heal.

“During the hours and hours of public comment it became abundantly clear that the citizens of Irvine are bitterly and solidly divided regarding the appropriate site for a veterans cemetery,” he wrote. “It’s time for the city to heal and join a regional effort to make a veterans cemetery a reality for the brave men and women who have sacrificed and served this great nation.”

The discussion, according to Councilmember Kuo, was placed on the council agenda after he and Khan met with representatives from CalVet to hear more from the veteran’s community. Prior to the discussion, Kuo mentioned that he thought this type of open forum would allow for open discussion and finally put an end to the ongoing saga.

“Hopefully we can get through to what I think is a goal for all of us, to deliver a cemetery for those who served our country,” said Kuo.

However, the Irvine City Council was unable to reach an agreement on a site location for the veterans cemetery itself, nor is there an additional meeting scheduled as of yet to do so.

Once Tuesday’s meeting reached adjournment, it was nearly 1:00 a.m.

Khan, who shared with Irvine Weekly that the veterans cemetery project has been the most challenging aspect of her first 100 days as mayor, said this topic should be about veterans, not scoring political points. 

“In seeing the presentations from staff, reading the report from the state and hearing from the community, it is clear that whatever decisions we make today will not make everyone happy. But, I hope that regardless of what side you’re on regarding the location of the state-run veterans cemetery, that we all recognize the importance of putting veterans first,” she said Tuesday night. 

In her motion to the council, Khan suggested the city work with the state to determine what portions of the ARDA and the golf course could work to build the cemetery, seemingly a two-site solution. 

“As I proposed two years ago, I believe that we must take aspects from both the ARDA site as well as the Golf Course Site — neither location in its entirety will work to honor veterans and protect the quality of life of the surrounding residents,” said Khan.

None of Khan’s council colleagues supported the motion.

“Don’t ever say I didn’t try,” Khan said after her motion failed to receive a second supporting vote.

When asked about his thoughts regarding the future of the veterans cemetery project in Irvine, Councilmember Mike Carroll said he thinks it makes sense to study a site that is supported by dozens of Orange County-based veterans groups.

“It was pretty clear that the community is very split, both sides threatened lawsuits, and no one wanted a compromise,” Carroll wrote via text message on Wednesday, June 23.  “So to me, it makes sense to evaluate the Anaheim site that over 100 actual veterans groups are now supporting. We must provide a final resting place for our men and women who served our nation.”

This story is developing and will be updated. 

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