Progress is made toward veterans cemetery

Discussions about a proposed veterans cemetery weren’t quite so contentious at last week’s Irvine City Council meeting.

Mayor Pro Tem Jeffrey Lalloway, who presided over Tuesday’s meeting in Mayor Steven Choi’s absence, echoed Councilman Larry Agran’s glowing sentiments about the city’s various Memorial Day celebrations. The two had squabbled for 10 minutes at the previous meeting over the fact that the cemetery proposed for the Orange County Great Park was not on the agenda.

This time, Lalloway quickly diffused concerns over the project’s progress by announcing that the ad hoc State Veterans Cemetery Committee has set dates for its first two meetings: 2:30 p.m. June 13 and 1 p.m. June 27. Both meetings, which are open to the public, will take place at the Irvine Civic Center’s conference and training center.

“Well I’m pleased that of course there’s going to be a first meeting … and a second meeting,” said Agran, who was denied a seat on the committee. “I had hoped and believed these would take place in May so that we could, by Memorial Day, this last weekend, actually have identified two or maybe even three promising sites.”

Project supporters were further uplifted by an update from Jason Gonsalves, the city’s legislative advocate in Sacramento. Gonsalves reported that Assembly Bill 1453, seeking funding for a veterans cemetery in Orange County, had passed the policy and appropriations committees with unanimous support.

“The bill is moving swiftly through the process,” he said. “As swiftly as Sacramento can be.”

“That is extremely good news to me,” said Bill Cook, American Legion chaplain for the Irvine district and a consistent advocate for veterans concerns at council meetings.

“We had great fear there was going to be a stall because there was no particular site available for the cemetery. But the support in Sacramento is carrying it.”

Added Agran: “There are occasional situations in politics when somehow the timing is right. All the stars are in alignment. That opportunity seems to be upon us now with respect to a veterans cemetery. I just hope we seize the opportunity and turn it into reality.”

Earlier Tuesday, the Great Park Board of Directors met under the direction of Councilwoman Christina Shea, who chairs the board. The primary topic was a budget recommendation for entrance signs to the park at Marine Way and Sand Canyon Road.

Currently, there are no signs at the busy northern entrance indicating that the intersection is a primary access point. The recommendation for a $45,000 allocation centered on discussion of a large mural along the adjacent 5 Freeway retaining wall or construction of an entrance archway to promote the park.

The board unanimously agreed to table discussion of the budget allotment because of ongoing construction at the intersection.