Update: Area 12 & Los Trancos Pool & Park Renewal

AREA 12-1: Construction crews continue their work at Area 12-1 townhomes in preparation for the first move-ins this month. Site supervisors continue to monitor parking and debris along Los Trancos Drive. It is advised for vehicular traffic to use alternate routes around the site. As construction continues, the site continues to be off limits to all observers.

The new pedestrian/bike trail to the campus core is now open. This 8-foot wide sidewalk runs along the eastern edge of the Area 12 site, offering a safer path of travel for pedestrians and bikers heading to the campus core. If walking north to campus, the trail is accessible through Los Trancos Park.

LOS TRANCOS POOL & PARK: The highly anticipated pool and park renewal will kick off this fall with the closure of the Los Trancos pool. The project includes:

Updating the pool area (plaster, decking, coping, fencing, etc.)
Constructing a new pool building to add space for restrooms, equipment, and showers
Redesigning the park area, increasing circulation and adding community gathering spaces (see community choices here)

Key Dates

June - December, 2025: New residents move in to Area 12-1.

September, 2025: Los Trancos pool closes for renovation. UCI begins demolition of the Las Lomas West Apartments for Area 12-2 construction.

Spring, 2026: Los Trancos Pool & Park reopen in time for summer!

Click here for the full tentative timeline. For more project details, see icha.uci.edu/about-icha/construction-updates

MeterNet Timeline

Week of June 2, 2025: All homeowners will receive a welcome letter from MeterNet explaining its services. The letter will include more details, such as customer service contacts and payment options.

July 7-August: Water sub-meter replacement. All homeowners will receive notices about meter replacement.

September: First monthly water/sewer statement from MeterNet arrives around Labor Day (the final water and sewer statement from ICHA will go out in July). The statement from MeterNet will include instructions on setting up your account.

METERNET FAQS

Fuel Modification Zone Work Completed & Reviewed By OC Fire

Pruning and mowing in the UCI Preserve adjacent to University Hills is complete. This annual collaborative project between UCI, Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA), and ICHA helps maintain the “fuel modification zone” in full compliance with OCFA's guidelines and June 15th deadline. The UC Irvine Fire Marshall has personally reviewed the plan and determined that it meets best practices.

ICHA is adding a new irrigation zone that can be used in a brush fire in the UCI Preserve. It is located on the westerly edge of University Hills from Blake to Wharton. This irrigation zone would only be used on a high fire risk day or in the unlikely event of a fire. It is designed to saturate the ground and can be quickly activated during a fire event. ICHA will keep the community informed on the progress of this additional firefighting tool.

JOIN US Let's Talk Wildfire Prevention & Safety with Randy Styner, Director, UCI Emergency Management

Tuesday, July 29th, 5:30-7PM

University Hills Community Center, Community Room

JUST FYI

University Hills is not located in a high fire hazard severity zone.

The State of California has a home hardening guide and information on the California Fair Plan for insurance. Also check CalFire's insurance preparedness guide.

UCI Emergency Management resources, including evacuation zones and plans, and zotAlert sign up info: https://em.uci.edu/

Parking in University Hills

The Homeowners' Representative Board (HRB) recently asked ICHA for clarification about street parking in University Hills. The general rule is that any resident of University Hills, both renters and owners, along with their guests, may park on any residential street in University Hills with a few exceptions.

These parking exceptions include no parking in striped bike lanes (unless signage for a special event allows parking), no parking alongside red curbs, no parking with 15 feet of a fire hydrant (on either side) per California Vehicle Code (CVC) 22514, no parking in front of driveways, no parking within 20 feet of the approaching side of a marked or unmarked crosswalk (the new “Daylighting Law” that helps enhance visibility near intersections), and no parking when there are signed restrictions.

UC Irvine’s Parking & Transportation Services (P & TS) does not patrol University Hills in general, however, there are service contracts in place for five locations: the new Area 12 neighborhood and four ICHA-owned apartment properties in University Hills. Only residents’ vehicles registered with P&TS’s online system may park in these areas. The online system allows these residents to register temporary passes for their guests and visitors. These contracts and parking restrictions are in place to ensure sufficient resident and visitor parking for these five locations. If you are a resident of one of these locations and have parking questions, please reach out to either the ICHA Sales or Rental team.

If you believe there is a parking violation near your dwelling, reach out to the ICHA Community Management team, who will then work with P&TS for that specific case. Out of respect for the community, P&TS does not respond to calls from residents about parking violations but instead relies on ICHA to make an initial assessment. See the “Contacts” button at the end of this e-mail for phone and e-mail addresses for Community Management, ICHA Sales, & ICHA Rental.

Home Improvement Permits & Inspections

The City of Irvine is no longer issuing building permits or providing inspection services for any building on UC land, including home improvements in University Hills. Building permits and inspections will now be the responsibility of UCI Design & Construction Services (D&CS).

UCI D&CS is directing University Hills residents with a proposed home improvement to first contact ICHA Community Development. To start the process, please send an email to homeimprovements@icha.uci.edu. ICHA will connect homeowners needing permits to a third-party inspector that will process all permits on behalf of UCI.

For FAQs, application, contractors and more, visit https://icha.uci.edu/home-improvements/

ICHA & UHILLS CONTACTS

ICHA reserves the right to send to an unsubscribed e-mail certain important communications such as construction notifications or emergencies. The unsubscribed status will be respected for all other ICHA or HRB communications.