NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING TO BE HELD BY CITY OF LAKE FOREST CITY COUNCIL
Subject: Abandonment of Property pursuant to the Municipal Park Abandonment Law of 1939
Hearing Date: June 16, 2026Hearing Time: 6:30 p.m.Hearing Location: Lake Forest Council Chambers, City Hall100 Civic Center Drive, Lake Forest, CAApplicability:CitywideNOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN – The City Council will hold a Public Hearing to consider and take action to authorize the abandonment of property with respect to the following:
RESOLUTION NO. 2026-12 OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LAKE FOREST, CALIFORNIA, DECLARING ITS INTENTION TO ABANDON REAL PROPERTY AND SETTING THE DATE FOR A MEETING TO CONSIDER THE ABANDONMENT OF PROPERTY PURSUANT TO THE MUNICIPAL PARK ABANDONMENT LAW OF 1939
On May 5, 2026 the City Council of the City of Lake Forest, acting under and pursuant to California Government Code §§ 38501, et seq. (the "Municipal Park Abandonment Law of 1939") adopted Resolution No. 2026-12 (the “Resolution of Intention”) declaring its intention to consider the abandonment of unimproved real property approximately 6.5 acres in size referred to as the Whispering Hills Park Site, located along the east side of Lake Forest Drive between Vintage Woods Road and Dimension Drive (the "Property"), and setting the subject public hearing on the Resolution of Intention to consider and take action to authorize the abandonment of the Property.
The Resolution of Intention provides in summary as follows:
1. The City of Lake Forest (“City”) is the owner of the Property described above and depicted in Exhibit “A” of the Resolution of Intention, which was provided to the County of Orange through an irrevocable offer of dedication (“IOD”) as part of original development approvals and transferred to the City in 1999.
1. As the Property remains unimproved and vacant, the City is considering a concept that would allow for affordable housing development on a portion of the Property while retaining the remaining portion for park and recreation purposes.
1. The provisions of the Municipal Park Abandonment Law of 1939 authorize the City to abandon parkland that has not been used by the public for park purposes, where no public funds have been expended to improve the land as a park, and where no consideration has been paid for the land.
1. Pursuant to California Government Code § 38503, before the abandonment of the Property, the City Council is required to adopt a resolution of intention describing the proposed abandonment and to fix a time, at least thirty (30) days after adoption of the resolution of intention, when it will consider and take action to order all or any portion of the park abandoned and the land sold.
5.. The City Council finds that the Property that has not been used by the public for park purposes, no public funds have been expended to improve the Property as a park, and no consideration has been paid for the Property.
1. It is the intention of the City Council to abandon the Property and hereby set the date of June 16, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. as the date and time where the City Council will consider and take action to authorize the abandonment of the Property.
1. If, following the public hearing, the City Council determines to order all or any portion of the park abandoned and the land sold, abandonment of the Property will become effective upon recordation by the City of the deed restriction included as Exhibit “B” to the Resolution of Intention, limiting use of a portion of the Property generally depicted in Exhibit “C” to the Resolution of Intention to park purposes.
1. The Resolution of Intention contains other provisions which are not summarized above, including those incorporating Exhibits A-C of the Resolution of Intention. A complete copy of the Resolution of Intention may be reviewed or obtained at the Office of the Lake Forest City Clerk during normal business hours.
NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that all persons either favoring or opposing this proposal are invited to present their views at this hearing. It is requested that any supportive documents and/or written comments be submitted prior to the public hearing.
Public Comment Prior To The Meeting: Members of the public may submit email comments to council@lakeforestca.gov. Email comments will be uploaded to the agenda packet and made part of the official public record of the meeting and will not be read at the meeting. To ensure staff reviews all comments prior to the City Council meeting, please submit email comments no later than 5:00 p.m. the day of the meeting.
Public Comment At Meeting: Members of the public may provide in-person, verbal comments for any item during the meeting. Those wishing to provide comments will be asked to fill out a speaker card and provide it to the City Clerk prior to the commencement of the meeting.Any petition for judicial review of a decision of the Lake Forest City Council is controlled by the statute of limitations provisions set forth in Sections 2.50.010 and 2.50.020 of the Lake Forest Municipal Code (“LFMC”) and Sections 1094.5 and 1094.6 of the California Code of Civil Procedure. Any action or proceeding to attack, review, set aside, or void any decision of the Lake Forest City Council is controlled by Section 2.50.010 and Section 2.50.020 of the LFMC.
Any such action or proceeding that seeks judicial review of, attacks, or seeks to set aside or void any decision of the Lake Forest City Council shall be limited to those issues raised at the hearing described in this notice or in written correspondence delivered to the City Clerk, at, or prior to, the public hearing described in this notice, and must be commenced within the time limits specified in Chapter 2.50 of the LFMC. A copy of each code to be considered for adoption, amendment, or repeal is available for public review and inspection at the Office of the Lake Forest City Clerk.
Environmental Documentation: The Resolution of Intention and the action(s) considered in this hearing are exempt from further review under the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) per State CEQA Guidelines (14 Cal. Code Regs., § 15000 et seq.) as they authorize administrative activities that will not result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change to the environment. (§ 15060(c)(2).) Further, the abandonment of property is not a “project” as defined by section 15378, since it has no potential for resulting in a direct or indirect physical change to the environment.
Agenda on the Internet: The meeting Agenda will be available on the City website at www.lakeforestca.gov/agendas. You can access the document on the Friday before the meeting. The meeting will also be livestreamed on the City website.Agenda Document Review: The full Agenda including all back up information will be available at City Hall, 100 Civic Center Drive, Lake Forest, California, on the Friday before the meeting.Agenda Description: The Agenda descriptions are intended to give notice to members of the public of a general summary of items of business to be transacted or discussed. The listed Recommended Action represents staff’s recommendation.
WHO TO CONTACT FOR INFORMATION - For additional information, please contact Adrian Grijalva – Economic Development/Housing Manager, at (949) 282-5213 or via e-mail at agrijalva@lakeforestca.gov.
/s/ Thy MerrittCity ClerkSaddleback Valley NewsPublished: 5/14, 5/21, 5/28/26
