The Lake Forest Redevelopment Agency is the City's vehicle for addressing blight and economic distress. On September 5, 1995, the City Council of the City of Lake Forest established the Agency by adopting Ordinance No. 60. The purpose of establishing the Agency was to enable the City to gain control of the El Toro Project Area, thereby allowing the City and Agency to facilitate the planning, re-planning, and revitalization of the project area. On June 30, 1998, pursuant to sections 33213 and 33216 of the California Redevelopment Law, the Agency and the County entered into an agreement transferring the jurisdiction of the El Toro Project Area, from the County to the Agency. Since that time, the Project Area has been under the jurisdiction of the Agency.
Redevelopment Project Area
The Redevelopment Project Area that is an 856-acre portion of the City designated by the County in 1988. The Project Area is bound roughly by Interstate 5 Freeway on the west, Los Alisos Boulevard on the south, Trabuco Road on the east and the northern property lines of the commercial property along El Toro Road. The special designation as a "Project Area" provides additional tools as described in the California Community Redevelopment Law to assist the City in revitalizing the economy and public infrastructure. The City is responsible for making public improvements, adopting and implementing new design regulations and removing obstacles to private investment.
A name and logo were created for the planned revitalized commercial and shopping district that extends along El Toro Road from the Interstate 5 Freeway to Muirlands Boulevard in this Project Area. The name, "The Arbor on El Toro," emphasizes the City's rich agricultural history. The Craftsman's style was established as the central architectural theme throughout the area for all new development and landscaping improvements. In September 2004, the City began its largest capital improvement project to date to reduce traffic congestion and revitalize this important area of Lake Forest. Completed in winter 2006, the El Toro Road Traffic and Landscape Improvement Project features additional traffic lanes, major improvements at intersections, coordinated traffic signals, new landscaping and better access to shopping centers.
