LAKE FOREST : Needed Landscaping to Cost City $94,000

Badly needed landscaping projects costing $94,000 will be undertaken by the city.

Public works employees will concentrate on at least 10 areas in Lake Forest, replacing faulty irrigation systems, pruning at least 2,500 trees and planting new vegetation.

The City Council approved the landscape program last week after the city staff reported that trees were not pruned regularly and some irrigation systems had fallen into disrepair, causing trees, shrubs and other ground cover to die.

With much work ahead, city and county crews have already pruned more than 2,000 trees. They also removed 117 dead trees, including 105 trees in Serrano Creek Community Park. Faulty parts in 11 irrigation systems were replaced.

New landscaping was added to planters and medians in highly visible areas, including a median island on El Toro Road near Rockfield Boulevard.

The 10 areas proposed for landscaping by city staff include:

* Slopes on the south side of Lake Forest Drive between Muirlands Boulevard and Jeronimo Road.

* A parkway on the east side of Rockfield Boulevard between Lake Forest Drive and Duryea Drive.

* Slopes on both sides of Muirlands Boulevard between El Toro Road and Lake Forest Drive.

* Slopes on the south side of Lake Forest Drive between Serrano Road and Chinook Drive, and Serrano Road between Lake Forest Drive and Ridge Route.

* Slopes on the north side of Lake Forest Drive between Serrano Road and Toledo Way.

* Tree wells on both sides of Rockfield Boulevard between Los Alisos Boulevard and El Toro Road.

* A median island on Bake Parkway between Jeronimo Road and Toledo Way.

* Slopes on both sides of El Toro Road between Muirlands Boulevard and Jeronimo Road.

* A median island on Trabuco Road between Lake Forest Drive and El Toro Road.

* A parkway on the west side of Trabuco Road between Bake Parkway and Lake Forest Drive.

The council also proposed an 11th location, at Toledo Way and Bake Parkway.