LAKE FOREST
The city could submit its application to annex eastside communities in its sphere of influence as early as next week.
The proposed annexation of residential Foothill Ranch and Portola Hills would increase the city’s size by about one-third. Also, annexation would bring about 15,000 new residents into the city, which has a population of about 60,000, city reports said.
On Tuesday, the City Council will vote on submitting the application to annex the 2,720-acre area comprising the residential communities, a large part of Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park and the Foothill Ranch Marketplace.
The Orange County Local Agency Formation Commission could consider the city’s request by February, said Mayor Peter Herzog, who is also a commissioner.
Herzog said he would not participate in a commission vote on the matter.
The city’s annexation efforts have met with emotional opposition from some residents who said they didn’t want to lose their community identity.
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