LAKE FOREST
Angry property owners vowed this week to keep fighting city plans to impose restrictions on future construction in the El Toro Road commercial corridor.
The Lake Forest Commercial and Industrial Business Assn. has hired a professional planner to help them better communicate their concerns to the city over the guidelines, which are aimed at phasing out auto-repair shops, storage yards and construction businesses in favor of smaller commercial shops.
“We hope to come to an agreement with the city that would be appropriate for our area,” association president Veronica Dickenson said. “Now we feel like we are in limbo.”
Association members packed City Hall for Tuesday’s council meeting, where design guidelines for the area between Interstate 5 and Trabuco Road were again the focus of discussion.
The guidelines, which will impose restrictions on future construction in the 856-acre area, were first adopted two years ago on a temporary basis to set standards for the revitalization of commercial areas. The guidelines were made permanent in an unanimous vote at the City Council meeting Aug. 1.
Now city staffers are planning to hold workshops with business owners to discuss the future of their area, but no date has been set.
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