Click here for a copy of the comments submitted regarding the Village Activity Center specific plan environmental review Notice of Preparation.

The City has scheduled a scoping meeting for the proposed Village Activity Center for 2 p.m. Tuesday, February 26, 2013. The meeting will be held in the City Council Chambers at 24264 El Toro Road, and is intended to allow interested parties the opportunity to ask questions and express concerns about the environmental impact of the project. Written comments may also be submitted to the Laguna Woods City Manager's Office or emailed to the principal project planner at lisab@migcom.com
Notice of Preparation  |  Initial Study

Click here for the most recent VAC specific plan text.

The City has initiated the environmental review process for the proposed Village Activity Center Specific Plan. Click here for a schedule of tasks. The scoping meeting, tentatively scheduled for February 26th, is a public meeting and an opportunity for interested parties to comment on the potential environmental impacts of the project. The actual meeting date, time and location will be noticed in early February.

The Laguna Woods General Plan designates approximately 69 acres in the city owned by Laguna Woods Village as Urban Activity Center (UAC). This designation requires the City to approve a specific plan before any new development can occur on the property. Minor construction that is ancillary to current uses is allowed. 

City staff and legal counsel have engaged in a protracted debate with GRF representatives during the last 12 months about the preparation of a specific plan for the UAC. Given the nature of the property and its current uses, the City Manager, City Attorney and Community Development Director have determined that the City will need to hire an environmental consultant to prepare the required environmental documents and to determine what level of review and analysis is warranted. 

Title 14, Article 5, Section 15060 (b) of the California Code of Regulations states that “Except as provided in Section 15111, the lead agency shall begin the formal environmental evaluation of the project after accepting an application as complete and determining that the project is subject to CEQA.” Section 15111 recognizes that it is not always possible for a lead agency (in this case the City) to make decisions on permits within the time limits of the permit streamlining act and allows an agency to initiate work on environmental review prior to deeming a project application as complete. However, an application and a project description are required before a lead agency can initiate any work on the environmental review.

To date, no application or project description for the UAC specific plan has been submitted to the City. The City does not know what type of development is being proposed or where it might occur. If you hire an architect to draw a plan to renovate your home, would you approve the plan, sign the contact and pay for the work without first seeing what the plan looks like? It is simply not possible for the City to review and approve a project that we have not seen. 

On May 29, 2008, the Golden Rain Foundation issued a press release stating that they were withdrawing from negotiations because “GRF finds the approach outlined…unacceptable.”

The City of Laguna Woods does not own any land within the UAC; and it is not a partner in the potential development of this property. The City’s role is to review the project and assess its impact on the environment and on the quality of the lives of its residents and businesses. If a development plan is submitted, the City is prepared to follow the process outlined in the California Environmental Quality Act and its own General Plan and Zoning Codes and to assure that the review process is legally adequate, equitable and transparent and that residents and other interested persons are informed and have the opportunity to comment.

Residents who have questions about the City's environmental review process on this or other development projects are encouraged to contact the city manager at (949) 639-0511.

To see the review process that the City has "outlined" for this project and the communications between GRF and the City, click on article title.