Laguna Hills City Council
August 25, 2026

Exhibit G-2
0 City Plan Check Completion (Per Plan Type)
--Building Plan Check
--Construction and Staging Plan Review
--Lighting and Photometric Plan Review
--Waste Management Plan Review
--Outdoor Dining / Patio Plan Review
On-Site Grading Permits / On-Site
Improvements (Including City Plan Check of
Rough and/or Precise Grading Plans,
Hydrology Study, WQMP, SSWMP,
Improvement Plans, Hydraulic Analysis,
Storm Drain Plans, etc.)
First Submittal: 20 Working Days
Second Submittal: 15 Working Days
Third and Subsequent Submittals: 10
Working Days
Type of City or Other Agency Action,
Approval, or Permit
First Check: 20 Working Days
City Building Permit Issuance 5 Working Days
Reasonable Time Period for Processing
and Acting on
Request/Submittal/Application
Landscape Plan Compliance Review (LHMC
Chapters 9-46 and 9-47)
City Engineer Review of Surveyor’s Pad
Elevation Certificate and the Geotechnical
Engineer’s Final Soils Certification
First Submittal: 20 Working Days
Second Submittal: 20 Working Days
Third and Subsequent Submittals: 10
Working Days
First Check: 5 Working Days
Waste Reduction and Recycling Plan Review
(LHMC Chapter 5-48)
First Submittal: 20 Working Days
Second Submittal: 20 Working Days
Third and Subsequent Submittals: 10
Working Days

Exhibit G-3
0 All Other Governmental Agency
Permits/Approvals (i.e., approvals by
governmental agencies other than City)
** County of Orange review of Phased Final
Subdivision Maps addressed separately,
above.
**Other Governmental Agencies may
include, but not be limited to, Orange County
Fire Authority, Orange County Health Care
Agency, El Toro Water District, Saddleback
Valley Unified School District (payment of
fees only), and the State of California
(elevators).
**Administrative Delay does not apply to
review or approvals of utility companies or
other agencies that are not governmental
agencies, including, but not limited to,
Southern California Edison, Southern
California Gas Company, AT&T, etc.

Type of City or Other Agency Action,
Approval, or Permit
90 Days (Cumulative)
**Includes the cumulative time for Agency
review following submission of an initial
complete application to the Agency for which
a permit or ministerial approval is requested.

Does not include periods of time Owner is
making corrections between submittals.

Reasonable Time Period for Processing
and Acting on
Request/Submittal/Application

EXHIBIT H

PROCEDURES AND REQUIREMENTS FOR PREPARATION, SUBMITTAL,

REVIEW, APPROVAL, AND INSTALLATION OF PUBLIC ART
This Exhibit H sets forth the procedures and requirements for preparation, submittal, review, approval, and installation of Public Art for the Village at Laguna Hills Mixed Use Project (the "2026 Project") in accordance with Section 7.5 of the Development Agreement.

The 2026 Project is an integrated mixed-use development on approximately 68 acres consisting of multiple components, including Public Art installations, which Owner contemplates developing in multiple phases over the Term of the Development Agreement. This Exhibit H is intended to establish procedures and requirements to ensure that the Public Art required in conjunction with the 2026 Project is installed in an integrated, thought-out, and cohesive manner consistent with the goals, objectives, and standards of the Specific Plan’s "Public Art" provisions.

I. Owner’s Public Art Obligation
A. Owner’s Public Art Obligation. Section 7.5 of the Development Agreement provides that Owner shall furnish Public Art in connection with the 2026 Project and/or pay a Public Art In-lieu Fee with a combined minimum aggregate value of one-half percent (0.5%) of the total aggregate construction costs of the 2026 Project ("Owner’s Public Art Obligation").

For this purpose, construction costs are based on the valuation as determined by the City’s Community Development Director and indicated on the building applications submitted in order to obtain permits for construction of all of the 2026 Project components. City will determine the portion of Owner’s Public Art Obligation attributable to each discrete 2026 Project component at the time City receives an application for permits for construction of such 2026 Project component by multiplying the construction cost of such 2026 Project component, as determined by City, by one-half percent (0.5%) ("Component Public Art Obligation"). The sum at any point in time of the Component Public Art Obligation for each building permit that has been approved and/or applied for is referred to herein as "Owner’s Accrued Public Art Obligation." B. In-Lieu Payment Contribution. Pursuant to Section 7.5 of the Development Agreement, the Parties have agreed that Six Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($650,000) of Owner’s Public Art Obligation will be satisfied by the Three Hundred Thousand Dollar ($300,000) credit and Three Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollar ($350,000) nonrefundable advance described in Section 10.4 of the Development Agreement (collectively, "Owner’s In-Lieu Payment Contribution"). Owner and City agree that Owner’s In-Lieu Payment Contribution correlates to a total aggregate construction cost of One Hundred Thirty Million Dollars ($130,000,000) [$650,000 / 0.5% = $130,000,000].

C. Actual Art Obligation. Pursuant to Section 7.5 of the Development Agreement, the Parties have agreed that that portion of Owner’s Public Art Obligation that exceeds Six Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($650,000) must be satisfied through the actual provision of Public Art on the Property ("Owner’s Actual Art Obligation"). Unless otherwise proposed by 0185792712.5085792712.51

Owner and included as a requirement within the Conceptual Project Art Program approved pursuant to Section II, Owner and City agree that Owner’s Actual Art Obligation will not be triggered until the estimated total aggregate construction cost of 2026 Project components exceeds One Hundred Thirty Million Dollars ($130,000,000). Consistent with the Specific Plan, expenses that may be attributed to Owner’s Actual Art Obligation include the artist fee for design and fabrication, mountings and bases for installation of the artwork, and lighting that is integral to the artwork, but do not include landscaping surrounding the art, delivery expenses, or installation costs. That portion of Owner’s Accrued Public Art Obligation that exceeds Six Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($650,000) is referred to herein as "Owner’s Accrued Actual Art Obligation."
II. Conceptual Project Art Program
A. Conceptual Project Art Program Required. Before the first building permit for any building in the 2026 Project is issued, Owner shall prepare, submit, and obtain City approval of a concept Public Art program for the entire 2026 Project (the "Conceptual Project Art Program"). All Public Art that is thereafter constructed and installed on the Property must be consistent with the approved Conceptual Project Art Program.

B. Conceptual Project Art Program Components. The Conceptual Project Art Program shall include the following components:

1. Goals and Objectives. A description of the goals and objectives of the Conceptual Project Art Program.

2. Theme. A description of the proposed theme of the Public Art to be installed on the Property.

3. Standards. Standards governing type, media, materials, size, scope, and content of Public Art to be installed on the Property. All standards should be consistent with the Specific Plan provisions for Public Art. Owner shall consider the following when developing proposed standards for Public Art installations:
a. Relevance of the artwork to the City, its values, culture, and people;
b. Suitability of the artwork for outdoor display, including its maintenance and conservation requirements.
c. Relationship of the artwork to the site, especially how it serves to activate or enhance public space.
d. Appropriateness of the scale of the artwork.
e. Community standards of decency;
0185792712.5085792712.51

f. Construction and material standards for Public Art set forth in the "Public Art" provisions of Section V of the Specific Plan. Pursuant to the Specific Plan, permissible types of Public Art include, but are not limited to, sculptures, paintings, graphic arts, mosaics, photographs, fountains, decorative arts, and the preservation of historical or cultural resources. The Specific Plan also requires that artwork be constructed of durable, long-lasting materials that can withstand outdoor display and require low maintenance. Recommended materials include bronze, stainless steel, high-grade aluminum or hard stones. In addition, the Specific Plan states that artworks incorporating water features must be designed so that the artwork can stand on its own should the water cease to function properly.

4. Location. A description and depiction of the locations where Public Art is anticipated to be installed and standards for locating Public Art. Consistent with the Specific Plan, Public Art installations (i) should be located in places that are open and easily accessible to the public; (ii) should be prominently placed within the Property; (iii) should be oriented toward the pedestrian experience of the 2026 Project and/or located within the Village Park; and (iv) should not be sited near monument signs, walls, benches, or utility boxes, since these structures may block viewing the art and diminish the aesthetic value of the artwork.

5. Criteria for Selection of Artists. A description of how artists commissioned to create or fabricate original art for the 2026 Project shall be selected and the criteria that shall be used to select artists. Pursuant to the Specific Plan, artists selected must have experience in design concepts, fabrication, installation and long-term durability of large-scale outdoor artworks, and be approved by the City’s Planning Agency prior to selection. Owner may, but is not required, to include a list of proposed artists and their qualifications as part of the Conceptual Project Art Program.

6. Drawings and Illustrations. Owner is encouraged to include concept drawings, illustrations, and/or visual examples depicting the type, nature, size, scale, and location of the types of Public Art envisioned by the Conceptual Project Art Program. At Owner’s option, Owner may include illustrations of specific proposed Public Art installations.

7. Phasing Plan. A phasing plan for the funding and installation of Public Art.
a. The phasing plan shall provide for the funding and installation of Public Art on the Property within timeframes consistent with the anticipated phasing of the 2026 Project components and infrastructure and shall establish outside dates within the Term of the Development Agreement by which Public Art installations at specified locations or areas of the Property shall be completed.

At a minimum, the phasing plan shall ensure that Public Art with a minimum value equal to or exceeding the amount of Owner’s Accrued Actual Art Obligation attributable to the 2026 Project components Owner is required to Develop in Phase One shall be installed prior to the date Owner is required to 0185792712.5085792712.51

Complete Construction of such required Phase One components pursuant to Subsection 5.4.1 of the Development Agreement.
b. If the phasing plan contemplates that funds will be accumulated within a Public Art Fund established pursuant to Section V to facilitate the financing and planning of larger Public Art installations serving the 2026 Project, it shall address the anticipated amounts needed to fund such Public Art installations, the anticipated timing of completion of such Public Art installations, and any applicable requirements or limitations with respect to deposits to or withdrawals from the Public Art Fund for such Public Art installations. c. The phasing plan shall address how Owner’s In-Lieu Payment Contribution shall be applied to satisfy Owner’s Public Art Obligation in relation to the sequence of issuance of building permits for construction of 2026 Project components. Unless otherwise proposed by Owner and included as a requirement within the approved Conceptual Project Art Program, Owner is not required to install any Public Art until the estimated total aggregate construction cost of 2026 Project components exceeds One Hundred Thirty Million Dollars ($130,000,000).

Notwithstanding the foregoing, at Owner’s option, the phasing plan may require the installation of Public Art in conjunction with the construction of 2026 Project components before the estimated total aggregate construction cost of the 2026 Project components exceeds One Hundred Thirty Million Dollars ($130,000,000). d. At Owner’s option, the phasing plan may include requirements for the funding and/or installation of Public Art in conjunction with the development of specific parcels of the Property and/or components of the 2026 Project, which shall be binding on and enforceable against future transferees, assignees, and developers.

8. Maintenance Standards. Proposed minimum maintenance standards for Public Art that is installed on the Property.

9. O&M Funding and Implementation. A description of the mechanism through which operation and maintenance of Public Art installed on the Property shall be funded and implemented for the life of the 2026 Project.

C. Review and Approval by Planning Agency. The Conceptual Project Art Program shall be subject to review by the City’s Planning Agency for conformance with the requirements and goals of the Specific Plan’s Public Art provisions. Owner understands and agrees that approval of Owner’s submitted Conceptual Project Art Program is subject to the discretionary approval of the City's Planning Agency, subject to applicable limits of state and federal law.

D. Amendments. The Conceptual Project Art Program may be amended from time to time with the approval of the City’s Planning Agency. 0185792712.5085792712.51

III. Final Art Submittals
A. Final Art Submittal Required. Before fabricating and installing any piece of Public Art, Owner must prepare, submit, and obtain City approval of final plans and specifications for such Public Art ("Final Art Submittal").

B. Required Content of Final Art Submittals. Each Final Art Submittal shall describe and demonstrate how the proposed Public Art is consistent with the approved Conceptual Project Art Program and the Specific Plan and shall include, without limitation, detailed plans and specifications, schematics, and descriptions of the type, size, medium/material, location, content, and value of the proposed Public Art, a description of the proposed artist(s), a proposed timeline for installation of the Public Art, and a complete application for any Subsequent Development Approvals required for installation of the Public Art. More than one Public Art installation may be combined in a single Final Art Submittal.

C. Review and Approval by Planning Agency. The design, artist, type, size, medium, location, content, estimated value, and timeline for installation of each Public Art installation shall be subject to review by the City’s Planning Agency for consistency with the Conceptual Project Art Program and conformance with the requirements and goals of the Specific Plan’s Public Art provisions. Owner understands and agrees that approval of each Final Art Submittal is subject to the discretionary approval of the City's Planning Agency, subject to the applicable limits of state and federal law; provided, however, that the Planning Agency may not deny or impose conditions on a proposed Final Art Submittal based on aspects of the proposed Public Art that conform to the Conceptual Project Art Program approved by the Planning Agency.

IV. Installation of Approved Public Art
A. Obligation. Owner shall install approved Public Art within the timeframes set forth in the Conceptual Project Art Program phasing plan and each Final Art Submittal approved by the City’s Planning Agency.

B. Time Extensions. Time extensions not exceeding six (6) months may be approved by the City Manager, in his or her reasonable discretion. Time extensions exceeding six (6) months shall require approval of the Planning Agency, in its reasonable discretion.

C. Excusable Delay. The timeframes in which Owner is required to install Public Art shall be subject to extension for periods equal to the duration of any Excusable Delay pursuant to Section 22.1 of the Development Agreement.

D. Withholding of Permits for Noncompliance. In addition to any other remedies available to City, Owner’s failure to complete installation of Public Art within required timeframes shall entitle City to withhold future building permits or certificates of occupancy for the 2026 Project until Public Art of a value equal or exceeding the amount of Owner’s Accrued Actual Art Obligation has been installed.
0185792712.5085792712.51

V. Public Art Fund
A. Establishment of Public Art Fund. Rather than installing a separate Public Art installation in conjunction with the construction of each building to satisfy Owner’s Actual Art Obligation, Owner may accumulate funds in a fund held in trust by the City (the "Public Art Fund") to facilitate the financing and planning of larger Public Art installations serving the 2026 Project as provided in the approved Conceptual Project Art Program.

B. Effect of Deposits into Public Art Fund. Subject to any applicable requirements or limitations set forth in the approved Conceptual Project Art Program, deposits by Owner into the Public Art Fund in an amount equal to one-half percent (0.5%) of the estimated construction cost of any discrete 2026 Project component, as determined by City, shall permit Owner to obtain building permits and/or certificates of occupancy for such 2026 Project component prior to approval of Final Art Submittals for, and/or installation of, specified Public Art installations.

Such deposits into the Public Art Fund shall not be deemed to satisfy or excuse Owner’s obligation under the Development Agreement to install actual Public Art.

C. Withdrawals from Public Art Fund. Following approval by the City’s Planning Agency of a Final Art Submittal for a Public Art installation intended to be financed with funds held in the Public Art Fund, Owner may withdraw funds from the Public Art Fund in an amount up to the estimated value of the Public Art installation, as determined by the Planning Agency in conjunction with approval of the Final Art Submittal. Consistent with the Specific Plan, allowable expenses attributable to the value of a Public Art installation include the artist fee for design and fabrication, mountings and bases for installation of the artwork, and lighting that is integral to the artwork, but do not include landscaping surrounding the art, delivery expenses, or installation costs.

D. Forfeiture in the Event of Expiration, Termination, or Cancellation of Development Agreement. In the event the Development Agreement expires or is terminated or cancelled pursuant to the terms of the Development Agreement, and Owner’s Accrued Actual Art Obligation has not been satisfied by the date of such expiration, termination or cancellation, that portion of the funds, if any, held in the Public Art Fund equal to the difference between Owner’s Accrued Actual Art Obligation and the value of Public Art that has actually been installed shall be forfeited to the City and deposited into City’s Public Art In-Lieu Fund.

VI. Project Building and Occupancy Permits
A. Building Permits. In order to be entitled to issuance of a building permit for any discrete 2026 Project component, Owner must demonstrate that the combination of (1) the value of specific Public Art installations already approved by the City’s Planning Agency; and (3) the amount deposited by Owner into a Public Art Fund to fund larger Public Art installations serving the 2026 Project pursuant to the approved Conceptual Project Art Program.

B. Certificates of Occupancy. In order to be entitled to issuance of a final certificate of occupancy for any building in the 2026 Project, Owner must demonstrate that it is in 0185792712.5085792712.51

compliance with the timeframes for installation of Public Art set forth in the Conceptual Project Art Program phasing plan and all approved Final Art Submittals. 0185792712.5085792712.51

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Item No. 4.16
City of Laguna Hills
City Council / Planning
Agency
Staff Report
Date: August 25, 2026
To: Mayor and Council Members
From: Jennifer Lowe, Community Development Director
Issue: Approval of an Ordinance Adopting Zoning Text Amendment and Zoning Map Amendment No. RZNE-0014-2026, (10 A Text
Amendment to Title 9 (Zoning and Subdivisions) of the Laguna Hills Municipal Code to Implement the General Plan Housing Element by Amending Chapter 9-11 (Overlay Districts) to Implement the Amended Land Use Element by Renaming the Existing Housing (H) Overlay Zone to Housing 50 (H50) Overlay Zone and Introducing a New Housing 80 (H80) Overlay Zone; and (2) A Zone Change to Apply the Housing 50 (H50) Overlay Zone and Housing 80 (H80) Overlay Zone to 23501 - 23561 Ridge Route Drive (APN# 588-331-12), 25201 - 25241 Paseo De Alicia (APN# 620-221-42, 620-221-44, and 620-221- 49), and to Additional Properties as Specified in the Proposed Ordinance
Recommendation: That the City Council approve an Ordinance entitled: "An Ordinance of the City of Laguna Hills, California, Adopting Zoning Text Amendment and Zoning Map Amendment No. RZNE-0014-2026, (10 A Text Amendment to Title 9 (Zoning and Subdivisions) of the Laguna Hills Municipal Code to Implement the General Plan Housing Element by Amending Chapter 9- 11 (Overlay Districts) to Implement the Amended Land Use Element by Renaming the Existing Housing (H) Overlay Zone to Housing 50 (H50) Overlay Zone and Introducing a New Housing 80 (H80) Overlay Zone; and (2) A Zone Change to Apply the Housing 50 (H50) Overlay Zone and Housing 80 (H80) Overlay Zone to 23501 - 23561 Ridge Route Drive (APN# 588-331-12), 25201 - 25241 Paseo De Alicia (APN# 620-221-42, 620-221-44, and 620-221-49), and to Additional Properties as Specified in the Proposed Ordinance" Background:

Item No. 4.16
This Ordinance was introduced at the special meeting of the City Council on August 19, 2026. A public hearing was conducted and closed. The Staff Recommendation of introducing the Ordinance for first reading and waiving further reading was passed.

There were stylistic changes to the ordinance from the first reading and a change in the posting location to be in compliance with City Council Resolution 2025-09-23-1.

Fiscal Impact:

There is no direct fiscal impact associated with the proposed actions. However, failure to implement the proposed General Plan Amendment, Zoning Text Amendment, and Zone Change necessary to maintain compliance with the No Net Loss Law could have adverse financial and legal consequences for the City.

State law requires jurisdictions to maintain an adequate inventory of sites with realistic development capacity to accommodate their remaining RHNA throughout the 6th Cyle Housing Element planning period. Failure to maintain compliance with the No Net Loss Law could result in the City falling out of compliance with its certified Housing Element and other applicable state housing requirements. Such noncompliance may affect the City's eligibility for certain state housing, transportation, and infrastructure funding programs and could subject the City to enforcement actions by the State of California or litigation by interested parties. Potential remedies may include court-ordered actions requiring the City to amend its General Plan and zoning regulations to restore adequate housing capacity, as well as other remedies authorized under state housing law.

Attachments:

1. Draft Ordinance – Zoning Text Amendment & Zone Change

1820492.1
ORDINANCE NO. 2026 – 6

AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF LAGUNA HILLS,

CALIFORNIA, ADOPTING ZONING TEXT AMENDMENT
AND ZONING MAP AMENDMENT NO. RZNE-0014-2026,
(1) A TEXT AMENDMENT TO TITLE 9 (ZONING AND

SUBDIVISIONS) OF THE LAGUNA HILLS MUNICIPAL

CODE TO IMPLEMENT THE GENERAL PLAN HOUSING
ELEMENT BY AMENDING CHAPTER 9-11 (OVERLAY

DISTRICTS) TO IMPLEMENT THE AMENDED LAND USE

ELEMENT BY RENAMING THE EXISTING HOUSING (H)
OVERLAY ZONE TO HOUSING 50 (H50) OVERLAY ZONE
AND INTRODUCING A NEW HOUSING 80 (H80)
OVERLAY ZONE; AND (2) A ZONE CHANGE TO APPLY
THE HOUSING 50 (H50) OVERLAY ZONE AND HOUSING
80 (H80) OVERLAY ZONE TO 23501 – 23561 RIDGE
ROUTE DRIVE (APN# 588-331-12), 25201 – 25241 PASEO
DE ALICIA (APN# 620-221-42, 620-221-44, AND 620-221-
49), AND TO ADDITIONAL PROPERTIES AS SPECIFIED
IN THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE.

THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LAGUNA HILLS, CALIFORNIA, HEREBY FINDS AND DETERMINES AS FOLLOWS:

WHEREAS, Title 9 (Zoning and Subdivisions) of the Laguna Hills Municipal Code (LHMC) establishes allowable uses of property and related development standards within all zoning districts in the City; and WHEREAS, Title 9 (Zoning and Subdivisions) of the Laguna Hills Municipal Code (LHMC) establishes an official Zoning Map portraying the location and extent of the various zoning districts within the City; and WHEREAS, Government Code Section 65584 requires local jurisdictions to encourage, promote, and facilitate the development of housing to accommodate its regional housing need; and
WHEREAS, the City of Laguna Hills has been assigned an allocation of 1,985 new housing units as its share of the Regional Housing Needs Assessment (“RHNA”) in Southern California for the 6th Housing Element cycle covering the 2021- 2029 Planning Period; and
WHEREAS, on March 26, 2024, the City Council adopted an Amended 2021-2029 Housing Element update, which was certified by California Department of Housing and Community Development (“HCD”) on May 23, 2024, that included an inventory of specific vacant and underutilized sites capable of accommodating the City’s RHNA across all income levels; and

1820492.1
2 Ordinance No. 2026-6

WHEREAS, subsequent to certification of the City's 2021–2029 Housing Element, the City approved one or more residential development projects on sites identified in the Housing Element site inventory, resulting in a reduction of the residential development capacity previously assumed to satisfy the City's RHNA by 443 units; and
WHEREAS, the City of Laguna Hills has initiated the following actions (collectively, the “Project”): (A) a General Plan Amendment to amend the Land Use Element to comply with No Net Loss Law (Government Code Section 65863) by specifying that select Housing Element sites may be developed at residential densities between 30 and 80 dwelling units per acre; (B) a Zoning Text Amendment to implement the amended Land Use Element by renaming the existing Housing (H) Overlay Zone to Housing 50 (H50) Overlay Zone and introducing a new Housing 80 (H80) Overlay Zone; and (C) a Zone Change to apply the Housing 50 (H50) Overlay Zone and Housing 80 (H80) Overlay Zone to 23501 – 23561 Ridge Route Drive (APN# 588-331-12), 25201 – 25241 Paseo de Alicia (APN# 620-221-42, 620-221-44, and 620-221-49), and to additional properties as specified in the proposed ordinance; and WHEREAS, this Zoning Text Amendment and Zoning Map Amendment No. RZNE-0014-2026 is a Cityinitiated zoning text amendment and zoning map amendment subject to Chapter 9-90 of the LHMC. Adoption of an amendment to the LHMC or to the official zoning map is a legislative act of the City Council subject to consideration and approval of an ordinance after a public hearing (LHMC §§ 9-90.050 and 9-90.060); and WHEREAS, on March 26, 2024, the City Council adopted the 7th Addendum to the General Plan Program Environmental Impact Report (PEIR) for the Amended Housing Element Update; and
WHEREAS, concurrently with adoption of this Ordinance, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 2026-08-19-1 adopting an amendment to the General Plan Land Use Element; and
WHEREAS, Implementation Program H-7 (Zoning Ordinance Update) of the Amended 2021-2029 Housing Element Update commits the City to evaluating and updating development standards, including open space, lot coverage, and height standards, and permit requirements for multifamily development; and WHEREAS, to meet state law requirements to address the City’s RHNA and to ensure a sufficient selection of sites in the City are available for higher density development, Implementation Program H-11 (2021-2029 Regional Housing Need) of the Amended 2021-2029 Housing Element Update commits the City to amending its Zoning and Development Code to “rezone” certain underutilized candidate sites identified in the Housing Element to modify the development standards applicable to such sites in order to allow multifamily residential uses at an increased allowable density subject to the requirements of Government Code Section 65583.2(h); and WHEREAS, a notice of the public hearing, describing the project, date, time, and location of hearing was published on July 30, 2026, in the Saddleback Valley

1820492.1
3 Ordinance No. 2026-6

News, posted to the City’s website, emailed to a distribution list of interested parties, mailed via the United States Postal Service to property owners within the Mixed Use (MXU) zoning district, and property owners within a 300-foot radius of any Housing (H) Overlay Zone site, and was physically posted on July 30, 2026, at Laguna Hills City Hall, Laguna Hills Community Center, and Knotty Pine Park; and WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Laguna Hills held a duly noticed public hearing and considered public comments and written and oral information and testimony presented by City staff, community residents, and other interested parties regarding the Project at a public hearing held on August 19, 2026; and
WHEREAS, on August 19, 2026, at a duly noticed public hearing, the City Council approved General Plan Amendment No. RZNE-0014-2026 (Resolution 2026-08-19-1), amending the Land Use Element in furtherance of the 2021-2029 Housing Element and State No Net Loss requirements.

THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LAGUNA HILLS, CALIFORNIA, DOES HEREBY ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:

SECTION 1. The foregoing recitals set forth above are true and correct and are incorporated herein by reference.

SECTION 2. The proposed Zoning Text Amendment, and Zone Change are statutorily exempt from environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to California Public Resources Code Section 21080.085. This statutory exemption applies because the proposed amendments implement the program of actions identified in the City's certified 2021–2029 Housing Element. Specifically, the amendments are undertaken to satisfy Housing Element implementation requirements by establishing land use designations, zoning regulations, and development standards necessary to accommodate the City's RHNA and maintain compliance with applicable state housing laws. As implementation actions of a certified Housing Element, the proposed amendments qualify for the statutory exemption provided under Section 21080.085 and, therefore, are not subject to further environmental review under CEQA.

SECTION 3. In accordance with Section 9-92.080 of the City of Laguna Hills Development Code, the following findings for approving Zoning Text Amendment and Zoning Map Amendment No. RZNE-0014-2026 are made:

1. That the amendment or plan is consistent with the intent of the goals and policies of the General Plan as a whole, and is not inconsistent with any element thereof:

The proposed zoning text and map amendments implement Programs H-7 (Zoning Ordinance Update) and H-11 (2021-2029 Regional Housing Need) of the Amended 2021-2029 Housing Element Update by up-zoning candidate housing sites and by modifying the residential development standards in the

Ordinance No. 2026-6

1820492.1
4 Housing Overlays that pertain to building height in order accommodate higher densities and satisfy the City’s Regional Housing Need Allocation (RHNA) of 1,985 new dwelling units during the 6th Cycle Planning Period.

The proposed Zoning Text Amendment and Zone Change implement the General Plan Land Use Element by establishing zoning regulations necessary to maintain compliance with California Government Code Section 65863 (No Net Loss Law). The amendments establish the Housing 50 Overlay Zone and Housing 80 Overlay Zone, identify the properties to which each overlay applies, establish corresponding residential development standards, and rezone Site N from Freeway Commercial (FC) to Mixed Use (MXU) to ensure consistency between the General Plan land use designation and the City's zoning regulations. The amendments provide zoning capacity consistent with the residential densities authorized by the General Plan Land Use Element and support the City's ability to maintain an adequate inventory of sites to accommodate its remaining RHNA.

2. That the amendment or plan is necessary to prescribe reasonable controls and standards for affected land uses to ensure compatibility and integrity of those uses with other established uses:

The proposed zoning text and map amendments modify residential densities and development standards to help meet the City’s RHNA of 1,985 new dwelling units during the 6th Cycle Planning Period (2021-2029). The proposed amendments establish objective development standards for properties designated with the Housing 50 and Housing 80 Overlay Zones, including residential density and development regulations that facilitate housing opportunities while maintaining compatibility with surrounding land uses. The amendments direct higher-density residential development to sites identified through the City's No Net Loss analysis as having the greatest potential to accommodate additional housing and provide a predictable regulatory framework that promotes orderly development, efficient land use patterns, and compatibility with adjacent neighborhoods.

3. That the amendment or plan is necessary to provide reasonable property development rights while protecting environmentally sensitive land uses and species:

The proposed zoning text and map amendments implement the Amended 2021-2029 Housing Element Update, which provides an eight-year housing plan for the City, as required by state law. The proposed amendments provide reasonable development opportunities by establishing zoning regulations that permit residential development at densities necessary to restore the City's inventory of adequate housing sites in accordance with Government Code Section 65863. The Housing 50 Overlay permits residential development at densities between 20 and 50 dwelling units per acre, while the Housing 80 Overlay permits residential development at densities between 30 and 80

Ordinance No. 2026-6

1820492.1
5 dwelling units per acre. Future development on affected properties will remain subject to all applicable federal, state, and local environmental regulations, development standards, and design requirements. The amendments do not alter the City's environmental protection policies or authorize development that would adversely affect environmentally sensitive resources.

4. That the plan or amendment is necessary to correct discrepancies in standards or policies within the plan area or land use category:

The proposed zoning text and map amendments are necessary to implement Programs H-7 (Zoning Ordinance Update) and H-11 (2021-2029 Regional Housing Need) of the Amended 2021-2029 Housing Element Update and to be consistent with the amendments made to the General Plan Land Use Element pursuant to General Plan Amendment No. RZNE-0014-2026. The proposed amendments establish zoning regulations that are consistent with the amended General Plan Land Use Element by creating the Housing 50 and Housing 80 Overlay Zones, establishing corresponding development standards, and applying appropriate zoning designations to identified No Net Loss sites. The rezoning of Site N from Freeway Commercial (FC) to Mixed Use (MXU) eliminates inconsistencies between the General Plan and the Official Zoning Map and provides an underlying zoning designation that supports residential development in conjunction with the Housing 80 Overlay.

Collectively, the amendments ensure consistency among the General Plan, the Zoning Code, and the Official Zoning Map.

5. That the plan or amendment is necessary to protect the general health, safety, or general welfare of the community as a whole:

The proposed zoning text and map amendments are necessary to implement Programs H-7 (Zoning Ordinance Update) and H-11 (2021-2029 Regional Housing Need) of the Amended 2021-2029 Housing Element Update and to help the City accommodate its Regional Housing Need Allocation (RHNA) of 1,985 new dwelling units during the 6th Cycle Planning Period. Furthermore, the proposed amendments support the public health, safety, and general welfare by implementing zoning regulations necessary to maintain compliance with California Government Code Section 65863 and preserve an adequate inventory of sites capable of accommodating the City's remaining RHNA throughout the Housing Element planning period. The amendments establish objective development standards governing residential density, building height, setbacks, open space, landscaping, parking, and other site development requirements that ensure future residential development is compatible with surrounding land uses and adequately served by public infrastructure. The proposed zoning text and map amendment facilitates the development of housing on appropriate sites while maintaining consistency with the General Plan, the amendments promote balanced community

Ordinance No. 2026-6

1820492.1
6 growth, expand housing opportunities, and further the City's long-term planning objectives.

SECTION 4. Title 9 of the Laguna Hills Municipal Code (Zoning and Subdivisions), Chapter 9-11 (Overlay Districts), Section 9-11.030 (Denotation/location of overlay districts), is hereby amended and restated to read in its entirety as follows:
“Overlay districts shall be denoted on the zoning map by the base district symbol followed by, as part of the symbol, parenthetically enclosed letters indicating the overlay district. The following overlay districts have been created:

District Symbol Location/Description
Vehicle Repair and
Vehicle Body
Repair/Paint Restoration
VR 23501, 23502, 23512, 23522, 23532,
and 23551 Commerce Center Drive, in
the North Laguna Hills Business Park
Hospitality Overlay Zone HOZ 23002 Lake Forest Drive; 23052, 23041, 23046, 23061, and 23175
Avenida de la Carlota; 23421, 23441,
and 23461 South Pointe Drive
Housing 50 Overlay Zone H50 23272, 23282, 23330,
23332, 23382, 23422, 24411, and
24461 Mill Creek Drive;
Housing 80 Overlay Zone H80 23201 and 23212 Mill Creek Drive; 23172 Plaza Pointe Drive; 23441,
23342, and 23421 South Pointe Drive;
25201, 25231, and 25241 Paseo de
Alicia; 23501, 23521, 23531, 23541,
23561, 23601, 23621, & 23641 Ridge
Route Drive
SECTION 5. Title 9 of the Laguna Hills Municipal Code (Zoning and Subdivisions), Chapter 9-11 (Overlay Districts), is hereby amended to add Section 9-

11.060 (Housing overlay zone) to read in its entirety as follows:
“Development Standards. The development standards applicable to residential uses within the housing overlay zones are shown within Table 9-11.060. All other applicable development standards in the underlying zoning district and not in conflict with this section shall apply.

A. 9-11.060. Housing overlay zones.

Ordinance No. 2026-6

1820492.1
7 A. Purpose and Intent. The housing overlay zones (H50 and H80) are established to provide development and land use regulations for the development of housing on specified sites identified in the city of Laguna Hills 2021-2029 housing element to accommodate the city’s unmet regional housing needs allocation (RHNA).

B. Development Standards. The development standards applicable to residential uses within the housing overlay zones are shown within Table 9-

11.060. All other applicable development standards in the underlying zoning district and not in conflict with this section shall apply.

Table 9-11.060
Item H50 Standard H80 Standard
Minimum density 20 du/ac 30 du/ac
Maximum density 50 du/ac 80 du/ac
Maximum building height 65 ft 75 ft
C. Special Provisions. The following regulations shall apply to the use of a lot designated within the housing overlay zones, in addition to all applicable provisions of this title. Where there is a conflict, the provisions of this section shall apply.

1. Residential uses shall occupy at least fifty (50) percent of the total gross floor area of a mixed use development.

2. For developments in which twenty (20) percent or more of the units are affordable to lower income house-holds (income and affordability levels set forth in Sections 50079.5, 50093, and 50105 of the Health and Safety Code shall apply), owner-occupied and rental multifamily uses are considered a use by right pursuant to subdivisions (h) and (i) of Government Code Section 65583.2 and shall be reviewed ministerially by the Director.

3. An applicant for a project pursuant to this section may apply for a density bonus, incentives or concessions, waivers or reductions in development standards, and reduced parking ratios in accordance with Government Code Section 65915 and Section 9-72.030.

4. Dwelling, multiple-family is permitted as a stand-alone use.

SECTION 6. The official Zoning Map is hereby amended as shown in Exhibit 1 to this Ordinance to denote Housing 50 (H50) Overlay Zone and Housing 80 (H80) Overlay Zone for the applicable properties as referenced in LHMC Section 9-11.030 (Denotation/location of overlay districts).

1820492.1
8 Ordinance No. 2026-6

SECTION 7. This Ordinance shall take effect on September 25, 2026, the 31st day following the adoption of this Ordinance by the City Council.

SECTION 8. Upon the effective date of this Ordinance, the provisions hereof shall supersede any inconsistent or conflicting provisions of the Laguna Hills Municipal Code.

SECTION 9. If any section, subsection, subdivision, sentence, clause, phrase, or portion of this Ordinance is, for any reason, held to be invalid or unconstitutional by the decision of any court of competent jurisdiction, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this Ordinance. The City Council hereby declares that it would have adopted this Ordinance and each section, subsection, subdivision, sentence, clause, phrase, or portion thereof, irrespective of the fact that any one or more section, subsection, subdivision, sentence, clause, phrase, or portion thereof be declared invalid or unconstitutional.

SECTION 10. The City Clerk shall certify to the adoption of this Ordinance and cause the same to be posted at the duly designated posting places within the City and published once within fifteen days after passage and adoption as may be required by law; or, in the alternative, the City Clerk may cause to be published a summary of this Ordinance and a certified copy of the text of this Ordinance shall be posted in the Office of the City Clerk five days prior to the date of adoption of this Ordinance; and, within fifteen days after adoption, the City Clerk shall cause to be published, the aforementioned summary and shall post a certified copy of this Ordinance, together with the vote for and against the same, in the Office of the City Clerk.

PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOPTED this 25th day of August,
2026.
____________________________________

DON CASKEY, MAYOR
ATTEST:
______________________________________

JOSHUA STEVENSON, CITY CLERK

1820492.1
9 Ordinance No. 2026-6

STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF ORANGE ) ss

CITY OF LAGUNA HILLS )
I, Joshua Stevenson, City Clerk of the City of Laguna Hills, California, DO HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing Ordinance No. 2026-6 was duly introduced and placed upon its first reading at a Special Meeting of the City Council on the 19th day of August 2026, and that thereafter, said Ordinance was duly adopted and passed at a Regular Meeting of the City Council held on the 25th day of August 2026, by the following vote, to wit:

AYES:

NOES:

ABSENT:

ABSTAIN:
(SEAL)
_____________________________________

JOSHUA STEVENSON, CITY CLERK

1820492.1
10 AFFIDAVIT OF POSTING
Ordinance No. 2026-6

STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF ORANGE ) ss

CITY OF LAGUNA HILLS ) AND PUBLICATION
JOSHUA STEVENSON, being first duly sworn, deposes and says:

That he is the duly appointed and qualified City Clerk of the City of Laguna Hills;
That in compliance with State Laws of the State of
California, ORDINANCE NO. 2026-6, being:

AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF LAGUNA HILLS,

CALIFORNIA, ADOPTING ZONING TEXT AMENDMENT
AND ZONING MAP AMENDMENT NO. RZNE-0014-2026,
(1) A TEXT AMENDMENT TO TITLE 9 (ZONING AND

SUBDIVISIONS) OF THE LAGUNA HILLS MUNICIPAL

CODE TO IMPLEMENT THE GENERAL PLAN HOUSING
ELEMENT BY AMENDING CHAPTER 9-11 (OVERLAY

DISTRICTS) TO IMPLEMENT THE AMENDED LAND USE

ELEMENT BY RENAMING THE EXISTING HOUSING (H)
OVERLAY ZONE TO HOUSING 50 (H50) OVERLAY ZONE
AND INTRODUCING A NEW HOUSING 80 (H80)
OVERLAY ZONE; AND (2) A ZONE CHANGE TO APPLY
THE HOUSING 50 (H50) OVERLAY ZONE AND HOUSING
80 (H80) OVERLAY ZONE TO 23501 – 23561 RIDGE
ROUTE DRIVE (APN# 588-331-12), 25201 – 25241 PASEO
DE ALICIA (APN# 620-221-42, 620-221-44, AND 620-221-
49), AND TO ADDITIONAL PROPERTIES AS SPECIFIED
IN THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE.
on the 3rd day of September 2026, was published in summary in the Saddleback Valley News; and was, in compliance with City Resolution No. 2025-09-23-1, caused to be posted in three places in the City of Laguna Hills, to wit:

Laguna Hills City Hall
Laguna Hills Community Center
Knotty Pine Park
_________________________________

JOSHUA STEVENSON, CITY CLERK
Laguna Hills, California

1820492.1
11 Ordinance No. 2026-6

EXHIBIT 1

OFFICIAL ZONING MAP, AS AMENDED

OVERLAY ZONES

HOSPITALITY OVERLAY ZONE (HOZ)
1 2
3 4
5 6
7 8
9 Hospitality Overlay Zone

1. 23002 Lake Forest Dr.

2. 23052 Avenida De La Carlota

3. 23061 Avenida De La Carlota

4. 23046 Avenida De La Carlota

5. 23041 Avenida De La Carlota

6. 23441 South Pointe Dr.

7. 23421 South Pointe Dr.

8. 23461 South Pointe Dr.

9. 23175 Avenida De La Carlota

Item No. 4.17
City of Laguna Hills
City Council / Planning
Agency
Staff Report
Date: August 25, 2026
To: Mayor and Council Members
From: Jennifer Lowe, Community Development Director
Issue: Approval of an Ordinance Adopting RZNE-0015-2026 for the Inclusionary Housing Program by Adding Chapter 9-73 (Inclusionary Housing) of Title 9 (Zoning Code) of the Laguna Hills Municipal Code to Establish an Inclusionary Housing Program, Require the Provision of Affordable Housing in Certain Residential Developments, Establish an Inclusionary Housing Fund, Provide Alternative Methods of Compliance, and make Findings Related Thereto
Recommendation: That the City Council approve an ordinance entitled: "An Ordinance of the City of Laguna Hills, California, Adopting RZNE-0015-2026 for the Inclusionary Housing Program by Adding Chapter 9-73 (Inclusionary Housing) of Title 9 (Zoning Code) of the Laguna Hills Municipal Code to Establish an Inclusionary Housing Program, Require the Provision of Affordable Housing in Certain Residential Developments, Establish an Inclusionary Housing Fund, Provide Alternative Methods of Compliance, and make Findings Related Thereto" Background:

This Ordinance was introduced at the special meeting of the City Council on August 19, 2026. A public hearing was conducted and closed. The Staff Recommendation of introducing the Ordinance for first reading and waiving further reading was passed.

There were stylistic changes to the ordinance from the first reading and a change in the posting location to be in compliance with City Council Resolution 2025-09-23-1.

Fiscal Impact:

Item No. 4.17
There is no direct fiscal impact associated with the proposed actions.

Attachments:

1. Proposed Inclusionary Housing Ordinance

1820492.1
ORDINANCE NO. 2026 – 7

AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF LAGUNA HILLS,
CALIFORNIA, ADOPTING RZNE-0015-2026 FOR THE

INCLUSIONARY HOUSING PROGRAM BY ADDING
CHAPTER 9-73 (INCLUSIONARY HOUSING) OF TITLE 9
(ZONING CODE) OF THE LAGUNA HILLS MUNICIPAL

CODE TO ESTABLISH AN INCLUSIONARY HOUSING

PROGRAM, REQUIRE THE PROVISION OF

AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN CERTAIN RESIDENTIAL

DEVELOPMENTS, ESTABLISH AN INCLUSIONARY

HOUSING FUND, PROVIDE ALTERNATIVE METHODS OF

COMPLIANCE, AND MAKE FINDINGS RELATED

THERETO

THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LAGUNA HILLS, CALIFORNIA, HEREBY FINDS AND DETERMINES AS FOLLOWS:

WHEREAS, Article XI, Section 7 of the California Constitution authorizes cities to adopt and enforce ordinances to protect the public health, safety, and welfare; and
WHEREAS, California Government Code Sections 65580 through 65589.11 (Housing Element Law) require every city and county to plan for and facilitate the development of housing to meet the housing needs of all economic segments of the community; and
WHEREAS, Government Code Section 65584 requires local jurisdictions to encourage, promote, and facilitate the development of housing to accommodate its regional housing need; and
WHEREAS, the City of Laguna Hills has been assigned an allocation of 1,985 new housing units as its share of the Regional Housing Needs Assessment (“RHNA”) in Southern California for the 6th Housing Element cycle covering the 2021- 2029 Planning Period; and
WHEREAS, the City Council adopted the City of Laguna Hills 2021-2029 Housing Element on March 26, 2024, and the California Department of Housing and Community Development ("HCD") subsequently determined that the Housing Element to be in substantial compliance with State Housing Element Law on May 23, 2024; and WHEREAS, the Housing Element identifies implementation programs intended to increase the supply of affordable housing and specifically includes Programs H-6 and H-7 directing the City to evaluate and adopt an Inclusionary Housing Program and corresponding in-lieu fee; and

1820492.1
2 Ordinance No. 2026-7

WHEREAS, the City's RHNA for the Sixth Housing Element Cycle requires the City to plan for the accommodation of housing affordable to households at all income levels, including very low-, low-, and moderate-income households; and WHEREAS, although HCD permits jurisdictions to assume that qualifying Housing Element sites may accommodate lower-income housing at densities established under State Housing Element Law for purposes of Housing Element planning and site inventory, actual residential development is influenced by market conditions, available financing, applicable development regulations, and state housing laws, and may result in fewer deed-restricted affordable housing units than assumed during the applicable Housing Element planning period; and WHEREAS, on August 19, 2026, at a duly noticed public hearing, the City Council approved General Plan Amendment No. RZNE-0014-2026 (Resolution 2026-08-19-1), amending the Land Use Element in furtherance of the 2021-2029 Housing Element and State No Net Loss requirement; and
WHEREAS, absent an inclusionary housing requirement or comparable affordable housing program, future residential development may not produce sufficient affordable housing opportunities to address the City's housing needs or support continued compliance with Housing Element implementation objectives and No Net Loss requirements; and
WHEREAS, establishment of an Inclusionary Housing Fund will ensure that all in-lieu fees collected pursuant to this ordinance are used exclusively to increase, preserve, or assist the production of affordable housing within the City and to administer and monitor the Inclusionary Housing Program; and
WHEREAS, the City Council finds that requiring residential development to contribute toward affordable housing opportunities through the construction of inclusionary units, approved alternative compliance methods, or payment of an in-lieu fee will further important public purposes by increasing the supply of affordable housing, promoting economically diverse neighborhoods, implementing the City's Housing Element, and advancing the public health, safety, and welfare; and WHEREAS, the City Council further finds that the requirements established by this ordinance are reasonable, uniformly applicable, consistent with State Housing Element Law, and necessary to implement the City's adopted housing policies while providing flexibility through alternative compliance options where appropriate; and WHEREAS, a notice of the public hearing, describing the project, date, time, and location of hearing was published on July 30, 2026, in the Saddleback Valley News, posted to the City’s website, emailed to a distribution list of interested parties, mailed via the United States Postal Service to property owners within the Mixed Use (MXU) zoning district, and property owners within a 300-foot radius of any Housing (H)

1820492.1
3 Ordinance No. 2026-7

Overlay Zone site, and was physically posted on July 30, 2026, at Laguna Hills City Hall, Laguna Hills Community Center, and Knotty Pine Park; and WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Laguna Hills held a duly noticed public hearing and considered public comments and written and oral information and testimony presented by City staff, community residents, and other interested parties regarding the Project at a public hearing held on August 19, 2026.

THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LAGUNA HILLS, CALIFORNIA, DOES HEREBY ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:

SECTION 1. The foregoing recitals set forth above are true and correct and are incorporated herein by reference.

SECTION 2. The adoption of this ordinance is not subject to the California Environmental Quality Act ("CEQA") pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Sections 15060(c)(2) and 15378 because the ordinance establishes a regulatory program that does not commit the City to any specific development project and has no potential to result in either a direct physical change in the environment or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment.

SECTION 3. In accordance with Section 9-92.080 of the City of Laguna Hills Development Code, the following findings for approving Zoning Text Amendment No.

RZNE-0015-2026 are made:

1. That the amendment or plan is consistent with the intent of the goals and policies of the General Plan as a whole, and is not inconsistent with any element thereof:

The proposed amendment is consistent with the goals and policies of the Laguna Hills General Plan, including the Housing Element, by implementing Housing Element Programs H-6 and H-7, which call for the establishment of an inclusionary housing program to increase the production and preservation of affordable housing. The ordinance advances the General Plan's housing goals by promoting a balanced housing supply that accommodates households at a range of income levels, expanding opportunities for affordable housing within new residential developments, and providing an additional implementation tool to assist the City in meeting its Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) obligations while maintaining compliance with State Housing Element Law.

2. That the amendment or plan is necessary to prescribe reasonable controls and standards for affected land uses to ensure compatibility and integrity of those uses with other established uses:

Ordinance No. 2026-7

1820492.1
4 The proposed amendment establishes objective and uniformly applicable development standards governing the provision of affordable housing within qualifying residential developments. The ordinance requires inclusionary units to be integrated throughout residential developments, constructed to be comparable in appearance and quality to market-rate units, distributed proportionately by bedroom type, and provided with equivalent access to project amenities. These standards ensure that affordable housing is compatible with surrounding residential development, preserves neighborhood character, and promotes cohesive, mixed-income communities while providing clear and consistent development regulations applicable to all qualifying projects.

3. That the amendment or plan is necessary to provide reasonable property development rights while protecting environmentally sensitive land uses and species:

The proposed amendment does not alter permitted land uses, increase allowable residential densities, expand development into environmentally sensitive areas, or modify existing environmental protection standards.

Instead, the ordinance establishes affordable housing requirements applicable only to otherwise permitted residential development and provides multiple compliance options, including on-site construction, alternative methods of compliance, and limited use of in-lieu fees. The ordinance preserves reasonable development rights while maintaining all existing environmental regulations, development standards, and resource protection requirements applicable to future development projects.

4. That the plan or amendment is necessary to correct discrepancies in standards or policies within the plan area or land use category:

The proposed amendment implements adopted Housing Element policies and implementation programs by establishing a regulatory framework that ensures future residential development contributes to the City's affordable housing objectives. While the Housing Element assumes that qualifying residential sites will accommodate a significant number of lower-income households for planning purposes, existing development regulations do not require the production of affordable housing units within market-rate residential projects.

The proposed ordinance addresses this regulatory gap by establishing consistent affordable housing requirements, implementation procedures, and alternative compliance mechanisms that align the Municipal Code with the City's adopted Housing Element policies and affordable housing objectives.

5. That the plan or amendment is necessary to protect the general health, safety, or general welfare of the community as a whole:

Ordinance No. 2026-7

1820492.1
5 The proposed amendment promotes the public health, safety, and general welfare by increasing opportunities for the development and preservation of affordable housing for lower- and moderate-income households, supporting a diverse housing supply, and helping to address documented community housing needs. The ordinance assists in implementing State Housing Element Law, promotes long-term housing stability, reduces barriers to housing opportunity, and establishes a permanent funding source for affordable housing through the Inclusionary Housing Fund. By requiring future residential development to contribute toward affordable housing, the ordinance advances important public purposes, supports economic diversity, and strengthens the City's ability to maintain compliance with State housing requirements while enhancing the overall quality of life for current and future residents.

SECTION 4. Chapter 9-73 (Inclusionary Housing) of Title 9 (Development Code) is hereby added to the Laguna Hills Municipal Code, which shall read as follows:

Chapter 9-73 Inclusionary Housing
Sections:
9-73.010 Purpose and intent.
9-73.020 Definitions.
9-73.030 Applicability.
9-73.040 Exemptions.
9-73.050 Inclusionary Housing Standards.
9-73.060 Alternatives to Constructing Inclusionary Housing Units. 9-73.070 Affordable Housing Plan.
9-73.080 Density Bonus.
9-73.090 Administration and Enforcement.
9-73.010 Purpose and Intent.

The purpose of this section is to promote, facilitate, and require the development of affordable housing opportunities for moderate-, low-, and very low-income households within the residential developments proposed to be constructed in the City of Laguna

1820492.1
6 Ordinance No. 2026-7

Hills. The intent of this program is to ensure that a portion of new residential developments contribute to the City's housing needs by providing housing options, or equivalent funds, to establish housing units for moderate and lower-income levels. 9-73.020 Definitions.

As used in this chapter, the following items shall have meanings as set forth below. “Accessory dwelling unit” or “ADU” as defined in California Government Code Section 66313 means an attached or detached residential dwelling unit that provides complete independent living facilities for one or more persons and is located on a lot with a proposed or existing primary residence.
“Affordable housing unit” means a dwelling unit restricted for occupancy by an eligible household at an affordable rent or affordable housing cost, as applicable, consistent with this chapter and applicable state law.
“Affordable housing agreement” means a legally enforceable recorded agreement between a property owner or owners and the City of Laguna Hills to ensure that the long-term inclusionary requirements of this chapter are satisfied. The agreement establishes, among other things, the number of required inclusionary units, location, affordability tenure, terms and conditions of affordability and unit production schedule, and deed restrictions.
“Allowable housing expense” means the total monthly or annual recurring expenses required of a household to obtain and maintain the housing unit. For an ownership unit, allowable housing expenses include loan principal and interest at the time of initial purchase by the homebuyer, allowances for property and mortgage insurance, property taxes, homeowners' association dues, and a reasonable allowance for utilities as defined Section 50052.5 of the Health and Safety Code; the utility allowance shall be as established by the Orange County Housing Authority. For a rental unit, allowable housing expenses include rent as defined in Section 50053 of the Health and Safety Code and a utility allowance as established by the Orange County Housing Authority, as well as all monthly payments made by the tenant to the lessor in connection with use and occupancy of a housing unit and land and facilities associated therewith, including any separately charged fees, utility charges, or service charges assessed by the lessor and payable by the tenant.
“Affordable housing plan” means a plan in conformance with this chapter specifying the manner in which affordable units will be provided.
“Density bonus” means an increase in the number of units permitted in a proposed residential development provided pursuant to California State Density Bonus Law as set forth in California Government Code Section 65915, et seq. “Developer” means any person, firm, partnership, association, joint venture, corporation, or any entity or combination of entities, which seeks City approvals for all or part of a

1820492.1
7 Ordinance No. 2026-7

residential development. The term “developer” also means the owner or owners of any such property for which such approvals are sought.
“Extremely low-income household” means households that earn 30% or less than the Area Median Income for Orange County as determined, as annually defined by the California Department of Housing and Community Development. “Incentives or concessions” means the regulatory incentives and concessions as defined in California Government Code Section 65915(k), to include, but not be limited to, the reduction of site development standards or zoning code requirements, approval of mixed-use zoning in conjunction with the housing project, or any other regulatory incentive that would result in identifiable cost reductions to enable the provision of housing for the designated income group or qualifying residents. “Inclusionary housing fund” means the fund established by the City pursuant to Section 9-73.090.A.
“Inclusionary unit” means an ownership or rental unit that will be offered for rent or sale exclusively to moderate- and/or lower-income households and maintained as an affordable housing unit, as required by this chapter.
“Household” means all persons residing in a unit.
“Low-income household” means a household with a gross annual income ranging above 50% and below 80% of the Area Median Income for Orange County as annually defined, by the California Department of Housing and Community Development. “Lower-income household” includes low-income, very low-income and extremely lowincome households, whose gross income does not exceed 80% of the Area Median Income for Orange County as determined annually by the California Department of Housing and Community Development.
“Market-rate unit” means a dwelling unit in a residential development that is not an inclusionary unit.
“Moderate-income Household” means a household with a gross annual income ranging above 80% to 120% of the Area Median Income for Orange County as determined, as annually defined by the California Department of Housing and Community Development.
“Ownership unit” means a residential dwelling unit intended to be sold individually to owners.
“Rental unit” means a residential dwelling unit intended not to be developed or constructed to be sold individually.
“Residential development” means any project for the development of land requiring a ministerial or discretionary permit for which an application has been submitted to the

1820492.1
8 Ordinance No. 2026-7

City, which would create new ownership or rental units intended for permanent occupancy by either the construction or alteration of structures or the conversion of a use to residential from any other use.
“Total residential units” means, the number of dwelling units in the base residential development, including market-rate units and inclusionary units, but excluding density bonus units provided pursuant to California Government Code Section 65915, et seq. “Very low-income household” means households with a gross annual income ranging above 30% to 50% of the Area Median Income for Orange County as determined, as annually defined by the California Department of Housing and Community Development.
9-73-030 Applicability.

The provisions of this chapter shall be applicable as follows:

A. Except as otherwise provided in this chapter or by state or federal law, residential developments consisting of ten (10) or more dwelling units shall provide inclusionary units of the number and type required by, and which meet the standards set forth in, Section 9-73.050.

B. The inclusionary housing requirements set forth in this chapter shall be applied no more than once to an approved development and/or vested entitlement by the City, regardless of changes in the ownership of the development, provided the total number of units does not change.
9-73-040 Exemptions.

The provisions of this chapter shall not apply to the following projects:

A. Projects that are not a residential development.

B. Any project that provides affordable housing in a manner that is equivalent to or greater than the requirements of this chapter, such as a project that has greater and longer affordability covenants than required by this section, subject to approval by the City Council.

C. Accessory dwelling units (ADUs), except as required by this Chapter 9-73.

D. Residential development projects that consist only of one primary dwelling unit.

E. Residential development projects for which application of this chapter would impair vested rights under state or federal law, including rights arising from a development agreement, vesting tentative map, preliminary application submitted pursuant to Government Code Section 65941.1, complete application, building permit, or other

Ordinance No. 2026-7

1820492.1
9 entitlement recognized by law, where such rights or entitlements are in effect on the effective date of the ordinance enacting this chapter.

F. Remodels and additions to single-family homes.
9-73.050 Inclusionary Housing Standards.

The provisions of this section shall apply to new residential development required to provide inclusionary units pursuant to this chapter.

A. Number and Type of Units Required.

1. Rental Units. For residential developments consisting of ten (10) or more new dwelling units and containing rental units, at least fifteen percent (15%) of the new rental units shall be inclusionary units that are reserved for occupancy by lower-income households as affordable housing units.
a. At least seven and one-half percent (7.5%) of the new rental units shall be inclusionary units that are reserved for occupancy by very low-income households.
b. The remaining inclusionary units provided may be reserved for occupancy by low-income households.

2. Ownership Units. For residential developments consisting of ten (10) or more new dwelling units and containing ownership units, at least fifteen percent (15%) of the new ownership units shall be inclusionary units that are reserved for sale to and occupancy by lower-income and moderate-income households as affordable housing units.
a. At least five percent (5%) of the new ownership units shall be inclusionary units that are reserved for sale to and occupancy by lower-income households.
b. The remaining inclusionary units provided may be reserved for sale to and occupancy by moderate-income households.

3. Fractions of units less than one-half (0.5) shall be rounded down to the nearest whole number and any fraction of a unit equal to or greater than one-half (0.5) shall be rounded up to the next whole number to establish the required number of inclusionary units. Alternatively, at the developer's option, any fractional unit requirement may be satisfied by paying a pro-rata fractional in-lieu fee into the inclusionary housing fund.

B. Design. The following design standards shall apply to residential development containing inclusionary units. The City Council shall have the discretion to approve modifications to design standards through a development agreement if the property

Ordinance No. 2026-7

1820492.1
10 owner provides deeper levels of affordability at required percentages and/or higher percentages of affordability.

1. Inclusionary units shall be integrated with market rate units within a residential development as a whole, and shall be comparable in infrastructure, construction quality, and design to the market-rate units. Within the range of the common architectural theme(s) for the project as a whole, the exterior appearance, entrances, and other architectural features and the interior finishes and features of the inclusionary units shall be comparable to those of the market rate units of the same size, model, and/or plan type, with the exception of optional upgrades or improvements available to buyers of for-sale market rate units at an additional cost.

2. Inclusionary units shall be distributed throughout the residential development and not concentrated in a single area of the development or to a specific floor or area on a specific floor within a mixed-income multifamily structure. However, nothing in this subsection is intended to preclude a project consisting of up to 100 percent affordable housing project where permitted by applicable state or federal law.

3. To the extent practicable, the bedroom and bathroom count ratio for the inclusionary units shall be proportional, in number of bedrooms and bathrooms, to the market rate units and shall be equitably distributed throughout the residential development.

4. Residents of inclusionary units shall have the same rights and unrestricted access to all common amenities in the development, such as parking, open space, storage, and recreational space, as do residents of market-rate units.

C. Timing of construction. Inclusionary units shall be constructed and occupied concurrently with or prior to the construction and occupancy of market-rate units. In phased developments, inclusionary units shall be constructed and occupied concurrently or prior to the market-rate units in each applicable phase of the development.

D. Duration of affordability requirement.

1. Rental inclusionary units shall remain affordable housing units occupied by persons and families of the required income level for a minimum of 55 years, unless otherwise approved by the City Council.

2. Ownership inclusionary units shall remain affordable housing units and shall be sold and resold only to, and occupied by, persons and families of the required income level for a minimum of 55 years, unless a longer period is required by applicable law or agreed to pursuant to subsection 3 below. The affordable housing agreement shall establish the applicable resale restrictions and methodology for determining the maximum allowable resale price during the affordability period.

Ordinance No. 2026-7

1820492.1
11 3. The City and the property owner may agree to a longer term of affordability in exchange for additional incentives or concessions, or if required by a provision of state or federal law or the terms of a program providing a subsidy to the residential development.

E. Affordable Housing Agreement.

1. An affordable housing agreement shall be entered into between the City and the fee owners of the property on which a residential development subject to the provisions of this chapter is located. The affordable housing agreement shall be prepared by the City, at the developer’s cost, and shall be a legally binding agreement, executed by the City Manager, or his or her designee, and in a form and substance satisfactory to the City Manager and the City Attorney, and containing those provisions necessary to ensure that the requirements of this chapter are satisfied, whether through the provision of inclusionary units or through an approved alternative method. The affordable housing agreement shall be executed and recorded prior to final subdivision map approval or, where a subdivision map is not being processed, prior to the issuance of building permits for any portion of the residential development. The affordable housing agreement shall remain a senior, non-subordinate covenant and as an encumbrance running with the land for the full term thereof. In no event shall the affordable housing agreement be made junior or subordinate to any deed of trust or other documents providing financing for the construction or operation of the residential development, or any other lien or encumbrance whatsoever for the entire term of the required covenants.

2. Unless otherwise provided by law or authorized by the City Manager, for residential developments containing inclusionary units, the affordable housing agreement shall include provisions acceptable to the City that address or require the following:
a. The number, affordability level, affordability period, unit size mix, and locations of all inclusionary units. For inclusionary units that will be rented, the City may require the inclusionary units to be "floating" units that are not permanently designated.
b. The timing of construction of the inclusionary units. c. Minimum maintenance standards for the residential development. d. The methodology for determining each inclusionary unit’s initial and ongoing rent or sales and resale price(s), along with any resale restrictions, occupancy requirements, and/or eligibility requirements. The methodology shall be consistent with the affordability calculation methodologies and household size assumptions established pursuant to Section 9-73.090(B). i. For residential developments containing ownership inclusionary units, the affordable housing agreement shall include provisions requiring the initial

Ordinance No. 2026-7

1820492.1
12 buyer(s) of each inclusionary unit meet the applicable income and eligibility requirements established for the unit and occupy the unit at all times until resale of the unit to another qualified buyer. The affordable housing agreement shall also require the initial purchaser and, if applicable, each subsequent purchaser, of an inclusionary unit, to execute and/or record one or more agreements and/or restrictive covenants benefiting and enforceable by the City, which address, among other things, the purchaser's obligations pertaining to certification of income, financing or refinancing of the unit, occupancy of the unit, property maintenance, insurance, periodic certification of compliance with applicable agreement terms, and re-sale of the unit. Such documents may include, without limitation promissory notes, deeds of trust, reimbursement agreements, option agreements, equity sharing agreements, and/or other covenants and regulatory documents necessary to ensure continued compliance with pertinent provisions of applicable law, conditions of approval, and the affordable housing agreement for the required affordability period.
ii. For residential developments containing rental inclusionary units, the affordable housing agreement shall include provisions requiring the owner to verify and certify, prior to the initial occupancy, and annually thereafter, that, each tenant household occupying an inclusionary unit meets the applicable income and eligibility requirements established for the unit, and to annually prepare a compliance report and certify that the inclusionary units are in compliance with the affordable housing agreement. e. Recordkeeping requirements, including, but not limited to, provisions requiring the developer and/or property owner(s) to maintain inclusionary unit sales documents, tenant leases, income certifications, and other books, documents, and records related to the sale or rental of the inclusionary units and operation of the project for a specified minimum period of time; to allow the City to inspect any such books, documents, or records and to conduct an independent audit or inspection of such records at a location that is reasonably acceptable to the City Manager upon prior written notice; and to permit the City and its authorized agents and representatives to access the property and examine the housing units and to interview tenants and employees for the purpose of verifying compliance with the affordable housing agreement.
f. For residential developments containing ownership inclusionary units, the affordable housing agreement shall contain provisions requiring the developer: (a) to prepare and obtain the City's approval of a marketing program for the sale of the inclusionary units to qualified purchasers prior to the issuance of a certificate of occupancy for any portion of the project; (b) to thereafter market the inclusionary units in accordance with the marketing program; and (c) to provide the City with periodic reports with respect to the sale of the inclusionary units.

Ordinance No. 2026-7

1820492.1
13 g. For residential developments containing rental inclusionary units, the affordable housing agreement shall contain provisions regarding property management and management responsibilities and shall require the developer to prepare and obtain the City's approval of a management plan for the project prior to the issuance of a certificate of occupancy for any portion of the project.
h. The payment of fees to reimburse the City for the estimated reasonable costs incurred by the City in monitoring the developer's compliance with, and otherwise administering, the affordable housing agreement, including, but not limited to, the City's review of marketing and management plans and annual compliance reports and the conduct of inspections and/or audits. i. A description of additional incentives granted by the City, if any. j. Other matters related to the development, maintenance, preservation, and retention of the inclusionary units deemed necessary and appropriate by the City Manager.

3. Compliance Monitoring. Each affordable housing agreement shall include provision for the monitoring by the City of each residential development and each inclusionary unit for compliance with the terms of this Chapter, the affordable housing agreement, and as required by law. The City Council may, by resolution, establish fees to recover the City’s reasonable costs of administering, monitoring and enforcing the requirements of this Chapter and any affordable housing agreement.
9-73.060 Alternatives to Constructing Inclusionary Units.

The following alternatives may be used to satisfy the requirement to provide inclusionary units on a project site:

A. Alternate Methods of Compliance.

1. Applicants may propose other concepts for meeting the requirements of this section, whether on- or off-site. Any alternate method of compliance shall be subject to the review and approval of the City Council, in its discretion. No applicant shall be entitled to approval of an alternate method of compliance.

2. Alternative means of compliance may include, but are not limited to, land dedication for affordable housing, off-site construction of affordable housing, or acquisition and rehabilitation of existing affordable housing units.

3. The City Council may, in its discretion, approve or deny alternate methods of compliance. In determining whether to approve an alternate method, the City Council shall consider whether the applicant has demonstrated that the proposed method furthers the purpose and intent of this chapter and provides an affordable

Ordinance No. 2026-7

1820492.1
14 housing benefit that the City Council determines is appropriate in light of the otherwise applicable inclusionary housing obligation. Such methods may include satisfying inclusionary requirements through the provision of ADUs subject to affordability restrictions.

B. In-Lieu Fee. In lieu of providing inclusionary units in a project, a developer may pay the City's in-lieu fee to satisfy the inclusionary housing requirement.

1. Developers of residential developments consisting of ten (10) or more for sale units may pay the City's in-lieu fee to satisfy the inclusionary housing requirement.

2. Developers of residential developments consisting of ten (10) to twenty (20) rental units may pay the City's in-lieu fee to satisfy the inclusionary housing requirement.

3. Except as provided in subsection C.1 below, developers of residential developments of more than twenty (20) rental units do not have the option of an in-lieu fee payment and must either construct inclusionary units equal to fifteen (15) percent of the new units in accordance with Section 9-73.050 or satisfy the requirement through an alternate method of compliance approved by the City Council pursuant to this section.

4. In-lieu fees shall be paid prior to the issuance of the first building permit for the residential development. For phased developments, the developer may pay a pro rata share of the in-lieu fee concurrently with the issuance of building permits for each development phase.

5. In-lieu fees shall be paid according to a fee schedule adopted by the City Council and amended from time to time.

6. All in-lieu fees collected shall be deposited into the inclusionary housing fund.

C. Adjustments or Waivers.

1. Extreme Economic Hardship. Residential development projects consisting of more than twenty (20) rental units may, in the sole and absolute discretion of the City Council, be permitted to pay the applicable in-lieu fee in lieu of constructing some or all of the required inclusionary units, provided the developer shows, based on substantial evidence, that constructing the required inclusionary units on-site would present an extreme economic hardship, based on objective, industry standard factors such as project size, site constraints, and/or financial considerations.

2. Takings. Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, the requirements of this chapter may be waived, adjusted, or reduced in the sole discretion of the City Council if the developer shows, based on substantial evidence, that applying the requirements of this chapter would take property in violation of the United States

Ordinance No. 2026-7

1820492.1
15 or California Constitutions. Such a waiver, adjustment or reduction may be approved only to the extent necessary to avoid an unconstitutional result, after adoption of written findings, based on substantial evidence, supporting the determination. In making a determination on an application for such a waiver, adjustment or reduction, the developer shall bear the burden of proof of presenting substantial evidence to support the claim, and the City may assume each of the following when applicable: (a) that the developer will provide the most economical inclusionary units feasible, meeting the requirements of this chapter and any regulations adopted to implement this chapter; and (b) that the developer is likely to obtain housing subsidies when such funds are reasonably available.

3. Any request for relief pursuant to subsection C shall be submitted to the City concurrently with the affordable housing plan and shall set forth in detail the factual and legal basis for the request.
9-73.070 Affordable Housing Plan.

A. A developer of a residential development subject to this chapter shall submit an affordable housing plan to the City detailing how the requirements of this chapter will be met and implemented. The affordable housing plan shall be submitted as part of the developer’s development application to the Community Development Department. The Community Development Director shall determine if the submitted affordable housing plan is complete and in substantial conformance with this chapter.

B. The affordable housing plan shall include, without limitation, the following information:

1. The total number of inclusionary units at each affordability level proposed to be provided and the calculations used to determine the number of required inclusionary units.

2. A floor plan and site plan depicting the location, size, and bedroom count of each proposed market-rate and inclusionary unit.

3. A detailed description of how each of the requirements set forth in Section 9-

73.050 will be met.

4. If the developer is proposing an alternative means of compliance pursuant to Section 9-73.060, a detailed description of the proposal and all supporting documentation.

5. Any request for density bonus, incentives, concessions, waivers, parking reductions, phasing, or alternative compliance related to the residential development.

Ordinance No. 2026-7

1820492.1
16 6. Such other information as is reasonably requested by the Community Development Director.

C. The affordable housing plan is subject to review and approval of the applicable City review authority on the same basis as is required for the development application determination.
9-73.080 Density Bonus.

Pursuant to the State Density Bonus Law (California Government Code Section 65915, et sq.), if the developer is proposing to provide affordable units in exchange for an increase in density, concessions, incentives, or waivers or reductions of development standards, the affordable units required to fulfill the density bonus may also count as inclusionary units required by this chapter, provided they also meet, or exceed, the requirements outlined in Section 9-73.050.
9-73.090 Administration and Enforcement.

A. Inclusionary Housing Fund. There is hereby established a separate fund of the City, to be known as the inclusionary housing fund. All monies collected pursuant to this Chapter shall be deposited in the inclusionary housing fund. Additional monies from other sources may be deposited in the inclusionary housing fund. The monies and all earnings from investments of the monies in the inclusionary housing fund shall be expended exclusively to provide or assure continued provision of affordable housing in the City through, including but not limited to, acquisition, construction, development assistance, rent subsidies, or first-time homebuyer programs, and for the associated costs of administering and monitoring these programs.

B. Administrative Regulations and Interpretations.

1. The Community Development Director shall publish maximum rent and sale price schedules at least annually, in accordance with the methodologies set forth in California Health and Safety Code Sections 50052.5 and 50053, utilizing current data from the California Department of Housing and Community Development and Orange County Housing Authority's utility allowance schedules. The Director shall also establish and apply uniform household size assumptions and affordability calculation methodologies consistent with applicable state law and HCD guidance for purposes of determining affordable rents, affordable housing costs, and initial and resale sales prices.

2. The Community Development Director may issue regulations or interpretations to assist in the implementation and administration of all aspects of this Chapter, including, but not limited to, the establishment of eligibility requirements and/or preference standards that may be applied in the selection of homebuyers and tenants.

C. Enforcement.

Ordinance No. 2026-7

1820492.1
17 1. Violations. Violations of this Chapter may be enforced by all available remedies at law or in equity, including, but not limited to those set forth in Chapter 1-32 of the Laguna Hills Municipal Code.

2. Forfeiture of Funds. Any individual who sells an inclusionary unit in violation of this chapter shall be required to forfeit any money in excess of the affordable housing cost at such time. Any individual who rents an inclusionary unit in violation of this chapter shall be required to forfeit all money so obtained.

Recovered funds shall be deposited into the inclusionary housing fund.

3. Legal Actions. The City may institute any appropriate legal actions to enforce the provisions of this chapter and all affordable housing agreements, covenants, resale restrictions, promissory notes, deeds of trust, and other requirements placed on inclusionary units, including actions for injunctive relief or damages.

4. Recovery of Costs. In any action to enforce this chapter, or an affordable housing agreement recorded hereunder, the City shall be entitled to recover its reasonable attorney’s fees and costs.

SECTION 5. This Ordinance shall take effect on September 25, 2026, the 31st day following the adoption of this Ordinance by the City Council.

SECTION 6. Upon the effective date of this Ordinance, the provisions hereof shall supersede any inconsistent or conflicting provisions of the Laguna Hills Municipal Code.

SECTION 7. If any section, subsection, subdivision, sentence, clause, phrase, or portion of this Ordinance is, for any reason, held to be invalid or unconstitutional by the decision of any court of competent jurisdiction, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this Ordinance. The City Council hereby declares that it would have adopted this Ordinance and each section, subsection, subdivision, sentence, clause, phrase, or portion thereof, irrespective of the fact that any one or more section, subsection, subdivision, sentence, clause, phrase, or portion thereof be declared invalid or unconstitutional.

SECTION 8. The City Clerk shall certify to the adoption of this Ordinance and cause the same to be posted at the duly designated posting places within the City and published once within fifteen days after passage and adoption as may be required by law; or, in the alternative, the City Clerk may cause to be published a summary of this Ordinance and a certified copy of the text of this Ordinance shall be posted in the Office of the City Clerk five days prior to the date of adoption of this Ordinance; and, within fifteen days after adoption, the City Clerk shall cause to be published, the aforementioned summary and shall post a certified copy of this Ordinance, together with the vote for and against the same, in the Office of the City Clerk.

1820492.1
18 Ordinance No. 2026-7

PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOPTED this the 25th day of August 2026. ____________________________________

DON CASKEY, MAYOR
ATTEST:
______________________________________

JOSHUA STEVENSON, CITY CLERK

1820492.1
19 Ordinance No. 2026-7

STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF ORANGE ) ss

CITY OF LAGUNA HILLS )
I, Joshua Stevenson, City Clerk of the City of Laguna Hills, California, DO HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing Ordinance No. 2026-7 was duly introduced and placed upon its first reading at a Special Meeting of the City Council on the 19th day of August 2026, and that thereafter, said Ordinance was duly adopted and passed at a Regular Meeting of the City Council held on the 25th day of August 2026, by the following vote, to wit:

AYES:

NOES:

ABSENT:

ABSTAIN:
(SEAL)
_____________________________________

JOSHUA STEVENSON, CITY CLERK

1820492.1
20 AFFIDAVIT OF POSTING
Ordinance No. 2026-7

STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF ORANGE ) ss

CITY OF LAGUNA HILLS ) AND PUBLICATION
JOSHUA STEVENSON, being first duly sworn, deposes and says:

That he is the duly appointed and qualified City Clerk of the City of Laguna Hills;
That in compliance with State Laws of the State of California, ORDINANCE NO. 2026-7, being:

AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF LAGUNA HILLS,
CALIFORNIA, ADOPTING RZNE-0015-2026 FOR THE

INCLUSIONARY HOUSING PROGRAM BY ADDING
CHAPTER 9-73 (INCLUSIONARY HOUSING) OF TITLE 9
(ZONING CODE) OF THE LAGUNA HILLS MUNICIPAL

CODE TO ESTABLISH AN INCLUSIONARY HOUSING

PROGRAM, REQUIRE THE PROVISION OF AFFORDABLE

HOUSING IN CERTAIN RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENTS,

ESTABLISH AN INCLUSIONARY HOUSING FUND,

PROVIDE ALTERNATIVE METHODS OF COMPLIANCE,

AND MAKE FINDINGS RELATED THERETO
on the 3rd day of September 2026, was published in summary in the Saddleback Valley News; and was, in compliance with City Resolution No. 2025-09-23-1, caused to be posted in three places in the City of Laguna Hills, to wit:
_________________________________

JOSHUA STEVENSON, CITY CLERK
Laguna Hills, California
Laguna Hills City Hall
Laguna Hills Community Center
Knotty Pine Park

Item No. 4.18
City of Laguna Hills
City Council / Planning
Agency
Staff Report
Date: August 25, 2026
To: Mayor and Council Members
From: Joshua Stevenson, City Clerk
Issue: City's Conflict of Interest Code Update
Recommendation: That the City Council adopt a Resolution entitled: "A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Laguna Hills, California, Adopting an Updated Conflict of Interest Code and Rescinding Resolution No. 2024-08-27-2" Background:

The Political Reform Act requires every local government agency to review its Conflict of Interest Code biennially, at a minimum, or as changes occur in the designated positions. Resolution No. 91-10 adopted the City's Conflict of Interest Code. Over the years, the Code has been amended by the following Resolutions:

Resolution No.93-02-23-1 Adding Planning Director, City Engineer, and Chief of Police Services
as designated positions.

Resolution No. 94-03-08-1 Adding Assistant and Deputy City Attorneys as designated positions.

Resolution No. 94-11-22-1 Changing the wording to indicate that those occupying designated positions
must file Statements of Economic
Interests with the City Clerk, deleting
Administrative Services Director as a
designated position, adding wording
indicating that the Assistant City
Manager is an official who manages
public investments and must file

Item No. 4.18
pursuant to Government Code Section
87200, and changing wording to reflect
modifications in the Fair Political
Practices regulations regarding filings of
Consultants.

Resolution No. 96-11-12-4 Deleting Parks and Recreation Director as a designated position, and changing
the title of City Engineer to Director of
Public Works/City Engineer.

Resolution No. 98-09-08-1 Deleting the positions of Development Services Director and Planning Director,
and adding Community Development
Director, Controller, and Recreation
Services Manager as designated
positions.

Resolution No. 2000-11-14-1 Deleting the positions of Community Development Director and Recreational
Services Manager, adding Planning
Director and Community Services
Director as designated positions, and
change the wording regarding the filing
of the Assistant City Manager under the
* (the paragraph that designates those
positions that manage public
investments).

Resolution No. 2002-10-08-2 Deleting the positions of Planning Director and Director of Public
Works/City Engineer, adding the
positions of Community Development
Director, Director of Public Services/City
Engineer, Building Inspector, Code
Enforcement Officer, and Planner as
designated positions.

Resolution No. 2003-04-22-1 Deleting Controller and Deputy City Attorney from the list of designated
positions, relisting Controller under the *
(the paragraph that designates those
positions that manage public
investments), and adding Community
Services Program Supervisor as a
designated position.

Resolution No. 2004-01-27-1 Adding Management Analyst as a

Item No. 4.18
designated position, and changing the
position of Community Services
Supervisor to Community Services
Coordinator.

Resolution No. 2006-07-11-1 Adding Senior Planner, Senior Building Inspector, Assistant Building Official,
and Assistant to the City Manager to the
list of designated positions.

Resolution No. 2008-04-22-1 Deleting Assistant to the City Manager, and Director of Community Services,
and adding the positions of Deputy City
Manager, Community Services
Superintendent, Building Counter
Technician, and Planning/Code
Enforcement Aide to the list of
designated positions.

Resolution No. 2009-03-24-1 Deleting the position of Controller from the list of designated positions and
adding Finance Manager under * (the
paragraph that designated those
positions that manage public
investments).

Resolution No. 2012-06-12-1 Adding Senior Management Analyst to the list of designated positions.

Resolution No. 2014-05-27-1 Adding the positions of Information Technology Specialist, Assistant
Planner, and Permit Technician.

Resolution No. 2016-09-13-3 Adding the position of Planning Manager and deleting the positions of
Building Counter Technician,
Community Services Coordinator,
Management Analyst.

Resolution No. 2018-07-10-2 Adding the positions of Assistant City Clerk, Senior Management Analyst, and
Finance Director, changing the title of
Assistant to the City Manager/City Clerk
to Deputy City Manager/ City Clerk and
Director of Public Services/City
Engineer to Assistant City
Manager/Director of Public Services,
and deleting the positions of Assistant
Building Official, Building Inspector,

Item No. 4.18
Planning Manager, and Senior Building
Inspector.

Resolution No. 2020-07-14-2 Adding the position of Permit Technician Assistant.

Resolution No. 2022-09-13-1 Changing the title “Assistant City Manager/Director of Public Services” to
be “Public Services Director/City
Engineer”, changing the title “Deputy
City Manager” to be “Deputy City
Manager/Community Services Director”,
changing the title “Information
Technology Specialist” to be
“Information Technology Administrator”,
changing the title “Permit Technician” to
be “Senior Permit Technician”, and
changing the title “Permit Technician
Assistant” to be “Permit Technician I &
II”.

Resolution No. 2024-08-27-2 Remove the titles "Assistant City Clerk", "Community Services Superintendent",
and "Deputy City Manager/City Clerk"
and add titles "City Clerk", "Community
Services Manager", "Deputy City Clerk",
"Finance Manager", "Principal Civil
Engineer", and "Senior Public Works
Inspector"
The City's Conflict of Interest Code adopts by reference Section 18730 of Title 2 of the California Code of Regulations as its main body. When Section 18730 is updated by legislation, that portion of the City's Code is automatically updated.

Adoption of the proposed Resolution will amend the City's locally adopted Conflict of Interest Code to replace "Deputy City Clerk" with "Assistant City Clerk", "Senior Planner" with "Principal Planner", and "Deputy City Manager/Community Services Director" with "Community Services Director"; and add "Assistant City Manager". The changes proposed will update the conflict of interest code to match personnel changes to positions and titles that concurred since the last update in August of 2024.

Fiscal Impact:

There is no fiscal impact to the adoption of the proposed resolution updating the

Item No. 4.18
City's Conflict of Interest Code.

Attachments:

1. 20260825_Proposed Resolution including Exhibits - Conflict of Interest Code Updates

2. COIC_Local_Biennial_Notice-1

RESOLUTION NO. 2026-08-25-X

A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF

LAGUNA HILLS, CALIFORNIA, ADOPTING AN UPDATED

CONFLICT OF INTEREST CODE AND RESCINDING
RESOLUTION NO. 2024-08-27-2
WHEREAS, the Political Reform Act of 1974 and Government Code Sections 81000 et seq. (the “Act”) require a local government agency to adopt a Conflict of Interest Code pursuant to the Act; and
WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Laguna Hills adopted Resolution No. 91-10 on December 20, 1991, establishing such a Code; and WHEREAS, the City Council amended said Code with adoption of Resolutions No. 93-02-23-1, No. 94-03-08-1, No. 94-11-22-1, No. 96-11-12-4, No. 98-09-08-1, No. 2000-11-14-1, No. 2002-10-08-2, No. 2003-04-22-1, No. 2004-01-27-1, No. 2006-07-11-1, No. 2008-04-22-1, No. 2009-03-24-1, No. 2012-06-12-1, No. 2014-05-27-1, No. 2016-09-13-3, No. 2018-07-10-2, No. 2020-07-14-2, No. 2022-09-13-1, and No. 2024-08-27-2; and WHEREAS, the City Council desires to amend the Appendix of Designated Positions of said Code to add title "Assistant City Manager", and replace "Deputy City Clerk" with "Assistant City Clerk", "Senior Planner" with "Principal Planner", and "Deputy City Manager/Community Services Director" with "Community Services Director".

NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LAGUNA

HILLS, CALIFORNIA, DOES RESOLVE, DECLARE, DETERMINE, AND ORDER AS FOLLOWS:

SECTION 1. No. This Resolution rescinds and supersedes Resolution 2024-08-27-2.

SECTION 2. The Conflict of Interest Code of the City of Laguna Hills, a copy of which is attached hereto and by this reference is incorporated herein, is hereby adopted.

Resolution No. 2026-08-25-X

PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOPTED this 25
th day of August 2026.
_________________________________________

DON CASKEY, MAYOR
ATTEST:
______________________________________

JOSHUA STEVENSON, CITY CLERK

STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF ORANGE ) ss

CITY OF LAGUNA HILLS )
I, Joshua Stevenson, City Clerk of the City of Laguna Hills, California, DO HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing is a true and correct copy of Resolution No. 2026-08-25-X adopted by the City Council of the City of Laguna Hills, California, at a Regular Meeting thereof held on the 25 th day of August
2026, by the following vote:

AYES:

NOES:

ABSENT:

ABSTAIN:
(SEAL)
_____________________________________

JOSHUA STEVENSON, CITY CLERK

CONFLICT OF INTEREST CODE
OF THE

CITY OF LAGUNA HILLS

SECTION 1: PURPOSE
The purpose of this Conflict of Interest Code of the City of Laguna Hills is to incorporate by reference the terms of Section 18730 of Title 2 of the California Code of Regulations pertaining to Conflict of Interest Codes, which is attached hereto as Exhibit "A," and to establish a List of Designated Positions.

SECTION 2: DESIGNATED POSITIONS
The positions listed in the Appendix to Exhibit "A" are Designated Positions. Officers and employees holding those positions are Designated Employees and are deemed to make, or participate in the making of, decisions, which may foreseeably have a material effect on a financial interest. Individual consultants may be Designated Employees, as determined by the City Manager.

SECTION 3: INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE OF SECTION 18730 OF TITLE 2 OF THE CALIFORNIA CODE OF REGULATIONS
Section 18730 of Title 2 of the California Code of Regulations as set forth in Exhibit "A," and any amendments to it duly adopted by the Fair Political Practice Commission, along with the attached Appendix are hereby incorporated by reference and constitute the Conflict of Interest Code of the City of Laguna Hills.

SECTION 4: PLACE OF FILING FOR STATEMENTS OF ECONOMIC

INTEREST
Persons occupying Designated Positions shall file Statements of Economic Interests with the City Clerk of the City of Laguna Hills, which will make the statements available for public inspection and reproduction. (Government Code Section 81008) Statements for all designated employees will be retained by the City of Laguna Hills.

1 (Regulations of the Fair Political Practices Commission, Title 2, Division 6, California Code of Regulations)
§ 18730. Provisions of Conflict of Interest Codes.
(a) Incorporation by reference of the terms of this regulation along with the designation of employees and the formulation of disclosure categories in the Appendix referred to below constitute the adoption and promulgation of a conflict of interest code within the meaning of Section 87300 or the amendment of a conflict of interest code within the meaning of Section 87306 if the terms of this regulation are substituted for terms of a conflict of interest code already in effect. A code so amended or adopted and promulgated requires the reporting of reportable items in a manner substantially equivalent to the requirements of article 2 of chapter 7 of the Political Reform Act, Sections 81000, et seq. The requirements of a conflict of interest code are in addition to other requirements of the Political Reform Act, such as the general prohibition against conflicts of interest contained in Section 87100, and to other state or local laws pertaining to conflicts of interest.
(b) The terms of a conflict of interest code amended or adopted and promulgated pursuant to this regulation are as follows:
(1) Section 1. Definitions.

The definitions contained in the Political Reform Act of 1974, regulations of the Fair Political Practices Commission (Regulations 18110, et seq. ), and any amendments to the Act or regulations, are incorporated by reference into this conflict of interest code. (2) Section 2. Designated Employees.

2 The persons holding positions listed in the Appendix are designated employees. It has been determined that these persons make or participate in the making of decisions which may foreseeably have a material effect on economic interests. (3) Section 3. Disclosure Categories.

This code does not establish any disclosure obligation for those designated employees who are also specified in Section 87200 if they are designated in this code in that same capacity or if the geographical jurisdiction of this agency is the same as or is wholly included within the jurisdiction in which those persons must report their economic interests pursuant to article 2 of chapter 7 of the Political Reform Act, Sections 87200, et seq.

In addition, this code does not establish any disclosure obligation for any designated employees who are designated in a conflict of interest code for another agency, if all of the following apply:
(A) The geographical jurisdiction of this agency is the same as or is wholly included within the jurisdiction of the other agency;
(B) The disclosure assigned in the code of the other agency is the same as that required under article 2 of chapter 7 of the Political Reform Act, Section 87200; and (C) The filing officer is the same for both agencies.1
Such persons are covered by this code for disqualification purposes only. With respect to all other designated employees, the disclosure categories set forth in the Appendix specify which kinds of economic interests are reportable. Such a designated employee shall disclose in the employee's statement of economic interests those economic interests the employee has which are of the kind described in the disclosure categories to which the employee is assigned in the Appendix. It has been determined that the economic interests set forth in a designated employee's

3 disclosure categories are the kinds of economic interests which the employee foreseeably can affect materially through the conduct of the employee's office. (4) Section 4. Statements of Economic Interests: Place of Filing.

The code reviewing body shall instruct all designated employees within its code to file statements of economic interests with the agency or with the code reviewing body, as provided by the code reviewing body in the agency's conflict of interest code.2 (5) Section 5. Statements of Economic Interests: Time of Filing. (A) Initial Statements. All designated employees employed by the agency on the effective date of this code, as originally adopted, promulgated and approved by the code reviewing body, shall file statements within 30 days after the effective date of this code. Thereafter, each person already in a position when it is designated by an amendment to this code shall file an initial statement within 30 days after the effective date of the amendment. (B) Assuming Office Statements. All persons assuming designated positions after the effective date of this code shall file statements within 30 days after assuming the designated positions, or if subject to State Senate confirmation, 30 days after being nominated or appointed. (C) Annual Statements. All designated employees shall file statements no later than April

1. If a person reports for military service as defined in the Servicemember's Civil Relief Act, the deadline for the annual statement of economic interests is 30 days following the person's return to office, provided the person, or someone authorized to represent the person's interests, notifies the filing officer in writing prior to the applicable filing deadline that the person is subject to that federal statute and is unable to meet the applicable deadline, and provides the filing officer verification of the person's military status.

4 (D) Leaving Office Statements. All persons who leave designated positions shall file statements within 30 days after leaving office.
(5.5) Section 5.5. Statements for Persons Who Resign Prior to Assuming Office.

Any person who resigns within 12 months of initial appointment, or within 30 days of the date of notice provided by the filing officer to file an assuming office statement, is not deemed to have assumed office or left office, provided the person did not make or participate in the making of, or use the person's position to influence any decision and did not receive or become entitled to receive any form of payment as a result of the person's appointment. Such persons shall not file either an assuming or leaving office statement.
(A) Any person who resigns a position within 30 days of the date of a notice from the filing officer shall do both of the following:
(1) File a written resignation with the appointing power; and (2) File a written statement with the filing officer declaring under penalty of perjury that during the period between appointment and resignation the person did not make, participate in the making, or use the position to influence any decision of the agency or receive, or become entitled to receive, any form of payment by virtue of being appointed to the position. (6) Section 6. Contents of and Period Covered by Statements of Economic Interests. (A) Contents of Initial Statements.

Initial statements shall disclose any reportable investments, interests in real property and business positions held on the effective date of the code and income received during the 12 months prior to the effective date of the code.
(B) Contents of Assuming Office Statements.

5 Assuming office statements shall disclose any reportable investments, interests in real property and business positions held on the date of assuming office or, if subject to State Senate confirmation or appointment, on the date of nomination, and income received during the 12 months prior to the date of assuming office or the date of being appointed or nominated, respectively.
(C) Contents of Annual Statements. Annual statements shall disclose any reportable investments, interests in real property, income and business positions held or received during the previous calendar year provided, however, that the period covered by an employee's first annual statement shall begin on the effective date of the code or the date of assuming office whichever is later, or for a board or commission member subject to Section 87302.6, the day after the closing date of the most recent statement filed by the member pursuant to Regulation 18754. (D) Contents of Leaving Office Statements.

Leaving office statements shall disclose reportable investments, interests in real property, income and business positions held or received during the period between the closing date of the last statement filed and the date of leaving office.
(7) Section 7. Manner of Reporting.

Statements of economic interests shall be made on forms prescribed by the Fair Political Practices Commission and supplied by the agency, and shall contain the following information:
(A) Investment and Real Property Disclosure.

When an investment or an interest in real property3is required to be reported,4the statement shall contain the following:

1. A statement of the nature of the investment or interest;

6 2. The name of the business entity in which each investment is held, and a general description of the business activity in which the business entity is engaged;

3. The address or other precise location of the real property;

4. A statement whether the fair market value of the investment or interest in real property equals or exceeds $2,000, exceeds $10,000, exceeds $100,000, or exceeds $1,000,000. (B) Personal Income Disclosure. When personal income is required to be reported,5the statement shall contain:

1. The name and address of each source of income aggregating $500 or more in value, or $50 or more in value if the income was a gift, and a general description of the business activity, if any, of each source;

2. A statement whether the aggregate value of income from each source, or in the case of a loan, the highest amount owed to each source, was $1,000 or less, greater than $1,000, greater than $10,000, or greater than $100,000;

3. A description of the consideration, if any, for which the income was received;

4. In the case of a gift, the name, address and business activity of the donor and any intermediary through which the gift was made; a description of the gift; the amount or value of the gift; and the date on which the gift was received;

5. In the case of a loan, the annual interest rate and the security, if any, given for the loan and the term of the loan.
(C) Business Entity Income Disclosure. When income of a business entity, including income of a sole proprietorship, is required to be reported,6the statement shall contain:

1. The name, address, and a general description of the business activity of the business entity;

7 2. The name of every person from whom the business entity received payments if the filer's pro rata share of gross receipts from such person was equal to or greater than $10,000. (D) Business Position Disclosure. When business positions are required to be reported, a designated employee shall list the name and address of each business entity in which the employee is a director, officer, partner, trustee, employee, or in which the employee holds any position of management, a description of the business activity in which the business entity is engaged, and the designated employee's position with the business entity. (E) Acquisition or Disposal During Reporting Period. In the case of an annual or leaving office statement, if an investment or an interest in real property was partially or wholly acquired or disposed of during the period covered by the statement, the statement shall contain the date of acquisition or disposal.
(8) Section 8. Prohibition on Receipt of Honoraria.
(A) No member of a state board or commission, and no designated employee of a state or local government agency, shall accept any honorarium from any source, if the member or employee would be required to report the receipt of income or gifts from that source on the member's or employee's statement of economic interests. (B) This section shall not apply to any part-time member of the governing board of any public institution of higher education, unless the member is also an elected official. (C) Subdivisions (a), (b), and (c) of Section 89501 shall apply to the prohibitions in this section.
(D) This section shall not limit or prohibit payments, advances, or reimbursements for travel and related lodging and subsistence authorized by Section 89506. (8.1) Section 8.1. Prohibition on Receipt of Gifts in Excess of $520.

8 (A) No member of a state board or commission, and no designated employee of a state or local government agency, shall accept gifts with a total value of more than $520 in a calendar year from any single source, if the member or employee would be required to report the receipt of income or gifts from that source on the member's or employee's statement of economic interests.
(B) This section shall not apply to any part-time member of the governing board of any public institution of higher education, unless the member is also an elected official. (C) Subdivisions (e), (f), and (g) of Section 89503 shall apply to the prohibitions in this section.
(8.2) Section 8.2. Loans to Public Officials.
(A) No elected officer of a state or local government agency shall, from the date of the election to office through the date that the officer vacates office, receive a personal loan from any officer, employee, member, or consultant of the state or local government agency in which the elected officer holds office or over which the elected officer's agency has direction and control.
(B) No public official who is exempt from the state civil service system pursuant to subdivisions (c), (d), (e), (f), and (g) of Section 4 of Article VII of the Constitution shall, while he or she holds office, receive a personal loan from any officer, employee, member, or consultant of the state or local government agency in which the public official holds office or over which the public official's agency has direction and control. This subdivision shall not apply to loans made to a public official whose duties are solely secretarial, clerical, or manual. (C) No elected officer of a state or local government agency shall, from the date of the election to office through the date that the officer vacates office, receive a personal loan from

9 any person who has a contract with the state or local government agency to which that elected officer has been elected or over which that elected officer's agency has direction and control.

This subdivision shall not apply to loans made by banks or other financial institutions or to any indebtedness created as part of a retail installment or credit card transaction, if the loan is made or the indebtedness created in the lender's regular course of business on terms available to members of the public without regard to the elected officer's official status. (D) No public official who is exempt from the state civil service system pursuant to subdivisions (c), (d), (e), (f), and (g) of Section 4 of Article VII of the Constitution shall, while the official holds office, receive a personal loan from any person who has a contract with the state or local government agency to which that elected officer has been elected or over which that elected officer's agency has direction and control. This subdivision shall not apply to loans made by banks or other financial institutions or to any indebtedness created as part of a retail installment or credit card transaction, if the loan is made or the indebtedness created in the lender's regular course of business on terms available to members of the public without regard to the elected officer's official status. This subdivision shall not apply to loans made to a public official whose duties are solely secretarial, clerical, or manual. (E) This section shall not apply to the following:

1. Loans made to the campaign committee of an elected officer or candidate for elective office.

2. Loans made by a public official's spouse, child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, brother, sister, parent-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, nephew, niece, aunt, uncle, or first cousin, or the spouse of any such persons, provided that the person making the loan is not acting as an agent or intermediary for any person not otherwise exempted under this section.

10 3. Loans from a person which, in the aggregate, do not exceed $500 at any given time.

4. Loans made, or offered in writing, before January 1, 1998. (8.3) Section 8.3. Loan Terms.
(A) Except as set forth in subdivision (B), no elected officer of a state or local government agency shall, from the date of the officer's election to office through the date the officer vacates office, receive a personal loan of $500 or more, except when the loan is in writing and clearly states the terms of the loan, including the parties to the loan agreement, date of the loan, amount of the loan, term of the loan, date or dates when payments shall be due on the loan and the amount of the payments, and the rate of interest paid on the loan. (B) This section shall not apply to the following types of loans:

1. Loans made to the campaign committee of the elected officer.

2. Loans made to the elected officer by his or her spouse, child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, brother, sister, parent-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, nephew, niece, aunt, uncle, or first cousin, or the spouse of any such person, provided that the person making the loan is not acting as an agent or intermediary for any person not otherwise exempted under this section.

3. Loans made, or offered in writing, before January 1, 1998. (C) Nothing in this section shall exempt any person from any other provision of Title 9 of the Government Code.
(8.4) Section 8.4. Personal Loans.
(A) Except as set forth in subdivision (B), a personal loan received by any designated employee shall become a gift to the designated employee for the purposes of this section in the following circumstances:

11 1. If the loan has a defined date or dates for repayment, when the statute of limitations for filing an action for default has expired.

2. If the loan has no defined date or dates for repayment, when one year has elapsed from the later of the following:
a. The date the loan was made.
b. The date the last payment of $100 or more was made on the loan. c. The date upon which the debtor has made payments on the loan aggregating to less than $250 during the previous 12 months.
(B) This section shall not apply to the following types of loans:

1. A loan made to the campaign committee of an elected officer or a candidate for elective office.

2. A loan that would otherwise not be a gift as defined in this title.

3. A loan that would otherwise be a gift as set forth under subdivision (A), but on which the creditor has taken reasonable action to collect the balance due.

4. A loan that would otherwise be a gift as set forth under subdivision (A), but on which the creditor, based on reasonable business considerations, has not undertaken collection action.

Except in a criminal action, a creditor who claims that a loan is not a gift on the basis of this paragraph has the burden of proving that the decision for not taking collection action was based on reasonable business considerations.

5. A loan made to a debtor who has filed for bankruptcy and the loan is ultimately discharged in bankruptcy.
(C) Nothing in this section shall exempt any person from any other provisions of Title 9 of the Government Code.

12 (9) Section 9. Disqualification.

No designated employee shall make, participate in making, or in any way attempt to use the employee's official position to influence the making of any governmental decision which the employee knows or has reason to know will have a reasonably foreseeable material financial effect, distinguishable from its effect on the public generally, on the official or a member of the official's immediate family or on:
(A) Any business entity in which the designated employee has a direct or indirect investment worth $2,000 or more;
(B) Any real property in which the designated employee has a direct or indirect interest worth $2,000 or more;
(C) Any source of income, other than gifts and other than loans by a commercial lending institution in the regular course of business on terms available to the public without regard to official status, aggregating $500 or more in value provided to, received by or promised to the designated employee within 12 months prior to the time when the decision is made; (D) Any business entity in which the designated employee is a director, officer, partner, trustee, employee, or holds any position of management; or (E) Any donor of, or any intermediary or agent for a donor of, a gift or gifts aggregating $500 or more provided to, received by, or promised to the designated employee within 12 months prior to the time when the decision is made.
(9.3) Section 9.3. Legally Required Participation.

No designated employee shall be prevented from making or participating in the making of any decision to the extent the employee's participation is legally required for the decision to be made.

13 The fact that the vote of a designated employee who is on a voting body is needed to break a tie does not make the employees' participation legally required for purposes of this section. (9.5) Section 9.5. Disqualification of State Officers and Employees.

In addition to the general disqualification provisions of section 9, no state administrative official shall make, participate in making, or use the official's position to influence any governmental decision directly relating to any contract where the state administrative official knows or has reason to know that any party to the contract is a person with whom the state administrative official, or any member of the official's immediate family has, within 12 months prior to the time when the official action is to be taken:
(A) Engaged in a business transaction or transactions on terms not available to members of the public, regarding any investment or interest in real property; or (B) Engaged in a business transaction or transactions on terms not available to members of the public regarding the rendering of goods or services totaling in value $1,000 or more. (10) Section 10. Disclosure of Disqualifying Interest.

When a designated employee determines that the employee should not make a governmental decision because the employee has a disqualifying interest in it, the determination not to act may be accompanied by disclosure of the disqualifying interest. (11) Section 11. Assistance of the Commission and Counsel.

Any designated employee who is unsure of the duties under this code may request assistance from the Fair Political Practices Commission pursuant to Section 83114 and Regulations 18329 and 18329.5 or from the attorney for the employee's agency, provided that nothing in this section requires the attorney for the agency to issue any formal or informal opinion. (12) Section 12. Violations.

14 This code has the force and effect of law. Designated employees violating any provision of this code are subject to the administrative, criminal and civil sanctions provided in the Political Reform Act, Sections 81000-91014. In addition, a decision in relation to which a violation of the disqualification provisions of this code or of Section 87100 or 87450 has occurred may be set aside as void pursuant to Section 91003.
____________________
1 Designated employees who are required to file statements of economic interests under any other agency's conflict of interest code, or under article 2 for a different jurisdiction, may expand their statement of economic interests to cover reportable interests in both jurisdictions, and file copies of this expanded statement with both entities in lieu of filing separate and distinct statements, provided that each copy of such expanded statement filed in place of an original is signed and verified by the designated employee as if it were an original. See Section 81004. 2 See Section 81010 and Regulation 18115 for the duties of filing officers and persons in agencies who make and retain copies of statements and forward the originals to the filing officer. 3 For the purpose of disclosure only (not disqualification), an interest in real property does not include the principal residence of the filer.
4 Investments and interests in real property which have a fair market value of less than $2,000 are not investments and interests in real property within the meaning of the Political Reform Act.

However, investments or interests in real property of an individual include those held by the individual's spouse and dependent children as well as a pro rata share of any investment or interest in real property of any business entity or trust in which the individual, spouse and dependent children own, in the aggregate, a direct, indirect or beneficial interest of 10 percent or greater.

15 5 A designated employee's income includes the employee's community property interest in the income of the employee's spouse but does not include salary or reimbursement for expenses received from a state, local or federal government agency. 6 Income of a business entity is reportable if the direct, indirect or beneficial interest of the filer and the filer's spouse in the business entity aggregates a 10 percent or greater interest. In addition, the disclosure of persons who are clients or customers of a business entity is required only if the clients or customers are within one of the disclosure categories of the filer.

Note: Authority cited: Section 83112, Government Code. Reference: Sections 87103(e), 87300- 87302, 89501, 89502 and 89503, Government Code.

HISTORY

1. New section filed 4-2-80 as an emergency; effective upon filing (Register 80, No. 14).

Certificate of Compliance included.

2. Editorial correction (Register 80, No. 29).

3. Amendment of subsection (b) filed 1-9-81; effective thirtieth day thereafter (Register 81, No. 2).

4. Amendment of subsection (b)(7)(B)1. filed 1-26-83; effective thirtieth day thereafter (Register 83, No. 5).

5. Amendment of subsection (b)(7)(A) filed 11-10-83; effective thirtieth day thereafter (Register 83, No. 46).

6. Amendment filed 4-13-87; operative 5-13-87 (Register 87, No. 16).

7. Amendment of subsection (b) filed 10-21-88; operative 11-20-88 (Register 88, No. 46).

8. Amendment of subsections (b)(8)(A) and (b)(8)(B) and numerous editorial changes filed 8-28- 90; operative 9-27-90 (Reg. 90, No. 42).

16 9. Amendment of subsections (b)(3), (b)(8) and renumbering of following subsections and amendment of Note filed 8-7-92; operative 9-7-92 (Register 92, No. 32).

10. Amendment of subsection (b)(5.5) and new subsections (b)(5.5)(A)-(A)(2) filed 2-4-93; operative 2-4-93 (Register 93, No. 6).

11. Change without regulatory effect adopting Conflict of Interest Code for California Mental Health Planning Council filed 11-22-93 pursuant to title 1, section 100, California Code of Regulations (Register 93, No. 48). Approved by Fair Political Practices Commission 9-21-93.

12. Change without regulatory effect redesignating Conflict of Interest Code for California Mental Health Planning Council as chapter 62, section 55100 filed 1-4-94 pursuant to title 1, section 100, California Code of Regulations (Register 94, No. 1).

13. Editorial correction adding History 11 and 12 and deleting duplicate section number (Register 94, No. 17).

14. Amendment of subsection (b)(8), designation of subsection (b)(8)(A), new subsection (b)(8)(B), and amendment of subsections (b)(8.1)-(b)(8.1)(B), (b)(9)(E) and Note filed 3-14-95; operative 3-14-95 pursuant to Government Code section 11343.4(d) (Register 95, No. 11).

15. Editorial correction inserting inadvertently omitted language in footnote 4 (Register 96, No. 13).

16. Amendment of subsections (b)(8)(A)-(B) and (b)(8.1)(A), repealer of subsection (b)(8.1)(B), and amendment of subsection (b)(12) filed 10-23-96; operative 10-23-96 pursuant to Government Code section 11343.4(d) (Register 96, No. 43).

17. Amendment of subsections (b)(8.1) and (9)(E) filed 4-9-97; operative 4-9-97 pursuant to Government Code section 11343.4(d) (Register 97, No. 15).

17 18. Amendment of subsections (b)(7)(B)5., new subsections (b)(8.2)-(b)(8.4)(C) and amendment of Note filed 8-24-98; operative 8-24-98 pursuant to Government Code section 11343.4(d) (Register 98, No. 35).

19. Editorial correction of subsection (a) (Register 98, No. 47).

20. Amendment of subsections (b)(8.1), (b)(8.1)(A) and (b)(9)(E) filed 5-11-99; operative 5-11- 99 pursuant to Government Code section 11343.4(d) (Register 99, No. 20).

21. Amendment of subsections (b)(8.1)-(b)(8.1)(A) and (b)(9)(E) filed 12-6-2000; operative 1-1- 2001 pursuant to the 1974 version of Government Code section 11380.2 and Title 2, California Code of Regulations, section 18312(d) and (e) (Register 2000, No. 49).

22. Amendment of subsections (b)(3) and (b)(10) filed 1-10-2001; operative 2-1-2001.

Submitted to OAL for filing pursuant to Fair Political Practices Commission v. Office of Administrative Law, 3 Civil C010924, California Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District, nonpublished decision, April 27, 1992 (FPPC regulations only subject to 1974 Administrative Procedure Act rulemaking requirements) (Register 2001, No. 2).

23. Amendment of subsections (b)(7)(A)4., (b)(7)(B)1.-2., (b)(8.2)(E)3., (b)(9)(A)-(C) and footnote 4. filed 2-13-2001. Submitted to OAL for filing pursuant to Fair Political Practices Commission v. Office of Administrative Law, 3 Civil C010924, California Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District, nonpublished decision, April 27, 1992 (FPPC regulations only subject to 1974 Administrative Procedure Act rulemaking requirements) (Register 2001, No. 7).

24. Amendment of subsections (b)(8.1)-(b)(8.1)(A) filed 1-16-2003; operative 1-1-2003.

Submitted to OAL for filing pursuant to Fair Political Practices Commission v. Office of Administrative Law, 3 Civil C010924, California Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District,

18 nonpublished decision, April 27, 1992 (FPPC regulations only subject to 1974 Administrative Procedure Act rulemaking requirements) (Register 2003, No. 3).

25. Editorial correction of History 24 (Register 2003, No. 12).

26. Editorial correction removing extraneous phrase in subsection (b)(9.5)(B) (Register 2004, No. 33).

27. Amendment of subsections (b)(2)-(3), (b)(3)(C), (b)(6)(C), (b)(8.1)-(b)(8.1)(A), (b)(9)(E) and (b)(11)-(12) filed 1-4-2005; operative 1-1-2005 pursuant to Government Code section 11343.4 (Register 2005, No. 1).

28. Amendment of subsection (b)(7)(A)4. filed 10-11-2005; operative 11-10-2005 (Register 2005, No. 41).

29. Amendment of subsections (a), (b)(1), (b)(3), (b)(8.1), (b)(8.1)(A) and (b)(9)(E) filed 12-18- 2006; operative 1-1-2007. Submitted to OAL pursuant to Fair Political Practices Commission v.

Office of Administrative Law, 3 Civil C010924, California Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District, nonpublished decision, April 27, 1992 (FPPC regulations only subject to 1974 Administrative Procedure Act rulemaking requirements) (Register 2006, No. 51).

30. Amendment of subsections (b)(8.1)-(b)(8.1)(A) and (b)(9)(E) filed 10-31-2008; operative 11- 30-2008. Submitted to OAL for filing pursuant to Fair Political Practices Commission v. Office of Administrative Law, 3 Civil C010924, California Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District, nonpublished decision, April 27, 1992 (FPPC regulations only subject to 1974 Administrative Procedure Act rulemaking requirements and not subject to procedural or substantive review by OAL) (Register 2008, No. 44).

31. Amendment of section heading and section filed 11-15-2010; operative 12-15-2010.

Submitted to OAL for filing pursuant to Fair Political Practices Commission v. Office of

19 Administrative Law, 3 Civil C010924, California Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District, nonpublished decision, April 27, 1992 (FPPC regulations only subject to 1974 Administrative Procedure Act rulemaking requirements and not subject to procedural or substantive review by OAL) (Register 2010, No. 47).

32. Amendment of section heading and subsections (a)-(b)(1), (b)(3)-(4), (b)(5)(C), (b)(8.1)- (b)(8.1)(A) and (b)(9)(E) and amendment of footnote 1 filed 1-8-2013; operative 2-7-2013.

Submitted to OAL for filing pursuant to Fair Political Practices Commission v. Office of Administrative Law, 3 Civil C010924, California Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District, nonpublished decision, April 27, 1992 (FPPC regulations only subject to 1974 Administrative Procedure Act rulemaking requirements and not subject to procedural or substantive review by OAL) (Register 2013, No. 2).

33. Amendment of subsections (b)(8.1)-(b)(8.1)(A), (b)(8.2)(E)3. and (b)(9)(E) filed 12-15-2014; operative 1-1-2015 pursuant to section 18312(e)(1)(A), title 2, California Code of Regulations.

Submitted to OAL for filing and printing pursuant to Fair Political Practices Commission v.

Office of Administrative Law, 3 Civil C010924, California Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District, nonpublished decision, April 27, 1992 (FPPC regulations only subject to 1974 Administrative Procedure Act rulemaking requirements) (Register 2014, No. 51).

34. Redesignation of portions of subsection (b)(8)(A) as new subsections (b)(8)(B)-(D), amendment of subsections (b)(8.1)-(b)(8.1)(A), redesignation of portions of subsection (b)(8.1)(A) as new subsections (b)(8.1)(B)-(C) and amendment of subsection (b)(9)(E) filed 12- 1-2016; operative 12-31-2016 pursuant to Cal. Code Regs. tit. 2, section 18312(e). Submitted to OAL for filing pursuant to Fair Political Practices Commission v. Office of Administrative Law, 3 Civil C010924, California Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District, nonpublished decision,

20 April 27, 1992 (FPPC regulations only subject to 1974 Administrative Procedure Act rulemaking requirements and not subject to procedural or substantive review by OAL) (Register 2016, No. 49).

35. Amendment of subsections (b)(8.1)-(b)(8.1)(A) and (b)(9)(E) filed 12-12-2018; operative 1- 11-2019 pursuant to Cal. Code Regs., tit. 2, section 18312(e). Submitted to OAL for filing and printing pursuant to Fair Political Practices Commission v. Office of Administrative Law, 3 Civil C010924, California Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District, nonpublished decision, April 27, 1992 (FPPC regulations only subject to 1974 Administrative Procedure Act rulemaking requirements and not subject to procedural or substantive review by OAL) (Register 2018, No. 50).

36. Amendment of subsections (b)(8.1)-(8.1)(A) filed 12-23-2020; operative 1-1-2021 pursuant to Cal. Code Regs., tit. 2, section 18312(e). Submitted to OAL for filing pursuant to Fair Political Practices Commission v. Office of Administrative Law, 3 Civil C010924, California Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District, nonpublished decision, April 27, 1992 (FPPC regulations only subject to 1974 Administrative Procedure Act rulemaking requirements and not subject to procedural or substantive review by OAL) (Register 2020, No. 52).

37. Amendment of subsections (b)(3)(C), (b)(5)(C), (b)(5.5), (b)(5.5)(A)(2), (b)(7)(D), (b)(8)(A), (b)(8.1)(A), (b)(8.2)(A), (b)(8.2)(C)-(D), (b)(8.3)(A), (b)(9), (b)(9.3), (b)(9.5), (b)(10) and (b)(11) and footnote 5 filed 5-12-2021; operative 6-11-2021 pursuant to Cal. Code Regs., tit. 2, section 18312(e). Submitted to OAL for filing pursuant to Fair Political Practices Commission v. Office of Administrative Law, 3 Civil C010924, California Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District, nonpublished decision, April 27, 1992 (FPPC regulations only subject to 1974

21 Administrative Procedure Act rulemaking requirements and not subject to procedural or substantive review by OAL) (Register 2021, No. 20).

APPENDIX
Disclosure
Designated Positions* Categories

1. Assistant City Attorney I, II, III

2. Assistant Planner I, II, III

3. Chief of Police Services I, II, III

4. City Clerk I, II, III

5. Code Enforcement Officer I, II, III

6. Community Development Director I, II, III

7. Community Services Manager I, II, III

8. Consultant** I, II, III

9. Assistant City Clerk I, II, III

10. Community Services Director I, II, III

11. Finance Director I, II, III

12. Finance Manager I, II, III

13. Information Technology Administrator I, II, III

14. Permit Technician I & II I, II, III

15. Principal Civil Engineer I, II, III

16. Public Services Director/City Engineer I, II, III

17. Senior Management Analyst I, II, III

18. Senior Permit Technician I, II, III

19. Principal Planner I, II, III

20. Senior Public Works Inspector I, II, III

21. Assistant City Manager I, II, III
_______________________________________________________________________________ CATEGORY I:

Investment and real property disclosure
CATEGORY II:

Personal Income Disclosure
CATEGORY III:

Business Entity Income/Business Position Disclosure
*The Council Members, City Manager, City Attorney, City Treasurer, Planning Commissioners, and other public officials who manage public investments are required to file Statements of Economic Interests pursuant to Government Code Section 87200 et seq., therefore; they are not included as designated positions in this Appendix. **Consultants shall be included in the list of designated employees and shall disclose pursuant to the broadest disclosure category in the code subject to the following limitations:

The City Manager may determine, on a case-by-case basis, whether a particular consultant, although a "Designated Position," is hired to perform a range of duties that is limited in scope and thus is not required to fully comply with the disclosure requirements described in this section. The City Manager shall notify the consultant in writing. Such written determination shall include a description of the consultant's duties and, based upon that description, a statement of the extent of disclosure requirements. The City Manager's determination is a public record and shall be retained for public inspection by the City Clerk.

www.fppc.ca.gov
FPPC Advice: [email protected] (866.275.3772)

2026 Local Agency Biennial Notice
Name of Agency:

Mailing Address:

Contact Person: Phone No.

Email: Alternate Email:

Accurate disclosure is essential to monitor whether officials have conflicts of interest and to help ensure public trust in government. The biennial review examines current programs to ensure that the agency’s code includes disclosure by those agency officials who make or participate in making governmental decisions.

This agency has reviewed its conflict of interest code and has determined that (check one BOX):

An amendment is required. The following amendments are necessary:
(Check all that apply.)
Include new positions
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Other (describe)
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No amendment is required. (If your code is over five years old, amendments may be necessary.)
Verification (to be completed if no amendment is required) This agency’s code accurately designates all positions that make or participate in the making of governmental decisions. The disclosure assigned to those positions accurately requires that all investments, business positions, interests in real property, and sources of income that may foreseeably be affected materially by the decisions made by those holding designated positions are reported. The code includes all other provisions required by Government Code Section 87302.
__________________________________________ _________________________ Signature of Chief Executive Officer Date
All agencies must complete and return this notice regardless of how recently your code was approved or amended. Please return this notice no later than October 1, 2026, or by the date specified by your agency, if earlier, to:
24035 El Toro Rd., Laguna Hills, CA 92653
PLEASE DO NOT RETURN THIS FORM TO THE FPPC.

City of Laguna Hills, CA 24035 El Toro Road, Laguna Hills, CA 92653 Joshua Stevenson 9497072635 [email protected] ✔ ✔
✔
08/18/2026
Docusign Envelope ID: 26DCAC15-82D5-86CB-83B9-FD683CA03103

Item No. 4.19
City of Laguna Hills
City Council / Planning
Agency
Staff Report
Date: August 25, 2026
To: Mayor and Council Members
From: Jennifer Lowe, Community Development Director
Issue: Development Application Status Report
Recommendation: That the City Council receive and file the report.

Background:

The City Council has indicated that based on potential impact(s) to the community, certain projects warrant a regular status update. The purpose of this Status Report is to identify new and pending major development applications in process with the City’s Community Development Department which will require a public hearing. Links to project documents are available on the City’s website at:
https://lagunahillsca.gov/PlanningProjects.

Case Number USE-0264-2026 (SDP/TTM)
Project Location 23172 Plaza Pointe Drive, 23421 & 23441 South Pointe Drive Project
Description
Request to construct 100 attached single-family residential units.

Applicant Aylene Chu, on behalf of Toll West Coast, LLC Project Planner David See, Contract Planner
Status This project was formally submitted on May 14, 2026. A letter deeming the application incomplete and notifying the applicant of items needed to complete staff’s review was sent on June 12, 2026. This item will be scheduled for public hearing when ready.

Item No. 4.19
Case Number USE-0254-2026 (SDP/CUP)
Project Location 23000 Lake Forest Drive
Project
Description
Request for a site development permit and conditional use permit to demolish a vacant restaurant building and construct a new selfservice car wash.

Applicant Quick Quack Car Wash
Donald Shiveley, on behalf of UB Properties Series 2, LLC Project Planner Talia Markison, Assistant Planner
Status This project was formally submitted on February 9, 2026. On March 11, 2026, staff notified the applicant that the application was determined to be incomplete. Staff reviewed the entire application for consistency with applicable development standards. Staff is continuing to work with the Applicant on various aspects of the application. This item will be scheduled for public hearing when ready.

Fiscal Impact:

None.

Attachments:

None

Item No. 5.1.1
City of Laguna Hills
City Council / Planning
Agency
Staff Report
Date: August 25, 2026
To: Mayor and Council Members
From: Bob Wingenroth, City Manager
Issue: Approve a response to the 2025-2026 Orange County Grand Jury Report, "Wildfires Hit Home"
Recommendation: That the City Council approve a response to the 2025-2026 Orange County Grand Jury Report, "Wildfires Hit Home", authorize the Mayor to execute the response, and direct the City Manager to submit the response as required by applicable law.

Background:

On May 19, 2026, the Orange County Grand Jury publicly released a report titled "Wildfires Hit Home" (Attachmented to this item). The report requires all 34 Orange County cities, the Orange County Board of Supervisors, and the Orange County Fire Authority Board of Directors to respond to certain findings and recommendations, in accordance with California Penal Code Section 933. The City Council is required to respond to six findings [F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6] and three recommendations [R2, R3, R4].

Fiscal Impact:

No material fiscal impact.

The Orange County Fire Authority will lead wildfire prevention efforts. Existing City of Laguna Hills Staff will participate in communicating with our Residents, attending training, and participating in annual wildfire prevention Fairs.

Attachments:

Item No. 5.1.1

1. City Response - Wildfire Response to Judge of Superior Court (002)

2. Wildfires Hit Home 05-19-26

City of Laguna Hills
24035 El Toro Road
Laguna Hills, CA 92653
Telephone: (949) 707-2600
[email protected]
August 26, 2026
The Honorable Sheila F. Hanson
Presiding Judge of the Superior Court
700 Civic Center Drive West
Santa Ana, CA 92701
Subject: City of Laguna Hills’ Response to the 2025-2026 Orange County Grand Jury Report, "Wildfires Hit Home"
Dear Judge Hanson:

Thank You for your leadership and hard work, as well as the tireless work of the Members of the Orange County Grand Jury.

Per the Orange County Grand Jury's request, please find the City of Laguna Hills' response to the subject report attached. The response was approved by the Laguna Hills City Council on August 25, 2026.

If you have any questions or would like any additional information, please contact Bob Wingenroth, City Manager, at (949) 707-2615 or [email protected].

Sincerely,
Don Caskey
Mayor
Attachment: A – City of Laguna Hills’ Response to the 2025-2026 Orange County Grand Jury Report, “Wildfires Hit Home”
cc: Orange County Grand Jury
700 Civic Center Drive West
Santa Ana, CA 92701

Attachment A
City of Lagua Hills’ Response to the 2025-2026 Orange County Grand Jury Report, “Wildfires Hit Home”

FINDINGS
F1. More frequent and severe wildfires driven by increasingly hotter, drier, and windier conditions in the Orange County wildland-urban interface are escalating impacts on financial and non-financial resources. Among the financial costs are dramatic increases in homeowners' insurance premiums, nonrenewal, and the inability to obtain insurance.

Response: The City of Laguna Hills agrees with this finding, with the exception that we cannot comment on insurance premiums, nonrenewal, and inability to obtain insurance as we lack access to that information.

F2. Actions that address conditions in the home ignition zone to significantly reduce ignition potential can prevent a community wildland-urban interface fire disaster or suburban conflagration.

Response: The City of Laguna Hills agrees with this finding.

F3. Expanded engagement with the community to raise awareness and provide support regarding home hardening and defensible space will increase effectiveness of wildfire risk mitigation and insurance risk reduction efforts.

Response: The City of Laguna Hills agrees with this finding.

F4. Achievement of community-level and property-level wildfire risk mitigation designations (such as Firewise USA Site, Fire Risk Reduction Community or Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety certification) lessens wildfire risk and helps reduce insurance premium costs.

Response: The City of Laguna Hills partially agrees with this finding, however, we lack sufficient information/expertise to evaluate the impact of such measures on private insurance premium costs.

F5. All county residents should be made aware that Safer from Wildfire regulations require insurers to provide discounts to homeowners and communities that implement home hardening and defensible space measures regardless of whether a property is located within a Fire Hazard Severity Zone.

Response: The City of Laguna Hills agrees that home hardening and defensible space increases a structure’s protection from wildfire. The City of Laguna Hills lacks expertise to evaluate the impact of insurance discounts.

F6. AB888, California Safe Homes Grant Program, provides financial assistance to eligible homeowners, cities, counties, and special districts for home hardening and defensible space measures. Applying for and using these grant funds will reduce wildfire losses and improve insurability and resilience of vulnerable communities.

Response: The City of Laguna Hills agrees in part with this finding. The California Safe Homes Grant Program should provide financial assistance contemplated by AB 888 for home hardening and defensible space measures. Applying for and using these grant funds will reduce wildfire losses and improve insurability and resilience of vulnerable communities. However, the City of Laguna Hills lacks the expertise to evaluate the impact of such measures on private market insurability.

RECOMMENDATIONS
R2. By December 31, 2026, cities and fire service agencies, including Orange County Fire Authority, should commit to participation in a county-wide annual wildfire prevention fair planned by the Orange County Board of Supervisors to showcase wildfire prevention outreach programs
Response: City of Laguna Hills staff will participate in prevention fair when scheduled.

R3. By December 31, 2026, cities, unincorporated areas, special districts, and fire service agencies in High and Very-High Fire Hazard Severity Zones should initiate planning activities to achieve community-level wildfire risk mitigation designations and/or establish a local Fire Safe Council within one year.

Response: The OCFA, in partnership with its member cities, including Laguna Hills, is currently and actively executing the objectives put forth in this recommendation.

R4. By December 31, 2026, to ensure city residents are engaged and aware of wildfire risk reduction resources, OCFA member and non-member cities should provide information, develop their own outreach program, and establish a direct contact person(s) for their residents. This is in addition to whatever referrals or references made to OCFA outreach programs.

Response: The Orange County Fire Authority serves as the City of Laguna Hills’ fire department and is working with our city staff to ensure we are fully equipped to engage and educate residents through public education, localized risk reduction data, and technical wildfire safety guidance.

Wildfires Hit Home
Orange County Grand Jury 2025-2026

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Orange County Grand Jury 2025-2026 Page 3 of 74

TABLE OF CONTENTS
SUMMARY ...................................................................................................................... 5 BACKGROUND .............................................................................................................. 6 REASON FOR STUDY ................................................................................................... 9 METHOD OF STUDY ...................................................................................................... 9 INVESTIGATION AND ANALYSIS ................................................................................ 10 FINDINGS ..................................................................................................................... 31 RECOMMENDATIONS ................................................................................................. 32 COMMENDATIONS ...................................................................................................... 33 REQUIRED RESPONSES ............................................................................................ 34 Acronyms ...................................................................................................................... 41 Glossary ........................................................................................................................ 43 Bibliography .................................................................................................................. 45 Appendix A .................................................................................................................... 50 Appendix B .................................................................................................................... 53 Appendix C .................................................................................................................... 55 Appendix D .................................................................................................................... 56 Appendix E .................................................................................................................... 58 Appendix F .................................................................................................................... 61 Appendix G ................................................................................................................... 63

FIGURES
Figure 1 Map of Eaton and Palisades Fires in January 2025 ......................................... 7 Figure 2 Shared responsibility for risk reduction in wildland-urban interface areas ...... 11 Figure 3 WUI and suburban conflagration fire disaster chain of events. ...................... 13 Figure 4 Example of an Orange County City LRA Fire Hazard Severity Zone Map ..... 16 Figure 5 Board of Forestry and Fire Protection Defensible Zones 0, 1, and 2 .............. 18 Figure 6 Total FAIR Plan Dwelling and Commercial Policies Have Increased, September 2023 to September 2025 ............................................................. 20 Figure 7 City Area Reported in Fire Hazard Severity Zones ......................................... 26 Figure 8 Cities Reporting Achieved, Applied for, or Plan to Apply for a CommunityLevel Wildfire Risk Mitigation Designation ..................................................... 27

Wildfires Hit Home

Figure 9 Cities Reporting Outreach Program to Provide Information and Guidance to Property Owners on Wildfire Risk Mitigation Measures and/or Grants .......... 28 Figure 10 Cities Reporting Their Outreach Program Refers to Orange County Fire Authority Outreach Programs and Resources ............................................. 29 Figure 11 Top 20 Deadliest California Wildfires ............................................................ 50 Figure 12 Top 20 Most Destructive California Wildfires ................................................ 51 Figure 13 Large Fires 300 Acres and Greater - State and Contract Counties Direct Protection Area ............................................................................................ 52 Figure 14 Orange County Wildfires by Size ................................................................. 52 Figure 15 Safer from Wildfires Flyer, Page 1 ................................................................ 53 Figure 16 Safer from Wildfires Flyer, Page 2 ................................................................ 54 Figure 17 Fire Hazard Severity Zone Map of Orange County ...................................... 55 Figure 18 Fire Hardening and Defensible Space Disclosure, Page 1 .......................... 56 Figure 19 Fire Hardening and Defensible Space Disclosure, Page 2 .......................... 57 Figure 20 California Property and Casualty Insurance Company Homeowners Premium and Loss ....................................................................................... 58 Figure 21 FAIR Plan Data for Orange County Zip Codes 90620 - 92679 ..................... 59 Figure 22 FAIR Plan Data for Orange County Zip Codes 92680 – 92899 .................... 60 Figure 23 Orange County Fire Authority Covered Cities .............................................. 61 Figure 24 Orange County Fire Jurisdictions ................................................................. 62 Figure 25 Ready, Set Go! Flyer for Immediate Zone .................................................... 63 Figure 26 Ready, Set, Go! Flyer on Defensible Space ................................................. 64 Figure 27 Ready, Set, Go! Flyer for Home Hardening, Page 1 .................................... 65 Figure 28 Ready, Set, Go! Flyer for Home Hardening, Page 2 .................................... 66 Figure 29 Ready, Set, Go! Flyer on Vegetation Management ...................................... 67 Figure 30 Ready, Set, Go! On Be Ember Aware .......................................................... 68 Figure 31 Ready, Set, Go! Flyer on Home Assessment ............................................... 69 Figure 32 Ready, Set, Go! Flyer on Wildfire Home Risk Assessment, Page 1 ............. 70 Figure 33 Ready, Set, Go! Flyer on Wildfire Home Risk Assessment, Page 2 ............. 71 Figure 34 Zone 0 At-A-Glance, Page 1 ........................................................................ 72 Figure 35 Zone 0 At-A-Glance, Page 2 ........................................................................ 73

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Orange County Grand Jury 2025-2026 Page 5 of 74

SUMMARY
Wildfires have become a fact of life in California. Persistent drought conditions and accelerated warming have led to an increase in wildfires throughout the state. Of the twenty most destructive wildfires in California history, fifteen have occurred in the last ten years (see Appendix A). From the Camp Fire, also referred to as the Paradise Fire, in Northern California to the Palisades and Eaton Fires in Los Angeles and the Airport Fire in Orange County, the tragic loss of life and the destruction of thousands of homes and structures have upended homeowners’ lives and rocked the insurance industry with billions of dollars in claims just in the last few years. These conditions have made home insurance unaffordable or unavailable for many Orange County residents. The State of California has attempted over recent years to mitigate the impact on ratepayers and insurers and has provided tougher regulations for hardening homes and property. Both the California legislature and the California Department of Insurance have issued recent laws and regulations to address these issues. Significant for this report are Safer from Wildfires (2022), California Fair Access to Insurance Requirements (FAIR) Plan (1968, revised 2025), Assembly Bill 888 (2025) and California Wildland-Urban Interface Code (2025).

The California FAIR Plan was established in 1968 to provide basic insurance for property owners who could not obtain fire coverage through the traditional insurance market due to being in high-risk fire areas. The FAIR Plan is not a state agency, and it receives no taxpayer funding. It is a syndicated fire insurance pool made up of all insurers licensed to write property/casualty insurance in the state. The FAIR Plan is intended to be the insurer of last resort and is meant to be a temporary safety net helping property owners until they can transition back to the traditional insurance market. The numerous fires over the last few years coupled with private insurers leaving the California market or no longer insuring homes in high-risk areas, have resulted in the FAIR Plan being financially strained with the number of policies more than doubling since September 2023.1 The State Legislature and Department of Insurance both responded with strategies to rebalance this problem requiring insurers to increase the number of policies issued in high-risk areas and to change the way rates are established, however, insurance companies, using loopholes in the legislation, have so far largely avoided meeting the goals set for them.2
The Safer from Wildfires regulation was issued by the Insurance Commissioner after development in partnership with California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) and the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. The regulation mandates 1 Key Statistics & Data. The California FAIR Plan. https://www.cfpnet.com/key-statistics-data/ 2 The New York Times, California Promised Insurance Relief, But Delivered Loopholes, Nov. 2, 2025.

Wildfires Hit Home

that insurance companies provide rate discounts for various actions that property owners take to create defensible space and harden their homes against wildfires (see Appendix B).

AB888, the California Safe Homes Grant Program, aims to reduce wildfire losses, improve insurability and resilience of vulnerable communities, and support home hardening efforts to help residents qualify for insurance premium incentives. It provides grants to aid qualifying residents and communities to complete wildfire risk mitigation measures.

The California Wildland-Urban Interface Code (CWUIC) refers to the California Building Standards Code, Title 24, Part 7. Effective in January 2026, the CWUIC requires fireresistant and ignition-resistant construction in Fire Hazard Severity Zones or the wildland-urban interface. Requirements were also established for vegetation and hazard mitigation in the same areas. Studies have definitively shown that implementing these home hardening and defensible space requirements, including retrofitting existing homes, will greatly reduce ignition and fire spread, thereby reducing damage and resulting claims. Compliance with the 2015 International Wildland-Urban Interface Code (IWUIC) could save $4 for every $1 invested and retrofitting structures to the IWUIC could provide from $2 to as much as $8 in benefits for each $1 invested.3 Home hardening and defensible space measures that align with wildland-urban interface codes and Safer from Wildfires regulations will help save homeowners and insurance companies from catastrophic loss.

The 2025-2026 Orange County Grand Jury found evidence that clearly shows Safer from Wildfires home hardening and defensible space measures protect homes and communities, saving homeowners, local governments, and fire authorities as well as insurance companies from catastrophic loss while also providing discounts for homeowners’ insurance premiums.

BACKGROUND
California’s Wildfire Crisis and Insurance Impact
California faces an escalating wildfire crisis fueled by accelerated warming, prolonged droughts, increasingly windy conditions, and expanded development into fire-prone areas. Between 2015 and 2025, 15 of the 20 most destructive wildfires in state history 3 National Institute of Building Science, Natural Hazard Mitigation Saves. 2019. https://nibs.org/wpcontent/uploads/2025/04/NIBS_MMC_MitigationSaves_2019-1.pdf. Accessed March 3, 2026.

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Orange County Grand Jury 2025-2026 Page 7 of 74
occurred, including the Palisades and Eaton Fires in 2025. These events have caused loss of life, devastated communities, destroyed thousands of homes, and resulted in billions in insured losses (see Appendix A).

The Eaton Fire in January 2025, spread through the suburbs of Pasadena destroying 9,413 structures and burning 14,021 acres. It became Los Angeles County’s most destructive and second deadliest fire with 19 fatalities (see Appendix A).

On the same day in January 2025, the Palisades Fires swept through Pacific Palisades, Topanga, and Malibu, consuming 6,833 homes and 23,707 acres. It became Los Angeles County’s third-most destructive fire and third deadliest with 12 fatalities (see Appendix A). Both fires were fueled by strong Santa Ana winds of between 80-100 mph, extremely dry conditions, and dense vegetation, creating what officials called a "perfect storm" for wildfire spread.4,5
Figure 1 Map of Eaton and Palisades Fires in January 2025 The most destructive California wildfire listed by CAL FIRE is the November 2018 Camp Fire in Butte County which burned 153,336 acres, destroyed 18,804 structures, and resulted in 85 deaths. The CAL FIRE list of the Top 20 Most Destructive California Wildfires can be viewed in detail in Appendix A. Data for Orange County wildfires for the period 2008 through 2024 can be viewed in Appendix A.

Orange County’s 2024 Airport Fire that started in Trabuco Canyon burned 23,500 acres and destroyed 160 structures. The fire raged for nearly a month, prompting a state of 4 Andrea Thompson, How the Ferocious Santa Ana Winds are Fueling the Palisades Fire, Scientific American, Accessed January,8, 2026, http://www.scientificamerican.com 5 Julia Jacobo and Ginger Zee, A perfect storm of weather and climate conditions led to the severity of the California fires, ABC News, Accessed January 8, 2026, http://www.abcnews.com/US/perfect-stormweather-climate-conditions-severity-california-fires/story?id=117468072

Wildfires Hit Home

emergency and millions of dollars in claims. This fire and others not only caused property loss, but also damaged ecosystems, water resources, and impacted air quality.

Post-fire soil degradation and the expansion of invasive, non-native plants has further hindered recovery.6
In California, wildfires have strained the private insurance market. Many insurers, facing frequent and unsustainable financial exposure and constraints on rate hikes caused by Proposition 103 have withdrawn from high-risk areas, or stopped issuing new policies altogether. Some insurers have even withdrawn from the state completely.

California homeowners in high-risk wildfire areas report premiums ranging from $5,000 to $12,000 annually.7 Orange County, California’s fifth most expensive housing market as of the 4th quarter 2025,8 faces challenges that are different than the statewide market. With an average home price of $1.2 million,9 rising insurance costs further threaten housing affordability. A recent survey found that 43% of Orange County seniors worry most about housing costs and financial security.10 Among the hardest hit by insurance premium increases and policy nonrenewal are retirees, renters, and owners of condominiums, townhomes, and mobile homes.

The Safer from Wildfires regulation requires insurers to offer discounts to homeowners who take proactive steps to reduce wildfire risk. Discounts are based on both achieving community-level designations, which assess the collective mitigation efforts of neighborhoods, and property-level improvements such as installing fire-resistant roofing, ember-resistant vents, and clearing defensible space.11 Reducing wildfire risk in the wildland-urban interface helps ensure that insurance coverage remains accessible. California’s wildfire and insurance crisis demands coordinated action from local governments and fire authorities, communities, and homeowners to reduce risk of wildfire.
6 Mashall A. Hayrikian, Engineering and Environmental Implications of the LA wildfires: Eaton and Palisades Fire, Marshall Geoscience – Geotechnical Engineering, Laboratory Services, http://www.marshallgeo.com/geotechnical-engineering/engineering-and-environmental-implications-of-lawildfires-eaton-palisades-fires/ 7 Merlin Law Group. Fire Insurance in California: A Complete Guide. https://www.merlinlawgroup.com/fireinsurance-california-guide/. Accessed March 6, 2026. 8 California Association of Realtors®, Median Prices of Existing Single Family Homes. Accessed March 8, 2026. https://www.car.org/marketdata/data/housingdata
9 O.C. CA Real Estate and Property Data, ATTOM, October 2025 10 Gabriel San Roman, New report on aging in Orange County outlines key concerns among seniors, Los Angeles Times, June 21, 2024, https://www.latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/entertainment/story/2024-06- 21/aging-in-orange-county-report
11 California Code of Regulations, Title 10, Section 2644.9, Consideration of Mitigation Factors; Wildfire Risk Models. https://regulations.justia.com/states/california/title-10/chapter-5/subchapter-4-8/article4/section-2644-9/

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Orange County Grand Jury 2025-2026 Page 9 of 74

REASON FOR STUDY
Wildfires have become an increasingly severe threat to residential communities in Orange County, particularly those in high-risk fire zones. The frequency and intensity of wildfires has escalated due to prolonged droughts, rising temperatures, and development encroachment into wildland-urban interface areas. Catastrophic losses from these wildfires have resulted in a continuing insurance crisis.

This study aims to (1) identify the shared responsibilities of local governments and fire service agencies, communities and homeowners to reduce the risk of wildfire in the wildland-urban interface, (2) investigate the status of actions taken by the California legislature and Department of Insurance to provide relief to policyholders, and (3) inform communities and homeowners on home hardening, defensible space, insurance risk reduction, and wildfire safety awareness.

METHOD OF STUDY
The investigation reviewed the efforts of Orange County local governments, local fire departments, and homeowner associations to better understand and provide an independent look at the above concerns and possible solutions. To achieve a clear picture of the wildfire problem in the Orange County wildland-urban interface and its impact on insurance rates, the 2025-2026 Grand Jury has done the following:
 Reviewed studies and academic papers
 Issued a Fire Hazard Severity Zone survey to all Orange County cities  Examined the 2025 California Wildland-Urban Interface Code  Observed a demonstration at a Yorba Linda Water District Heli-Hydrant™  Visited Firewise USA Site designated communities
 Conducted literature review of previous statewide Grand Jury reports  Interviewed California Department of Insurance staff, reviewed Department website and pertinent regulations
 Visited Orange County Fire Authority facilities to better understand their training, procedures, and preparedness
 Conducted multiple interviews with city, county, and fire officials, as well as homeowners association staff and residents regarding wildland-urban interface wildfire risk reduction

Wildfires Hit Home

Orange County Fire Authority helicopter approaching Yorba Linda Water District Heli-HydrantTM Source: Orange County Grand Jury 2025-2026

INVESTIGATION AND ANALYSIS
The 2025-2026 Grand Jury investigated the risk of wildfire in Orange County wildlandurban interface areas, the insurance industry’s response to this risk, actions taken by fire prevention authorities to reduce the risk of damage and destruction of homes by wildfire, and the state legislature and California Department of Insurance (CDI) response to the insurance crisis. The Grand Jury also investigated actions homeowners should take to share the responsibility to reduce community wildfire risk, and by doing so, potentially reduce their insurance costs.

The Grand Jury investigation included evaluation of CDI initiatives, the Safer from Wildfires insurance regulation,12 and other regulations related to wildfire and insurance risk reduction. The investigation also included examination of recent changes to Fire Hazard Severity Zone mapping, the 2025 CWUIC, and pending amendments to the ember-resistant Zone 0 regulations that comprise defensible space requirements.

Shared Responsibility for Reduction of Wildfire and
Insurance Risk
There is a broad scope of shared responsibility for risk reduction in wildland-urban interface areas. State legislators, CDI, state and local fire prevention authorities, counties and cities, community-level organizations, and homeowners all share responsibility for taking actions necessary to prevent wildfires in wildland-urban interface areas and thereby reduce insurance risk and policy rates. Figure 2 below illustrates the shared responsibility.
12 California Code of Regulations, Title 10, Section 2644.9

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Orange County Grand Jury 2025-2026 Page 11 of 74
Figure 2 Shared responsibility for risk reduction in wildland-urban interface areas The conclusion of this report focuses on the responsibilities of local governments and fire prevention authorities to provide homeowners the information and guidance needed to reduce property-level wildfire and insurance risk and thereby reduce these risks across entire communities.

Wildland-Urban Interface
Wildland-urban interface (WUI) is where urban development meets or intermixes with undeveloped natural areas. The term
“wildland-urban interface” refers most often
to areas where houses are located within or
adjacent to relatively larger areas of natural
vegetation. The U.S. Forest Service refers to
WUI simply as “areas where human
development meets natural landscapes.13
WUI is at greatest risk of wildfire in
13 Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. Wildland-Urban Interface. https://research.fs.usda.gov/nrs/fire/wui. Accessed January 12, 2026.

Source: RanchoMissionViejo.com

Wildfires Hit Home

California, where we have led the nation in both WUI growth and wildfires for 30 years.14 The Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Problem
The current National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Firewise USA program was developed out of the 1986 Wildfire Strikes Home conference principally organized by the U.S. Forest Service and the NFPA. This initiative was the initial fire management response to the home destruction problem related to wildfires nationally recognized in 1985 which has since become known as the WUI fire problem.15 By the middle of this century, many Orange County residents may have a dramatic experience with wildfire due to increasingly drier, hotter conditions. Research that examined wildfires during the period from 1959 through 2009 predicts that in the next 25 years Southern California will see increased wildfires during months when fall winds occur and also during the warmer, summer months. It is estimated that by the mid-21st century there will be a 64% increase in acreage burned during higher intensity fall winds, and a 77% increase during summer winds due to warmer and drier climate. A greater concern is the estimated 20% increase in structures destroyed due to fires during fall winds and estimated 74% increase in structures destroyed due to fires during summer winds in warmer, drier conditions.16
Orange County development that continues into the WUI should expect to face these predictions. This Orange County Grand Jury report focuses on the implications for increased wildfire and insurance risk and our concern that most homes in WUI areas are not prepared to resist ignition and destruction by wildfire.

Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Disaster and Suburban Conflagration WUI fire disasters and suburban conflagrations occur during extreme fire conditions when numerous houses ignite and burn simultaneously, overwhelming the capabilities of firefighting resources.17 If enough homes are ignition-resistant, many homes do not ignite during extreme fire conditions and fire protection is not overwhelmed by the 14 Center for Critical Urban and Environmental Studies. University of California, Santa Cruz. Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) Research for Resilience: Addressing California’s Climate, Conservation & Housing Crises. https://criticalurbanenvironments.ucsc.edu/projects/wildland-urban-interface-wui-research-forresilience/ 15 Jack Cohen. The Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Problem: A Consequence of the Fire Exclusion Paradigm. Forest History Today. Fall 2008: 20-26.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/rm/pubs_other/rmrs_2008_cohen_j002.pdf. Accessed March 25, 2026. 16 Yufang Jin, et al. Identification of two distinct fire regimes in Southern California; implications for economic impact and future change. Environmental Research Letters, Volume 1, Number 9. IOP Science, September 8, 2015. https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/10/9/094005.

Accessed January 9, 2026.
17 Cohen, The Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Problem, 22.

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homes that do ignite; the ignition-resistant homes can survive without firefighter protection, and an extreme wildfire can occur without becoming a WUI fire disaster18 or suburban conflagration.

Suburban conflagrations occur when fire spreads from the wildlands into the WUI and suburban environment. Suburban conflagration follows the conceptual WUI fire chain of events in Figure 3.19 Once a structure in a community ignites, the probability of its complete destruction is high and the risk to the rest of the community increases as the burning structure produces significant heat and embers.20 Effective prevention of structure ignitions through home hardening and defensible space measures can break the WUI fire chain of events.

Figure 3 WUI and suburban conflagration fire disaster chain of events.21 Home Ignition Zone and Home Ignition Potential
The home ignition zone refers to a home and its immediate surroundings within 100 to 200 feet. The home ignition zone principally determines the potential for WUI fire disasters. Research shows that a home’s ignition potential during extreme wildfires is determined by the characteristics of its exterior materials and design, their response to 18 Cohen, The Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Problem, 23. 19 Ian M. Gammanco, et al. The Return of Conflagration in Our Built Environment. Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety. September 2023. https://ibhs.org/wpcontent/uploads/Suburban_Wildfire_Conflagration_WhitePaper.pdf. Accessed March 20, 2026. 20 Gammanco, The Return of Conflagration, 22.
21 Gammanco, The Return of Conflagration, 14.

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burning objects within 100 feet, and their response to embers. Most destroyed homes in residential areas ignite from smaller flames and firebrands (lofted embers), not surrounding vegetation.22 Reducing home ignition potential is the key to preventing WUI fire disaster.

Reducing Home Ignition Potential Can Prevent Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Disaster and Suburban Conflagration
During extreme WUI fires, homes ignite and burn and sustain the requirements for combustion both indirectly and directly: Indirectly from radiation and convection heating from flames, and directly from ember spot ignitions on a house. Computational modeling and laboratory and field experiments show that large flames of burning shrubs and tree canopies must be within 100 feet to ignite a home’s wood exterior, while most destroyed homes ignite from smaller flames and directly from burning embers.23 These research results suggest that addressing the conditions in the home ignition zone to significantly reduce home ignition potential can prevent WUI fire disaster. Reducing home ignition potential means addressing the ignitability of the structure rather than the immediate surroundings.

Source: Patrick T. Fallon / Agence France-Presse / Getty Images An analysis of CAL FIRE data and Butte County property records shows that about 51% of the 350 single-family homes built after 2008 in the path of the Camp Fire were undamaged. By contrast, only 18% of the 12,100 homes built prior to 2008 escaped damage.24 The homes built after 2008 were required to conform to 2008 Title 24, Chapter 7A of the California Building Standards Code which focused on construction of new buildings located within WUI and Fire Hazard Severity Zones. These 2008 wildfire risk mitigation requirements for new homes included materials such as fire-resistant 22 Cohen, The Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Problem, 23. 23 Cohen, The Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Problem, 24. 24 Dale Kasler and Phillip Reese. In Camp Fire, Newer Houses Were Much Less Damaged. The Sacramento Bee. April 11, 2019, updated January 9, 2024. https://www.kqed.org/science/1940012/newer- %D8%8Cuses-much-less-damaged-in-camp-fire. Accessed March 4, 2026.

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Orange County Grand Jury 2025-2026 Page 15 of 74
roofs and siding, and construction methods for exterior wildfire protection. These wildfire risk mitigation requirements for new construction directly reduce home ignition potential and help homes constructed to the new standards survive undamaged.

Benefits of Reducing Home Ignition Potential Can Exceed Costs The benefits of reducing home ignition potential through compliance with new construction requirements can exceed costs, with 90% of the benefits estimated from reduced property losses and insurance costs. The benefit-cost ratio (BCR) for complying with the 2015 International Wildland-Urban Interface Code (IWUIC) has been calculated by the National Institute of Building Science for a number of representative counties with moderate to extreme fire risk. Total benefits were calculated at $3 billion and total costs at $800 million, suggesting a BCR of approximately 4:1 or $4 saved for every $1 of additional construction and maintenance cost.25 A national average BCR for retrofitting typical 2,000 square-foot existing homes plus nearby non-residential buildings (stores, schools, etc.) to 2018 IWUIC ignition-resistant construction and defensible space was also calculated. Benefits of retrofit exceed costs, with 93% of the benefits estimated from reduced property losses. Total benefits were calculated at $430 billion and total costs at $240 billion, equivalent to a national average BCR of 2:1 or $2 saved for every $1 of retrofit and maintenance costs.26 The per-house retrofit cost is highly uncertain. The lowest average per-house retrofit cost would imply a much higher benefit-cost ratio, perhaps as high as 8:1, equivalent to an average of $8 saved for every $1 of retrofit cost.27
Office of the State Fire Marshal Fire Hazard Severity
Zone Mapping
California laws now require Fire Hazard Severity Zone (FHSZ) mapping.28,29,30 The need for FHSZ mapping arose from repeated occurrence of major destructive fires. The FHSZ maps are developed using a science-based and field-tested model that assigns a hazard score based on the factors that influence fire likelihood and fire behavior. There are three levels of hazard score: Moderate, High, and Very High. Many factors are 25 National Institute of Building Science, Natural Hazard Mitigation Saves. 63 26 National Institute of Building Science, Natural Hazard Mitigation Saves, 114. 27 National Institute of Building Science, Natural Hazard Mitigation Saves, 115. 28 California Public Resources Code 4201-4204. https://law.justia.com/codes/california/code-prc/division4/part-2/chapter-1/article-9/ 29 California Government Code 51175-89. https://law.justia.com/codes/california/code-gov/title-5/division1/part-1/chapter-6-8/section-51175/ 30 California Code of Regulations Title 14, Section 1280. https://regulations.justia.com/states/california/title-14/division-1-5/chapter-7/subchapter-3/article-1/section1280/

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considered such as fire history, existing and potential fuel (natural vegetation), predicted flame length, blowing embers, terrain, and typical fire weather for the area. FHSZ maps evaluate hazard, not risk. “Hazard” is based on the physical conditions that create a likelihood and expected fire behavior over a 30- to 50-year period without considering mitigation measures such as home hardening, recent wildfire, or fuel reduction efforts. “Risk” is the potential damage that a fire can do to the area under existing conditions, accounting for any modifications such as fuel reduction projects, defensible space, and ignition resistant building construction.31
FHSZ mapping began with the State
Responsibility Area (SRA), defined as a
designated area in California where the
state has primary responsibility for fire
prevention and suppression. The SRA
FHSZ mapping went into effect in April
2024. Since then, the Office has also been
mapping Local Responsibility Areas (LRA),
defined as a portion of land where local
agencies, such as city or county fire
departments, are responsible for wildfire
protection. All Orange County FHSZ maps
are accessible at the CAL FIRE website.32
Figure 4 shows an example of an Orange
County city FHSZ map. Appendix C shows
a screenshot of Orange County FHSZs
using the CAL FIRE Find Your Fire Hazard
Severity Zone viewer accessible at this
CAL FIRE web address:33
31 CAL FIRE. Office of the State Fire Marshal. Fire Hazard Severity Zones. Explore Fire Hazard Severity Zones. . https://osfm.fire.ca.gov/what-we-do/community-wildfire-preparedness-and-mitigation/fire-hazardseverity-zones. Accessed March 20, 2026. 32 CAL FIRE. Office of the State Fire Marshal. Fire Hazard Severity Zones in Local Responsibility Area.

Phase 4. Orange County.
https://calfire.app.box.com/s/wahuw9ny7cgn89xpxh7092ur50r1pwvj/folder/312669458215. Accessed March 12, 2026.
33 CAL FIRE. Office of the State Fire Marshal. Fire Hazard Severity Zones. https://osfm.fire.ca.gov/whatwe-do/community-wildfire-preparedness-and-mitigation/fire-hazard-severity-zones. Accessed March 12, 2026.

Figure 4 Example of an Orange County City LRA
Fire Hazard Severity Zone Map

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Orange County Grand Jury 2025-2026 Page 17 of 74
https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/5065c998b4b0462f9ec3c6c226c610a9.

Homeowners can enter their address in this viewer to find whether their property is located within a specific FHSZ.

How Fire Hazard Severity Zone Maps Impact Homeowners
FHSZ maps have no direct impact on insurance coverage. The CDI states that the FHSZ maps are intended to drive local planning decisions, not insurance decisions, and that FHSZ maps have nothing to do with insurance rating.34 Though not used directly for insurance rating, FHSZ mapping does have significant indirect impacts. Properties located in High or Very High FHSZs are subject to certain legal requirements. New state building code requirements effective January 2026 for homes within a FHSZ or a WUI area include fire-resistant materials and construction methods. Buildings in these areas are subject to defensible space requirements. If you sell a home located in these areas, you are required to disclose fire risk and compliance to potential buyers using a specific form.

These regulations are in place to increase fire-resistance of communities and ensure property owners are aware of the risks involved in living in a wildfire-prone area.

California Wildland-Urban Interface Code Effective January 1, 2026 Title 24, Part 7 of the California Building Standards Code, also referred to as the 2025 California Wildland-Urban Interface Code (CWUIC),35 became effective January 1, 2026.

Title 24, Part 7, Chapter 5, Special Building Construction Regulations establishes minimum standards to locate, design and construct buildings and structures or portions thereof for the protection of life and property, to resist damage from wildfires, and to mitigate building and structure fires from spreading to wildland fuels.36 Chapter 5 requirements for construction within a FHSZ or a WUI area include:
 Specifications for fire-resistance-rated construction and non-combustible materials
 Ignition-resistant construction and material
 Replacement or repair of roof coverings
34 California Department of Insurance. CAL FIRE Hazard Maps Do Not Affect Insurance Rates or Availability. https://www.insurance.ca.gov/0400-news/0102-alerts/2025/CAL-FIRE-hazard-maps-do-notaffect-insu.cfm. Accessed March 6, 2026. 35 2025 California Wildland-Urban Interface Code, Title 24, Part 7, 2024 IWUIC Amended, Effective Date:

Jan 01, 2026. https://codes.iccsafe.org/content/CAWUIC2025P2. Accessed January 22, 2026. 36 2025 California Wildland-Urban Interface Code, Title 24, Part 7, 2024 IWUIC Amended, Effective Date:

Jan 01, 2026. https://codes.iccsafe.org/content/CAWUIC2025P2. Accessed January 22, 2026.

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Defensible Space Requirements and the New Ember-Resistant Zone 0 The State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection is responsible for the existing defensible space regulations37 for buildings or structures located in the SRA or in Very High FHSZ in the LRA. If you have a home or building in the SRA or in the Very High FHSZ in the LRA, you are responsible for ensuring that your property complies with defensible space requirements to protect structures from wildfire. The Board of Forestry and Fire Protection webpages include an illustration of existing Defensible Space Zones 0, 1, and 2 (Figure 5), and links to Zones 0, 1, and 2 resources.38 Figure 5 Board of Forestry and Fire Protection Defensible Zones 0, 1, and 2 It is important to note that “ember-resistant Zone 0” does not mean all vegetation, including trees, within 0-5 feet must be removed. New ember-resistant Zone 0 37 California Public Resources Code Division 4 - Forests, Forestry and Range and Forage Lands Part 2 - Protection of Forest, Range and Forage Lands Chapter 3 - Mountainous, Forest-, Brush- and GrassCovered Lands Section 4291. https://law.justia.com/codes/california/code-prc/division-4/part-2/chapter3/section-4291/. Accessed January 14, 2026. 38 State of California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection. https://bof.fire.ca.gov/projects-andprograms/defensible-space-zones-0-1-and-2. Accessed January 14, 2026.

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Orange County Grand Jury 2025-2026 Page 19 of 74
vegetation options will be finalized later in 2026. The next public workshop meeting is scheduled for April 23, 2026. New ember-resistant Zone 0 requirements enhance existing defensible space requirements in High and Very High FHSZs in the LRA to create an ember-resistant zone within 0 to 5 feet of a building. 39 Compliance with existing or enhanced defensible space requirements addresses home ignition potential and reduces home ignitability. Reducing the ignitability of enough homes can break the WUI fire chain of events and help more homes escape destruction or survive undamaged.

AB38 Defensible Space Compliance Documentation and Disclosure AB38 became effective in 2021, requiring sellers of property located in a High or Very High FHSZ to provide buyers with documentation stating the property complies with state defensible space requirements or local vegetation management ordinances, as applicable. The law provides that if documentation demonstrating compliance cannot be obtained by the close of escrow, a written agreement may be executed showing that the buyer agrees to obtain documentation of compliance within one year of the close of escrow. 40
The law also requires a Defensible Space Disclosure be provided by sellers of property located in a High or Very High FHSZ to buyers of homes constructed before January 1, 2010. The Disclosure must include specified information and a copy of a final inspection report, or information on where the report may be obtained. A sample Defensible Space Disclosure notice is reproduced at Appendix D.

California Homeowners Insurance Crisis
Devastating property losses and casualties resulting from numerous wildfires in California WUI areas and other natural disasters beginning in 2018 have precipitated a continuing homeowners insurance crisis. Beginning in 2022 and 2023, insurers began dramatically raising California homeowners fire insurance premiums in what were considered wildfire risk areas, and some insurers began to stop issuing policies in highrisk areas or withdraw from the California homeowners’ insurance market altogether.

Like many homeowners throughout the state that are severely impacted by the insurance crisis, many Orange County homeowners are also impacted. 39 Board of Forestry and Fire Protection. Summary of October 2025 Draft Zone 0 Regulation Language. https://34c031f8-c9fd-4018-8c5a-4159cdff6b0d-cdn-endpoint.azureedge.net/-/media/bof-website/projectsand-programs/defensible-space-zones-0-1-2/october-zone-0-summary-and-ruleplead.pdf?rev=927f9551dc7b4f15b8263671cca15ef2&hash=F80F2C5451370BB3C855E38CCCC516D4.

Accessed February 17, 2025.
40 Assembly Bill 38, Wood. Fire safety: low-cost retrofits: regional capacity review: wildfire mitigation.

Approved October 2, 2019. California-2019-AB38-Chaptered

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Actions have been taken by the state legislature and the CDI during the last three years to strengthen the property insurance market, increase insurer commitments to write more policies in wildfire-distressed areas, and provide a framework to support homeowners in securing premium reductions from insurers when they take specific actions to reduce their community- and property-level wildfire risk.41 Despite these actions, many homeowners remain vulnerable to dramatic policy premium increases, nonrenewal, or the inability to secure traditional insurance coverage.

A recent New York Times article42 cites a 2023 California Association of Realtors survey wherein “nearly 7 percent of realtors surveyed…said that they had deals fall out of escrow that year because buyers couldn’t find adequate, affordable coverage.” As further cited in the article: “The percentage of realtors reporting that they had deals fall through for lack of insurance has more than doubled since 2023, to 16.6 percent.” Unabated Growth of the California FAIR Plan
The continuing statewide insurance crisis is further demonstrated by the unabated growth in California FAIR Plan residential insurance policies. The FAIR Plan provides basic fire insurance coverage for
eligible high-risk properties when
such coverage is demonstrated by
the applicant to be unavailable in
the traditional insurance market.43
FAIR Plan coverage is limited,
relatively expensive, and is the
insurer of last resort for these
properties. During the period from
September 2023 to September
2025, the number of FAIR Plan
residential dwelling policies in
force (PIF) increased from
320,581 to 625,033 as shown at
41 California Department of Insurance. Sustainable Insurance Strategy. https://ains.assembly.ca.gov/system/files/2023-12/insurance-commissioner-ricardo-lara-californiasustainable-insurance-strategy-presentation-to-assembly-insurance-committee-12-13-2023.pdf. Accessed January 29, 2026.
42 New York Times.California Promised Insurance Relief, But Delivered Loopholes. November 1, 2025. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/01/us/los-angeles-california-fire-insurance-regulations.html. Accessed March 25, 2026.
43 The California FAIR Plan. https://www.cfpnet.com/. Accessed March 25, 2026.

Figure 6 Total FAIR Plan Dwelling and Commercial Policies Have Increased, September 2023 to September 2025

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Figure 6.44 FAIR Plan data for Orange County residential policies in 2022 is shown in Appendix E.

The FAIR Plan is a syndicated fire insurance pool comprised of all insurers licensed to conduct property and casualty business in California. The FAIR Plan was established by statute45 in August 1968 as an insurance placement facility and all licensed property/casualty insurers that write basic property insurance are required to be members of the FAIR Plan. The FAIR Plan issues policies on behalf of its member companies, and each member company participates in the profits, losses, and expenses of the FAIR Plan in direct proportion to its market share of business written in the state. The FAIR Plan is not a state agency or public entity; it does not receive public or taxpayer funding. As the total number of FAIR Plan policies continues to grow unabated, so does the financial strain on the overall FAIR Plan fire insurance pool.

Insurance Relief for Homeowners: Safer from Wildfires
Insurance Regulation
The first of the wildfire safety regulatory incentives was the Safer from Wildfires regulation enacted in fall 2022.46 Safer from Wildfires requires insurers to offer premium discounts based, in part, on mandatory factors including community-level wildfire risk mitigation designations and property-level wildfire risk mitigation efforts. Every action taken under Safer from Wildfires qualifies applicants and policyholders for insurance discounts.

Safer from Wildfires: Community-Level Wildfire Risk Mitigation There are two examples of community-level wildfire risk mitigation designations listed in the Safer from Wildfire regulation: 1) Fire Risk Reduction Community Listing47 approved by the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection, and 2) Firewise USA Site Designation48 approved by the National Fire Protection Association. Other examples of communitylevel wildfire risk mitigation designations include local Fire Safe Council supported by the California Fire Safe Council, Community Wildfire Protection Plan supported by the 44 Key Statistics & Data. The California FAIR Plan. https://www.cfpnet.com/key-statistics-data/. Accessed March 25, 2026.
45 California Insurance Code sections 10090 et seq. https://law.justia.com/codes/california/codeins/division-2/part-1/chapter-9/section-10090/. Accessed April 21, 2026. 46 California Code of Regulations, Title 10, Section 2644.9 47 Fire Risk Reduction Community listed by the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection pursuant to Public Resources Code Section 4290.1. https://bof.fire.ca.gov/projects-and-programs/fire-risk-reductioncommunity-list. Accessed February 10, 2026. 48 Firewise USA program managed by National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). https://www.nfpa.org/Education-and-Research/Wildfire/Firewise-USA. Accessed April 21, 2026.

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U.S. Fire Administration, and the Wildfire Prepared Neighborhood™ Pilot Program49 being launched by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS).

Safer from Wildfires: Property-Level Wildfire Risk Mitigation Safer from Wildfires also requires insurers to offer premium discounts based, in part, on the reduced wildfire risk resulting from each and every property-level wildfire risk mitigation action. These individual property-level wildfire risk mitigation efforts include measures addressing the immediate surroundings of a building and building hardening.

The IBHS offers homeowner guidance based on its research,50 and a property-level Wildfire Prepared Home™ designation51 that recognizes mitigation measures addressing both immediate surroundings and home hardening.

Safer from Wildfires: Property-Level Measures Addressing Immediate Surroundings - Defensible Space
The following measures are specified in Safer from Wildfires to address the immediate surroundings of a building. Each of these actions qualifies for insurance discount:
a. Clearing of vegetation and debris from under decks
b. Clearing of vegetation, debris, mulch, stored combustible materials, and any and all movable combustible objects from the area within five (5) feet of the building c. Use of only noncombustible materials in any improvements to the property, including fences and gates situated within five (5) feet of the building d. Removal or absence of combustible structures, including sheds and other outbuildings, from the area within thirty (30) feet of the building or as much of such area as is under the control of the applicant or policyholder e. Whether the property upon which the building is situated complies with state or local defensible space requirements, as applicable
Safer from Wildfires: Property-Level Building Hardening Measures The following building hardening measures are specified in Safer from Wildfires. Each of these actions qualifies for insurance discount:
a. Class-A fire rated roof
b. Enclosed eaves
49 Institute for Business & Home Safety. Wildfire Prepared Neighborhood Pilot Program. https://wildfireprepared.org/wildfire-prepared-neighborhood-pilot-program/. Accessed March 19, 2026. 50 IBHS Research. Wildland Fire Embers and Flames: Home Mitigations That Matter. April 2023. https://ibhs1.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/Home-Mitigations-that-Matter-FINAL.pdf.

Accessed February 10, 2026.
51 Institute for Business & Home Safety. Wildfire Prepared Home: Take Proven Steps to Reduce Your Risk. https://wildfireprepared.org/. Accessed March 19, 2026.

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c. Fire-resistant vents
d. Multipane windows, including dual pane windows, or functional shutters, which when closed, cover the entire window and do not have openings e. At least six (6) inches of noncombustible vertical clearance at the bottom of the exterior surface of the building, measured from the ground up Safer from Wildfires: Optional Factors
The Safer from Wildfires regulation also incorporates other optional factors that are substantially related to risk of wildfire loss. These optional factors may include, but are not limited to: fuel, slope, access, aspect, structural characteristics, wind, and other community-level or property-level mitigation efforts, or designations as recommended by a state or local fire safety agency or organization as reducing wildfire risk.

Reducing Wildfire and Insurance Risk: AB888 The
California Safe Homes Grant Program
AB888 established the California Safe Homes Grant Program in October 2025 to be developed and administered by the Department of Insurance for the purpose of achieving the following goals:
(1) Reducing local and statewide wildfire losses
(2) Improving insurability and resilience of vulnerable communities (3) Home hardening of insurable properties to mitigate wildfire risk and enable consumers to get access to insurance premium incentives offered by insurance companies and in alignment with the department’s rules.

Eligible California Safe Home Grant Program applicants include qualifying individuals and qualifying cities, counties, and special districts. For individuals, grant funds may be awarded if the following criteria are met:
(1) The property of the applicant is covered by an admitted insurer or the California FAIR Plan
(2) The property of the applicant is in a ZIP Code that overlaps with a High or Very High FHSZ.
(3) The income of the applicant is no higher than the low-income limit for the county in which they reside

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As of January 1, 2026, the Department of Insurance was developing the grant application portal and planned to begin accepting California Safe Homes Grant applications in spring 2026.52
Our Shared Responsibilities
Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA)
OCFA serves all unincorporated areas of Orange County and its 23 Orange County member cities. The OCFA Board of Directors is made up of elected officials from the County and its member cities. The 11 Orange County cities that are not served by OCFA have their own city fire departments, i.e., their own fire service agencies having jurisdiction. The list of OCFA member cities and other Orange County fire service agencies is included at Appendix F.

OCFA education and outreach programs are comprehensive. Online materials and event scheduling is accessible at their website. and a staff of seven community education specialists and a community education supervisor are available to coordinate and attend events. The Wildfire Preparedness53 webpages cover multiple topic areas including:
 Ready, Set, Go!
 Home Assessment
 Defensible Space Disclosure
Inspection
 Pest Control (tree pests
management)
 Immediate Zone
 FHSZ Maps
 Insurance
 Contractors (specializing in
wildfire preparedness)
OCFA takes a systematic approach to mitigating risk through its Community Risk Reduction Department (formerly Fire Prevention). OCFA Community Risk Reduction (CRR) staff identifies community risks, collaborates with developers, agencies, and residents to build and maintain safe communities.54 In addition to the extensive Wildland Preparedness webpages, the CRR department webpages include a section on Wildland & Vegetation with specific information for homeowners in wildland interface areas. The CRR department supports homeowners’ risk reduction efforts by providing an online 52 CalMatters. California homeowners could qualify for grants for new roofs and fire safety. January 1, 2026. https://calmatters.org/economy/2026/01/california-safe-homes-grants/. Accessed February 17, 2026.
53 Orange County Fire Authority. Wildfire Preparedness. https://ocfa.org/ready-set-go/. Accessed February 24, 2026.
54 Orange County Fire Authority. About Us. Departments. https://ocfa.org/aboutus/departments/community-risk-reduction/. Accessed February 24, 2026.

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Orange County Grand Jury 2025-2026 Page 25 of 74
home assessment tool55 that covers the basics of both home hardening and defensible space principles. The online assessment tool guides the homeowner through a series of questions and ends with the opportunity to receive an emailed report providing recommendations for fire mitigation strategies. Before beginning the online questionnaire, homeowners are given the option to request an in-person home assessment with an OCFA Fire Prevention Specialist.

Fire Hazard Severity Zone Survey Results - Local Governments and Fire Service Agencies
This investigation included a survey of Orange County cities to gather information about their efforts to reduce risk of wildfire in WUI areas and their outreach programs for homeowners. The Grand Jury invited 34 Orange County cities to respond to the survey and received 28 responses. Of these 28 responses, 20 were from various city departments, and eight were from city fire departments.

The Orange County cities that responded to the survey reported having from zero to 100% of their city land area within Moderate, High, or Very-High FHSZs. Reported land areas may not match each individual city’s FHSZ map. A summary of the survey results for city area reported in FHSZs are shown at Figure 7:

55 Orange County Fire Authority. Home Assessment Tool. https://ocfa.org/ready-set-go/homeassessment/. Accessed February 24, 2026.

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City Area Reported in
Fire Hazard Severity Zones
% of
Responding
Cities
# of
Responding
Cities
No area in FHSZ 21% 6
Some area in FHSZ (not quantified) 14% 4
2% to 25% in FHSZ 25% 7
26% to 50% in FHSZ 18% 5
51% to 75% in FHSZ 11% 3
76% to 100% in FHSZ 11% 3
Figure 7 City Area Reported in Fire Hazard Severity Zones 11 of 28 responding cities reported having achieved or have applications pending approval for community-level wildfire risk mitigation designations. Achievement of community-level wildfire risk mitigation designations is a significant way local governments, local fire departments, unincorporated areas, and special districts can reduce wildfire and insurance risk for their residents. A summary of the survey results for cities that have achieved or applied for community-level wildfire risk mitigation designation are shown at Figure 8.
21%
14%
25%
18%
11%
11%
City Area Reported in Fire Hazard Severity Zones
No area in FHSZ Some area in FHSZ (not quantified)
2% to 25% in FHSZ 26% to 50% in FHSZ
51% to 75% in FHSZ 76% to 100% in FHSZ

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Orange County Grand Jury 2025-2026 Page 27 of 74
Achieved, Applied for, or Plan to Apply
for a Community-Level Wildfire Risk
Mitigation Designations
% of
Responding
Cities
# of
Responding
Cities
Yes 39% 11
No 61% 17
In progress 0% 0
Figure 8 Cities Reporting Achieved, Applied for, or Plan to Apply for a Community-Level Wildfire Risk Mitigation Designation
16 of 28 responding cities reported having an outreach program that provides information and guidance to property owners on wildfire risk mitigation measures and grant programs. A summary of the survey results on cities reporting whether they have these outreach programs in place are shown at Figure 9. These outreach programs are needed to help homeowners achieve awareness and ability to plan and take actions required to reduce individual and community wildfire and insurance risk. 39%
61%
0%
Cities That Have Achieved, Applied for, or Plan to
Apply for a Community-level Wildfire Risk
Mitigation Designation
Yes No In progress

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Outreach Program to Provide Information
and Guidance to Property Owners on
Wildfire Risk Mitigation Measures and
Grants
% of
Responding
Cities
# of
Responding
Cities
Yes 57% 16
No 29% 8
In progress 14% 4
Figure 9 Cities Reporting Outreach Program to Provide Information and Guidance to Property Owners on Wildfire Risk Mitigation Measures and/or Grants
11 of the 16 cities reported having their own outreach programs, are Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) member cities, and referred to one or more of OCFA’s comprehensive programs and resources (see Figure 10). While OCFA member cities’ use of OCFA outreach programs and resources is efficient and beneficial to their residents, the availability of a direct local contact at the city who is knowledgeable and can provide even a minimum of information and guidance on wildfire mitigation resources would help remove barriers to homeowners’ actions to reduce wildfire risk. 29% 57%
14%
Cities That Have an Outreach Program to Provide
Information and Guidance to Property Owners on
Wildfire Risk Mitigation Measures and/or Grants
Yes No In progress

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Orange County Grand Jury 2025-2026 Page 29 of 74
Outreach Program Refers to Orange
County Fire Authority Programs and
Resources
% of
Responding
Cities
# of
Responding
Cities
Yes 55% 11
No 45% 9
Figure 10 Cities Reporting Their Outreach Program Refers to Orange County Fire Authority Outreach Programs and Resources
Orange County Homeowners Associations Play an Important Role According to the California Community Managers Association, there are 4,927 homeowners associations (HOA) in Orange County, and 82% of Orange County residents live in HOAs.56 These HOAs communicate directly with their residents, and thus have the ability to mobilize people and resources to effectively achieve and maintain community-level wildfire risk mitigation designations and reduce their residents’ homeowner insurance premiums.

HOAs are the local contact for their residents, and through their architectural and landscape standards can effectively communicate information on home hardening and defensible space requirements. HOAs often host community leaders and local fire service agencies for fire prevention workshops and other outreach events for HOA residents. Their local contact function can also provide information and organize opportunities to volunteer and support local fire prevention overall through activities such as Citizens Brigade57 and Bike Brigade.58 These HOA-hosted workshops, outreach 56 California Association of Community Managers. Estimated number of residents living in HOAs based on average of 2010-2014 Census reports of 3.04 persons per household. www.cacm.org. 57 Weathered: After the LA Firestorm. PBS, KCET, 2026.
58Ellis, Rebecca. Los Angeles Times. January 10, 2026. Topanga Canyon felt abandoned. So residents are banding together to fight fire. https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-01-10/topanga-canyonfelt-abandoned-so-residents-are-banding-together-to-fight-fire. Accessed March 6, 2026. 55%
45%
Cities With an Outreach Program That Refers
To OCFA Programs and Resources
Yes No

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events, and local contact functions are effective means to help homeowners achieve awareness and ability to plan and take actions necessary to reduce wildfire and insurance risk.

HOAs often have significant responsibility for large open space areas of Orange County that can total hundreds of acres of fuel modification zones. The HOAs’ collaborative role with local fire service agencies in managing these fuel modification zones is as important as their role with HOA residents in the shared responsibilities for wildfire and insurance risk reduction.

Homeowners are Responsible for Reducing Home Ignition Potential Fire science research has demonstrated that ignition-resistant homes can survive wildfire without firefighter protection.59 Where there are enough ignition-resistant homes, the WUI fire chain of events can be broken to prevent fire disasters, and these homes can escape destruction or survive undamaged. Taking the actions necessary to make homes ignition resistant to windborne embers is the responsibility of homeowners. The role of the homeowner is critical in the shared responsibilities for reducing wildfire and insurance risk in WUI areas.

Homeowners need support from local governments and fire service agencies to achieve the awareness and ability to plan and take actions necessary to make homes ignition resistant. This support is most effectively delivered through local outreach programs; effective communications in outreach programs have been found to be the more local, personalized efforts such as one-on-one consultation with fire experts, townhall events, small workshops, tours, and demonstrations.60 For example, provision of in-person or online home assessments that result in written recommendations to homeowners for specific wildfire risk mitigation actions. Documentation of the recommended actions taken can then be presented to homeowners’ insurers for the insurance discounts required by Safer from Wildfires.

Safer from Wildfires home hardening and defensible space measures protect homes and communities, save homeowners, local governments, and fire authorities as well as insurance companies from catastrophic loss while also providing discounts for homeowners’ insurance premiums.

Reducing wildfire risk in the wildland-urban interface helps ensure that insurance coverage remains accessible. California’s wildfire and insurance crisis demands coordinated action from local governments and fire authorities, communities, and homeowners to reduce risk of wildfire.
59 Cohen, The Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Problem, 23. 60 Gammanco, The Return of Conflagration, 34.

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Orange County Grand Jury 2025-2026 Page 31 of 74

FINDINGS
In accordance with California Penal Code Sections 933 and 933.05, the 2025-2026 Orange County Grand Jury requires (or, as noted, requests) responses from each agency affected by the findings presented in this section. The responses are to be submitted to the Presiding Judge of the Superior Court.

Based on its investigation “Wildfires Hit Home” the 2025-2026 Orange County Grand Jury has arrived at the following six findings:

F1 More frequent and severe wildfires driven by increasingly hotter, drier, and windier conditions in the Orange County wildland-urban interface are escalating impacts on financial and non-financial resources. Among the financial costs are dramatic increases in homeowners’ insurance premiums, nonrenewals, and inabilities to obtain insurance.

F2 Actions that address conditions in the home ignition zone to significantly reduce ignition potential can prevent a community wildland-urban interface fire disaster or suburban conflagration.

F3 Expanded engagement with the community to raise awareness and provide support regarding home hardening and defensible space will increase effectiveness of wildfire risk mitigation and insurance risk reduction efforts.

F4 Achievement of community-level and property-level wildfire risk mitigation designations (such as Firewise USA Site, Fire Risk Reduction Community or Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety certification) lessens wildfire risk and helps reduce insurance premium costs.

F5 All county residents should be made aware that Safer from Wildfire regulation requires insurers to provide discounts to homeowners and communities that implement home hardening and defensible space measures regardless of whether a property is located within a Fire Hazard Severity Zone.

F6 AB888, California Safe Homes Grant Program, provides financial assistance to eligible homeowners, cities, counties, and special districts for home hardening and defensible space measures. Applying for and using these grant funds will reduce wildfire losses and improve insurability and resilience of vulnerable communities.

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RECOMMENDATIONS
In accordance with California Penal Code Sections 933 and 933.05, the 2025-2026 Orange County Grand Jury requires (or, as noted, requests) responses from each agency affected by the recommendations presented in this section. The responses are to be submitted to the Presiding Judge of the Superior Court.

Based on its investigation described herein, the 2025-2026 Orange County Grand Jury makes the following recommendations:

R1 By December 31, 2026, the Orange County Board of Supervisors should plan to host a county-wide annual wildfire prevention fair for the County and all cities and fire service agencies, including Orange County Fire Authority, to showcase respective wildfire outreach programs, and for the first annual wildfire prevention fair to be scheduled no later than December 31, 2027. [F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6]
R2 By December 31, 2026, cities and fire service agencies, including Orange County Fire Authority should commit to participation in a county-wide annual wildfire prevention fair planned by the Orange County Board of Supervisors to showcase wildfire prevention outreach programs. [F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6]
R3 By December 31, 2026, cities, unincorporated areas, special districts, and fire service agencies in High and Very-High Fire Hazard Severity Zones should initiate planning activities to achieve community-level wildfire risk mitigation designations and/or establish a local Fire Safe Council within one year. [F4, F5, F6]
R4 By December 31, 2026, to ensure city residents are engaged and aware of wildfire risk reduction resources, OCFA member and non-member cities should provide information, develop their own outreach program, and establish a direct contact person(s) for their residents. This is in addition to whatever referrals or references made to OCFA outreach programs. [F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6]

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Orange County Grand Jury 2025-2026 Page 33 of 74

COMMENDATIONS
Yorba Linda Water District
The 2025-26 Orange County Grand Jury extends its special thanks to the Yorba Linda Water District (YLWD) for providing two tours of its facilities, including their non-portable Heli-Hydrants™. The YLWD with foresight and planning installed three Heli-Hydrant™ facilities. One of the tanks was the first
to be installed in Southern California.

These innovative tanks enable fire
department helicopters to access water
more quickly and efficiently, improving
helicopter firefighting capabilities in
areas where wildland vegetation and
human development intersect, such as
in the Yorba Linda service area.

Newport Beach Fire Department
The 2025-2026 Orange County Grand Jury acknowledges and recognizes the Newport Beach Fire Department for their outstanding and continuing efforts to lead the Southern California region in dedication and adherence to the highest level of fire protection and safety. They are a role model for other cities in Orange County and elsewhere. In 2024, the Insurance Services Office honored Newport Beach Fire Department as a Top Tier Class 1 fire agency through its Public Protection Classification Program Newport Beach Fire Department shares the Top Tier Class 1 designation with only about 1% of the top fire departments nationwide.

The Grand Jury particularly commends Newport Beach Fire Prevention leadership, who generously dedicated time and expertise to share insights from their extensive knowledge of fire science.

Source: 2025-2026 Grand Jury

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REQUIRED RESPONSES
California Penal Code Section 933 requires the governing body of any public agency which the Grand Jury has reviewed, and about which it has issued a final report, to comment to the Presiding Judge of the Superior Court on the findings and recommendations pertaining to matters under the control of the governing body. Such comment shall be made no later than 90 days after the Grand Jury publishes its report (filed with the Clerk of the Court). Additionally, in the case of a report containing findings and recommendations pertaining to a department or agency headed by an elected County official (e.g., District Attorney, Sheriff, etc.), such elected County official shall comment on the findings and recommendations pertaining to the matters under that elected official’s control within 60 days to the Presiding Judge with an information copy sent to the Board of Supervisors.

The following excerpts from the California Penal Code provide the requirements for public agencies to respond to the Findings and Recommendations of this Grand Jury report:
§933
(c) No later than 90 days after the grand jury submits a final report on the operations of any public agency subject to its reviewing authority, the governing body of the public agency shall comment to the presiding judge of the superior court on the findings and recommendations pertaining to matters under the control of the governing body, and every elected county officer or agency head for which the grand jury has responsibility pursuant to Section 914.1 shall comment within 60 days to the presiding judge of the superior court, with an information copy sent to the board of supervisors, on the findings and recommendations pertaining to matters under the control of that county officer or agency head and any agency or agencies which that officer or agency head supervises or controls. In any city and county, the mayor shall also comment on the findings and recommendations. All of these comments and reports shall forthwith be submitted to the presiding judge of the superior court who impaneled the grand jury. A copy of all responses to grand jury reports shall be placed on file with the clerk of the public agency and the office of the county clerk, or the mayor when applicable, and shall remain on file in those offices. One copy shall be placed on file with the applicable grand jury final report by, and in the control of the currently impaneled grand jury, where it shall be maintained for a minimum of five years.
§933.05.
(a) For purposes of subdivision (b) of Section 933, as to each grand jury finding, the responding person or entity shall indicate one of the following:

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Orange County Grand Jury 2025-2026 Page 35 of 74
(1) The respondent agrees with the finding.
(2) The respondent disagrees wholly or partially with the finding, in which case the response shall specify the portion of the finding that is disputed and shall include an explanation of the reasons, therefore.
(b) For purposes of subdivision (b) of Section 933, as to each grand jury recommendation, the responding person or entity shall report one of the following actions:
(1) The recommendation has been implemented, with a summary regarding the implemented action.
(2) The recommendation has not yet been implemented, but will be implemented in the future, with a timeframe for implementation.
(3) The recommendation requires further analysis, with an explanation and the scope and parameters of an analysis or study, and a timeframe for the matter to be prepared for discussion by the officer or head of the agency or department being investigated or reviewed, including the governing body of the public agency when applicable. This timeframe shall not exceed six months from the date of publication of the grand jury report.
(4) The recommendation will not be implemented because it is not warranted or is not reasonable, with an explanation, therefore.
(c) However, if a finding or recommendation of the grand jury addresses budgetary or personnel matters of a county agency or department headed by an elected officer, both the agency or department head and the board of supervisors shall respond if requested by the grand jury, but the response of the board of supervisors shall address only those budgetary or personnel matters over which it has some decision-making authority. The response of the elected agency or department head shall address all aspects of the findings or recommendations affecting his or her agency or department.

The Orange County Grand Jury requires the following responses:

Orange County Board of Supervisors 90 Day Response Required Findings: F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6
Recommendations: R1, R2, R3

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Orange County Fire Authority Board of Directors 90 Day Response Required Findings: F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6
Recommendations: R2, R3
City of Aliso Viejo 90 Day Response Required
Findings: F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6
Recommendations: R2, R3, R4
City of Anaheim 90 Day Response Required
Findings: F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6
Recommendations: R2, R3, R4
City of Brea 90 Day Response Required
Findings: F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6
Recommendations: R2, R3, R4
City of Buena Park 90 Day Response Required
Findings: F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6
Recommendations: R2, R3, R4
City of Costa Mesa 90 Day Response Requested
Findings: F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6
Recommendations: R2, R4
City of Cypress 90 Day Response Requested
Findings: F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6
Recommendations: R2, R4

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Orange County Grand Jury 2025-2026 Page 37 of 74
City of Dana Point 90 Day Response Requested
Findings: F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6
Recommendations: R2, R4
City of Fountain Valley 90 Day Response Requested
Findings: F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6
Recommendations: R2, R4
City of Fullerton 90 Day Response Requested
Findings: F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6
Recommendations: R2, R4
City of Garden Grove 90 Day Response Requested
Findings: F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6
Recommendations: R2, R4
City of Huntington Beach 90 Day Response Requested
Findings: F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6
Recommendations: R2, R4
City of Irvine 90 Day Response Required
Findings: F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6
Recommendations: R2, R3, R4
City of La Habra 90 Day Response Required
Findings: F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6
Recommendations: R2, R3, R4

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City of La Palma 90 Day Response Requested
Findings: F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6
Recommendations: R2, R4
City of Laguna Beach 90 Day Response Required
Findings: F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6
Recommendations: R2, R3, R4
City of Laguna Hills 90 Day Response Required
Findings: F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6
Recommendations: R2, R3, R4
City of Laguna Niguel 90 Day Response Required
Findings: F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6
Recommendations: R2, R3, R4
City of Laguna Woods 90 Day Response Required
Findings: F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6
Recommendations: R2, R3, R4
City of Lake Forest 90 Day Response Required
Findings: F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6
Recommendations: R2, R3, R4
City of Los Alamitos 90 Day Response Requested
Findings: F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6
Recommendations: R2, R4

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Orange County Grand Jury 2025-2026 Page 39 of 74
City of Mission Viejo 90 Day Response Required
Findings: F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6
Recommendations: R2, R3, R4
City of Newport Beach 90 Day Response Required
Findings: F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6
Recommendations: R2, R3, R4
City of Orange 90 Day Response Required
Findings: F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6
Recommendations: R2, R3, R4
City of Placentia 90 Day Response Requested
Findings: F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6
Recommendations: R2, R4
City of Rancho Santa Margarita 90 Day Response Required Findings: F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6
Recommendations: R2, R3, R4
City of San Clemente 90 Day Response Required
Findings: F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6
Recommendations: R2, R3, R4
City of San Juan Capistrano 90 Day Response Required
Findings: F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6
Recommendations: R2, R3, R4

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City of Santa Ana 90 Day Response Required
Findings: F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6
Recommendations: R2, R3, R4
City of Seal Beach 90 Day Response Requested
Findings: F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6
Recommendations: R2, R4
City of Stanton 90 Day Response Requested
Findings: F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6
Recommendations: R2, R4
City of Tustin 90 Day Response Required
Findings: F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6
Recommendations: R2, R3, R4
City of Villa Park 90 Day Response Required
Findings: F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6
Recommendations: R2, R3, R4
City of Westminster 90 Day Response Requested
Findings: F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6
Recommendations: R2, R4
City of Yorba Linda 90 Day Response Required
Findings: F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6
Recommendations: R2, R3, R4

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Orange County Grand Jury 2025-2026 Page 41 of 74
Acronyms
AB Assembly Bill
B Brush
BCR Benefit Cost Ratio
CAL FIRE California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection CAL OES California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services CC Contract Counties
CDI California Department of Insurance
CRR Community Risk Reduction
CWUIC California Wildland-Urban Interface Code
FAIR Fair Access to Insurance Requirement
FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency
FHDS Fire Hardening and Defensible Space
FHSZ Fire Hazard Severity Zone
G Grass
HOA Homeowners Association
IBHS Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety®
IWUIC International Wildland-Urban Interface Code
LRA Local Responsibility Area
NFPA National Fire Protection Association
OCFA Orange County Fire Authority
P&C Property and Casualty
PIF Policies in Force
SB Senate Bill
SRA State Responsibility Area
USDA United States Department of Agriculture

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USFS United States Forest Service
WRAP Wildfire Risk Reduction and Asset Protection
WUI Wildland-Urban Interface
YLWD Yorba Linda Water District

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Orange County Grand Jury 2025-2026 Page 43 of 74
Glossary
Aspect Compass direction that a slope or terrain surface faces, influencing sunlight exposure, temperature, and vegetation.

Catastrophic loss A sudden, severe, and often, widespread event resulting in extreme financial, loss of life, or permanent injury.

Class-A roof Highest fire resistance classification for a roof assembly, signifying its effectiveness against severe fire exposure.

Conflagration A particularly large and destructive fire; in the built environment, this may describe a fire that spreads via structure to structure.

Defensible space Buffer zone created and managed between buildings and surrounding wildland area to protect buildings from embers, flames, or heat, slow or stop wildfire spread, and help ensure safety of firefighters.

Ember Small piece of burning or glowing fragment from a fire.

Ember-resistant Refers to features that reduce the risk of ignition from embers.

Ember spot ignition Refers to one of the principal ways homes can ignite during extreme WUI fires, by embers directly on a house.

Firebrands Refers to airborne embers; pieces of burning wood.

Firewise USA Program administered by NFPA® and co-sponsored by the USDA Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters.

Fuel modification zone Designated area where vegetation is managed to reduce wildfire risk for protection of homes and communities.

Fuel reduction Management of vegetation to reduce risk of wildfires.

Heli-Hydrant™ Patented rapid-fill water tank system for helicopter firefighting operations.

Home hardening Utilizing building materials, construction methods and maintenance practices to increase resistance to ignition from fire exposure.

Home ignition potential Susceptibility of a home and its immediate surroundings within 100 feet (thirty meters) to ignite during a wildfire.

Home ignition zone A home and its immediate surroundings within 100 feet (thirty meters).

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Ignition Process leading to the onset of a sustained combustion reaction; “start of a fire.”
Ignition-resistant Refers to materials and construction methods designed to resist ignition or sustained flaming combustion; difficult to catch fire when exposed to direct flame or heat.

Wildland fuels Burnable plant materials that can act as fuel during wildfires, including grasses, shrubs, trees, dead leaves, and fallen pine needles.

Zone 0 Ember-resistant defensible space within the first five feet around a structure, required for properties in State Responsibility Area or Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone in the Local Responsibility Area.

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Orange County Grand Jury 2025-2026 Page 45 of 74
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November 25, 2025. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/11/19/climate/homeinsurance-premiums-costs-usa.html?smid=nytcore-android-share San Diego County Grand Jury. “Fire Country: Forging a United Defense in the Backcountry,” SanDiegoCounty.gov. May 15, 2025.
https://www.sandiegocounty.gov/content/dam/sdc/grandjury/reports/2024-2025/firecountry/Fire-%20Final%20Filed%20Version.pdf Senate Bill 504. Accessed January 14, 2026.
https://legiscan.com/CA/text/SB504/id/3018449.

State of California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection. Accessed January 14, 2026. https://bof.fire.ca.gov/projects-and-programs/defensible-space-zones-0-1-and-2.

The California FAIR Plan. Key Statistics & Data. Accessed March 8, 2026. https://www.cfpnet.com/key-statistics-data/
Thompson, Andrea. How the Ferocious Santa Ana Winds are Fueling the Palisades Fire. Scientific American. Accessed January 7, 2026. http://www.scientificamerican.com United Policyholders – WRAP Resource Center and Safer from Wildfires Initiative U.S. Fire Administration. What is the WUI? Accessed November 25, 2025. https://www.usfa.fema.gov/wui/what-is-the-wui/
Weathered: After the LA Firestorm. Directed by Trip Jennings. Presented by Maiya May.

PBS, 2026. 56 min.

Wildland-Urban Interface. Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. Accessed January 12, 2026. https://research.fs.usda.gov/nrs/fire/wui.

Yufang, Jin, et al. Identification of two distinct fire regimes in Southern California:
implications for economic impact and future change. Environmental Research Letters, Volume 1, Number 9. IOP Science, September 8, 2015. Accessed January 9, 2026. https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/10/9/094005. “ZIP Codes in Orange County, California.” Felt.com. Accessed November 11,2025. https://felt.com/map/ZIP-Codes-in-Orange-County-CaliforniaGX3e19BKrS5uwCICY3r5gFD?loc=33.6408,-117.7804,9z.

Wildfires Hit Home

Appendix A
CAL FIRE Wildfire Data

Source: CalFire Redbook Data
Figure 11 Top 20 Deadliest California Wildfires

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Orange County Grand Jury 2025-2026 Page 51 of 74
Source: CalFire Redbook Data
Figure 12 Top 20 Most Destructive California Wildfires

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Figure 13 Large Fires 300 Acres and Greater - State and Contract Counties Direct Protection Area Figure 14 Orange County Wildfires by Size

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Orange County Grand Jury 2025-2026 Page 53 of 74
Appendix B
Safer from Wildfires Flyer
Figure 15 Safer from Wildfires Flyer, Page 1

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Figure 16 Safer from Wildfires Flyer, Page 2

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Appendix C
Fire Hazard Severity Zone Map of Orange County
Figure 17 Fire Hazard Severity Zone Map of Orange County

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Appendix D
Figure 18 Fire Hardening and Defensible Space Disclosure, Page 1

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Figure 19 Fire Hardening and Defensible Space Disclosure, Page 2

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Appendix E
California Department of Insurance Data
Figure 20 California Property and Casualty Insurance Company Homeowners Premium and Loss

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Orange County Grand Jury 2025-2026 Page 59 of 74
Note: P. O. Boxes are excluded from this list. Data is for calendar year 2022 and includes homeowners (excluding condominium), mobile home, dwelling fire owner- and tenant-occupied insuring structures with four or less units.

Source: California Department of Insurance
Figure 21 FAIR Plan Data for Orange County Zip Codes 90620 - 92679

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Note: P. O. Boxes are excluded from this list. Data is for calendar year 2022 and includes homeowners (excluding condominium), mobile home, dwelling fire owner- and tenant-occupied insuring structures with four or less units.

Source: California Department of Insurance
Figure 22 FAIR Plan Data for Orange County Zip Codes 92680 – 92899

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Orange County Grand Jury 2025-2026 Page 61 of 74
Appendix F
OCFA and Covered Cities
Figure 23 Orange County Fire Authority Covered Cities

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Figure 24 Orange County Fire Jurisdictions

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Orange County Grand Jury 2025-2026 Page 63 of 74
Appendix G
Ready, Set, Go!, Zone 0 At-A-Glance and Links
Figure 25 Ready, Set Go! Flyer for Immediate Zone

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Figure 26 Ready, Set, Go! Flyer on Defensible Space

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Figure 27 Ready, Set, Go! Flyer for Home Hardening, Page 1

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Figure 28 Ready, Set, Go! Flyer for Home Hardening, Page 2

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Orange County Grand Jury 2025-2026 Page 67 of 74
Figure 29 Ready, Set, Go! Flyer on Vegetation Management

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Figure 30 Ready, Set, Go! On Be Ember Aware

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Figure 31 Ready, Set, Go! Flyer on Home Assessment

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Figure 32 Ready, Set, Go! Flyer on Wildfire Home Risk Assessment, Page 1

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Figure 33 Ready, Set, Go! Flyer on Wildfire Home Risk Assessment, Page 2

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Figure 34 Zone 0 At-A-Glance, Page 1

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Figure 35 Zone 0 At-A-Glance, Page 2

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Links
Immediate Zone
https://storageocfaprod001.blob.core.windows.net/blobocfaprod01/2025/12/ImmediateZone-2025.pdf Defensible Space
https://storageocfaprod001.blob.core.windows.net/blobocfaprod01/2025/03/OCFA-RSGDefensible-Space-1-1.pdf Home Hardening
https://storageocfaprod001.blob.core.windows.net/blobocfaprod01/2025/12/HomeHardening-2025.pdf Vegetation Management
https://storageocfaprod001.blob.core.windows.net/blobocfaprod01/2026/01/OCFA-RSGVegetation-Management.pdf Be Amber Aware
https://storageocfaprod001.blob.core.windows.net/blobocfaprod01/2025/07/OCFA-RSGBe-Ember-Aware-688b04d7e4fb9.pdf Home Assessment
https://storageocfaprod001.blob.core.windows.net/blobocfaprod01/2025/12/HomeAssessment-2025.pdf Wildfire Home Risk Assessment
https://storageocfaprod001.blob.core.windows.net/blobocfaprod01/2025/07/OCFA-RSGHome-Assessment-Form-688b05b09d57e.pdf Zone 0 At-A-Glance
https://34c031f8-c9fd-4018-8c5a-4159cdff6b0d-cdn-endpoint.azureedge.net/- /media/calfire-website/prepare/zone-0-at-a-glance.pdf

Item No. 5.2.1
City of Laguna Hills
City Council / Planning
Agency
Staff Report
Date: August 25, 2026
To: Mayor and Council Members
From: Joe Ames, Assistant City Manager
Issue: Review of Petitions Received Regarding the Establishment of Proposed Residential Permit Parking District(s) for Camberwell Street, Hendon Street, Calle Carmel, Via Balboa, Avenida Avalon, Luton Street, Costeau Street, Salford Street, Derby Circle, York Circle, Sunset Place West, Sunset Place East, and Sunset Place
Recommendation: That the City Council discuss and provide direction on a proposed residential permit parking district.

Background:

At the March 18, 2026, Traffic Commission Regular Meeting, City staff made a presentation regarding requests received by the City from residents desiring the establishment of a Residential Permit Parking District that would prohibit overnight parking on streets near Beckenham Park, Camberwell Street, Beckenham Street, and in the Sunset Place neighborhood without a parking permit.

To designate a neighborhood as a permit parking area within the City of Laguna Hills, the Laguna Hills Municipal Code requires that a City-created petition form be submitted to the City and with the signatures of at least sixty-seven (67%) percent of the property owners supporting the proposed permit parking area.

During the March 18th Traffic Commission meeting, residents residing on or near Camberwell Street as well as in the Sunset Place neighborhood described undesirable safety, accessibility, and quality-of-life issues due to non-resident vehicle parking and lack of enforceable street sweeping as the basis for requesting the establishment of a Residential Permit Parking District. There was also discussion of how, over time, the establishment of nearby Residential

Item No. 5.2.1
Permit Parking Districts resulted in more parked vehicles being displaced onto these streets, presumably as a result of the lack of available parking at or adjacent to nearby multi-family housing. In response, the Traffic Commission recommended that City staff send out petition forms to residents for the abovelisted streets. Additionally, the Traffic Commission recommended the establishment of no overnight parking on streets adjacent to Beckenham Park, on the side of the street closest to the Park.

At the April 14, 2026, City Council Regular Meeting, the City Council agreed with the Traffic Commission's recommendation and adopted a Resolution establishing a “No Overnight Parking Zone from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.” on the following roadway segments:
(1) The roadway segments abutting Beckenham Park on the side of the street(s) closest to the park, including:
• North side of Beckenham Street;
• West side of Wilkes Place;
• West side of Camberwell Street; and
(2) The south side of Beckenham Street (side of the street furthest from the park) extending from Acacia Lane to Wilkes Place.

These parking restrictions were implemented by City staff shortly thereafter.

At the June 9, 2026, City Council Regular Meeting during Council Member comments, Mayor Pro Tem Mathis and Council Member Wheeler requested that City staff return to a future City Council meeting with a report discussing parking and street sweeping issues. Mayor Pro Tem Mathis and Council Member Wheeler also requested that City staff look at allowing overnight parking on the south side of Laguna Hills Drive.

On June 15, 2026, City staff mailed ballot-petitions to property owners on Camberwell Street, Hendon Street, Calle Carmel, Via Balboa, Avenida Avalon, Luton Street, Costeau Street, Salford Street, Derby Circle, York Circle, Sunset Place West, Sunset Place East and Sunset Place. The ballot-petition mailed is attached to the staff report. The deadline for City receipt of the ballot-petitions was 5:00 p.m. on July 15, 2026.

At the June 23, 2026, City Council Regular Meeting, City staff provided a comprehensive presentation on parking and street sweeping issues. Specific to solving the parking issues near Beckenham Park, Camberwell Street, Beckenham Street, and in the Sunset Place neighborhood, City staff also recommended allowing parking on the south side of Laguna Hills Drive between Indian Hill Lane and Paseo de Valencia in order to decrease the number of vehicles, not owned by adjoining residents, parked near Beckenham Park,

Item No. 5.2.1
Camberwell Street, Beckenham Street, and in the Sunset Place neighborhood.

City Council adopted a Resolution removing the overnight parking restriction and establishing a No Parking Zone during the days and hours of street sweeping on the South side of Laguna Hills Drive between Indian Hill Lane and Paseo de Valencia. The new parking spaces were striped, signed, and available as of July 14, 2026.

At the July 15, 2026, Traffic Commission meeting, the Traffic Commissions received the results of the ballot-petition process:

The Sunset Place neighborhood ballot-petition process (for residences on Sunset Place West, Sunset Place East and/or Sunset Place) resulted in a 57% approval rate (39 of 68 residences sent in ballot-petitions to the City by the July 15 deadline). Generally, residents on the outer edge of the circular street indicated they wanted to establish permit parking while the inner edge did not.

Regarding Camberwell Street, Hendon Street, Calle Carmel, Via Balboa, Avenida Avalon, Luton Street, Costeau Street, Salford Street, Derby Circle, and York Circle, City staff reviewed the results with the Traffic Commission. Traffic Commission received comments from the public, including comments from one resident who indicated Wilkes across from the park should be included in any permit parking district because the surrounding streets had super-majority interest in permit parking. Based on the results available at the time, the Traffic Commission recommended limits similar to those denoted in the "Combination 4" map, attached.

However, after the Traffic Commission, City staff received eight (8) ballotpetitions postmarked July 14 that did not arrive until July 16. City staff considers those submissions to be timely due to the postmarked date. Therefore, the final results of the ballot-petition process are as follows:

Avenida Avalon: 1 of 6
Calle Carmel: 10 of 14
Camberwell Street: 11 of 29
Costeau Street: 13 of 25
Derby Circle: 11 of 22
Hendon Street: 28 of 57
Luton Street: 13 of 15
Salford Street: 10 of 30
Via Balboa: 8 of 11
Wilkes Place: 1 of 4
York Circle: 7 of 25
Total: 113 of 238 (or 47.4%)

Item No. 5.2.1
While the ballot-petitions received did not allow for all streets to be included in a proposed Residential Permit Parking District because the area, as a whole, did not reach the 67% threshold, there are several streets (or portions of streets) where the majority of the residents desire permit parking ("majority interest streets"). Some of these majority interest streets are contiguous with one another such that a logical, clearly defined boundary can be implemented for permit parking. Additionally, because the percentage of some majority interest streets are much higher than 67%, those streets can be combined with lower percentage interest streets to create district boundaries where 67%+ is kept.

City staff has prepared five different potential permit parking district boundaries for consideration by the City Council, attached, where the boundaries mathematically include 67% or more of the residents requesting permit parking.

While Combination 4 was a good choice based on the information available at the July 15 Traffic Commission meeting, with eight (8) additional ballot-petitions being cast, a larger block of properties can now be included closer to Beckenham Park. Therefore, City staff prefers either Combination 1 or 5, as shown on the attached maps. Salford Street, York Circle, Derby Circle, and Costeau Street (south of Salford Street) residents returned ballot-petitions at lower rates, so City staff would recommend against including any of those residences in any permit parking district.

City staff recommends City Council choose one of the boundaries for permit parking implementation and direct that City staff return to City Council on September 8 with an implementing Resolution. Any proposed permit parking district would require a permit to park on the street between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., and would include a street sweeping parking restriction for the days and hours of street sweeping.

Fiscal Impact:

The estimated cost to install street signage and send mailings necessary to implement any of these proposed permit parking districts is approximately $10,000.

The permit parking program, as a whole, will cost the City approximately $32,500 per year plus approximately $17.50 per vehicle-assigned or guest parking permit issued by Dataticket. Permits are issued as annual permits.

Assuming 1,500 permits are issued per year, the total cost is approximately $58,750 per year. Parking permit annual fees were recently increased to $25

Item No. 5.2.1
each with the adoption of the newest City fee schedule. Therefore, under the current fee structure and based on 1,500 permits being issued annually, the anticipated annual net cost of the permit parking program to the City is $21,250.

There are currently 14 permit parking districts.

Attachments:

1. Combination 1 Map

2. Combination 2 Map

3. Combination 3 Map

4. Combination 4 Map

5. Combination 5 Map

Item No. 5.2.2
City of Laguna Hills
City Council / Planning
Agency
Staff Report
Date: August 25, 2026
To: Mayor and Council Members
From: Joe Ames, Assistant City Manager
Issue: Rejection of Bids for CIP 101-M: Citywide Local Street Rehabilitation Project
Recommendation: That the City Council: 1. Reject all Bid Proposals received for the Citywide Pavement Rehabilitation Project, CIP No. 101-M; and 2. Provide direction to City staff on the scope of the Citywide Pavement Rehabilitation Project for a second re-bidding.

Background:

On June 23, 2026, City Council approved the re-bidding of the subject project by approving the specifications for the subject project and authorizing the advertisement for bids. The bid proposal included a "base bid" and three "additive bids" as follows:

The "base bid" consisted of Zone D streets identified for asphalt concrete (AC) overlay work.

Additive Bid 1 consisted of Zone D streets identified for slurry seal work.

Additive Bid 2 consisted of Zone A streets identified for AC overlay work.

Additive Bid 3 consisted of sidewalk, and curb and gutter concrete replacements.

The bid results were as follows:

CIP 101-M Bid
Results: July 30,
2026 @ 10:30 AM
Base Bid Additive Bid 1 Additive Bid 2 Additive Bid 3
Hardy & Harper $1,182,000 $2,275,974 $2,027,526 $151,500

Item No. 5.2.2
All American
Asphalt
$1,189,888 $1,879,753 $1,818,540 $148,500
Palp DBA Excel
Paving
$1,334,966 $1,649,918 $2,312,956 $159,000
RJ Noble
Company
$1,378,078 $1,641,312 $2,540,060 $134,835
Because the lowest responsive bidder's base bid when added with either Additive Bid 1 or Additive Bid 2 is at least $200,000 more than the next lowest bidder's total when added with either Additive Bid 1 or Additive Bid 2, City staff recommends that the City Council reject all bids and that the City Council provide direction to City staff on the scope of work for revised specifications and bid documents. City staff will make a more detailed presentation during the City Council meeting.

Fiscal Impact:

The FY 2026-2027 budget for this project is $2,500,000.

Attachments:

1. Base Bid and Additive Bid Maps and Exhibits

Base Bid Work
Additive Bid 1 Work

Additive Bid 2 Work

Street Name Zone Latitude Longitude SQ FT
Grissom Rd Zone D 33.59237557 -117.69552 50
Cadillac Dr Zone D 33.59368708 -117.6956045 60
Earhart Rd Zone D 33.59560626 -117.6915738 70
Champlain Rd Zone D 33.59856538 -117.6858419 30
Pinewood Ln Zone D 33.59251186 -117.676751 90
Tasman Rd Zone D 33.59886922 -117.6885543 30
Bentley Zone D 33.60093909 -117.6883887 170
De Salle St Zone D 33.59848831 -117.6869322 40
Totals 540
Street Name Zone Latitude Longitude SQ FT
Green Hills Ln Zone A 33.56916289 -117.6828459 100
Nellie Gail Rd Zone A 33.57283246 -117.6899806 50
Bridlewood Dr Zone A 33.57260005 -117.677975 30
Wood Brook Rd Zone A 33.57710748 -117.6807994 200
Laurel Crest Dr Zone A 33.57718747 -117.6798857 110
Totals 490

APPENDIX D - CONCRETE REPAIR

Item No. 5.2.3
City of Laguna Hills
City Council / Planning
Agency
Staff Report
Date: August 25, 2026
To: Mayor and Council Members
From: Joe Ames, Assistant City Manager
Issue: Rejection of Bids and Authority to Re-Advertise for Construction, Park Improvements for Cabot Park, El Conejo Park, MacKenzie Park, San Remo Park, and Veeh Ranch Park, CIP 241
Recommendation: That the City Council: 1. Reject all Bid Proposals received for the Park Improvements for Cabot Park, El Conejo Park, MacKenzie Park, San Remo Park, and Veeh Ranch Park, CIP 241; 2. Approve the revised plans and specifications for Park Improvements for Cabot Park, El Conejo Park, MacKenzie Park, San Remo Park, and Veeh Ranch Park, CIP 241; 3. Authorize the City Engineer to make modifications to the plans and specifications as may be necessary; and 4. Authorize the advertisement for bids for Park Improvements for Cabot Park, El Conejo Park, MacKenzie Park, San Remo Park, and Veeh Ranch Park, CIP 241.

Background:

On June 24, 2026, bids for the subject project were opened with mixed results that can best be summarized as follows:

For Cabot Park, the two lowest bidders failed to include signed addenda. The third lowest bidder's price is significantly higher than the lowest bidder's proposal. For El Conejo Park, the lowest responsive bidder provided unacceptable additive bids for neighborhood-desired improvements that City staff would have otherwise recommended to City Council for approval. For MacKenzie Park, a bid protest was filed by the second-lowest bidder against the lowest responsive bidder. The protest may have merit. For San Remo Park, the lowest responsive bidder provided unacceptable additive bids for neighborhooddesired improvements that City staff would have otherwise recommended to City Council for approval. For Veeh Ranch Park, the lowest bidder withdrew their bid

Item No. 5.2.3
due to a clerical error. The next lowest bidder's base bid proposal was $100,000 more. Many bidders misinterpreted the additive bid schedule making comparisons of bids difficult. However, the good news is that all of the base bids for each project appear to be within the original budget for these projects.

Therefore, City staff recommends the rejection of all bids and the readvertisement of the project. The City Engineer has identified improvements to the plans and specifications that may allow for better interpretation of plans, specifications, and additive bid schedules, including adding information provided in the addenda issued during the original bid process. While those improvements are not included in the attached documents, in the interest of time, the City Engineer is requesting authority to re-advertise now and authority to make those edits prior advertisement. The City Engineer has been out of the office due to a family emergency, but expects to be back in the office soon.

Once bids are received, City staff will return to City Council with recommendations for project award. If the bids, in whole or in part, exceed the available budget in Capital Improvement Project No. 241, City staff will recommend which improvements should be awarded, if any playground equipment and fixtures should be purchased directly from manufacturers, and if any park fees not currently recognized should be allocated toward these projects.

A more detailed verbal report will be provided to City Council during the August 25, 2026, meeting.

Fiscal Impact:

The estimated total construction cost for the five playgrounds, using the "base bid" construction cost estimates only, is $3,440,997. The bid results received on June 24, 2026, generally align with the construction cost estimates.

Based on the encumbrances for design work and other associated costs, approximately $3,662,109 is available for construction. However, this assumes that no funding will be allocated for rubberized playground surfacing replacements at the Community Center, Mandeville Park, or Mendocino Park, which were originally identified as additional needs by the Public Works Department and to be included in CIP 241.

Fortunately, if the bids received during the re-bid process exceed the available budget and/or if City Council desires to construct any additive bid items, housing projects recently approved by the City Council are eventually expected to pay

Item No. 5.2.3
the following park fees, which could be used to fund any funding shortfall:
• Vesting Tentative Tract Map/Site Development Permit/Precise Plan/Conditional Use Permit/Parking Use Permit No. 0209-2025 (Terravita): $7,505,280
• Vesting Tentative Parcel Map/ Site Development Permit/Precise Plan/Parking Use Permit No. 0166-2023 (Oakbrook Plaza Senior Housing Project): $3,909,000
• Vesting Tentative Tract Map (VTTM)/Site Development Permit (SDP) No.

USE-0211-2025 (23161 Mill Creek Drive/Toll Brothers/Khoshbin):
$562,896
Upon receipt of bids, City staff will recommend which improvements should be awarded, if any playground equipment and fixtures should be purchased directly from the manufacturers, and if any park fees not currently recognized should be allocated toward these projects.

Attachments:

1. Cabot Park Concept Plans: Base and Additive Bids

2. Cabot Park Construction Plans, CIP 241-A

3. Rebid Cabot Park Bid Documents and Specs, CIP 241-A

4. El Conejo Park Concept Plans: Base and Additive Bids

5. El Conejo Park Construction Plans, CIP 241-B

6. Rebid El Conejo Park Bid Docs and Specs, CIP 241-B

7. MacKenzie Park Concept Plans: Base and Additive Bids

8. MacKenzie Park Construction Plans, CIP 241-C

9. Rebid MacKenzie Park Bid Docs and Specs, CIP 241-C

10. San Remo Park Concept Plans: Base and Additive Bids

11. San Remo Park Construction Plans, CIP 241-D

12. Rebid San Remo Park Bid Docs and Specs, CIP 241-D

13. Veeh Ranch Park Concept Plans: Base and Additive Bids

14. Veeh Ranch Park Construction Plans, 241-E

15. Rebid Veeh Ranch Park Bid Docs and Specs, CIP 241-E

RAPID FALLS RD

CABOT RD

PARK IMPROVEMENTS
• PARK MONUMENT SIGN REPLACEMENT
• PROPOSED NEW 5-12 PLAYGROUND

STRUCTURE
• PROPOSED NEW 2-5 PLAY STRUCTURE
• REPLACED PLAYGROUND RESILIENT

SURFACING
• REPLACED BENCHES / PICNIC TABLES
• REPLACED TRASH / RECYCLING

RECEPTACLES
• RESTROOM RENOVATIONS
• RAMP HANDRAIL RENOVATION

PARK MONUMENT SIGN REPLACEMENT
PROPOSED NEW 2-5 PLAYGROUND STRUCTURE

REPLACED BENCHES / PICNIC TABLES

REPLACED PLAYGROUND RESILIENT SURFACING
PROPOSED NEW 5-12 PLAYGROUND STRUCTURE

REPLACED TRASH / RECYCLING RECEPTACLES

RESTROOM RENOVATIONS

RAMP HANDRAIL RENOVATION
04/16/2026

CABOT PARK

CITY OF LAGUNA HILLS, CALIFORNIA

BASE BID IMPROVEMENTS
THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF RJM DESIGN GROUP, INC., AND NO PART THEREOF SHALL BE USED, REUSED, OR MODIFIED WITHOUT THE WRITTEN CONSENT OF RJM DESIGN GROUP, INC. © 2025 RJM Design Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

PARK IMPROVEMENTS
• PARK MONUMENT SIGN REPLACEMENT
• PROPOSED NEW 5-12 PLAYGROUND

STRUCTURE
• PROPOSED NEW 2-5 PLAY STRUCTURE
• REPLACED PLAYGROUND RESILIENT

SURFACING
• REPLACED BENCHES / PICNIC TABLES
• REPLACED TRASH / RECYCLING

RECEPTACLES
• RESTROOM RENOVATIONS
• RAMP HANDRAIL RENOVATION
• REPLACED PARK LIGHTING FIXTURES
• DRINKING FOUNTAIN WITH BOTTLE
FILLER

RAPID FALLS RD

CABOT RD

PROPOSED NEW
2-5 PLAYGROUND

STRUCTURE

PROPOSED NEW
5-12 PLAYGROUND

STRUCTURE

RAMP HANDRAIL RENOVATION

PARK MONUMENT SIGN REPLACEMENT

REPLACED DRINKING FOUNTAIN WITH BOTTLE FILLER

RESTROOM RENOVATIONS

REPLACED PLAYGROUND RESILIENT SURFACING

REPLACED PARK LIGHTING

REPLACED BENCHES / PICNIC TABLES

REPLACED TRASH / RECYCLING RECEPTACLES
04/16/2026

CABOT PARK

CITY OF LAGUNA HILLS, CALIFORNIA

ADDITIVE BID IMPROVEMENTS
THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF RJM DESIGN GROUP, INC., AND NO PART THEREOF SHALL BE USED, REUSED, OR MODIFIED WITHOUT THE WRITTEN CONSENT OF RJM DESIGN GROUP, INC. © 2025 RJM Design Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

CABOT PARK IMPROVEMENTS

CITY OF LAGUNA HILLS, CA
31591 Camino Capistrano
San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675
www.RJMdesigngroup.com
[949] 493-2690 fax [949] 493-2600 phone
© Signature Renewal Date Date L A R R Y P . R Y A N L I C E N S E N O . 2 5 0L2I CENSED LANDSCAPE ARCH I TECT STATE OF CA L I FORN I ACABOT PARK IMPROVEMENT PROJECT 28345 RAPID FALLS ROAD CITY OF LAGUNA HILLS, CA ·

SHEET

SHEET INDEX
NUMBER

EXISTING UNDERGROUND STRUCTURES

THE EXISTENCE AND LOCATION OF ANY UNDERGROUND PIPES OR CONDUITS SHOWN ON THESE PLANS ARE OBTAINED BY A SEARCH OF THE AVAILABLE RECORDS. TO THE BEST

OF OUR KNOWLEDGE, THERE ARE NO EXISTING UTILITIES EXCEPT AS SHOWN ON THESE PLANS. THE CONTRACTOR IS REQUIRED TO TAKE THE PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES TO

PROTECT THE UTILITY LINES SHOWN AND ANY OTHER LINES NOT OF RECORD OR NOT SHOWN ON THESE PLANS. IT SHALL BE THE CONTRACTOR'S RESPONSIBILITY TO NOTIFY THE OWNERS OF THE UTILITIES OR STRUCTURES CONCERNED BEFORE STARTING WORK.

CONTRACTOR FURTHER ASSUMES ALL LIABILITY AND RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE

UNDERGROUND UTILITY PIPES, CONDUITS OR STRUCTURES SHOWN OR NOT SHOWN ON THESE PLANS. LOCATE ALL UTILITIES BEFORE CONSTRUCTION.

EARTHWORK

NOTICE TO CONTRACTOR
CAUTION: THE ENGINEER PREPARING THESE PLANS WILL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR, OR LIABLE FOR, UNAUTHORIZED CHANGES TO, OR USES OF THESE PLANS. ALL CHANGES TO

THE PLANS MUST BE IN WRITING, AND MUST BE APPROVED BY THE PREPARER OF THESE PLANS.

THE EXISTENCE AND LOCATION OF ANY UNDERGROUND UTILITY FACILITIES SHOWN ON THESE PLANS WERE OBTAINED BY A SEARCH OF AVAILABLE RECORDS. THE LOCATIONS

SHOWN ARE APPROXIMATE AND SHALL BE CONFIRMED IN THE FIELD BY THE CONTRACTOR. THE CONTRACTOR SHALL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING ANY NECESSARY ADJUSTMENTS TO ALIGNMENT AND/OR GRADE OF THE PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS. THE

CONTRACTOR IS REQUIRED TO TAKE DUE PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES TO PREVENT

DAMAGE TO ANY UTILITY FACILITIES SHOWN AND ANY OTHER FACILITIES NOT SHOWN ON THESE PLANS.

ALL CONTRACTORS AND SUBCONTRACTORS PERFORMING WORK SHOWN ON THESE

PLANS AGREE THAT, IN ACCORDANCE WITH GENERALLY ACCEPTED CONSTRUCTION

PRACTICES, THEY WILL BE REQUIRED TO ASSUME SOLE AND COMPLETE RESPONSIBILITY FOR JOB SITE CONDITIONS DURING THE COURSE OF CONSTRUCTION OF THE PROJECT.

THIS INCLUDES PROVIDING FOR THE SAFETY OF ALL PERSONS AND PROPERTY AND SHALL APPLY CONTINUOUSLY AND NOT BE LIMITED TO NORMAL WORKING HOURS. THE

CONTRACTORS AND SUBCONTRACTORS FURTHER AGREE TO DEFEND, INDEMNIFY AND

HOLD HARMLESS THE OWNER AND DESIGN PROFESSIONAL FROM ANY AND ALL

LIABILITY, REAL OR ALLEGED, IN CONNECTION WITH THE PERFORMANCE OF WORK ON

THIS PROJECT, EXCEPT FOR LIABILITY ARISING FROM THE SOLE NEGLIGENCE OF THE OWNER OR THE DESIGN PROFESSIONAL.

BENCHMARK
OCS BM "3U-41-70"
ELEVATION 267.878' [NAVD88, LEVELED 1991]
DESCRIBED BY OCS 2003 - FOUND 3 3\4" OCS ALUMINUM BENCHMARK DISK STAMPED "3U-41-70", SET IN THE NORTHWESTERLY CORNER OF A CONCRETE BRIDGE ABUTMENT.

MONUMENT IS LOCATED IN THE NORTHWESTERLY CORNER OF THE INTERSECTION OF FORBES ROAD AND CROWN VALLEY PARKWAY, 150 FT. WESTERLY OF THE CENTERLINE OF FORBES, 22.6 FT. NORTHERLY OF THE CENTERLINE OF CROWN VALLEY PARKWAY AND IN THE NORTHERLY END OF THE WESTERLY ABUTMENT. MONUMENT IS SET LEVEL WITH THE BRIDGE DECK.
* THE ABOVE CUT/FILL QUANTITIES ARE FOR PERMIT PURPOSES ONLY. THIS

CALCULATION DOES NOT INCLUDE SOILS FROM BUILDING OR WALL FOOTINGS, NOR UTILITY TRENCHING. THIS CALCULATION DOES NOT INCLUDE ADJUSTMENTS FOR SHRINKAGE NOR SUBSIDENCE. THIS CALCULATION ALSO

ASSUMES THAT THE EXISTING CONCRETE AND ASPHALT SURFACES WILL BE REMOVED FROM THE SITE AND NOT BE REPURPOSED FOR ONSITE FILL.

THE ESTIMATES OF GRADING QUANTITIES AS SHOWN HEREON ARE PROVIDED FOR SATISFYING PLAN CHECK INFORMATION REQUIREMENTS ONLY. THE

CONTRACTOR SHALL PERFORM AN INDEPENDENT ESTIMATE OF ALL

IMPROVEMENT QUANTITIES, INCLUDING GRADING QUANTITIES, AND SHALL USE SAME AS A BASIS FOR HIS BID(S) AND CONTRACT(S).

NOTICE TO THE CONTRACTOR

THE GRADING CONTRACTOR SHALL BE RESPONSIBLE AND ACCOUNT FOR

DISTRIBUTING ANY EXCESS MATERIAL OR SUPPLYING ANY DEFICIENCIES TO BRING THE SITE TO DESIGN GRADE.

AREA DISTURBED: 0.06± ACRES
CUT * 100 CUBIC YARDS
FILL * 0 CUBIC YARDS
EXPORT * 100 CUBIC YARDS
OVER-EXCAVATION * T.B.D. CUBIC YARDS

STANDARD GRADING NOTES

1. ALL WORK SHALL BE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE GRADING CODE OF THE CITY OF LAGUNA HILLS AND ANY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS OF THE PERMIT. A COPY OF THE GRADING CODE AND MANUAL SHALL BE RETAINED ON THE JOB SITE WHILE WORK IS IN PROGRESS. WHEN REFERENCED ON THE PLANS, A COPY

OF ORANGE COUNTY PUBLIC WORKS STANDARD PLANS AND STANDARD PLANS FOR PUBLIC WORKS CONSTRUCTION SHALL ALSO BE RETAINED ON THE SITE.

2. GRADING SHALL NOT BE STARTED WITHOUT FIRST NOTIFYING THE GRADING INSPECTOR. A

PRE-GRADING MEETING ON THE SITE IS REQUIRED BEFORE START OF GRADING WITH THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE PRESENT: OWNER, GRADING CONTRACTOR, DESIGN CIVIL ENGINEER, SOIL ENGINEER,

ENGINEERING GEOLOGIST, GRADING INSPECTOR AND WHEN REQUIRED, THE ARCHAEOLOGIST AND PALEONTOLOGIST. THE REQUIRED INSPECTIONS FOR GRADING WILL BE EXPLAINED AT THIS MEETING.

3. ISSUANCE OF A GRADING PERMIT DOES NOT ELIMINATE THE NEED FOR AN EROSION CONTROL PLAN OR

PERMITS FROM OTHER AGENCIES WITH REGULATORY RESPONSIBILITIES FOR CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATED WITH THE WORK AUTHORIZED ON THIS PLAN.

4. THE GRADING PERMIT AND AN APPROVED COPY OF THE GRADING PLAN SHALL BE ON THE PERMITTED SITE WHILE WORK IS IN PROGRESS.

5. PRELIMINARY SOIL AND GEOLOGY REPORTS, AND ALL SUBSEQUENT REPORTS AS APPROVED BY THE CITY, ARE CONSIDERED A PART OF THE APPROVED GRADING PLAN.

6. THE SOILS ENGINEER AND ENGINEERING GEOLOGIST SHALL PERFORM SUFFICIENT INSPECTIONS AND BE

AVAILABLE DURING GRADING AND CONSTRUCTION TO VERIFY COMPLIANCE WITH THE PLANS, SPECIFICATIONS, AND THE CODE WITHIN THEIR PURVIEW.

7. THE CIVIL ENGINEER SHALL BE AVAILABLE DURING GRADING TO VERIFY COMPLIANCE WITH THE PLANS, SPECIFICATIONS, CODE AND ANY SPECIAL CONDITIONS OF THE PERMIT WITHIN THEIR PURVIEW.

8. THE SOILS ENGINEER AND ENGINEERING GEOLOGIST SHALL, AFTER CLEARING AND PRIOR TO THE

PLACEMENT OF FILL IN CANYON, INSPECT EACH CANYON FOR AREAS OF ADVERSE STABILITY AND DETERMINE THE PRESENCE OR ABSENCE OF SUBSURFACE WATER OR SPRING FLOW. IF NEEDED,

SUBDRAINS WILL BE DESIGNED AND CONSTRUCTED PRIOR TO THE PLACEMENT OF FILL IN EACH RESPECTIVE CANYON.

9. SUBDRAIN OUTLETS SHALL BE COMPLETED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SUBDRAIN CONSTRUCTION.

10. THE EXACT LOCATION OF THE SUBDRAINS SHALL BE SURVEYED IN THE FIELD FOR LINE/GRADE AND SHOWN ON AS-GRADED PLANS.

11. AREAS TO RECEIVE FILL SHALL BE PROPERLY PREPARED AND APPROVED IN WRITING BY THE SOILS ENGINEER AND THE GRADING INSPECTOR PRIOR TO PLACING FILL.

12. FILLS SHALL BE BENCHED INTO COMPETENT MATERIAL PER ORANGE COUNTY PUBLIC WORKS STANDARD PLAN NO. 1322.

13. ALL EXISTING FILLS SHALL BE APPROVED BY THE GRADING INSPECTOR OR REMOVED PRIOR TO PLACING ADDITIONAL FILLS.

14. FILLS SHALL BE COMPACTED THROUGHOUT TO A MINIMUM OF 90% RELATIVE COMPACTION.

AGGREGATE BASE FOR ASPHALTIC AREAS SHALL BE COMPACTED TO A MINIMUM OF 95% RELATIVE COMPACTION. MAXIMUM DENSITY BY UNIFORM BUILDING CODE STANDARD NO. 70-1 OR APPROVED EQUIVALENT AND FIELD DENSITY BY UNIFORM BUILDING CODE STANDARD NO. 70-2 OR APPROVED EQUIVALENT.

15. CUT AND FILL SLOPES SHALL BE NO STEEPER THAN 2 FOOT HORIZONTAL TO 1 FOOT VERTICAL (2:1) EXCEPT WHERE SPECIFICALLY APPROVED OTHERWISE.

16. ALL CUT SLOPES SHALL BE INVESTIGATED BOTH DURING AND AFTER GRADING BY THE ENGINEERING GEOLOGIST TO DETERMINE IF ANY SLOPE STABILITY PROBLEM EXISTS. SHOULD EXCAVATION DISCLOSE

ANY GEOLOGICAL HAZARDS OR POTENTIAL GEOLOGICAL HAZARDS, THE ENGINEERING GEOLOGIST SHALL SUBMIT RECOMMENDED TREATMENT TO THE GRADING INSPECTOR FOR APPROVAL.

17. WHERE SUPPORT OR BUTTRESSING OF CUT AND NATURAL SLOPES IS DETERMINED TO BE NECESSARY BY

THE ENGINEERING GEOLOGIST AND SOIL ENGINEER, THE SOIL ENGINEER SHALL SUBMIT DESIGN, LOCATION AND CALCULATIONS TO THE GRADING INSPECTOR PRIOR TO CONSTRUCTION. THE

ENGINEERING GEOLOGIST AND SOIL ENGINEER SHALL INSPECT AND CONTROL THE CONSTRUCTION OF

THE BUTTRESSING AND CERTIFY TO THE STABILITY OF THE SLOPE AND ADJACENT STRUCTURES UPON COMPLETION.

18. WHEN CUT PADS ARE BROUGHT TO NEAR GRADE, THE ENGINEERING GEOLOGIST SHALL DETERMINE IF THE BEDROCK IS EXTENSIVELY FRACTURED OR FAULTED AND WILL READILY TRANSMIT WATER. IF

CONSIDERED NECESSARY BY THE ENGINEERING GEOLOGIST AND SOIL ENGINEER, A COMPACTED FILL BLANKET WILL BE PLACED.

19. ALL TRENCH BACKFILLS SHALL BE TESTED AND APPROVED BY THE SOIL ENGINEER PER THE GRADING CODE.

20. ANY EXISTING IRRIGATION LINES AND CISTERNS SHALL BE REMOVED OR CRUSHED IN PLACE AND APPROVED BY THE GRADING INSPECTOR AND SOIL ENGINEER.

21. ANY EXISTING WATER WELLS SHALL BE ABANDONED IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE SPECIFICATIONS

APPROVED BY THE ORANGE COUNTY HEALTH CARE AGENCY, AND DIVISION OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH.

22. ANY EXISTING CESSPOOLS AND SEPTIC TANKS SHALL BE ABANDONED IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE UNIFORM PLUMBING CODE TO THE APPROVAL OF THE GRADING INSPECTOR.

23. STOCKPILING OF EXCESS MATERIAL SHALL BE APPROVED BY THE GRADING INSPECTOR PRIOR TO EXCAVATION.

24. EXPORT SOIL MUST BE TRANSPORTED TO A LEGAL DUMP OR TO A PERMITTED SITE APPROVED BY THE GRADING INSPECTOR.

25. THE PERMITTEE SHALL COMPLY WITH THE GRADING CODE REQUIREMENTS FOR HAUL ROUTES WHEN AN EXCESS OF 5,000 CUBIC YARDS OF EARTH IS TRANSPORTED TO OR FROM A PERMITTED SITE ON PUBLIC ROADWAYS.

26. THE PERMITTEE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR DUST CONTROL MEASURES.

27. THE PERMITTEE SHALL GIVE RESPONSIBLE NOTICE TO THE OWNER OF ADJOINING LANDS AND BUILDINGS

PRIOR TO BEGINNING EXCAVATIONS THAT MAY AFFECT THE LATERAL AND SUBJACENT SUPPORT OF THE ADJOINING PROPERTY. THE NOTICE SHALL STATE THE INTENDED DEPTH OF EXCAVATION AND WHEN THE EXCAVATION WILL COMMENCE. THE ADJOINING OWNER SHALL BE ALLOWED AT LEAST 30 DAYS AND

REASONABLE ACCESS ON THE PERMITTED PROPERTY TO PROTECT HIS STRUCTURE, IF HE SO DESIRES, UNLESS OTHERWISE PROTECTED BY LAW.

28. ALL CONCRETE STRUCTURES THAT COME IN CONTACT WITH THE ON-SITE SOILS SHALL BE CONSTRUCTED

WITH TYPE V CEMENT,UNLESS DEEMED UNNECESSARY BY SOLUBLE SULPHATE-CONTENT TESTS CONDUCTED BY THE SOILS ENGINEER.

29. SLOPES EXCEEDING 5 FEET IN HEIGHT SHALL BE PLANTED WITH AN APPROVED PLANT MATERIAL PRIOR TO CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY. IN ADDITION, SLOPES EXCEEDING 15 FEET IN HEIGHT SHALL BE PROVIDED WITH AN APPROVED IRRIGATION SYSTEM.

30. ALL EXISTING DRAINAGE COURSES THROUGH THIS SITE SHALL REMAIN OPEN UNTIL FACILITIES TO HANDLE STORMWATER ARE APPROVED AND FUNCTIONAL; HOWEVER, IN ANY CASE, THE PERMITTEE SHALL BE HELD LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGE DUE TO OBSTRUCTING NATURAL DRAINAGE PATTERNS.

31. TEMPORARY SANITATION FACILITIES SHALL BE MAINTAINED ON THE SITE DURING THE COURSE OF CONSTRUCTION.

32. THE LOCATION AND PROTECTION OF ALL UTILITIES IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PERMITTEE.

33. APPROVED PROTECTIVE MEASURES AND TEMPORARY DRAINAGE PROVISIONS SHALL BE USED TO PROTECT ADJOINING PROPERTIES DURING GRADING.

34. GRADING OPERATIONS INCLUDING MAINTENANCE OF EQUIPMENT WITHIN ONE-HALF MILE OF A HUMAN OCCUPANCY SHALL NOT BE CONDUCTED BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 6:00 P.M. AND 7:00 A.M.

DAILY, ON SUNDAY, OR ON A FEDERAL HOLIDAY.

35. ALL CONSTRUCTION VEHICLES OR EQUIPMENT, FIXED OR MOBILE, OPERATED WITHIN 1,000 FEET OF A DWELLING SHALL BE EQUIPPED WITH PROPERLY OPERATING AND MAINTAINED MUFFLERS.

36. ALL OPERATIONS SHALL COMPLY WITH THE LAGUNA HILLS MUNICIPAL CODE FOR NOISE CONTROL.

37. STOCKPILING AND/OR VEHICLE STAGING AREAS SHALL BE LOCATED AS FAR AS PRACTICABLE FROM DWELLINGS AND WITHIN THE LIMITS OF THE GRADING PERMIT.

38. GRADING AND EXCAVATION SHALL BE HALTED DURING PERIODS OF HIGH WINDS. OPERATIONS SHALL COMPLY WITH AQMD RULE 403. FUGITIVE DUST.

39. PAVEMENT SECTIONS SHALL BE NO LESS THAN 4” ASPHALT CONCRETE OVER 6” AGGREGATE BASE AND

PRIOR TO ROUGH GRADE RELEASE FOR BUILDING PERMITS BY THE GRADING INSPECTOR, THE SOILS

ENGINEER SHALL SUBMIT FOR APPROVAL, PAVEMENT SECTION RECOMMENDATIONS BASED ON 'R' VALUE ANALYSIS OF THE SUB-GRADE SOILS, AND EXPECTED TRAFFIC INDICES.

40. ASPHALT CONCRETE SHALL BE CONSTRUCTED PER THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE ORANGE COUNTY PUBLIC WORKS STANDARD PLAN NO. 1805.

41. AGGREGATE BASE SHALL BE CONSTRUCTED PER THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE ORANGE COUNTY PUBLIC WORKS STANDARD NO. 1804.

42. ROOF GUTTERS SHALL BE INSTALLED TO PREVENT ROOF DRAINAGE FROM FALLING ON MANUFACTURED SLOPES.

43. THE CIVIL ENGINEER, AS A CONDITION OF ROUGH GRADE APPROVAL, SHALL PROVIDE A BLUE TOP WITH

ACCOMPANYING WITNESS STAKE, SET AT THE CENTER OF EACH PAD REFLECTING THE PAD ELEVATION

FOR PRECISE PERMITS AND A BLUE TOP WITH WITNESS STAKE SET AT THE DRAINAGE SCALE HIGH POINT REFLECTING THE HIGH POINT ELEVATION FOR PRELIMINARY PERMITS.

44. PRIOR TO FINAL APPROVAL, THE CIVIL ENGINEER SHALL CERTIFY TO THE GRADING INSPECTOR THE AMOUNT OF EARTH MOVED DURING THE GRADING OPERATION.

45. THE ENGINEERING GEOLOGIST SHALL PERFORM PERIODIC INSPECTION AND SUBMIT A COMPLETE REPORT AND MAP UPON COMPLETION OF THE ROUGH GRADING.

46. THE GRADING CONTRACTOR SHALL SUBMIT A STATEMENT OF COMPLIANCE TO THE APPROVED GRADING PLAN PRIOR TO FINAL APPROVAL.

47. THE COMPACTION REPORT AND APPROVAL FROM THE SOIL ENGINEER SHALL INDICATE THE TYPE OF FIELD-TESTING PERFORMED. THE METHOD OF OBTAINING THE IN-PLACE DENSITY SHALL BE IDENTIFIED WHETHER SAND CONE, DRIVE RING, OR NUCLEAR, AND SHALL BE NOTED FOR EACH TEST. SUFFICIENT

MAXIMUM DENSITY DETERMINATIONS SHALL BE PERFORMED TO VERIFY THE ACCURACY OF THE MAXIMUM DENSITY CURVES USED BY THE FIELD TECHNICIAN.

48. IN THE EVENT THAT SOIL CONTAMINATION IS DISCOVERED DURING EXCAVATION AND REMOVAL OF AN

EXISTING TANK, WORK SHALL BE STOPPED UNTIL A SITE ASSESSMENT AND MITIGATION PLAN HAS BEEN

PREPARED, SUBMITTED AND APPROVED BY COUNTY OF ORANGE ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH AND THE CITY.

49. SURVEY MONUMENTS SHALL BE PRESERVED AND REFERENCED BEFORE CONSTRUCTION AND REPLACED AFTER CONSTRUCTION PURSUANT TO SECTION 8771 OF THE BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONS CODE.

50. RETAINING WALLS ARE NOT APPROVED PER THIS GRADING PLAN. RETAINING WALLS REQUIRE A SEPARATE BUILDING PERMIT.

51. OTHER BUILDING IMPROVEMENTS SUCH AS STAIRS, BUILDINGS, SWIMMING POOLS, ETC. REQUIRE A SEPARATE BUILDING PERMIT.

LEGAL DESCRIPTION
LOT 195 OF TRACT MAP 9293, FILED IN BOOK 460, PAGES 18 TO 31, PER RECORDS ON FILE IN THE OFFICE OF THE ORANGE COUNTY SURVEYOR.

APN: 627-711-03
TITLE SHEET C-0.1
DETAIL SHEET C-0.2
DEMOLITION PLAN D-1.1
PRECISE GRADING PLAN C-1.1
EROSION CONTROL PLAN C-3.1
HORIZONTAL CONTROL PLAN C-4.1
101.303 (civTEC)
TEC
12/22/2025
STAFF
TEC
999 CORPORATE DR.

SUITE 100
LADERA RANCH, CA 92694
p: 949.463.8822
e: [email protected]
12/22/2025
31591 Camino Capistrano
San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675
www.RJMdesigngroup.com
[949] 493-2690 fax
[949] 493-2600 phone © CABOT PARK IMPROVEMENTS CITY OF LAGUNA HILLS BASIS OF BEARINGS:

THE BEARINGS SHOWN HEREON ARE BASED ON THE CENTERLINE BEARING OF RAPID FALLS ROAD SHOWN AS N 80°41'33"E ON TRACT MAP 9293, FILED IN BOOK 460, PAGES 18 TO 31, PER RECORDS ON FILE IN THE OFFICE OF THE ORANGE COUNTY SURVEYOR.

PRECISE GRADING PLANS
FOR

CABOT PARK IMPROVEMENTS

CITY OF LAGUNA HILLS

COUNTY OF ORANGE, CA

STATE OF CALIFORNIA
C-0.1
TITLE
SHEET

EROSION CONTROL NOTES

1. IN THE CASE OF EMERGENCY, CALL (NAME)_____________________________AT WORK PHONE #__________________________ , HOME PHONE #__________________________ , OR CELLULAR PHONE # _________________________. 2. EQUIPMENT AND WORKERS FOR EMERGENCY WORK SHALL BE MADE AVAILABLE AT ALL TIMES DURING THE RAINY SEASON (OCTOBER 1 TO APRIL 30 EACH YEAR). NECESSARY MATERIALS SHALL BE AVAILABLE

ON SITE AND STOCKPILED AT CONVENIENT LOCATIONS TO FACILITATE RAPID CONSTRUCTION OF TEMPORARY DEVICES AT ALL TIME.

3. EROSION CONTROL DEVICES SHALL NOT BE MOVED OR MODIFIED WITHOUT THE APPROVAL OF THE GRADING INSPECTOR.

4. ALL REMOVABLE EROSION PROTECTIVE DEVICES SHALL BE IN PLACE AT THE END OF EACH WORKING DAY WHEN THE 5-DAY RAIN PROBABILITY FORECAST EXCEEDS 40%.

5. AFTER A RAINSTORM, ALL SILT AND DEBRIS SHALL BE REMOVED FROM STREETS, BERMS, AND BASINS.

6. GRADED AREAS ON THE PERMITTED AREA PERIMETER MUST DRAIN AWAY FROM THE FACE OF SLOPES AT THE CONCLUSION OF EACH WORKING DAY. DRAINAGE IS TO BE DIRECTED TOWARD DESILTING FACILITIES.

7. THE PERMITTEE AND CONTRACTOR SHALL BE RESPONSIBLE AND SHALL TAKE NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS TO PREVENT PUBLIC TRESPASS ONTO AREAS WHERE IMPOUNDED WATER CREATES A HAZARDOUS CONDITION.

8. THE PERMITTEE AND CONTRACTOR SHALL INSPECT THE EROSION CONTROL WORK AND INSURE THAT THE WORK IS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE APPROVED PLANS.

9. THE PERMITTEE SHALL NOTIFY ALL GENERAL CONTRACTORS, SUBCONTRACTORS, MATERIAL SUPPLIERS,

LESSEES AND THE PROPERTY OWNERS THAT DUMPING OF POLLUTANTS INTO THE STORM DRAIN SYSTEM OR THE WATERSHED IS PROHIBITED.

10. PERMITTEE SHALL MAINTAIN CONSTRUCTION SITE IN SUCH A CONDITION THAT AN ANTICIPATED STORM DOES NOT CARRY WASTES OR POLLUTANTS OFF THE SITE. POTENTIAL POLLUTANTS INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO: SOLID OR LIQUID CHEMICAL SPILLS; WASTES FROM PAINTS, STAINS, SEALANTS, GLUES, DYES,

PESTICIDES, HERBICIDES, WOOD PRESERVATIVES AND SOLVENTS, ASBESTOS FIBERS, PAINT FLAKES OR STUCCO FRAGMENTS; FUELS, OILS, LUBRICANTS AND HYDRAULIC, RADIATOR OR BATTERY FLUIDS;

FERTILIZERS, VEHICLE/EQUIPMENT WASH WATER AND CONCRETE WASH WATER, CONCRETE DETERGENT OR FLOATABLE WASTES; WASTES FROM ANY ENGINE/EQUIPMENT STEAM CLEANING OR CHEMICAL DEGREASING AND SUPERCHLORINATED POTABLE WATER LINE FLUSHING. DURING CONSTRUCTION,

PERMITTEE SHALL DISPOSE OF SUCH MATERIALS IN A SPECIFIED AND CONTROLLED TEMPORARY AREA

ON-SITE, PHYSICALLY SEPARATED FROM POTENTIAL STORMWATER RUNOFF, WITH ULTIMATE DISPOSAL IN ACCORDANCE WITH LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS.

11. DEWATERING OF CONTAMINATED GROUNDWATER, OR DISCHARGING CONTAMINATED SOILS VIA SURFACE EROSION IS PROHIBITED. DEWATERING OF NON-CONTAMINATED GROUNDWATER REQUIRES A

NATIONAL POLLUTANT DISCHARGE ELIMINATION SYSTEM PERMIT FROM THE RESPECTIVE STATE REGIONAL WATER QUALITY CONTROL BOARD.

12. FOR SITES OVER ONE ACRE IN SIZE, THE CONTRACTOR IS REQUIRED TO FILE A NOTICE OF INTENT (NOI)

WITH THE STATE WATER RESOURCES CONTROL BOARD (SWQCB) AND PREPARE AND HAVE ON SITE AN APPROVED STORM WATER POLLUTION PREVENTION PLAN (SWPPP).

13. THE CONTRACTOR SHALL HAVE ON SITE AN APPROVED WATER QUALITY MANAGEMENT PLAN (WQMP), AS REQUIRED BY THE CITY ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT.

14. THE CONTRACTOR SHALL COMPLY WITH SAN DIEGO REGIONAL WATER QUALITY CONTROL BOARD ORDER NO. R9-2013-0001 AS AMENDED BY ORDER NOS. R9-2015-0001 AND R9-2015-0100 AND SANTA ANA REGIONAL WATER QUALITY BOARD ORDER NO. R8-2009-0030 AS AMENDED BY ORDER NO. R8-2010-0062, AS APPLICABLE.

15. GRADING AND EXCAVATION SHALL BE HALTED DURING PERIODS OF HIGH WINDS. OPERATIONS SHALL COMPLY WITH AQMD RULE 403. FUGITIVE DUST.

16. IMPORT AND EXPORT HAULING SHALL BE LIMITED TO THE HOURS OF 9:00AM TO 4:00PM. ANY TRACKING OF MATERIAL ON THE PUBLIC WAYS SHALL BE IMMEDIATELY REMOVED BY MECHANICAL SWEEPING.

DRY SEASON REQUIREMENTS (MAY 1 THRU SEPTEMBER 30)

17. WIND EROSION BMPS (DUST CONTROL) SHALL BE IMPLEMENTED.

18. SEDIMENT CONTROL BMPS SHALL BE INSTALLED AND MAINTAINED AT ALL OPERATIONAL STORM DRAIN INLETS.

19. BMPS TO CONTROL OFF-SITE SEDIMENT TRACKING SHALL BE IMPLEMENTED AND MAINTAINED.

20. APPROPRIATE WASTE MANAGEMENT AND MATERIALS POLLUTION CONTROL BMPS SHALL BE IMPLEMENTED TO PREVENT THE CONTAMINATION OF STORM WATER BY WASTES AND CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS.

21. APPROPRIATE NON-STORM WATER BMPS SHALL BE IMPLEMENTED TO PREVENT THE CONTAMINATION OF STORM WATER FROM CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES.

22. THERE SHALL BE A ‘WEATHER TRIGGERED’ ACTION PLAN AND THE ABILITY TO DEPLOY STANDBY SEDIMENT CONTROL BMPS AS NEEDED TO COMPLETELY PROTECT THE EXPOSED PORTIONS OF THE SITE WITHIN 48 HOURS OF A PREDICTED STORM EVENT (A PREDICTED STORM EVENT IS DEFINED AS A FORECASTED, 50% CHANCE OF RAIN).

23. SUFFICIENT MATERIALS NEEDED TO INSTALL STANDBY SEDIMENT CONTROL BMPS (AT THE SITE PERIMETER,

SITE SLOPES AND OPERATIONAL INLETS WITHIN THE SITE) NECESSARY TO PREVENT SEDIMENT DISCHARGES FROM EXPOSED PORTIONS OF THE SITE SHALL BE STORED ON SITE. AREAS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN

PROTECTED FROM EROSION USING PHYSICAL STABILIZATION OR ESTABLISHED VEGETATION STABILIZATIONS BMPS AS DESCRIBED IN ITEM H BELOW ARE NOT CONSIDERED TO BE ‘EXPOSED’ FOR PURPOSES OF THIS REQUIREMENT.

24. DEPLOYMENT OF PERMANENT EROSION CONTROL BMPS (PHYSICAL OR VEGETATION) SHOULD COMMENCE AS SOON AS PRACTICAL ON SLOPES THAT ARE COMPLETED FOR ANY PORTION OF THE SITE.

STANDBY BMP MATERIALS SHOULD NOT BE RELIED UPON TO PREVENT EROSION OF SLOPES THAT HAVE BEEN COMPLETED.

25. PHASING TO BE USED TO MAINTAIN STABILIZED AREAS (VEGETATION OR IMPERVIOUS COVER) AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE DURING CONSTRUCTION. DISTURBED AREAS SHOULD BE STABILIZED AS SOON AS PRACTICAL.

SLOPES INACTIVE FOR UP TO TWO WEEKS SHALL BE STABILIZED WITH SEEDING, SOIL BINDERS, MULCHING, GEOTEXTILES, OR MATS, ETC. IN ORDER TO REDUCE THE EROSIVE IMPACT OF RAIN OR RUNOFF.

WET SEASON REQUIREMENTS (OCTOBER 1 THRU APRIL 30)

26. SEDIMENT CONTROL BMP’S SHALL BE IMPLEMENTED AT THE SITE PERIMETER, AT ALL OPERATIONAL STORM

DRAIN INLETS AND AT ALL NON-ACTIVE SLOPES, TO PROVIDE SUFFICIENT PROTECTION FOR STORMS LIKELY TO OCCUR DURING THE RAINY SEASON.

27. ADEQUATE PHYSICAL OR VEGETATION EROSION CONTROL BMP’S (TEMPORARY OR PERMANENT) SHALL BE INSTALLED AND ESTABLISHED FOR ALL COMPLETED SLOPES PRIOR TO THE START OF THE RAINY SEASON.

THESE BMP’S MUST BE MAINTAINED THROUGHOUT THE RAINY SEASON. IF A SELECTED BMP FAILS, IT MUST

BE REPAIRED AND IMPROVED, OR REPLACED WITH AN ACCEPTABLE ALTERNATE AS SOON AS IT IS SAFE TO DO SO. THE FAILURE OF A BMP MAY INDICATE THAT THE BMP, AS INSTALLED, WAS NOT ADEQUATE FOR THE CIRCUMSTANCES IN WHICH IT WAS USED. REPAIRS OR REPLACEMENTS MUST RESULT IN A MORE ROBUST BMP, OR ADDITIONAL BMP’S SHOULD BE INSTALLED TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE PROTECTION.

28. THE AMOUNT OF EXPOSED SOIL ALLOWED AT ONE TIME SHALL NOT EXCEED THAT WHICH CAN BE ADEQUATELY PROTECTED BY DEPLOYING STANDBY EROSION CONTROL AND SEDIMENT CONTROL BMP’S PRIOR TO A PREDICTED RAINSTORM.

29. A DISTURBED AREA THAT IS NOT COMPLETED BUT THAT IS NOT BEING ACTIVELY GRADED (NON-ACTIVE AREA) SHALL BE FULLY PROTECTED FROM EROSION WITH TEMPORARY OR PERMANENT BMP’S (EROSION AND SEDIMENT CONTROL). THE ABILITY TO DEPLOY STANDBY BMP MATERIALS IS NOT SUFFICIENT FOR THESE AREAS. EROSION AND SEDIMENT CONTROL BMP’S MUST ACTUALLY BE DEPLOYED. THIS INCLUDES ALL BUILDING PADS, UNFINISHED ROADS AND SLOPES.

30. SUFFICIENT MATERIALS NEEDED TO INSTALL STANDBY EROSION AND SEDIMENT CONTROL BMP’S

NECESSARY TO COMPLETELY PROTECT THE EXPOSED PORTIONS OF THE SITE FOR EROSION AND TO PREVENT SEDIMENT DISCHARGES SHALL BE STORED ON SITE. AREAS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN PROTECTED

FROM EROSION USING PERMANENT PHYSICAL STABILIZATION OR ESTABLISHED VEGETATION STABILIZATION BMP’S ARE NOT CONSIDERED TO BE ‘EXPOSED’ FOR PURPOSES OF THIS REQUIREMENT.

WV LP
LEGEND

TELEPHONE

TOP OF WALL

WATER VALVE

WATER METER

SANITARY SEWER

TOP OF CURB

TOP OF FOOTING

TOP OF GRATE
VALVE

STREET LIGHT

W OR WAT WATER
WM
WV
TF
TW

S OR SEW
TG
TC
TEL

CHAIN LINK FENCE

CENTERLINE

HIGH POINT

ROUGH GRADE

POWER POLE

GRADE BREAK

RIGHT OF WAY

FIRE HYDRANT

FINISHED SURFACE

FINISHED FLOOR

EDGE OF PAVEMENT

CATCH BASIN

STORM DRAIN

EXISTING SPOT ELEVATION CURB & GUTTER

FLOWLINE

GRADE BREAK LINE

EXISTING UTILITY LINE
(TYPE AND SIZE AS NOTED)
PP
ROW
RG
ST.

IRR OR IRRIG
MH
STREET

IRRIGATION

LOW POINT

MANHOLE
GB
HP
INV
FS
FH
FL
INVERT

FLOWLINE

EXISTING CONTOUR

LIMITS OF GRADING

PROPERTY LINE
DWY
ELEC
EP
FF
CONC
CO
SD

DRIVEWAY

ELECTRIC

CONCRETE

CLEANOUT
CB
C&G
CLF
CL

BLDG BUILDING

PROPOSED CONTOUR

PROPOSED SLOPE

TD TOP OF DECK

POC POINT OF CONNECTION

DECOMPOSED GRANITE

P/A PLANTER AREA
DG

FLOW DIRECTION

DF DRINKING FOUNTAIN

STORM DRAIN & GRATE

STORM DRAIN AND CLEANOUT

WIF WROUGHT IRON FENCE

TOS TOP OF SUBGRADE

BOW BACK OF WALK

FG FINISHED GRADE

RL RIDGELINE

OC ON CENTER

STA STATION

PCC PORTLAND CONCRETE CEMENT

AB AGGREGATE BASE

AC ASPHALT CONCRETE

RD ROOF DRAIN

TMH TOP OF MANHOLE

CONSTRUCTION NOTES/ESTIMATE OF QUANTITIES

NOTICE TO THE CONTRACTOR
NO. DESCRIPTION QUANTITY

GENERAL CONSTRUCTION NOTES
-

THE ESTIMATES OF IMPROVEMENT AND GRADING QUANTITIES AS SHOWN HEREON ARE PROVIDED FOR SATISFYING PLAN CHECK INFORMATION REQUIREMENTS ONLY. THE CONTRACTOR SHALL PERFORM AN

INDEPENDENT ESTIMATE OF ALL IMPROVEMENT QUANTITIES INCLUDING GRADING QUANTITIES, AND SHALL USE SAME AS A BASIS FOR HIS BID(S) AND CONTRACT(S).

SCO SEWER CLEAN OUT
DEMOLITION NOTES - SEE SHEET D-1.1
1 EA
3 EA
50 LF
5 EA

STORM DRAIN CONSTRUCTION NOTES
21 22
20 CONSTRUCT 6" PVC, SDR 35, STORM DRAIN PIPE, BEDDING DETAIL 2, SHEET C-0.2 CONSTRUCT RUBBER SURFACE PLAY AREA SUBDRAIN PER DETAIL 1, SHEET C-0.2

CONNECT TO EXISTING STORM DRAIN WITH COUPLING OR CUT-IN TEE

WATER / DRAINAGE CONSTRUCTION NOTES
31 30
10 PROTECT IN PLACE

CONNECT WATER LINE TO DRINKING FOUNTAIN PER MANUFACTURE'S SPECIFICATIONS CONNECT DRAINAGE LINE TO DRINKING FOUNTAIN PER MANUFACTURE'S SPECIFICATIONS 1 EA

CONCRETE (PEDESTRIAN) PER

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT PLANS
11 REPAIR/REPLACE EXISTING CONCRETE AS REQUIRED LS
12 CONSTRUCT RUBBER SURFACE PER LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT PLANS -