The Lake Forest City Planning Commission on Oct. 9 approved a use permit for Ovation's Performing Arts to operate a commercial youth musical-theater school in an existing 4,243-square-foot building in the Burbank business park, the commission’s director said. The permit includes a condition limiting classes to a maximum of 25 students and two instructors and sets weekday hours for regular classes.

The item matters locally because it allows a performing-arts business inside an industrially designated property in the Foothill planned community, creating recurring activity, summer camps and several annual recitals that require shared parking arrangements with other tenants.

Director Jill Ackerman introduced the proposal as a request for a use permit to operate a commercial school providing instruction in acting, dancing and singing. "The commercial school would host class Monday through Friday from 4 to 7 p.m.," Ackerman said, and she told commissioners that summer camp hours would run roughly 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. with two instructors.

Sierra Mara Solis presented details showing the interior layout would be modified to include a 1,170-square-foot rehearsal space and storage areas. Solis said all activities would take place inside the building and that the school expects to host 2 to 3 recitals a year on Friday evenings and weekends.

Staff explained the parking analysis: the building is entitled to 11 parking stalls; the code-driven requirement for a commercial school with one classroom, a 25‑student cap and two instructors calculates to 10 stalls, leaving one extra stall on site. Ackerman also said adjacent tenants have agreed in documentation to allow sharing of about 70 parking stalls two to three times a year for recital events. "Accordingly, staff is recommending that the planning commission approve the use permit and adopt the corresponding resolution," Ackerman said.

Commissioner Raul described the proposal as compatible with surrounding uses and signaled support. "...from a compatibility seems like, just an observation. The fact that it checks all the boxes and complies to everything, this is, should be fairly easy, approval," Raul said during the discussion.

After brief questioning about whether the parking-sharing agreements were documented, commissioners closed the public hearing and moved to a vote. Commissioner Raul moved to approve the use permit; a second was recorded on the record. The motion passed; staff noted the vote was unanimous among commissioners present, with two commissioners absent.

The permit includes the staff-recommended condition that no theater‑arts class shall have more than 25 students and two instructors. Staff noted that the number of attendees allowed for recital performances will depend on occupancy limits set by the building code at the time of the event.

The commission closed the item and proceeded to director and city attorney comments; no additional conditions were announced. The commission’s next regular meeting was scheduled for Nov. 6.