Council approves broad municipal code amendments covering zoning, vending, floodplain and camping rules

The Lake Forest City Council on Jan. 28 unanimously approved a staff-initiated set of municipal code amendments affecting Title 9 (zoning) and four other code chapters, a package city planners said would clarify regulations, bring certain provisions into alignment with state and federal law and add new permit and enforcement tools.

City staff told the council the zoning changes update 24 sections of Title 9 and are built from a running “wish list” compiled from recurring questions received by planning staff. The amendments reorganize and expand rules for accessory structures, standardize some setback rules, add or revise definitions and convert select text to tables and figures to improve clarity. Staff said the change would increase single-family lot coverage from 35% to 60% and would set a consistent minimum setback for accessory structures at 5 feet across residential zoning districts.

The code package also includes a new Chapter to regulate commercial vending vehicles (food trucks and similar mobile vendors). Staff…