Lake Forest outlines $36 million CIP, 33 projects completed in first quarter

Doug Erdman, assistant city engineer, presented the Lake Forest capital improvement program (CIP) first-quarter update to the Community Services Commission, saying the 2023–2025 CIP contains 70 projects and $36,000,000 of planned community investment.

Erdman said 33 projects are complete, including Barker Ranch Dog Park (synthetic turf replacement and new decorative pavers) and gazebo repairs at Pittsford Park. He described the CIP mix as 27 park projects, 22 traffic projects, 18 street projects, one environmental project and two facility projects.

Erdman said 10 projects are currently in construction. He cited the Bake (Bake) Trabuco widening project, awarded in February 2025, which will add dual left-turn lanes on Bake Parkway and convert an existing right-turn lane on Trabuco Road onto Irvine Boulevard into a right-through lane. He said the contractor is completing potholing and procurement for new streetlight poles and that construction should begin later in the year.

On residential pavement work, Erdman said asphalt repairs in zone D are near completion, with Canada Road scheduled for paving that week and a slurry overlay expected in the next fiscal year. He said the city is replacing older green street name signs with blue signs that include the city logo, and that conversion should be finished by the end of the current fiscal year.

Erdman outlined traffic and park projects moving through preconstruction and design. Work has started on the Geronimo and Lake Forest Drive intersection under the Lake Forest Transportation Mitigation Program; the El Toro conservation landscaping project removed nonfunctional turf and installed drought-tolerant landscaping and more-efficient irrigation; and audible pedestrian signal phase 4 is complete. He said traffic signal synchronization efforts are under way for Alton Parkway and Portola/ Santa Margarita Parkway, and two additional synchronization projects (Irvine Trabuco Road TSSP and Bake Brockville TSSP) remain in early design.

Park projects in preconstruction include a new pickleball court at El Toro Park (conversion of a sand volleyball court), tennis restriping to add pickleball at Pittsford Park, and conversions or turf replacements at multiple neighborhood parks. Erdman said the Heroes Park sports field renovation and multiple synthetic turf replacements are planned soon, and that Foothill Ranch box lacrosse ring installation will convert a roller-hockey rink.

Erdman listed seven projects in predesign including Aliso Creek drainage repairs and neighborhood park renovations at Nature Park, Lake Forest Park, Kavanaugh Park and Peachwood Park. He said Vintage Park phase 2 will address stairs and retaining walls and that a protective permissive left-turn program phase 2 is on hold pending the completion of Alton TSSP timing analyses.

Erdman summarized: “We have 33 projects completed, 10 projects in construction, nine in preconstruction, 10 in design, and seven in predesign,” and closed by offering to take commissioners’ questions.

Commissioners asked about timelines and details for specific projects. Erdman said Kavanaugh Park preliminary outreach and design work were expected to start in July or August, with concept plans potentially returning to the commission in September or October. He confirmed the city owns the blue street-name signs being installed on public streets and that private HOA streets typically remain the HOA’s responsibility. He also said some traffic projects require coordination with the city of Irvine and relocation of Edison poles.

The update did not contain final funding appropriation actions during the meeting; it reported project status and planned next steps.