Laguna Woods council declares tiny park parcel exempt so Orange County Fire Authority can lease and build a new fire station

Laguna Woods City Council voted unanimously to declare a small portion of City Center Park exempt public land under the California Surplus Land Act, a procedural step that allows the city to lease the site to the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) for a new fire station.

City Manager Chris told the council that Station 22 has been the system’s busiest over five years and that a second, smaller station (referred to as Fire Station 12) on the lower portion of City Center Park would pull the western neighborhoods into a five‑minute engine response zone. "Station 22 handled almost 45,000 calls for service," staff said during the presentation, noting the next busiest station handled about 22,000 calls in the same period.

Why it matters: staff said the site would shorten travel times for medical and fire responses in parts of the city now outside the five‑minute standard, while adding a local base for sheriff and animal services. The ground lease is proposed as a 99‑year term; staff emphasized that OCFA typically does not pay rent for stations but described other considerations the authority will provide.

Key lease terms and public benefits: the draft ground lease would include a one‑time predevelopment payment to the city of $200,000 (anticipated during the next fiscal year) and require OCFA to reimburse the city for actual park improvement costs up to $750,000. The lease requires OCFA to: comply with noise‑control restrictions (no nonemergency siren testing, limits on amplified outdoor sound), build and transfer to the city a minimum 5‑foot sidewalk connecting Moulton Parkway to the park, and construct office/break/reporting space for the sheriff’s department and animal services (including two dedicated parking stalls). Staff said the sidewalk will be turned over to the city and certain small park maintenance tasks would be performed by OCFA on a periodic basis.

Permitting and schedule: in addition to building, grading and encroachment permits, staff said OCFA must obtain a site development permit by June 30, 2027, and put the station into operation no later than Dec. 31, 2029 (termination rights were included if those backstops are missed). OCFA’s executive committee was scheduled to consider the same ground lease the day after the council meeting; staff said HCD (California Department of Housing and Community Development) has 30 days to review the city’s exempt‑land findings.

Council action and procedural update: after discussion and public comment, the council approved a resolution declaring the parcel exempt so the state can review the findings. Later in the meeting staff reported HCD requested one clarifying sentence be added to the resolution confirming the site is not in a coastal zone, not adjacent to a historic unit of the state park system, not listed or eligible for the National Register, and not in the Tahoe region; the council unanimously rescinded and re‑adopted the amended resolution to address that request.

What happens next: staff said if HCD takes the full 30 days the state review will run past the council’s December meeting and the lease would return to the council for formal action after HCD responds or the review period expires. OCFA must still complete design, permit approvals and the site development permit that will return to council for approval of the station design.

Sources and attribution: details in this article are drawn from staff presentations and council discussion during the Laguna Woods City Council meeting, including the city manager’s description of the OCFA materials and the council’s recorded votes.

The council left the matter open for state review; no final lease was executed at the meeting.