Lake Forest leaders gave the green light to a new affordable housing project on Aspan Street, a location city staff said had a lack of development constraints that could hinder the 50-unit complex’s completion.
Dubbed Aspan Court, the project is slated to include 20 one-bedroom units, 16 two-bedroom units and 14 three-bedroom units — as well as parking stalls, a playground, a picnic area, laundry facilities and a dedicated space with a private entrance for police to utilize. It will replace the Aspan Office Center at 22471 Aspan St.
“We’re excited because I know it’s going to be beautiful,” Mayor Scott Voigts said ahead of the council’s unanimous vote to move forward with the project.
The site is considered “very walkable” to jobs, transit, retail and other services, according to a presentation given to the City Council in March.
The city agreed to partner with National CORE, an affordable housing development company that was behind the 71-unit Mountain View community in Lake Forest. Councilmembers pointed to successes with Mountain View — located on El Toro Road and Raymond Way, a little more than a mile southeast of the Aspan Court site — in partnering with National CORE on this second project.
Council members agreed Lake Forest will loan National CORE $4.35 million for the project. In exchange, the project will remain designated an affordable community for 55 years, provide active on-site management and make available a dedicated room, with a restroom and separate entrance, for law enforcement to utilize.
The space will be available for Orange County Sheriff’s Department deputies to use for writing reports or accessing a restroom, said Lake Forest Economic Development Manager Adrian Grijalva. It is not intended to be staffed around the clock.
Dedicating that space for police could cut response times in half for deputies, Councilmember Robert Pequeño said.
A proposed timeline puts the new residential community opening around March 2028, with construction beginning in March 2026.
The project is largely similar to the Mountain View development, said Grijalva.
Lake Forest has approved a new affordable housing project, projected to be a four-story, 50-unit building. The Council approved the new project after praising the developer’s work on another affordable housing project in the city, Mountain View Apartments, pictured. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG) Lake Forest has approved a new affordable housing project, projected to be a four-story, 50-unit building. The Council approved the new project after praising the developer’s work on another affordable housing project in the city, Mountain View Apartments, pictured. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG) Show Caption1 of 2Lake Forest has approved a new affordable housing project, projected to be a four-story, 50-unit building. The Council approved the new project after praising the developer’s work on another affordable housing project in the city, Mountain View Apartments, pictured. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG) ExpandBut the proposed Aspan Court development is also a by-right project, he said, “meaning it can be built without requiring any discretionary approvals from the city as long as it meets development standards in the city’s code and state law.”
This will be the first of its kind in Lake Forest, Grijalva said.
After the issue was raised during public comment, Grijalva said the project can’t be for Lake Forest residents only because of the funding National CORE was able to secure for it.
But the agreement does say there is a “preference,” in both the completed Mountain View development and the proposed Aspan Court community, to provide units to locals, said Alexa Washburn, the chief development officer for National CORE.
“We give preference to those (who) live and/or work within the city of Lake Forest,” said Washburn, noting that more than 90% of units at Mountain View are leased to people who live or work in the city.
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