We have frequently mentioned LAFCO, Orange County’s Local Agency Formation Commission, in articles relating to South County governance and cityhood. After all, “LAFCO is the most important government agency you have never heard of.” There have been a couple recent developments at LAFCO that illustrate how much the agency is thinking about Rancho Mission Viejo these days.
After months of an empty placeholder, the LAFCO website now include a full South County Resource Page. Building on the South County Governance Visioning Process (PDF here), LAFCO has created two study areas:
- Rancho Mission Viejo Study Area
- Rancho Santa Margarita Study Area
According to LAFCO, the Rancho Mission Viejo Study Area consists of the community of Ladera Ranch and the Rancho Mission Viejo (RMV) Planning Areas. Stakeholder representatives include: agency staff representatives from the County of Orange, Santa Margarita Water District, and LAFCO; community representatives from Ladera Ranch (expected to be members of the Ladera Ranch Civic Council); landowner representatives from the Rancho Mission Viejo Company; and staff representatives from the Cities of San Juan Capistrano and San Clemente.
Below is a map of the Rancho Mission Viejo Study Area (link here):
source: Orange County LAFCO
Similarly, the Rancho Santa Margarita Study Area consists of the City of Rancho Santa Margarita and the communities of Las Flores, Coto de Caza, Stonecliffe, and Wagon Wheel. Stakeholder representatives will include: agency staff representatives from the City of Rancho Santa Margarita, County of Orange, Santa Margarita Water District, and LAFCO; and community representatives from Las Flores, Coto de Caza, Stonecliffe, and Wagon Wheel.
Below is a map of the Rancho Santa Margarita Study Area (link here):
source: Orange County LAFCO
What conclusions can we draw from these two study area maps?
We’ve previously wondered about the fate of Coto de Caza and Las Flores, and it would appear that a betting man might bet on annexation of those two communities (along with smaller communities like Stonecliffe and Wagon Wheel) by Rancho Santa Margarita. It’s also notable that the City of Mission Viejo is monitoring, but not actively participating in either study group. This implies that annexation of Ladera Ranch by Mission Viejo is not a likely outcome at this time, although that could change. Conversely, the Cities of San Juan Capistrano and San Clemente are actively involved in the Rancho Mission Viejo Study Area, implying that annexation of Ladera Ranch and the Ranch Plan by those two Cities remains a viable outcome (with the most likely scenario resulting in Planning Area 8 going to San Clemente and the remainder going to San Juan Capistrano). And finally, if cityhood is the outcome, the Rancho Mission Viejo Study Area is the likely border of the new city.
Now, back to the process. During this “study area” phase (which will begin this summer), the included stakeholders will meet to discuss the following:
- Community and common interests and concerns regarding governance impacts on current and future municipal service delivery.
- Financial accounting of County revenues and expenditures related to key service provision (i.e., public safety, planning, flood control, road maintenance).
- Financial information and analytical requirements to explore potential short and long term governance options for the two Study Areas.
- LAFCO procedures and factors for formal review of applications for short and long term governance structure alternatives, including, but not limited to, sphere of influence amendments, annexations, incorporations, formations of special districts (County Service Areas, Community Services Districts), etc.
It is expected that these stakeholder meetings will be complete by the end of summer or shortly thereafter. At that time, LAFCO staff will present a range of governance options to the full LAFCO commission.
In addition, LAFCO has recently appointed a South County resident, Derek McGregor, as a new regular public member. The press release is here, and below:
source: Orange County LAFCO
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