[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6643596,"mediaKeyId","2531973-dd9c6ec95b03be0e1bdf86508db10b2c","parentId",2531973,"title","Planning Commission revokes one massage‑establishment use permit and denies another amid enforcement concerns","audioSeconds",2735,"startMs",2025000,"endMs",4760000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2531973-dd9c6ec95b03be0e1bdf86508db10b2c&start=2025&end=4760","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2531973-dd9c6ec95b03be0e1bdf86508db10b2c/thumbnail_2025000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6643596/Lake-Forest-City/Orange-County/California/Planning-Commission-revokes-one-massageestablishment-use-permit-and-denies-another-amid-enforcement-concerns","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6643596-a4e5ed4ba4e71527110d32f769eccd1f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771178869&Signature=U2tCSn9Jhj6r5y91BBxUv50MxOzXOUUal2Nnydi7JeBR7NOaW-b3fNEtaewxpPfNiDXXO2Lxmit4eqDR6dA2hUqcSuP3KcBGBpCCdwuHeNkddvbcMdhQNGU4Y2fAVGLjO4Ut3TnstaadsKG7-fhPzaYBNjWIp6oqOhGfC3fEBiQwI7U7SbGPVmfZK-FzyAFlXJvYZ3t3FAi0Ur30XIY-Vy6lOYZ2NDq~YlUMsuhRmBMFU7HzEl~yO3XKjg3eJA65ooHHGDQD8wAujaqDWX4QXDewfLplQ6kWaBIhYHzZspKiRwo8FOfF4i5S-CiLPIZv2le8-R45dP0GExTgbpjxng__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Lake Forest, CA","date","2025-03-10T23:20:09.107Z","article","LAKE FOREST — The Planning Commission voted unanimously (Commissioner Grable absent) on March 6 to revoke a use permit for a massage establishment at the Lake Forest Marketplace after law enforcement investigations found criminal conduct, and later denied a separate use‑permit application for a hypnotic wellness center proposing massage services at a Bridger Road suite.

Staff reported that in December 2022 the Orange County Sheriff’s Department (OCSD) conducted an undercover investigation at Oasis Relax (the business previously operating in the Lake Forest Marketplace tenant space). Jennifer Mansour, community development staff, told the commission OCSD concluded the conduct by a massage technician constituted a violation of California Penal Code section 647(b) (prostitution). The city subsequently issued written notice that the conduct was disqualifying under city code and a renewal application was denied by the city manager in October 2023 after a reconsideration request in January 2024 failed to reverse the denial. Under city code, staff said, the tenant space could not be used for another massage establishment for two years.

Mansour said a different business, Ocean Pearl Spa, began operating in that space in 2024; a separate OCSD undercover investigation in August 2024 concluded that massage services were provided and that the employee’s conduct also violated Penal Code section 647(b). Based on those findings and other documented code violations, staff recommended revocation of Use Permit 02/2003. The planning commission adopted the staff resolution revoking the use permit; the record reflects staff submitted a report and attachments and that the commission’s action was unanimous with Commissioner Grable absent.

Later in the agenda the commission considered a separate application to authorize massage services at Hypnotic Wellness Center, 23811 Bridger Road, Suite 100. Staff presented the continued item and explained that a massage establishment license and individual therapist licenses (California Massage Therapy Council credentials) would be required before operation. Staff also noted that prior tenant‑improvement work at the Bridger Road suite had been done without permits and that code enforcement had opened a related case; staff said the tenant improvement work would need either permits or removal depending on whether the use permit was approved.

Applicant Alexander Choi spoke on behalf of Hypnotic Wellness and described the practice as combining hypnotherapy and somatic therapy that focuses on treatment for PTSD and anxiety; Choi said the business had previously been classified as a personal‑care service and that the owner’s intent was to operate as a wellness center. Choi said the business would operate roughly 10 a.m.–6 p.m., Monday through Saturday, with two to three employees and that any massage therapists would hold the required state licenses.

Commissioners raised concerns about compatibility, proximity to residences and a nearby park and businesses that attract children, and the broader enforcement history involving illicit massage operations. One commissioner specifically cited the presence of a comic book store and other child‑oriented businesses near the Bridger Road location as a reason to question compatibility. Several commissioners also expressed frustration with the pace of enforcement and the prevalence of massage applications in the city; one commissioner urged staff to return with code changes that would address zone density and proximity to sensitive uses.

Following discussion a motion to deny the Bridger Road conditional use permit passed unanimously (Commissioner Grable absent). After the vote staff requested — and the commission approved — that the public hearing remain open so staff can return with a resolution that memorializes the commission’s written findings of denial at the next meeting.

Key legal and procedural points stated on the record included: the Lake Forest Municipal Code requires massage establishments to maintain a city massage establishment license (renewed annually) and to comply with attire and draping rules; the municipal code also requires a background investigation by the sheriff as a prerequisite to license issuance; violations of state law (Penal Code 647(b)) were cited by staff as grounds for revocation and denial under the municipal code findings.

The commission’s actions were procedural and administrative: staff entered its oral report and attachments into the record for the revocation hearing; for the Bridger Road item the commission denied the permit and directed staff to prepare a denial resolution and return it at the next meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","March 6 2025 Lake Forest Planning Commission Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","The Planning Commission revoked a use permit for a Lake Forest Marketplace massage business after OCSD undercover investigations found prostitution violations under Penal Code 647(b), and later denied a separate Bridger Road use permit request for a hypnotic wellness center proposing massage services.","taxTitle","Lake Forest City, Orange County, California","taxId",4518,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6643601,"Code enforcement reports 552 cases in 2024; new programs to target property maintenance and sidewalk vending",1714,579000,2293000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2531973-dd9c6ec95b03be0e1bdf86508db10b2c&start=579&end=2293","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2531973-dd9c6ec95b03be0e1bdf86508db10b2c/thumbnail_579000.jpg","/articles/6643601/Lake-Forest-City/Orange-County/California/Code-enforcement-reports-552-cases-in-2024-new-programs-to-target-property-maintenance-and-sidewalk-vending","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6643601-2d3e3206d917209bce988e1a7a2c815f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771178869&Signature=QnVhQIhnUOutzZJrhrWIduoJzpjwbuzGnNCsqJw93Td1yOWP6pp61XtBfc4C5VU8NCEQ2BLLEsFdY63fHXERrjH50vlTR-cv4MIfmrINPugSBgxBmOeJQYChYwZh2OoSKI9gWWsE5XNWe3PIqkcqxZK9WJqlwpk8C4s6u~Y3Qy9hdQ8SlePoERpD0keyeTUg4cHLLZnahGnhTjMVgDKDKnDQjE4pf42yn07MTCbrGq7nIG6dq5HUpG1N8adWFx5q8N4B~Uw-MlZzoJ0r7eMchAoBhMUjNH59NBDShjlbYTqrjoH9qpoRtTCmzF-P-juxkDik8q20usRd3xdxOztHDg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","LAKE FOREST — The city’s code enforcement supervisor on March 6 provided a year‑end summary that outlined caseloads, enforcement results on unpermitted sidewalk vending and a set of initiatives planned for 2025.

Winston Nkuruga, acting code enforcement supervisor, told the Planning Commission that staff opened 552 cases in 2024 and closed 525, leaving 36 active at year‑end and representing a roughly 79% case‑closure rate. He said staffing constraints and a rise in unpermitted sidewalk vending contributed to a slightly lower closure rate than 2023.

Nkuruga said the department carried over 65 cases into the second half of 2024, opened 280 new cases in that period and closed 309. He described public nuisance complaints and property‑maintenance matters (graffiti, substandard housing, landscaping) as the largest categories and said older housing stock concentrated south of Geronimo accounted for a disproportionate share of complaints; staff said the average home age in Lake Forest is about 40 years.

On sidewalk vending, Nkuruga said state law has allowed sidewalk vending since 2018 and the city took three administrative steps in mid‑2024 to address local impacts: (1) a new ordinance authorizing impoundment of vendor equipment if vendors refuse to cease within 30 minutes; (2) hiring a private security contractor to deter vending at hot spots; and (3) hiring two evening/weekend code officers (named in the presentation as Damien and Ricky) to patrol and educate vendors. Between September and December 2024 staff issued more than 130 minute notices, conducted seven impounds and averaged about 1.5 vendor contacts per day; hot spots included the Trabuco and El Toro intersection but staff said incidents were citywide.

Nkuruga also described the city’s use of CPTED (crime prevention through environmental design) consulting (Trebuco Consultation) to reduce loitering and graffiti at problem sites, citing landscape changes, improved lighting and fencing near the Aldi site as measures that reduced complaints.

Looking ahead, staff previewed two strategic initiatives for 2025: a Neighborhood Improvement Task Force (NITF) that will focus door‑to‑door surveying and a pop‑up event in a southwest neighborhood in May; and a Community Preservation Volunteer Program in partnership with Trellis, a nonprofit that will recruit volunteers to help with small maintenance tasks for residents in need. Staff said Trellis and the city will work to publicize referral pathways for residents seeking assistance.

Nkuruga said staff also updated notice formats and adopted a city property maintenance code and public nuisance revisions in 2024 that staff expect will aid compliance and enforcement.","Code enforcement reported 552 case openings in 2024, a 79% closure rate, targeted sidewalk‑vending enforcement that issued 130 notices and seven impounds, use of CPTED consulting, and two 2025 initiatives: a neighborhood improvement task force and a community preservation volunteer program with nonprofit Trellis.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6643605,"Planning staff reviews 2024 projects, zoning code overhaul takes effect",783,216000,999000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2531973-dd9c6ec95b03be0e1bdf86508db10b2c&start=216&end=999","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2531973-dd9c6ec95b03be0e1bdf86508db10b2c/thumbnail_216000.jpg","/articles/6643605/Lake-Forest-City/Orange-County/California/Planning-staff-reviews-2024-projects-zoning-code-overhaul-takes-effect","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6643605-426cdf0f285537b1b7b5edfd543cb78f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771178869&Signature=h4~Jr81sYcrpzW3vTLom6-h8IlSUhMx-o70ErpsdKPMyptuHHAnTqeSUP81KASNT2abrGzc~0AENQ3ft74-GmCALKY6Iv-HjMdFOWrczsFn7unRzlw2Vsv1hRaXEclUP8alVNvSyg9ky3D3rQRubcxeMdpBL1kpL4qMcl0JYSBOqhNao7G7~O~ZvwqVa7QUpV90eBnhYHObkpzbcqjN-3xTiibfh6GV4rCa8~LmyM1Yr9KMuTRVLIEhkqVAxzyRgZSeUqLT~0g~YBAMTHaWLvCgr9fOTX4ABv8RjVlz0H9W~I391u9AbUjDB~nCCItZGkIkPZ5t~lzHLykrlh76STA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","LAKE FOREST — City planning staff on March 6 presented a year‑in‑review summarizing major land‑use approvals, building activity and a zoning code rewrite that went into effect that day.

Jennifer Mansour, community development staff, told the Planning Commission the department approved one major residential project in 2024 — the Sequoias neighborhood in the Meadows community, a 57‑home single‑family subdivision — and that grading has finished and the first phase of building permits issued in February 2025.

Mansour said the commission provided a recommendation to the City Council on the Great Scott project, a mixed entitlement package allowing a contractor storage yard and associated open space; the Council approved that project in 2024. Staff also highlighted a cluster of new commercial uses the commission reviewed, including Pickleball Haven (an indoor facility with 14 courts), YoYo Golf (indoor golf studio), SakaZen (online sake retailer), ADV Baseball (high‑tech indoor baseball training) and a modified permit allowing Artemis Defense Institute to add a self‑contained shooting range.

The presentation emphasized a major zoning code amendment that revised about 24 sections of the zoning code to clarify standards, harmonize residential district rules and encourage economic development. Staff said the ordinance uses tables and graphics to clarify requirements and includes revisions to accessory‑structure standards and reduced parking requirements for some medical offices; staff stated the City Council approved the ordinance and it went into effect the same day as the meeting.

Staff also briefed the commission on three industrial proposals on Enterprise Way that would demolish existing buildings and construct new facilities. According to Mansour, the city is processing two environmental impact reports: one project held an EIR scoping meeting in April 2024 and staff anticipates a public review draft later in 2025; the other project (two parcels owned by Western Real Co.) held its scoping meeting in January 2025.

On building activity, planning staff reported the building division issued more than 2,600 permits in 2024 and completed over 11,000 inspections. Staff said permits were issued for 36 new residential units in 2024, which Mansour described as including 22 single‑family homes and 14 accessory dwelling units (ADUs). Staff also said 180 residential units were completed last year, including the fully leased Mountain View apartment complex, described as an affordable housing project with 71 units; Mansour noted the presentation did not specify the exact affordability percentage.

The presentation concluded with an invitation for commissioner questions and said staff would circulate materials on ongoing projects.

Mansour answered commissioner questions about timing for the Enterprise Way EIRs and the details of the zoning changes.","City planning staff summarized 2024 activity including a 57‑home Sequoias subdivision, the Great Scott approval, several new indoor recreation and retail uses, two Enterprise Way industrial projects entering EIR review and a zoning code amendment that took effect the meeting day.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Planning Commission revokes one massage‑establishment use permit and denies another amid enforcement concerns

Code enforcement reports 552 cases in 2024; new programs to target property maintenance and sidewalk vending

Planning staff reviews 2024 projects, zoning code overhaul takes effect