Lakeside is a lake-centered, 350-unit residential development located in Buena Park, in Orange County, California. This 70-acre site originally was planned for development as an industrial site but nearby residents opposed such developments. Development as a residential community presented the developer with several obstacles, including the site’s location within a floodplain and its proximity to a municipal airport and to existing industrial areas. Using the fill created by constructing a lake, the developer was able to raise the site out of the floodplain while creating a valuable community amenity. Use of the on-site fill resulted in significant cost savings. The community offers a range of price points and amenities, including a boat dock and opportunity for fishing. The developer worked closely with neighbors and the local government to mitigate concerns resulting from the site’s deficiencies.

Lakeside was designed to bring a unique amenity to an infill site while helping to solve major site constraints. The infill nature of the project created the need to work with Buena Park city staff, local residents, the Airport Land Use Commission, the adjacent City of Fullerton and many other agencies and concerned parties. The objective was to create a project that was both fiscally responsible and acceptable to the many parties that could be affected by the development.

The Development Team

Developer: Catellus Residential Group, Inc

Designer: Pekarek Crandel, Inc.
Site Size: 70 Acres, 28.3 Hectares
Date Started: 1997
Date Opened: 1998
Date Completed: 2000

Project Street Address
Malvern Avenue and Bridgeport Drive
Buena Park, California, USA