Portola Hills
Encyclopedia
Portola Hills was a census-designated place
in Orange County, California
, United States. The population was 6,391 at the 2000 census. It was incorporated into the city of Lake Forest, California
as of the year 2000.
, California's first terrestrial Spanish explorer, who passed through the vicinity in 1769. (Nearby Trabuco Canyon
is named for a blunderbuss
which was lost by expedition members.)
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the CDP has a total area of 1.3 square miles (3.4 km²), all land.
Due to its checkered history, mail addressed to residents of Portola Hills (ZIP code 92679) may be labeled as Portola Hills, Trabuco Canyon, or Lake Forest.
, and 3.94% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.03% of the population.
There were 2,164 households out of which 52.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.4% were married couples living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.1% were non-families. 14.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 1.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.95 and the average family size was 3.30.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 32.9% under the age of 18, 4.9% from 18 to 24, 41.4% from 25 to 44, 18.0% from 45 to 64, and 2.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 97.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.2 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $90,874, and the median income for a family was $96,076. Males had a median income of $63,672 versus $39,966 for females. The per capita income
for the CDP was $34,057. About 0.7% of families and 0.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 0.9% of those under age 18 and 2.2% of those age 65 or over.
Portola Hills is located in the 33rd Senate
District, represented by Republican
Dick Ackerman
, and in the 70th Assembly
District, represented by Republican Chuck DeVore
. Federally, Portola Hills is located in California's 48th congressional district
, which has a Cook PVI
of R +8 and is represented by Republican John Campbell.
There are 14 tracts of housing built in single and multi-family configurations that can be classified as Condominium, Townhouse, Semi-Detached and Detached:
A tract map and individual floorplans can be found here
Portola Hills is also home to Concourse Park, located adjacent to Portola Hills I.
Built in the mid-1990s, Portola Hills Elementary was subject to litigation between the SVUSD school district and the developer concerning land movement at the school site. The litigation was dismissed due to procedural issues regarding the statute of limitations. In 2004, three buildings were vacated for safety reasons due to damage potentially caused by the land movement and the students relocated in portable/temporary classrooms until a permanently solution could be made. As of mid-2008, the developer (USA Portola Center, LLC) entered into a School Facilities Funding and Mitigation Agreement with the school district for development originally known as "Portola Hills South" and now known as "Portola Center." That agreement requires the developer to pay the district $2,900,000 (in addition to any other new development mitigation fees), solely for use in repair of the school (Source: http://www.ci.lake-forest.ca.us/pdf/agendas/2008.06.03/17.8.PDF). As of June 2008, the district is moving forward with plans to repair two buildings and potentially demolish/rebuild the third provided approval is obtained from the Department of State Architecture.
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
in Orange County, California
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
, United States. The population was 6,391 at the 2000 census. It was incorporated into the city of Lake Forest, California
Lake Forest, California
Lake Forest is a city in Orange County, California. The population was 77,264 at the 2010 census.Lake Forest incorporated as a city on December 20, 1991. Prior to a vote of the residents in that year, the community had formerly been known as El Toro since the 1880s...
as of the year 2000.
History
The tracts were developed in the late 1980s through the early 1990s. The development was named after Gaspar de PortolaGaspar de Portolà
Gaspar de Portolà i Rovira was a soldier, governor of Baja and Alta California , explorer and founder of San Diego and Monterey. He was born in Os de Balaguer, province of Lleida, in Catalonia, Spain, of Catalan nobility. Don Gaspar served as a soldier in the Spanish army in Italy and Portugal...
, California's first terrestrial Spanish explorer, who passed through the vicinity in 1769. (Nearby Trabuco Canyon
Trabuco Canyon, California
Trabuco Canyon is a small unincorporated community located in the foothills of the Santa Ana Mountains in eastern Orange County, California, and lies partly within the Cleveland National Forest.Trabuco Canyon is north of the town of Rancho Santa Margarita...
is named for a blunderbuss
Blunderbuss
The blunderbuss is a muzzle-loading firearm with a short, large caliber barrel, which is flared at the muzzle and frequently throughout the entire bore, and used with shot and other projectiles of relevant quantity and/or caliber. The blunderbuss could be considered to be an early form of shotgun,...
which was lost by expedition members.)
Geography
Portola Hills is located at 33°41′1"N 117°37′58"W (33.683672, -117.632872).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the CDP has a total area of 1.3 square miles (3.4 km²), all land.
Due to its checkered history, mail addressed to residents of Portola Hills (ZIP code 92679) may be labeled as Portola Hills, Trabuco Canyon, or Lake Forest.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 6,391 people, 2,164 households, and 1,729 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 5063.6 PD/sqmi. There were 2,181 housing units at an average density of 1728 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 84.60% White, 1.63% African American, 0.30% Native American, 6.76% Asian, 0.13% Pacific Islander, 2.64% from other racesRace (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 3.94% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.03% of the population.
There were 2,164 households out of which 52.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.4% were married couples living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.1% were non-families. 14.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 1.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.95 and the average family size was 3.30.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 32.9% under the age of 18, 4.9% from 18 to 24, 41.4% from 25 to 44, 18.0% from 45 to 64, and 2.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 97.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.2 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $90,874, and the median income for a family was $96,076. Males had a median income of $63,672 versus $39,966 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the CDP was $34,057. About 0.7% of families and 0.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 0.9% of those under age 18 and 2.2% of those age 65 or over.
Politics
In the state legislatureCalifornia State Legislature
The California State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of California. It is a bicameral body consisting of the lower house, the California State Assembly, with 80 members, and the upper house, the California State Senate, with 40 members...
Portola Hills is located in the 33rd Senate
California State Senate
The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 state senators. The state legislature meets in the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...
District, represented by Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Dick Ackerman
Dick Ackerman
Richard Charles Ackerman is a Republican U.S. politician, who was a California State Senator for the 33rd District, representing inland Orange County, from 2000 to 2008....
, and in the 70th Assembly
California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...
District, represented by Republican Chuck DeVore
Chuck DeVore
Charles S. "Chuck" DeVore is an American politician who served as a Republican member of the California State Assembly from 2004 to 2010 and represented the 70th District, which includes portions of Orange County...
. Federally, Portola Hills is located in California's 48th congressional district
California's 48th congressional district
California's 48th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California based in Orange County in Southern California...
, which has a Cook PVI
Cook Partisan Voting Index
The Cook Partisan Voting Index , sometimes referred to as simply the Partisan Voting Index , is a measurement of how strongly an American congressional district or state leans toward one political party compared to the nation as a whole...
of R +8 and is represented by Republican John Campbell.
Housing
The community of Portola Hills has 2,181 housing units on 348.8 acres (141.2 ha) of land with an average housing density of 6.25 /acre.There are 14 tracts of housing built in single and multi-family configurations that can be classified as Condominium, Townhouse, Semi-Detached and Detached:
- Condominium – 2 tracts (Canyon View and Canyon View West) with a total of 225 units (18.5 units/acre) featuring 1 and 2 bedroom floorplans (644 to 1038 sqft);
- Townhouse – 3 tracts (Bella Palermo, Canyon Rim, and Montecido) with a total of 657 units (9.6 to 13.3 units/acre) featuring 2 and 3 bedroom floorplans (940 to 1378 sqft);
- Semi Detached – 2 tracts (Serenado and Sycamore Ridge) with a total of 378 units (5.1 to 8.9 units/acre) featuring 2 and 3 bedroom floorplans (1139 to 1891 sqft); and
- Detached – 7 tracts (Alderwood, Antiqua, J.M. Peters Portola, Crestmont, Crown Pointe, Live Oak Estates, and Portola Hills Estates) with a total of 921 units (3.1 to 7.4 units/acre) featuring 3 to 6 bedroom floorplans (1273 to 3584 sqft).
A tract map and individual floorplans can be found here
Culture and recreation
Portola Hills boasts two separate club houses. Portola II is located in the heart of Portola Hills, while Portola I is on the far north side. Both club houses are equipped with pools, gyms, tennis courts, and volleyball courts. Portola I has 4 basketball courts and a playground.Portola Hills is also home to Concourse Park, located adjacent to Portola Hills I.
Schools
Children living in the area attend Portola Hills Elementary, a 2002 California Distinguished School. (Source: SVUSD, http://www.svusd.org/p_home.asp?tid=4545) The school's 2007 Academic Performance Index of 917 ranks it first of the seven elementary schools in the City of Lake Forest, and third of the 26 elementary schools in the Saddleback Valley Unified School District. It also places it above the 2007 mean score (914) of the elementary schools of the adjacent Irvine Unified School District, renowned for its academic excellence. (Source: California Department of Education, http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/ac/ar/). Currently, Portola Hills Elementary has approximately 867 students ranging from grades K-6th grade (Source: SVUSD Preliminary Multi-Year Projection, as of 10/1/2007).Built in the mid-1990s, Portola Hills Elementary was subject to litigation between the SVUSD school district and the developer concerning land movement at the school site. The litigation was dismissed due to procedural issues regarding the statute of limitations. In 2004, three buildings were vacated for safety reasons due to damage potentially caused by the land movement and the students relocated in portable/temporary classrooms until a permanently solution could be made. As of mid-2008, the developer (USA Portola Center, LLC) entered into a School Facilities Funding and Mitigation Agreement with the school district for development originally known as "Portola Hills South" and now known as "Portola Center." That agreement requires the developer to pay the district $2,900,000 (in addition to any other new development mitigation fees), solely for use in repair of the school (Source: http://www.ci.lake-forest.ca.us/pdf/agendas/2008.06.03/17.8.PDF). As of June 2008, the district is moving forward with plans to repair two buildings and potentially demolish/rebuild the third provided approval is obtained from the Department of State Architecture.