Rossmoor California

Rossmoor is an unincorporated community in Orange County, Calif. located near Los Alamitos, Seal Beach and Cypress. It is mostly a residential community, but does have a Rossmoor shopping center providing a potential tax base to residents.

The town has a beautiful community park, library, and school. The park includes tennis courts, vast green lawns, picnic facilities and recreational opportunities for residents.

An annual Rossmoor community festival sponsored by the Rossmoor Community Association is held annually (usually in May) and includes a parade, a car show, concerts, kiddie rides and games, and entertainment (rossmoor-rha.org). There often is a Garden Club event, as well.

Rossmoor, like much of the surrounding land, was part of a ranch during the 1800s. The land of Rancho Los Alamitos was eventually sold John Bixby and Rossmoor was owned by the Bixby family when John died. After the farming of various crops, including sugar beets, Los Angeles and Orange County began to grow and prosper in the modern age with industry and tech jobs.

Ross Cortese formed the Rossmoor Corporation in 1951, purchasing land from the Fred Bixby Ranch Co. to build a large community of over around 3,500 houses. The plan also included six school sites, two shopping centers, and a medical complex. Cortese died in October 1991, having established Leisure World communities-- the first two in Orange County, the last in Silver Spring, Maryland. He also developed business parks, retail centers, and non-retirement housing. Rossmoor, his first single-family development, was not only the foundation of his "empire" but also considered the jewel in his crown.

Schools built included Weaver School, Rossmoor School, Richard Henry Lee School, Benjamin Rush School and Francis Hopkinson School, which opened in 1963.

Rossmoor remains an unincorporated county area, despite various proposals for annexation or incorporation. In 1957 when Rossmoor was being built, Ross Cortese proposed to incorporate 500 acres north of Garden Grove Boulevard, now the Garden Grove (22) Freeway. Residents of Los Alamitos and Rossmoor opposed incorporation and asked to study the alternatives for one year. The alternatives included annexing to Seal Beach, Garden Grove, or Long Beach (Los Angeles County), or else incorporating together with Los Alamitos, which at that time had not yet incorporated. Cortese finally decided that the residents of Rossmoor could decide the question on their own, and they decided not to incorporate.

In 1965, according to Rossmoor Homeowner's Association, "as nobody watched the till, Seal Beach scored a large coup by annexing the Rossmoor Business Center and adjacent undeveloped land, a total of 5 9 acres. This was done with the help of the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO), the land owner (Judge Gittleson of school-bussing-for-integration fame), Supervisor David Baker of the 2nd District, and Seal Beach City Manager Lee Risner."

Why does this matter? The concept of other cities incorporating Rossmoor into their cities has come up numerous times, especially in more recent years, once again. The citizens consistently have voted to not be incorporated into other cities.

In 1986 vote, Rossmoor Community Services District was formed to provide public recreation facilities and services, street sweeping, disposal of sewage waste and storm waters and other necessary services.

Rossmoor Homeowners Association (RHA), Rossmoor Woman's Club, and The Friends of the Library are community organizations that benefit the local residents.