The city’s “new constitution” that will guide Chino Hills for the next 20 years was approved Tuesday by the Planning Commission, including a chapter on housing that will have a heavy impact on the ambience of several neighborhoods including Carbon Canyon, the hills and ranchland along Woodview Road, the Los Serranos Golf Course, and even The Shoppes.
“This is a very consequential step we have taken tonight,” Commissioner Mike Stover said. “We have taken a number of enabling steps to further increase the probability of development in new areas of Chino Hills.”
The city has been working on the General Plan update since 2020 when meetings were held to decide where to put state-mandated housing units.
As part of the state housing allocation process, Chino Hills must plan to accommodate 3,729 housing units over an eight-year period that began in 2021 and will end in 2029.
Of that number, 59 percent (or 2,209 units) must be “affordable housing,” but the state allows most cities in Southern California, including Chino Hills and Chino, to use the “default density” which is 30 housing units per acre.
“We are compelled into that density by state law,” Community Development Director Nick Liguori said.
This means that Chino Hills must zone enough sites at a density of no less than 30 dwelling units per acre to qualify as suitable for “affordable” housing, according to the housing chapter.
Mr. Liguori said that under the default density, developers cannot be forced by the city to build affordable housing units.
“It’s very complicated,” he said. “There are new laws coming out every year that try to create more incentives to developers so that they can build more affordable units.”
Of the 20 sites that have been identified by the city, the neighborhoods off Pipeline Avenue including homes near and on Bayberry Drive, Woodview Road, Medlar Lane, and the former Heaven’s Ranch property will be among the most seriously impacted.
Woodview Road
A portion of the 177-acre Wang property that for decades have remained rolling hillsides dotted with grazing cattle off Pipeline Avenue behind Woodview Road will eventually contain 423 housing units to be built in two areas.
On the very high-density portion, 148 housing units will be constructed on 7.3 acres at a density of 20 to 30 units per acre, and on the medium density portion, 275 housing units will be built on 30.5 acres at a density of 9 units per acre.
The two-lane rural Woodview Road between Pipeline and Peyton Drive will be realigned.
Three residents who live on Bayberry asked the commission how the project will impact the natural creek that runs through their properties and if they will be able to continue to access their backyards from Woodview Road.
They were also concerned about fires and evacuation routes.
Rebecca Rangel said the wooded area, which was once thick with healthy eucalyptus groves, has steadily declined over the last 40 years. “We’re losing our owls, woodpeckers, and the sound of frogs and crickets,” she said. “Everything we enjoyed is going away.”
Commissioner Jerry Blum said the Wang property is a sensitive area that will require an environmental impact report, site plans, and studies. “Issues including water, fire, and sewer will be reviewed by the Planning Commission and City Council,” he said. “It will be critical for you and your neighbors to review the plans prior to the meetings.”
Mr. Blum said there is no current application for development.
Mr. Liguori said the notification radius for the surrounding neighborhoods will extend beyond the required 300 feet. As for the concerns about the creek and other current issues, Mr. Liguori said he will ask the public works director to reach out to the residents.
Canyon Estates
On the 379-acre ranchland owned by the Galstian Family Trust where Heaven’s Ranch thrived for 15 years off Woodview Road, south of the Wang property, an application has already been received by the city for a 326-unit development called Canyon Estates consisting of 166 single-family homes on 89 acres and 160 townhouses on 13.4 acres.
The project will include two neighborhood parks, 210 acres of natural open space, and a debris basin.
The address of Canyon Estates will be 3300 Woodview Road on the west end of Soquel Canyon Parkway.
This development will trigger the extension of Soquel Canyon Parkway where it ends at Pipeline to traverse west, go through the project, and connect at Medlar Lane, west of Peyton Drive.
Golf courses
The Los Serranos Golf Course and the Western Hills Golf Course are designated for high-density housing on a portion of the courses.
The city has been reviewing an application and site plan submitted by Lewis Management Corp. to redevelop 8.8 acres on the south portion of the Western Hills Golf Course in Carbon Canyon into 90 duplex units and 97 stacked flat units, for a total of 187 multi-family units.
The project will be called “Western Hills Residences.”
Residents in adjacent neighborhoods, particularly in the Western Hills Estates Mobile Home community that borders the golf course, are worried about evacuation during a fire and more cars on Fairway Drive that leads into their community.
The project will include a leasing office, community pool, 68 resident parking spots and 62 guest parking spots.
Los Serranos Golf Course will also change dramatically when 532 housing units are built on 21 acres on the northern end of the course closest to Pipeline Avenue—another big change in the look of southbound Pipeline between Woodview and Soquel Canyon Parkway.
The development is proposed by Jack Greening who owns Los Serranos Golf Course and Los Serranos Mobile Home Park.
A preliminary application has been submitted for the golf course but it is at a very conceptual stage, said Mr. Liguori.
Mr. Greening will also expand his mobile home park to include a gated community of 354 apartments on 29.5 acres south of the lake to be called “Rancho Cielito.” One-third of the units will be accessible to seniors because of elevators that will be built.
The city council approved the project in 2022 after several meetings where residents expressed concern about the impact on wildlife and the configuration of Pipeline Avenue and Los Serranos Boulevard.
The Commons
A “mixed-use” development consisting of 300-high density residential units and retail is planned for The Commons shopping center on the southwest corner of Chino Hills Parkway and Ramona Avenue.
High-density residential units will be built on top of retail on parcels 5 and 3: parcel 3 is vacant land and parcel 5 is the closed Toys R Us as well as a vacant finished pad south of Toys R Us that was previously entitled to 50,000-square feet of retail big box.
A representative told the city in 2021 that the project would offer a “new, unique housing alternative and allow for a live-work relationship with the surrounding area.”
A traffic nightmare may be waiting, however, when the Chino Creek Apartments are built directly across the street from Lucille’s at The Commons. Last year, the City of Chino approved a four-story apartment complex that will be packed with 36 units per acre, the first apartment complex of its kind, with 15 units reserved for very low income households.
For these apartments, east of Frosty’s Christmas Tree lot, only one parking stall will initially be provided for each apartment, and an additional space will be assigned on a first-come first served basis to two-bedroom units.
The Shoppes
It may be hard to visualize 267 housing units proposed on 5.7 acres that will be built on top of retail stores in the southeastern portion of The Shoppes in another “mixed-use” development. This proposal would allow housing to be built above the ground-floor retail stores.
The project was strongly opposed by former Chino Hills resident Jeff Vaka who said the housing would have a detrimental effect on The Shoppes which is a destination place where people eat dinner, shop, and have lunch.
During the proceedings in 2021, it was suggested by the Shoppes that the proposal could involve the relocation of existing tenants and the buyout of others.
Shoppes II
The City of Chino Hills released a request for qualifications to see if there is an interest from developers for The Shoppes II site, Mr. Liguori said.
Shoppes II is an eight-acre unused parking lot at City Center Drive, adjacent to the Chino Valley Fire District headquarters, where 744 units are slated.
Commissioner Stover remarked, “That’s a total of 1,011 housing units in The Shoppes vicinity. That’s a significant number.”
There are three projects that can be considered truly “affordable housing:” the two Habitat for Humanity houses underway on Fairway Boulevard, and the 50-unit senior housing project slated for the Community Park overflow lot, which will impact the Eucalyptus Avenue/Peyton Drive intersection.
At the end of the housing discussion, Mr. Ligouri said the General Plan represents a balance between what the citizens of Chino Hills have come to expect when it comes to the preservation of open space, scenic vistas and quality of life “while doing the best we can to achieve the mandates the state has placed not only upon our city but all cities in California.”