Council approves new Canyon development

By Neil Nisperos

Staff Writer

CHINO HILLS -- The City Council has ordered a development company to construct additional turn lanes on Carbon Canyon Road at a cost of $1.2 million. 

The lanes would ease an expected increase traffic at Carbon Canyon and Fairway Drive. The intersection is adjacent to 37 acres of land slated for an upscale development.

Trabuco Canyon-based Stonefield Development had hoped it could instead install a traffic signal at the intersection. The light would cost about $250,000. 

Stonefield officials said they should not have to pay for the new lanes because the development would contribute an estimated 1.5 percent increase of traffic on Carbon Canyon. 

However, area residents have protested the signal plan at Fairway Drive because they said it would back up traffic on Carbon Canyon, which is the main road through the canyon to Brea.

"The stoplight on Fairway would stop Carbon Canyon for a minute to let people out, but, for that time, you might have have 200 cars backed up," Councilman Bill Kruger said. "Caltrans even told us the road should remain free flowing." 

Stonefield attorney Allan Abshez said the company would work with Chino Hills. Abshez would not confirm whether the issue would be contested in court. 

"We're very pleased the council approved the project and recognized its merits," Abshez said. 

"We're going to do everything possible to avoid any conflict with the city. We came here to bring a great project to the city and that's our objective. We're going to work closely with staff to try to hold down the costs and hopefully we'll try to achieve some kind of consensus, so we're pleased."

The council on Oct. 26 approved the project with a condition that Stonefield pay for the additional turn lanes.

"What was wrong is that if residents of the development create an increase in wait time at Carbon Canyon Road, they had to do something about that and, (after) listening to testimony, a signal would not work," Councilman Ed Graham said. 

"What happens during those peak driving times is motorists on Fairway will get stacked up a lot and then it will be a lot harder for people to enter the road unless they add in a safety measure."

The Stonefield development is expected to have about 28 upscale homes, which will cost about $2 million each to purchase, officials said. 

A construction time frame has yet to be determined.