Project Does Not Go Over Well During Predevelopment Plan Review

City Council members and staff expressed concerns on Monday about a proposed project that would be built extremely close to the Foothill (210) Freeway.

Paykan Corp. wants to build an eight-unit multifamily residential building at the corner of Lincoln and Canada avenues, near the Foothill (210) Freeway on a site formerly owned by Caltrans. The project would be 30 feet tall.

But in order for the project to be completed, the General Plan will have to be amended as housing is not currently allowed at the site, and there are potential health hazards due to the proximity to the freeway.

“This is literally adjacent to a freeway,” said Planning Director David Reyes. “There would be concerns with respect to the health of potential future residents.”

Reyes said there were some options that could help to mitigate the potential health issues, including screening options, tall solid walls, and some very strong filters.

“Even then, we would need to make sure that a health risk assessment is done,” Reyes said. “There’s some design issues that we’ve expressed some concerns about. There’s a whole host of potential issues even ahead of the policy question.”

Councilmember John Kennedy asked if the developer would be willing to build another project on the land.

“I know that area well,” and, Kennedy said of the project, “I don’t see it right now,”

Due to the proposed project’s lack of General Plan designation, adjacency to both the Lincoln Avenue Specific Plan and the 210 freeway, as well as being on land formerly owned by Caltrans, the property must be established as a legal parcel.

Along with the eight residential units, the site would also include 8,050 square feet of total floor area and 16 parking spaces, two per unit.

“I’m not enamored by what I see here,” said Mayor Victor Gordo. “It’s very boxy. I’m not sure it’s completely fitting with the historic homes in and around the neighborhood.”

According to Reyes, the developer will have to start at the beginning from design review.

The intent of the predevelopment review is to coordinate projects among city staff, familiarize applicants with regulations and procedures that apply to the project, and avoid significant investment in the design of a project without preliminary input from staff members.

The predevelopment plan review allows staff to identify issues that may arise during a review of the project and provide opportunities for discussion about the project and an exchange of information on potential issues between city staff and applicants.

In addition, predevelopment review is meant to inform the City Council and the public about proposed development projects that are defined by administrative guidelines to be of communitywide significance.