The Planning Commission is expected to discuss the Wiley Canyon Project and the appeal of a project being eyed for Bouquet Canyon Road, next to a Cinema Drive business park.
The Wiley Canyon development is considered a mixed-use project, meaning it has retail and residential space, but the overwhelming majority of the plan is dedicated to apartments and a senior living facility.
The project would add hundreds of rental units to the property formerly known as the Smiser Mule Ranch off Wiley Canyon Road.
The Bouquet Canyon Road development is being challenged by its neighboring, tenant-owned business park, which has been represented in part by Reena Newhall, one of the original owners.
Called Promenade Flats, the project for Santa Clarita Plaza on Bouquet Canyon Road calls for 26 one-bedroom and four live-work units to be built in the parking lot next to the International House of Pancakes.
The meeting is scheduled to happen at 6 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall.
Wiley Canyon
The Wiley Canyon development might see a crowd at the Planning Commission, after a pair of outreach meetings last week hosted by the developer heard more discussion on the project.
The city of Santa Clarita asked Tom Clark, who’s also the developer behind Sand Canyon Plaza, to conduct more outreach on the project, which he did.
The comment period for the project’s environmental review has ended, but the developer said any concerns brought forth would be addressed, and Tuesday’s meeting would likely be the last opportunity to do so before the project’s approval.
Clark said the project would add 596 units total, and the development cap reached was 572; however, only 509 of the units being built — 379 residential and 130 independent living — count against the cap. The 87 units that will be assisted and dependent living are considered commercial units, he said.
A number of residents spoke in support of the street and road improvements that would be brought to the area, including along the project’s frontage on Wiley Canyon Road, north of Calgrove Boulevard.
Residents also spoke in opposition due to concerns that Wiley is not being made into a four-lane road in each direction, as is promised in the area’s master plan.
However, city officials said the proposed project is significantly less than the maximum buildout that was analyzed in the study that residents are citing, adding a deal was struck limiting development to about half the number of units in the original master plan was struck prior to Clark’s purchase of the property.
Promenade Flats
Opponents of Promenade Flats have planned to continue their appeal, a more than $4,000 investment at this point, despite an admonition of concern Monday that the state might not be leaving the city with much in the way of options.
Interests representing the neighboring business park have expressed concern that the apartments being planned in the lot will only further encroach on the parking for the businesses on Cinema Drive, which already see an impact when things get busy.
“It’s probably on deaf ears, and then it goes to the City Council,” Newhall said in a phone conversation Monday, regarding her appeal. “It’s sad but true and I can’t believe how our state is railroading our city.”
Hunt Braly, a partner at Poole Shaffery who represents the applicant, said Monday he looks forward to speaking with the Planning Commission on any concerns it may have.
“We continue to believe it’s a good project that will provide needed housing and also provide support for the existing commercial tenants,” Braly said.
