One week after the L.A. County Board of Supervisors approved 492 homes on the east side of the Santa Clarita Valley, it’s the west side’s turn on Wednesday, according to county planners.
At its weekly hearing, L.A. County’s Regional Planning Commission is expected to take up The Trails at Lyons Canyon, a plan that would add just over 500 homes from New Urban West, west of The Old Road, south of Sagecrest Circle.
“The Trails plans to bring 510 attainably priced homes for working professionals, families and individuals,” according to a statement sent by John Musella, a spokesman for New Urban West. Marketing materials shared this week touted hundreds of acres of open space, 4 miles of local trail systems and connections to more than 20 miles of trails.
“Additionally, the community will include on-site affordable housing for seniors,” according to a statement from New Urban West.
New Urban West has several active projects in the Santa Clarita Valley.
In addition to The Trails, New Urban is trying to develop Sunridge, which would add 6,500 homes to the middle of the SCV on a property formerly known as Whittaker Bermite; and MetroWalk, a 20-acre lot off Lost Canyon Road, which is being planned for nearly 500 homes next to Vista Canyon.
Also offered is open space to the city as part of the project’s agreement, which is expected to add about 150 acres to the city’s greenbelt, according to the developer.
The concerns identified by planners included impacts to oak trees and transportation. The project also is being planned for a very high fire severity zone, based on the latest maps released by CalFire.
The comment period of the project ended in March, after L.A. County planners extended it due to concerns the Hughes Fire might have displaced some residents during the original comment period from December to February.
To create 510 homes, the subdivision is proposing 37 lots on nearly 223.5 acres, which would include 290 buildings on 10 lots.
The homes would be predominantly market-rate condos, 462 for-sale condominium units, including 24 affordable for-sale units, and 47 very low-income senior affordable rental units as part of a density bonus request, plus one manager’s unit, according to the plans.
The land uses also include 16 open space lots, which would have 12 tied to homeowners’ associations and four natural open space lots, according to planning documents.
The homes will range in height from 26 to 38 feet for the condos and 45 feet for the senior living rental apartment building.
The addition of more than 500 homes is expected to have a significant impact on traffic in the area.
“An environmental impact report (EIR) was prepared by the county, which concludes the proposed project will have significant and unavoidable environmental impacts to transportation that cannot be mitigated to less than significant,” according to the project’s documents.
New Urban West also is requesting an oak tree permit to “authorize impacts to 232 oak trees, including removal of 219 oak trees (including the removal of 14 heritage oak trees; and three heritage oak trees and 24 non-heritage oak trees to remain within debris basins that are counted as removals), and encroachment into the protected zone of 13 oak trees (including five heritage oak trees).”
In a separate decision on July 22, the L.A. County Board of Supervisors approved the Spring Canyon Project, north of State Route 14 and Soledad Canyon Road, east of Mammoth Lane.
