The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday amended zoning rules to allow residential and commercial development of over 141 acres in the North Glen Helen and Sycamore Flats areas.
Supervisors voted 5-0 for amendments to the Glen Helen Specific Plan that rezones 81.5 acres in North Glen Helen from “destination recreation to corridor industrial” and 60 acres in Sycamore Flats to allow the option of developing the site as either single-family residential or industrial uses.
The board OK’d rezoning for 48.7 acres from single-family residential to combine single-family with a “corridor industrial overlay” within the Sycamore Flats area that would allow for industrial development along major thoroughfares.
The Sycamore Flats Subarea consists of two undeveloped areas bisected by Interstate 15 and Glen Helen Parkway, according to a county staff report. The North Glen Helen Subarea is located along Glen Helen Road, south of I-15 and Cajon Boulevard near the Union Pacific and Burlington Northern and Santa Fe railways.
The board also removed a “high density residential overlay,” which often allows for higher building heights, lot size, reduced setbacks and financial incentives for developers to build bigger and create more affordable housing units.
The zoning changes allow more “flexibility in permitted uses and accessory container storage in Corridor Industrial zones,” according to a county statement.
Supervisors added an addendum to the project’s original environmental impact report that includes an agreement with Pharris Sycamore Flats LLC, TDC Glen Helen Owner LLC and Old Dominion Freight Line Inc. to fund a focused traffic study for the Devore Heights community.
In response to community members’ concerns, supervisors deferred a vote on proposed rezoning in the Devore area in order to do additional analysis and community engagement. The 19.2-acre site located at Glen Helen Parkway and Cajon Boulevard near the 15 an 215 Freeways was proposed for rezoning from “commercial/traveler services” to “corridor industrial.” The proposed zoning changes in Devore will return for board consideration at an unspecified date.
The project area in Devore “is vacant and undeveloped land that is relatively flat and slopes on the southeast most portion of the site,” according to a county staff report. “The site is surrounded on three sides by roadways, and the Cajon Wash natural drainage area bounds the site on the fourth side.”
During a public hearing on the zoning updates, several area residents voiced concerns over increased vehicle and large truck traffic in the newly designated commercial zones.
“This is a gem area and we’re really trying to keep it to be that rural living,” Dee Denton said of the proposed Devore site. “Bringing trucks and trailers and all kinds of other heavy industrial into that area is going to defeat what the intention was from that original plan.”
Board Chair Dawn Rowe noted issues not addressed in the initial traffic study for Devore included possible problems arising from increased heavy trucks through the Cajon Pass wearing out road surfaces, lack of access for public safety vehicles and afternoon traffic delays on the 15.
County Assistant Executive Officer Chad Nottingham told the board focused traffic studies would be included in as part of the application process for proposed development projects.
Supervisor Joe Baca Jr. said he has concerns about traffic congestion in the Devore area, adding that the Sycamore Flats and North Glen Helen areas were to be less susceptible to slowdowns.
“The way they’re set geographically, it makes a little more sense for traffic coming in and out,” Baca said.
The addendum to the Glen Helen plan’s environmental impact report is available on the county’s website.
