Brea Setting Its Sights on Nearby Land : Development: It is considering a large-scale plan for Tonner Canyon that would increase the city’s size by 70%.

There are few signs of civilization evident in the brush-covered landscape that is Tonner Canyon.

Although the Orange Freeway is just yards away, at points the narrow two-lane road that traverses the canyon floor dips so low that it is completely surrounded by hills, which screen out any signs of the outside world.

But soon, the outside world--specifically, the city of Brea--will encroach on Tonner Canyon.

Earlier this month, the city officially launched its massive planning campaign for the 7.4-square-mile area. If the plan comes to fruition, the large-scale development envisioned for a piece of the pristine land of wildflowers and lush woodlands at the far northern end of the county could increase Brea’s land area by 70%.

The project has become the talk of the community of 32,000. Some are excited about what they say is a historic event, while environmentalists and others are more cautious about the possible consequences. Everyone from the police chief to the local school district is bracing for the development, which could turn this once-sleepy oil town into a bustling city.

“What is done in the next few months will have awesome implications for Brea,” said Mayor Wayne D. Wedin, who is keeping a close eye on the planning process. “It is huge.”

Two years ago, a group of developers came to city officials with plans to build an entire community on 524 acres of the canyon. Others have since come forward with similar ideas that officials are carefully weighing.

So far, development proposals are in the early stages. Larry Lizotte, whose company, LDM Development Inc. of Laguna Hills, holds an option to develop much of the Tonner Canyon land, told the city earlier this year that his company envisions a mixture of houses, businesses and other uses.

More than 120 people, including the City Council, staff members, developers and citizens, are participating in a five-month brainstorming session to come up with the most feasible plan to tackle turning the land, most of which has been pumping oil since the 1800s, into neighborhoods.

The land under consideration, which includes most of Tonner Canyon that is within Orange County’s borders and some of Carbon Canyon, is privately held by several property owners, most of who have ties to the oil industry. Although unincorporated, it is within Brea’s sphere of influence and is expected to be annexed by the city once development starts.

The land reaches north to the Los Angeles County line and jumps the Orange Freeway, ending at the city boundary. Parts of the Firestone Boy Scout Reservation are included.

The impact of taking a city and doubling it in size in as few as five to 10 years is, at the moment, a virtual unknown, city officials admit. In the depths of Brea City Hall, a large boardroom--jokingly referred to as the “War Room”--has been dedicated for the study of the project. Maps, charts and posters clutter the dank walls, where staffers have spent many hours holed away getting to know Tonner Canyon.

Seven outside consultants have been hired to help coordinate the process and answer questions about everything from trash collection to clogged freeways, and additional staff may be needed as development proposals gain steam. The city’s bill just for this initial planning phase is near $250,000.

“It probably will mean hiring more people,” said Jim Cutts, development services director for Brea.

And it will definitely mean more students. Therefore, officials at the Brea-Olinda Unified School District--who say a Tonner Canyon development could nearly double the student population--are participating in the five-month planning session to gauge the effect on its schools.

“We could well have over 5,000 homes in the areas . . . it could mean 4,000 new students,” district Supt. Edgar Z. Seal said. “So when you stop and look at that, it is almost unbelievable.”

The district, which has 5,100 students in its nine schools, is quickly nearing capacity and is already looking at year-round schools to address the current population explosion. An additional 4,000 students would definitely require more schools.

“I am assuming it will be a phased-in project,” said Seal, adding that he is confident the city will provide for a strong educational program.

While the impacts on the city and the schools are not certain, the prospects for development are.

“We are not only ready, we have been ready for some time,” said Forest Dickason, a partner in LDM Development.

It was two years ago that the Laguna Hills firm came to the city with blueprints to build out its entire holdings--520 acres. According to company officials, 65 acres were earmarked for commercial development, with more land slated for 1,700 to 2,000 homes as well as churches, schools and community centers. About half of the 520 acres would be set aside as open space.

The proposal was so daunting, Dickason said, that city officials have been grappling with how to deal with it.

“The long and short of it is, they were overwhelmed with the dimensions and extent of the project,” Dickason said.

Development proposals have not stopped with LDM’s plan. The Koll Co., along with Sand Dollar Development, has announced its intention to build a 277-acre community near the intersection of Carbon Canyon Road and Valencia Avenue, at the southern tip of the unincorporated area. The area, known as Olinda, is currently owned by the Santa Fe Energy Co., which is still actively producing oil there.

The two other major landowners in the canyon, Shell Oil and Unocal, have not expressed any interest in development, city officials said.

Although some are lauding the prospects of development in Tonner Canyon as a chance to create an “environmental showpiece,” others are not so optimistic. Keeping a close watch on the process are local environmentalists.

“Whatever they do, they need to be thoughtful to the inhabitants of the hills,” said Claire Schlotterbeck of Hills for Everyone, an advocacy group that fought to create Chino Hills State Park. “From our experience, a lot of times they talk about planning for wildlife but then it is not done.”

While an abundance of wildlife still exists in the canyon, the area is dominated by the oil industry. The first drilling took place in 1882 by the Chandler Oil Co. Today, oil wells and tanks share space with flowers, woodlands and cactus.

Oil production is a problem facing planners who hope to turn the land into a thriving community, but it is not the most difficult one to solve. The Whittier earthquake fault runs directly through the proposed development site.

Officials and developers say there are precautions they can take to prevent harm from earthquake damage, but not all are convinced.

“I think one thing you have to ask is, why are they building right on top of the Whittier fault?” said Walton Wright, an ecologist and resident of Brea since 1951. “I think it is a dumb idea to build out there.”

Mayor Wedin says the city will consider maintaining the canyon in its present state if enough residents express opposition. However, Wedin noted that the land is private property, so the city would have to buy it for it to remain entirely open space, and that could place a heavy financial burden on the city.

Wright, who said he walked the hillsides of the canyon as a Boy Scout, said the city and the developers should leave nature alone. “I think it should be open space,” he said. “I mean, why do they have to build on everything?”