BREA : Home Project Raises Concern About Traffic

Traffic congestion and preserving the beauty of the Brea hillsides are among concerns expressed as the Planning Commission begins seeking public comment on plans for the Olinda Heights residential project.

Texas-based developer Santa Fe Resources Inc. is seeking city approval to build a master-planned community of 867 single-family homes, an elementary school and recreational facilities in the hills near Brea. The project would include a senior citizens complex, as well as housing for faculty and staff members from Cal State Fullerton and other educational institutions.

The Planning Commission has scheduled a public hearing for April 25 on the project’s revised Draft Environmental Impact Report and Specific Plan. A City Council vote on whether to approve the 284-acre project, which would be north of Carbon Canyon Road and east of Valencia Avenue, could come as early as May.

“Traffic continues to be our overriding issue,” Planning Commission Chairman Bill Workman said of the development. Carbon Canyon Road, which is narrow and frequently congested already, is a “very, very limited transportation link with the Inland Empire,” Workman said.

The environmental report estimates that Olinda Heights would generate a daily average of nearly 7,000 trips.