Planning set to discuss Saugus housing project

On Tuesday, commission will review proposal for 375 homes on Bouquet Canyon Road

After their summer hiatus, the Santa Clarita Planning Commission is expected Tuesday to discuss a 375-home proposal in Saugus that could then be handed to the City Council for a vote.

Commissioners last met July 7, when they decided to continue the conversation around the housing project to Aug. 18 to allow city staff to address their concerns regarding the overall development and draft environmental impact report.

The 74.66-acre housing project, proposed by developer Bouquet Canyon Project Owner LLC, consists of 375 attached and detached two-story, forsale homes with related infrastructure, dedicated open space areas, trails and recreation areas.

The proposed site is located in Saugus on the east side of Bouquet Canyon Road and south of Copper Hill Drive, according to the project description. The proposal also suggests closing off a section of Bouquet Canyon Road, between Pam Court and Hob Court, as well as the construction of a new alignment of the road.

Some community members have expressed concerns regarding possible decreases in home values and increased traffic,

while others have voice support, saying the development will help millennials access affordable housing in the area. Feedback resulted in reducing the project from 450 three-story units to the 375 currently proposed.

Commissioners have also raised similar questions and asked for additional information.

On traffic flow and roadway improvements, for example, city staff are expected to present a traffic analysis that shows that “the proposed project would generally add 50 or more trips during the a.m. or p.m. peak hour,” for an estimated 3,092 daily trips in the area of Copper Hill Drive, Bouquet Canyon Road and Plum Canyon Road, and that “significant impacts related to traffic will be less-than-significant.”

Should the project move forward, Bouquet Canyon Road would remain open throughout construction, according to Hai Nguyen, associate planner for the city of Santa Clarita’s planning division.

“In general, there should not be any road closures during construction,” he said. “The city would not close any section of existing Bouquet Canyon Road until the new segment of Bouquet Canyon Road is open and operational. If there needs to be some temporary closures at the two connection points, they would be limited in duration. Any closures, detours, location and timing would be determined at a later date.”

With regard to concerns about fire evacuation, the developer would have to create an emergency vehicle-access plan that includes coordination with emergency service providers, as well as construction schedules and routes designed to avoid restricting movement of emergency vehicles.

If approved Tuesday following a public hearing, the project goes before the City Council for a public hearing and vote.