Planning approves Bouquet housing project
Santa Clarita planning commissioners Tuesday approved a 375-unit housing project on Bouquet Canyon Road, under a handful of conditions, which include a traffic study — once roadway improvements are in place.
Commissioners voted unanimously, moving the project forward to City Council for the final determination.
The 74.66-acre housing project, proposed by developer Bouquet Canyon Project Owner LLC, consists of attached and detached two-story 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 and Hob courts, as well as the construction of a new alignment of the road and extending Copper Hill Drive.
Commissioners focused on details as part of their conditional approval, such as requesting the addition of a pet-waste facility at one of the
“I just want to make sure that we just don’t study it, that we actually (make) improvements that need to be made.”
Renee Berlin, Santa Clarita Planning commissioner
project’s parks, handicap accessibility and electric vehicle-charging stations at every trailhead. A traffic study following mandated roadway improvements will also have to be conducted after Commissioner Renee Berlin made the request.
“I just want to make sure that we just don’t study it, that we actually (make) improvements that need to be made, (and) that they would be implemented,” she said.
The vote comes after months of revision by the developer, after concerns raised by commissioners and the public including aesthetics, potential increased traffic in the area and fire evacuations.
On Tuesday, supporters described the project as well thought-out because it would bring much-needed amenities to the area, improve the roads and increase housing amid a statewide crisis; while those in opposition characterized the project as “rushed,” in addition to aesthetic and traffic concerns.
“It’ll allow many millennials like myself, access to attain an affordable home and a community that I was raised in,” said a local resident during public comment.
“We feel that this is being rushed with questions unanswered and without attention to the impacts on the current residents,” said Jason Davenport, a neighbor of the project.
Feedback came after Scott Covington, who spoke Tuesday on behalf of the developer, shared revisions based on recommendations from commissioners, and in talking with community members.
The changes include the addition of a splash pad, a bike-repair station for those accessing trails, a multi-use trail to the Haskell Canyon open space area along Copper Hill Drive, a pedestrian bridge over the drainage channel and reducing the number of oak trees to be removed from the 26 proposed to 15.
“Now more than ever, we need to ensure our communities offer proper shelter, residents, as well as those in search of new horizons and opportunities, investing in infrastructure is pivotal to our communities advancement and appropriation for the future,” said Covington.
The City Council is expected to vote on the project at a future meeting.