La Verne residents urge 'estate residential' designation for Vaughnwood; council denies Blair Road rezoning

La Verne — At a public hearing Tuesday night, residents of the Vaughnwood/Bonwood neighborhoods urged the Board of Mayor and Aldermen to preserve large‑lot development by designating their area as estate residential, while the board voted to deny a separate rezoning request for a 32.5‑acre tract on Blair Road.

Hundreds of neighbors, several of whom identified themselves as longtime property owners, said they moved to Vaughnwood and Bonwood for one‑acre lots, open space and a low‑traffic environment. "It's been a great place to raise a family," said Katie Darby, who gave her address and said she also serves on the Rutherford County School Board. Darby said rezoning the Blair Road parcel from R‑1 to R‑3 would worsen traffic and strain school capacity amid ongoing growth in Rutherford County.

Why it matters: The board's zoning decisions determine development density, which affects traffic, school enrollment and neighborhood character. Residents told the council they prefer a zoning designation that requires larger lot sizes; the board adopted a first‑reading amendment to set the stretch from Mary Jane Skinner's property through Vaughnwood as estate residential and advanced the broader zoning ordinance to a second reading.

Public comments: Dozens of residents from the Vaughnwood/Bonwood area spoke in favor of an "estate residential" designation (transcript speakers frequently said "state residential," which participants and staff clarified as "estate residential"). Speakers described owning parcels of one acre or more, cited the Vaughn family’s original development plan, and urged the council to avoid a piecemeal approach that would require every property owner to appeal individually. Jim Hazeman said he serves on the planning commission and explained that residents did not object earlier because an earlier draft had already shown estate residential zoning for that area.

Board action taken that night: On first reading the council approved Ordinance 2025‑25 (a zoning change for a 13.63‑acre parcel at the end of Wheeler Street from I‑1 to I‑2) after the public hearing. For Ordinance 2025‑26 (rezoning tax map 29, parcel 42; 180 Blair Road; about 32.5 acres) the board voted on a motion to deny the rezoning from R‑1 to R‑3; the motion to deny carried, so the proposed high‑density zoning was denied on first reading. For Ordinance 2025‑27 (a repeal and replacement of the city's zoning ordinance and map) the board approved first reading with the addition that the area from Mary Jane Skinner’s house through Vaughnwood be set as estate residential; that ordinance will return for a second reading before becoming effective.

Details and context: Planning Commission recommended favorable action on the Wheeler Street and Blair Road rezonings on July 29, 2025; those recommendation dates were read into the record during the hearing. Residents repeatedly raised concerns about traffic, school capacity and preserving the neighborhood’s character; one speaker, Darby, cited recent and planned new schools in Rutherford County while urging caution about higher‑density development. Several speakers identified the lot sizes they purchased (one speaker said the lot minimum was 1 acre when they bought), and multiple speakers noted decades of residence in the neighborhood.

What happens next: The zoning reorganization (Ordinance 2025‑27) and other zoning amendments require a second reading before they become effective; the board indicated the ordinance would become effective upon adoption at second reading unless the ordinance specifies a different effective date. The board scheduled its next regular meeting for Oct. 9; the zoning items will return for final consideration in subsequent sessions if required.