Board pulls Devore parcel from Glen Helen zoning change after residents raise traffic, water and safety concerns
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Summary
The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors on Wednesday removed the Devore subarea from a proposed Glen Helen Specific Plan rezoning after residents and several supervisors raised traffic, water and emergency‑access concerns and asked for more study.
The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors on Wednesday removed the Devore subarea from consideration in a broader Glen Helen Specific Plan amendment after residents and several supervisors said the proposed rezoning could worsen traffic, harm water supply reliability and limit emergency access.
County staff had proposed rezoning three subareas — North Glen Helen, Sycamore Flats and Devore — to a new corridor industrial designation to align zoning with existing temporary uses and planned development. Planning staff and the applicant said the change would provide long-term land-use stability and permit industrial development options for sites that are difficult to develop as residential.
The Board heard repeated public opposition from Devore-area residents who said the area already suffers heavy truck cut-through traffic, that a recent signal has not improved flows, and that industrial zoning threatens a local aquifer that supplies wells for Devore and nearby communities. Residents also said temporary use permits currently operating as truck terminals have created noise, idling and perceived safety issues.
Project consultant presentations described technical findings in the staff report, including a CEQA addendum showing that the amendment would not exceed approved mobile-source emissions in the Glen Helen Specific Plan EIR and that buildout would reduce trip generation in some scenarios. The property owners’ representative said the amendment is programmatic and that future projects would require separate entitlement, noticing and environmental review.
Supervisors said they were persuaded by public comments about the Devore subarea and the potential for localized traffic and emergency-access impacts. The board instructed staff to remove the Devore subarea from the ordinance and to bring the remaining two subareas back for approval at a later date after the applicants and county complete additional analysis and public engagement. The board also noted an MOU commitment from property owners to fund a focused traffic study for the Devore area.
The board voted unanimously to take the Devore portion off calendar and proceed with the approach described above.
Why this matters: The Glen Helen area sits near the 15 and 215 freeways and includes active temporary use permits for truck terminals. Rezoning to corridor industrial would change the long-term development trajectory for the area and could affect traffic patterns, air quality and groundwater-dependent residents in Devore and adjoining communities.
Next steps: Staff will return the North Glen Helen and Sycamore Flats subareas for board consideration and will present options for additional public engagement and technical analysis for the Devore subarea, including the focused traffic study referenced by the applicant and staff.
