Council sets July 28 public hearing on sale of small Upland parcel amid traffic concerns

The Upland City Council on June 23 voted to set a public hearing on July 28 to consider a purchase and sale agreement for a small triangular city‑owned parcel near Foothill Boulevard and Grove Avenue that would provide a secondary driveway for a nearby Rancho Cucamonga development.

Council members debated the sale during the meeting after pulling the item from the consent calendar. A council member said the parcel is about 1,500 square feet and that the city would receive $30,000 if sold; another speaker warned the sale could lead to increased traffic through Upland and criticized the developer for using applicable law to reduce required on‑site parking. Council members pressed staff on whether the city could require design controls, such as a “pork‑chop” left‑turn configuration, signage and limits on egress, and were told those measures are included in the purchase agreement and that the city will review and must sign off on the driveway design before building permits are issued.

City staff said the sale under consideration is limited to a small triangular area the developer needs to provide a second driveway on Grove Avenue to serve two four‑story residential buildings on the Rancho Cucamonga side; without the parcel the developer would rely on a single ingress/egress point. Staff also told council the purchase agreement includes provisions that allow the city to require a design that forces left turns and includes signage; staff said the city can enforce signage violations through standard traffic enforcement but acknowledged physical measures like a pork‑chop would not prevent all drivers from making prohibited turns.

Councilmembers asked to have a developer representative attend the public hearing and discussed options including making the adjacent street one‑way or other engineering changes to limit northbound traffic into Upland. Staff confirmed the July 28 public hearing will include the purchase agreement and required state findings; council members may deny adoption at that hearing if they are not satisfied with conditions. The council voted to set the hearing and to proceed with public notice. The vote passed unanimously.

Councilmembers asked staff to meet with residents in the affected neighborhood and to share proposed driveway plans in advance of the July 28 hearing.