Jurupa Valley council continues appeal of Camino Terrace affordable-housing project to Aug. 7 after lingering safety, traffic and blasting concerns

The Jurupa Valley City Council on June 26 voted to continue to Aug. 7 the appeal of the Planning Commission's decision upholding a staff denial of Camino Terrace Apartments, an 80-unit affordable housing development proposed by Wakeland Housing and Development Corporation.

Wakeland CEO Rebecca Louie told the council the site is county-owned land purchased in 2006 with funding conditions limiting the parcel to affordable housing and that the project had won preliminary state funding. "This is a rare opportunity for us to meet the housing and childcare needs of your city," Louie said, describing the project as a mix of supportive housing for veterans, affordable family units and an on-site child care center. Loueland said the State Department of Housing and Community Development had awarded $22,600,000 to the project.

The proposal calls for 80 units: 28 supportive units for veterans, 51 affordable units for low-income families and one manager's unit, together with a 2,560-square-foot community building and a 6,463-square-foot child care center. Louie and Wakeland staff said the site qualified for multiple funding sources and that several nonprofit service partners, including Lighthouse Social Service Centers, plan to deliver on-site wraparound services.

Why the council continued: Council members said they needed more time to review safety details, state housing correspondence and materials submitted after the Planning Commission hearing. Mayor Bergson said staff also needed to examine a letter from the state housing agency and confirm responses to residents' safety questions. The council kept the public hearing open and asked staff to return with additional analysis and any correspondence from the Department of Housing and Community Development.

Public opposition centered on traffic, evacuation and geologic concerns. More than a dozen nearby residents told the council they live on narrow neighborhood streets with limited emergency egress and steep grades; they said adding 80 units would worsen congestion during emergencies and increase everyday traffic. Several speakers raised the prospect of blasting to remove bedrock for construction and asked how nearby foundations and utilities would be protected. Diana Butts said, "They're going to have to blast. That's going to hurt our homes and our foundations." Betty Stinson and other speakers also pleaded for better pedestrian access and said local schools and services are already crowded.

Supporters and agencies urged approval or further study of the project's benefits. Juan Garcia, deputy director of the Riverside County Department of Housing and Workforce Solutions, said the county had owned the parcel since 2006, reissued it for affordable housing and selected Wakeland in 2018 to develop the site. He and other proponents cited the project's competitive state funding score and the county's preference that the parcel be used for affordable housing. Jillian Peace Redd of Lighthouse Social Service Centers described the planned on-site services and said such services have improved housing stability at similar developments.

Council direction and next steps: The council formally continued the matter to Aug. 7 and asked staff to gather additional documents, including any state correspondence or conditions, and provide further analysis on traffic, evacuation and geologic/blasting impacts. Council members said residents who testified would be welcome to return Aug. 7 to restate or add to their comments.

Proponents and opponents were told the hearing remains open so new information can be received. No final decision on the project's entitlement was made on June 26.

Ending: The City Council did not vote on the underlying entitlement; the hearing will reconvene Aug. 7 for additional deliberation and possible decision after staff's supplemental report.