The Chino Valley Planning and Zoning Commission on Nov. 4 recommended approval of a town-initiated rezoning (ZC2025-02) of approximately 197 acres at Old Home Manor from Business Park to Public Land and voted to recommend a related text amendment (TA2025-06) to remove the Business Park zoning district from the town's Unified Development Ordinance.

Will Dingey, assistant director of development services, said the five subject parcels (about 197 acres; assessor parcel number 306-02-001USYXJ was cited) are largely town-owned and are included in the Chino 2040 general plan as a Horizontal Multiuse (HMU) Old Home Manor center. Dingey said the HMU vision includes a mix of uses—parks and recreation, sports and event uses, municipal facilities, neighborhood and regional commercial uses, and multifamily residential—and that current Business Park zoning contains uses and performance standards that staff considers out of step with the town's plan.

"The business park is not compatible with current Chino Valley in the general plan," Dingey said, explaining that the Business Park district contains a prohibitive-use list and bespoke development standards that could allow unintended uses and are better replaced by HMU-specific zoning during a code rewrite.

Staff told the commission that a neighborhood meeting on Oct. 1 drew five neighbors. Attendees expressed concerns about views, noise, buffers and setbacks, the proximity of potential uses to grazing cattle, traffic and road conditions leading to Old Home Manor, and whether water and sewer would be available to all parcels. Staff said neighbors generally supported recreation-oriented uses but wanted clarity about infrastructure and buffering.

Resident Chris Marley, who said he lives adjacent to Old Home Manor, told commissioners he supports attracting employers and does not object to the sounds of industrial activity. "I don't mind the sound of forklifts at night. It's people putting bread on their table," Marley said, urging the town to welcome businesses that fit the area.

Commissioners asked whether town-owned parcels would be sold or leased if a business sought to locate there; staff said options could include either lease or sale and that council discretion under Public Land zoning (which includes an "other uses" clause) would allow specific proposals to be reviewed case by case.

A motion to approve ZC2025-02, "subject to the staff report and information provided during this hearing and the conditions of approval in Attachment A," was made and seconded. The commission held a roll-call vote: Commissioner Walker, Commissioner Bussey, Commissioner Dida, Alternate Morabito, Commissioner Meadors, Vice Chair Paciak and Chair Merritt each voted yes; the motion carried unanimously. The commission then approved text amendment TA2025-06 to delete chapter 3.19 (Business Park) from the Unified Development Ordinance by a unanimous roll-call vote.

Staff said the planned next step is to pursue a zoning-code rewrite that would create HMU-specific districts that implement the Chino 2040 general plan more precisely and avoid the pitfalls of a broad Business Park district that lists prohibited uses and unique performance standards.