Board approves Entrada South, Valencia Commerce Center expansion after lengthy public hearing

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on Nov. 18 to approve the Entrada South residential development and the Valencia Commerce Center expansion, projects that together include about 1,574 new housing units and up to 3.4 million square feet of commercial space. The board’s approval follows a multi-hour public hearing that drew roughly 59 registered speakers and lengthy testimony both for and against the plan.

Amy Bodak, director of regional planning, told the board the application package includes a final supplemental environmental impact report, a development agreement, and entitlements for Entrada South and related Valencia Commerce Center parcels. “This village is called Entrada South,” Bodak said in presenting the project, citing the plan’s mix of housing, open space and infrastructure commitments. The county staff brief described 1,574 residential units, preserved open space and public infrastructure investments negotiated in the development agreement.

Alex Harrell, senior vice president of 5Point, the applicant, framed the proposal as a continuation of Valencia’s master-planned community model and flagged commitments the company has made: “Entrada South will create over 1,500 new market rate and affordable homes,” Harrell said, and he described sustainability measures, prevailing‑wage commitments for major public improvements and a developer investment to fund improvements to the Old Road.

Supporters — including local business organizations, unions representing construction trades and economic development groups — urged the supervisors to approve the project as a major housing and job generator. “This project addresses two urgent needs for our valley: housing and jobs,” said Scott Wilk of the Building Industry Association. Dozens of construction and business leaders emphasized the project’s potential to create thousands of jobs and add tax revenue.

Opponents and some labor groups raised concerns about environmental impacts, traffic, public‑health risks from dust and construction, and whether the developer’s labor and local‑hire commitments were sufficient. Representatives of environmental organizations and labor locals urged additional mitigation measures, stronger local‑hire guarantees, and clearer prevailing‑wage terms for certain kinds of construction. Hailey Uno of SAFER asked the board to delay approval and expand the SEIR to address air‑quality and wildlife impacts.

Supervisors spent significant time questioning county staff and the applicant about inclusionary housing commitments, wildfire resilience, and workforce protections. Staff said the development agreement negotiated a 12% inclusionary housing program with roughly 110 on-site affordable rental units and additional off-site credits tied to a parcel transfer near Lake Hughes Road. County fire and prevention officials confirmed plans to meet state Chapter 7A home‑hardening standards and noted a permanent Fire Station 46 is planned for the area.

After discussion, Chair Kathryn Barger moved approval and the board adopted the project on a 5‑0 roll call. The executive officer recorded the vote as supervisors Solis, Mitchell, Horvath, Hahn and Barger voting yes. The board also noted several items affecting later implementation — including community benefits and monitoring commitments — that staff will continue to track.

The project approval advances a large new housing and commercial development in the Santa Clarita Valley; supervisors and staff said the county will continue to monitor mitigation commitments, labor agreements and public‑safety investments as the project moves toward issuance of permits and construction.

The board closed the public hearing after taking public comment and recorded the vote approving the development. The County Executive’s office, Department of Regional Planning and other county agencies will provide follow‑up as the project proceeds through implementation.