Commission denies 10-townhome plan on Chaney Boulevard over traffic concerns

The La Verne Planning Commission voted Nov. 25 to deny a site plan proposing 10 townhomes at 164 Chaney Boulevard, concluding the project would exacerbate traffic and create safety concerns on a corridor already subject to morning and afternoon backups.

Staff described the property as a vacant, rectangular lot zoned R3 (high-density residential). The proposed plan placed two two-story townhome buildings on the lot with a total of ten units and about 14 parking spaces. Applicant representative Alejandro Mojica (Morley) told commissioners the team completed a brief turning-movement analysis and concluded a full traffic study wasn’t required given the projected low number of turning movements.

Commissioners disagreed. Several members said the existing congestion near the nearby school and the narrow street sections would likely cause vehicle queuing that could block driveways and restrict safe turning for service and delivery vehicles. One commissioner warned that garbage, Amazon and postal trucks, as well as school-related vehicle surges, would compound delays during peak periods. The commission found the limited analysis inadequate to address these operational and safety questions and approved a motion to deny the project on traffic-safety grounds.

What the applicant said Alejandro Mojica, the applicant representative, said the turning-movement analysis they submitted suggested the project would not create substantive delay and that no full traffic study had been required at that stage. He acknowledged the commission’s concerns and answered questions about unit sizes and anticipated price ranges for the homes.

Outcome and next steps The denial is final for this application as presented; the applicant may revise the plan to address access, circulation and parking concerns and resubmit with a fuller traffic study or redesigned access geometry.