Planning Commission approves multiple site plans, denies Chaney Boulevard townhomes over traffic

The La Verne Planning Commission met Nov. 25 and approved multiple site plans and final plats while denying a proposed 10-townhome development on Chaney Boulevard because commissioners concluded it would worsen traffic safety on an already-congested corridor.

Commission actions opened with administrative business and the unanimous approval of prior meeting minutes. The commission then considered a mix of commercial and residential applications. Staff and applicants presented site plans for a 4,200-square-foot retail center at 5130 Murfreesboro Road and an 8,800-square-foot tractor-trailer repair facility at 393 Mason Road; those plans were approved after applicants addressed staff comments and conditions.

On a major residential item, the commission denied a request for 10 townhomes at 164 Chaney Boulevard in the R3 high-density district. Commissioners cited existing morning and afternoon backups near nearby schools and questioned whether the project’s access, turning movements and parking layout would create unacceptable delays or safety hazards. The proposal’s traffic analysis was limited to a short turning-movement review rather than a full traffic study, and commissioners said that was insufficient to overcome their safety concerns.

The commission approved a minor final plat to clean up property lines at the Glendale subdivision on Murfreesboro Road and approved the Blair Ridge final HPR plat for a larger townhome project. A request for a 1,200-square-foot addition at Hugo Tire Shop was deferred after extended discussion about mandatory sidewalks and stormwater/architectural requirements stemming from an earlier code-enforcement action.

Votes at a glance - Minutes (prior meetings): Approved (voice vote). - Dose/Dallas Retail Center (5130 Murfreesboro Road) — site plan: Approved. - MBI (393 Mason Road) — site plan: Approved with requirement that signage/exit-only plan be shown before land disturbance permit issuance. - Sanford Road rezoning (9.67 acres to PDR/R3): Deferred for additional agreement language and information. - 164 Chaney Blvd — 10 townhomes (R3): Denied due to traffic safety concerns. - Glendale Subdivision — final plat: Approved. - Hugo Tire Shop (5378 Murfreesboro Road) — site plan/addition: Deferred; applicant requested sidewalk relief tied to code-enforcement compliance. - Blair Ridge — final HPR plat (141 townhomes): Approved.

What happened and why it matters The most consequential decision was the denial of the Chaney Boulevard townhome project. Commissioners repeatedly flagged the potential for vehicle queuing, limited turning space and multiple service-vehicle movements (garbage, delivery and postal trucks) to compound congestion at a location already affected by school-related traffic. Denial preserves the city’s leverage to require a fuller traffic analysis or redesigned access before additional housing is approved at this site.

The Hugo Tire Shop discussion illustrated how code-enforcement cases can expand into broader planning issues: bringing an existing, nonconforming use into compliance triggered sidewalk, stormwater and architectural standards commissioners described as citywide priorities for walkability and corridor improvement funding.

Next steps Deferred items — the Sanford Road rezoning and the Hugo Tire Shop site plan — were sent back to applicants to resolve specific conditions (development-agreement language, signage/exit plans, sidewalk and materials boards) and are expected to return to the commission after the first of the year. The denial of the Chaney Boulevard project ends that application unless the applicant submits revised plans addressing the traffic concerns.