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Council denies environmental appeal, upholds approval for 188‑home Etiwanda Estates
Summary
Rancho Cucamonga’s City Council voted unanimously to deny an appeal from SAFER and uphold the Planning Commission’s approval of a 188‑home design review, finding that the 2004 EIR and subsequent actions cover the project and staff recommendations preclude a supplemental EIR, despite opponents’ air‑quality concerns.
The Rancho Cucamonga City Council on March 4 denied an appeal from environmental group SAFER and upheld the Planning Commission’s January 14 approval of design review, minor exceptions and variances for the 188‑unit Etiwanda Estates project. The council adopted Resolution 2026‑012 by unanimous vote.
Staff said the project involves construction of 188 single‑family homes on pre‑approved, pre‑graded lots that are part of a larger 354‑unit subdivision for which the City certified an environmental impact report in 2004. Jared Knight, the city’s associate planner, told the council staff’s review found no new facts or changed circumstances that would require supplemental environmental review under CEQA and recommended denying the appeal and adopting an addendum to the 2004 EIR.
Haley Uno, a law clerk appearing for the appellant SAFER (Supporters Alliance for Environmental Responsibility), asked the council to require a supplemental mitigated negative declaration or EIR. “New mitigation measures have become available since 2004 that would substantially reduce construction and operational air pollutant emissions,” Uno said, urging the city to require more stringent construction equipment and vehicle standards and electrification measures.
Spencer Chai, a project manager with Toll Brothers, said the proposal conforms to prior approvals and the subdivision map; he asked the council to deny the appeal and allow the project to proceed. Resident Don Horvatich, who lives adjacent to the site, told the council he is concerned about traffic, air quality and public‑safety impacts and argued the city should not approve projects the city cannot mitigate.
City counsel and staff reiterated that the 2004 EIR and subsequent final map anticipated development of the lots and that the matter before council concerned the design of homes on those lots; counsel added that, under current state housing law and the project’s conformity with objective design standards, the city could not impose additional housing mitigation beyond what the EIR and approvals already address.
After limited council discussion, a motion to adopt Resolution 2026‑012 denying the appeal and adopting the staff facts as an addendum to the 2004 EIR was made and seconded and carried unanimously. The council did not identify additional mitigation requirements in the resolution.
The action leaves the project approved to proceed under the currently approved map and design review. The city indicated the staff‑recommended addendum will be included in the project record going forward.
