Chino Champion from Chino, California • Page 7

rr Champion People Opinion Here There Entertainment 'hSm VM B-l Thursday, August 31, 1995 bw NEWS Rezoning stirs debate Councilman opposes Nov. 7 ballot proposal involving 35-acre farm Measure Yes or No Measure General Plan Amendment on Chino ballot for Nov. 7 election: Shall the General Plan of the City of Chino be amended to change the zoning on a 35-acre parcel of land located north of Chino Avenue, west of Yorba Avenue and east of Ramona Avenue from light industrial to single family detached residential? (Mark Yes or No). Approved and adopted by the City Council on June 20. Developer tries to build support Controversy over Measure comes as a surprise to Fieldstone Communities, a builder with a history in the Chino Valley dating to the mid-1980s.

Fieldstone has built about 860 homes in Chino and Chino Hills in eight separate neighborhoods. Before asking the Chino City Council to put Measure on the ballot, Fieldstone did its homework and concluded a tract at Green Thumb Farm would enjoy public support. "I conducted four focus groups of 12 Chino citizens apiece," said Michael Vairin, regional manager for Fieldstone in Ontario. After that, the builder conducted a telephone survey of 500 to 600 Chino residents for two purposes. One was to test what they felt about the City of Chino and the community.

The second was to find out if they were familiar with the Green Thumb site and whether they would prefer to have industrial or residential development there. "We did that research as our test to see if we wanted to move forward," Mr. Vairin explained. "The results came back very strongly, with 80 saying they felt it (Green Thumb) should be residential. Most of them said they wanted single family de- it i Stories by Scott Moore Measure a rezoning issue on the Chino election ballot for Nov.

7, is stirring up controversy. Councilman Bruce Robbins has authored the ballot argument against the measure, which would rezone the 35-acre Green Thumb farm from light industrial to residential. A developer wants to build 191 homes, or 5.5 to 5.8 units per acre, on the property at Ramona and Chino avenues. In the ballot argument against Mr. Robbins con- tends that, "This measure asks you to make the first change to the law (Measure M) that protects our city from quick profit land developers." Chino voters approved Measure in 1988 to establish minimum densities for residential areas.

The ballot argument in favor of Measure was written by Mayor Pro Tom Dennis Yates and Al Yan-key, former councilman and mayor pro tern. Their argument contends that Measure "brings about sensible zoning" in an area surrounded on thrt'e sides by homes and on the fourth side by a church and day care school. In an interview, Mr Hob-bins says he opposes Measure because it violates what he calls "4 5 zoning." He explains: "Right now we have in place in the city a maximum of 4.5 homes per acre in residential areas. My main concern is not the residential aspect of but violation of 4.5, which was assured by Measure in 1988." Mr. Robbins says he opposes Measure on two other grounds: The developer, Fieldstone Communities, did not take its Green Thumb proposal to the Chino Planning Commission.

"They went around the commission and came directly to the voters." He's skeptical of the tract's "economic reality," saying the builder "has proposed a selling price higher than larger units which are somewhat adjacent to the project Fieldstone says prices would range from the to 180.000s at today's prices. In his ballot argument, Mr Robbins also says: "The proposed project is for very small houses which will be built very close to each other and have a new railroad track going through the center of the development dg MOTOROLA ULTRA EXPRESS 5 Music Alerts Vibrate. Clock. Date 16 Message Slots Holster with Clip Auto OnOff I Large Display Alarm Clock $69.95 WITH FREE ACTIVATION it: 1 REZONING DEBATE I Thiers i Green Thumb ti -U proposed rezoning on Nov. 7 election ballot.

Staff photo Farm, located at Chino and Ramona avenues, is site of controversy over Zoning near farm has wide range Residential zoning in Chino has a wide range, anywhere from one to 20 homes per acre. The Chino General Plan has residential designations (RD) from RD-1 (one unit per acre) to RD-20. Most but not all residential areas are zoned including most single family tracts. Property around the Green Thumb farm has a mix of zoning. To the west, zoning is RD-8 (attached units).

To the east, industrial. To the north and northeast, RD-12 (attached units). Also to the north, a small area is zontrd as it is on the southwest corner of Chino and Ramona. Measure does not set specific limits on density. Rather, it freezes density at the same levels as those in effect on election day, 1988 except senior housing.

The city council is prohibited under Measure from increasing density. Only voters can do that through ballot measures. As written, Measure does not increase density at Green Thumb. The ordinance actually limits density there to six units per acre. If Measure is approved, Fieldstone would have to apply to the Planning Commission for a tentative tract map, which would include review of the home designs The final tract map would require City Council approval As for the rail spur, it doesn't exist now, but a rail line through the farm was approved several years ago by In-City Council as part of the city's master plan.

That line is part of a proposed alternate route for trains that now cross busy Central Avenue to serve Chino's industrial areas. Source: City of Chino Community Development Dept. tacned homes, no apartments." Based on those results, which Vairin said looked "pretty solid," the developer decided to move ahead. Now, Fieldstone and the Green Thumb farm property owner, the Scheib family, have hired an Orange County consultant to mount a "Yes on Measure campaign, including formation of a local committee. Fieldstone, headquartered in Newport Beach, has built some 10,000 homes in Southern California since 1980.

It has regional offices in Ontario and San Diego. Beginning in 1985, it built six neighborhoods in Chino Hills, totaling 600 homes, and two tracts in Chino totaling about 260 homes. "I'm familiar with Chino; I've been around here all my life," says Mr. Vairin, 42, whose academic and professional background is in city and regional planning. In addition to going before the council, Mr.

Vairin met individually with council members, including twice with Councilman Bruce Rob-bins. Mr. Vairin said he and Mr. Robbins disagreed as to the definition of low income and high density. But Mr.

Robbins agreed that "it probably makes sense" to have the site as residential, he says. "That was the common ground I thought we had pRESSLPE Green Thumb Farm facts Location: Chino and Ramona avenues, 34.67 acres. Owner: Earl A. Scheib Estate; co-executors are Stuart Buchalter (attorney) and Donald Scheib (son). Status: Currently in escrow, sale contingent on rezoning from light industrial to residential.

Buyer: Fieldstone Communities. Asking price was $3.9 million; selling price unknown. Listing Agent: Sue DeBoer of Inland Valley Property and Investment, Chino. History: Earl Scheib, who lived in Beverly Hills, founded nationwide chain of auto painting shops in 1937. In 1959, he began business to breed, raise and sell thoroughbred racing horses at Green Thumb Racing Stable.

In 1969, he moved stable to newly-purchased property in Chino, which he named Green Thumb Farm. He died in February, 1992, at age 78 Farm's 100 horses were sold at auction in June, 1992. Comment: "We've had half a dozen offers, some from industrial users If it falls out of escrow and we sell it to industry, we don't need anybody's permission. We felt we were doing the right thing (selling to Fieldstone) Stuart Buchalter, trustee for the Scheib Estate. Source: Earl A.

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