West Valley Logistics Center Specific Plan

Project Location

The proposed West Valley Logistics Center (WVLC) Specific Plan area is located in the southeastern portion of the City of Fontana, in the southwest “Valley Region” of San Bernardino County. The site plan is bounded on the north by a Southern California Edison (SCE) utility corridor, on the west by the Jurupa Hills, on the south by residential properties located within the County of Riverside, and on the east by residential uses located in the San Bernardino County area of Bloomington. Figure 1 shows the regional location of the WVLC development.

The 289.0-acre site is bisected by Armstrong Avenue, which runs diagonally northeast to southwest through the site. Regional transportation corridors in the area include the San Bernardino Freeway (I-10) to the north, the Pomona Freeway (SR 60) to the south, the Riverside Freeway (I-215) to the east and the Ontario Freeway (I-15) to the west. The WVLC site is primarily vacant and undeveloped with some mature trees scattered throughout the project area.

The WVLC Specific Plan area is located near established residential neighborhoods in southeastern Fontana, Bloomington (unincorporated San Bernardino County), and the City of Jurupa Valley to the south. Undeveloped hills, open space and residential neighborhoods characterize the majority of surrounding land uses. The residential properties in the area are characterized by single-family detached homes, some with equestrian uses. Other land uses near the WVLC Specific Plan area include water reservoirs in the Jurupa Hills to the west of the development section of the site and two utility corridors which pass through the northern and southeast portions of the site.

Background 

The project area is the site of an approved Specific Plan (Valley Trails Specific Plan) that proposed a master planned community containing a maximum of 1,154 homes, an elementary school, and private and joint-use recreational facilities, including a 20 acre park. The Valley Trails Specific Plan and corresponding EIR were approved by the City of Fontana in 2007. Subsequent to the approval of the Valley Trail Specific Plan, the project area was sold to Hillwood Investment Properties, which proposes to replace the Valley Trail Specific Plan with the West Valley Logistics Center (WVLC) Specific Plan and to develop the site with industrial uses in order to maximize its economic potential.  

Proposed Development

The West Valley Logistics Center Specific Plan is intended to provide for the orderly and efficient development of the project area subject to a supporting amendment of the City of Fontana’s General Plan. The WVLC Specific Plan would establish the planning concept, design framework, development regulations, design guidelines, and administrative procedures necessary to achieve a high-quality industrial park environment in southeast Fontana. The Specific Plan is also intended by the applicant to strengthen economic opportunities within the City. 

 The proposed Specific Plan would replace the site’s existing residential land use designation with an industrial designation, and would remove the recreational facilities and the elementary school from the site’s proposed development. 

The WVLC Specific Plan proposes 3,600,000 square feet of industrial development as shown in Table A with 14.83 acres developed as a detention basin and 57.84 acres retained in natural hillside open space, as shown in Figure 2.  The balance of the site consists of right-of-way dedications.

 Table A: Proposed Industrial Development

A total of seven (7) industrial buildings are proposed, ranging in size from approximately 100,000 square feet to over 1 million square feet, encompassing a total of approximately 3.6 million square feet of building area (3.53 million square feet of industrial space and 70,000 square feet of office space within the industrial buildings).  Parking will be provided pursuant to City of Fontana requirements, and consist of a total of 1,332 spaces for automobile parking and 893 spaces for trailer parking.

The project will generate and receive truck traffic to/from Interstate 10 (I-10) to the north and to/from State Route 60 to the south; project-related truck traffic would be prohibited on Sierra Avenue to/from the I-10 freeway and State Route 60 (subject to City Council confirmation).

Service Agencies and Infrastructure Improvements

Public services and utilities will be provided to the project by the following agencies:

• Water:  West Valley Water District
• Sewer:  City of Fontana
• Electricity:  Southern California Edison
• Natural Gas:  Southern California Gas Company
• Telephone:  Verizon
• Police and Fire Protection:  City of Fontana

In addition to industrial uses, the project also proposes several infrastructure improvements, as identified below.

• Water: An existing 12-inch water main that currently crosses the site will be relocated and upsized, connecting to an existing line at the intersection of Jurupa Avenue and Locust Avenue.
• Sewer: Offsite sewer improvements on Linden Avenue (between Santa Ana and 11th Street) and on 11th Street (between Linden Avenue and Locust Avenue) would be constructed as part of the project, along with a new lift station.
• Storm Drains: The existing drainage on the project site would be retained. The majority of the drainage would be retained in the existing basin located north of 11th Street. This basin would be further improved to handle the drainage flows from the project. The remaining drainage would be retained in smaller basins adjacent to buildings.
• Circulation: Local interior streets would be constructed as part of the project. In addition, improvements would occur on Armstrong Road, Locust Avenue, and a portion of Alder Avenue[1]. Offsite street improvements would occur on Jurupa Avenue East (Locust Avenue to Cedar Avenue). The Jurupa Avenue East improvements are located within the County of San Bernardino.

[1]    Alder Avenue would be realigned and would bisect the project site in a northwest to southeast direction.  Alder will be constructed as a cul-de-sac, but will be designed for future extension (Figure 2 and Tentative Parcel Map). (Traffic will be evaluated both ways).

Development Agreement

Along with adoption of the West Valley Logistics Center Specific Plan, Hillwood Properties is requesting approval of a development agreement with the City of Fontana. The agreement provides a legal instrument that establishes an agreement whereby the City, as the land use regulatory agency for the site, agrees to vest rights to develop the property and permit the developer or its successors to develop the property as set forth in the Specific Plan under the agreed upon terms, and commits the developer to the provision of the public improvements, facilities and services described in the plan. The proposed agreement constitutes a legal contract between the City and the site’s developer, and commits both parties to the agreed upon development program for the site. The agreement, if approved by the City and signed by both parties will be binding and exempt the project from some future changes to codes, plans, resolutions, and voter approved initiatives that might require modifications to the WVLC Specific Plan following its approval.  In exchange for vesting of the project and exemption from future changes to codes, plans, resolutions, and voter approved initiatives, Hillwood will agree to develop the project area in accordance with the WVLC Specific Plan and all codes, plans, and resolutions in place at the time the Development Agreement is signed, as well as pay agreed upon fees to the City, as well as develop other amenities as required by the City.

Tentative Parcel Map

In addition to the proposed Specific Plan and Development Agreement, approval of Tentative Parcel Map No. 19156 is proposed.  The Tentative Parcel Map consists of nine parcels and one lettered lot.  Seven of the proposed parcels are intended for industrial development, one parcel consists of the 56 acres being preserved in natural open space, and the ninth lot consists of a 1.54 acre utility easement.  The 14.1-acre lettered lot is an existing detention basin that will be improved as part of this project.

Discretionary Approvals

In addition to consideration of the Specific Plan, Tentative Parcel Map and Development Agreement, the following discretionary approvals have been requested in relation to the proposed project:

• General Plan Amendment – Circulation and Land Use: Two General Plan Amendments (GPAs) will need to be approved in conjunction with the proposed Specific Plan. The Land Use Element is proposed to be amended to reflect the use change from residential to industrial. The Circulation Element is proposed to be amended due to the relocation of the Alder Avenue extension.
• Zone Change – Along with the proposed Specific Plan, the site’s current zoning classification is proposed to be changed from SP (Valley Trails Specific Plan) with residential uses to SP (West Valley Logistics Center Specific Plan) with industrial uses.
• Valley Trails Specific Plan – The Valley Trails Specific Plan is proposed to be amended and to be replaced by the proposed West Valley Logistics Center Specific Plan.

Environmental Technical Studies

In addition to the EIR and related technical studies prepared for the West Valley Logistic Center Specific Plan EIR, the following technical studies are being prepared under contract to the applicant, and will require peer review by the City’s environmental consultant.

• Traffic Impact Analysis
• Air Quality, including a Health Risk Assessment
• Greenhouse Gas Emissions
• Biological Resources
• Cultural Resources
• Noise Study
• Hydrology Study
• Phase 1 Hazardous Materials Report
• Project-related Water Consumption and Sewage Generation Data
• Soils and Geotechnical Report 

West Valley Logistics Center Specific Plan (PDF)
Recirculated Draft Environmental Impact Report (PDF)
Second Recirculated Draft Environmental Impact Report (PDF)
Draft Environmental Impact Report (PDF)
Final Environmental Impact Report (PDF)

For More Information

Please feel free to contact the Planning Department at (909) 350-6718 or via email with any questions you have about this specific plan.