A County Development Review Committee meeting for the proposed Hawarden "Blue Ridge at Lake Arrowhead" project in Skyforest/Cedar Glen was held on June 13 . Topics discussed included the possibility of a traffic signal in Cedar Glen, fire and evacuation access, the discovery of five southern rubber boa snakes on the site, and appropriate relocation efforts and the proposed continuation of Cumberland Drive to State Highway 18. Copies of the developer's required conditions for project approval were also distributed for county comment. At the end of the meeting members of the public were invited to comment.

Held at the County Government Center in San Bernardino, 12 county employees from various departments attended, as did the developer, Andy Bodewin, and his representative, Dennis Stafford. The purpose of the meeting was for Bodewin to get feedback from representatives from building and safety, county fire, environmental health, surveying, land development, traffic, planning, Local Agency Formation Commission and other departments concerning the findings in the Final Environmental Impact Report, and to discuss some of the county-required conditions of approval for the proposed 52-lot sales/custom home project. If approved, the homes will be located near Cedar Ridge Estates, Santa's Village and the old Wiley Woods camp. The front entrance will be gated and all roadways will be private, except for a 610-foot extension of Cumberland Drive, which will be paid for by the applicant.

San Bernardino County Senior Planner Pat McGuckian began his statements by saying that, if approved, there will be 58 single home lots with four common lots for open space and the 300,000 gallon water tank on site. He also said if the Lake Arrowhead Community Services District wants to pay to enlarge the tank to 500,000 gallons to provide additional water storage for the area, that would be a possibility. He added that as part of the conditions of approval, Bodewin will have to widen about 800 feet of Blue Ridge Drive to 24 feet for emergency vehicles and general access.

McGuckian said the findings in the Draft EIR were evaluated as well as the final EIR, and the county has concerns with aesthetics, biology, geology and soils, land use and planning, the water supply and fire safety. The Final EIR addresses letters which were received, particularly from nearby residents and conservation groups. The final document also contains county staff's responses to the letters.

POSSIBLE TRAFFIC SIGNAL IN CEDAR GLEN

Of particular concern to many residents and conservationists is $16,000 Bodewin will pay into a fund in case a signal is ever constructed at the intersection of State Highway 173, Hook Creek Road and Oak Drive. The county's determination that a signal was warranted came after a traffic study was conducted which showed a traffic light was needed due to housing construction in recent years in the area, including in the Cedar Ridge development. The prospect of a traffic signal at the intersection was of particular concern to Bob Reed, who told planners he feels it is an unwise decision and he hopes the Hawarden development does not have the "dubious distinction" of being the development that brings the first traffic signal into the west end of the mountains. (Other traffic signals have been advised for five other locations in the mountains, including Crestline and Twin Peaks, due to other proposed projects such as the Royal Rangers camp.) No decision has been made on the issue of the traffic signal. McGuckian said the total cost for a traffic light is approximately $250,000, but the county is holding onto $190,000 from Cedar Ridge developers for the completion of Cumberland Drive out to Hwy. 18 if that extension is ever constructed to provide another way to get into and out of the area, particularly during an emergency. McGuckian is well aware of the problems which surfaced several years ago when a traffic signal was installed on Hwy. 173 at the entrance to Lake Arrowhead Village. The device was removed a few years later.

NO CONDOS!

As with any significant project, once the draft EIR is completed, county planning officials look for possible alternatives to the original plan. In this case the alternatives run from "no project at all" to a clustered single-family development (the preferred alternative), and up to and attached condominium development, which Bodewin said during the meeting he wasn't interested in building because he thought it would "degrade" the neighborhood and putting condos next to Cedar Ridge would not "fit the area."

SOUTHERN RUBBER BOA

Earlier, five southern rubber boa snakes, a California state protected species, were located on the property and two were removed from the site, apparently by the biologist hired to do this portion of the biological studies for the DEIR. As one of the conditions of approval for the project Bodewin must purchase 10 acres of property, off-site, to mitigate the loss of habitat for the snake. Also, he must obtain a permit from the California Department of Fish and Game prior to grading and any snakes found on the site must be relocated only after receiving permission, in writing, from Fish and Game. No further removal of the snakes will be allowed without the state's permission.

WILDLIFE CORRIDOR

Judy Granger, a member of Christians for the Earth, remains concerned the project will interfere with the wildlife corridor that goes through the area from Running Springs to Crestline. However, Bodewin said the only gate would be at the entrance to the project on Cumberland Drive. McGuckian said if homeowners want fences they must be "open" to allow wildlife access to the site.

DOWNSIZING DISCUSSED

Downsizing the entire project to 42 single-family homes is also one of the alternatives, but McGuckian and Bodewin said all the roads and infrastructure will be constructed regardless of how many home sites there are. If the project is reduced county officials believe it would increase the natural open space and the smaller density would promote fire safety. However, Bodewin said because all the infrastructure (including under grounding the utilities) will be done in the first phase, decreasing the number of lots to 42 didn't make sense because the same amount of roads and other infrastructure would be required for the 39.8-acre site.

PHASED CUSTOM PROJECT

Bodwein plans to develop the site in three phases. During phase one the entire infrastructure, including roads, will be constructed. The additional two phases will take place as property owners want to build on their lots. If the county chooses alternative one, the homes will be clustered in groups along the internal loop road and cul-de-sacs within the property. Several of the home sites at the highest point along the ridgeline will have to be "relocated" so the ridgeline is kept, as much as possible, as open space.

One of the problems Bodewin is faced with is how to do four to six months of work on phase one work (including doing fuel modification brush removal) and yet comply with the county's required "no construction" times in case there are nesting birds in the area and beating the county's cold-weather grading ban which takes effect in October.

QUESTIONS REMAIN

At the conclusion of the presentations, Third District Planning Commissioner Teresa Kwappenberg expressed her concerns with access because, at this point, there will only be one way into the development and one way out. "I am concerned about access: If there's a fire in that area, some homes and firefighters will be trapped," she said.

Kwappenberg also inquired about the issue of where the water will be coming from to service the project since the water cannot be taken from Lake Arrowhead. Bodewin said water could come from wells or possibly through an arrangement with the Crestline-Lake Arrowhead Water Agency.

Longtime mountain resident Peter Jorris said he believes Cumberland Road should be constructed out to Hwy. 18 as had been discussed for many years by the county. He believes the completion of this road should be required by Hawarden as one of their conditions of approval because access, in case of a fire, is needed in the area. He also encouraged the county to "make every effort in the General Plan to maintain open space that helps public safety."

DECISIONS TABLED TO JULY

At the meeting's conclusion Julie Rynerson, the county's division chief for the Current Planning Department said that enough significant issues remained, and to allow county staff more time to "digest" all the paperwork, she recommended the issues be taken up at the group's July 11 meeting. There is the possibility the county will call a special meeting to iron out the remaining issues before a tentative July 21 planning commission hearing. If the hearing date is confirmed, the meeting begins at 10 a.m. at the County Government Center, 385 North Arrowhead Avenue in San Bernardino.

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