Corona Planning and Housing Commission continues Skyline Heights review after residents press traffic, fire and notice concerns

The Corona City Planning and Housing Commission on May 13, 2026 voted 3-0 to continue consideration of the Skyline Heights specific plan (SP2025-001) and tentative tract map (TTM36544) to its May 27 meeting after more than a dozen residents urged the commission to allow additional review time and clearer procedures for appeals.

Chair Alexander read a letter from the applicant, Brian Hardy of Richland Communities, asking for a continuance because two commissioners were unable to attend and two conditions of approval remained under negotiation. Planning manager Miss Vannian told the commission staff was not prepared to present a full report tonight and recommended carrying the items to May 27.

Resident Bryce Mason asked the commission to "please direct staff to place this on a future agenda and return with the staff report and a written city issued title 17 determination clarifying the controlling standard" for a specified code provision so that an administrative appeal path would be clear. Mason said his prior attempt to file an appeal under Title 17 was routed back to the enforcement channel whose written position he was contesting.

Several speakers raised traffic and infrastructure concerns for the Foothill Parkway/Borders area. Catherine Allgaier said the existing local streets and intersections are already congested and warned that adding hundreds of homes without corresponding infrastructure improvements would worsen traffic and reduce nearby recreational trails. "The heavy extreme traffic going through that area will only increase and get worse with the...building of new houses in that same location without building any more infrastructure to accommodate the amount of persons that are gonna be using these roads," she said.

Public commenters also pressed for stronger wildfire protections. Resident Jeffrey Mackey said he has struggled to secure private wildfire insurance for homes near Border Avenue and warned that adding development in the hills raises insurance and safety concerns. Mark Buran urged the commission to update the environmental review to reflect that "CAL FIRE last year just increased the level of the very high fire severity zone" in neighboring areas and asked that fire-protection infrastructure (including large water tanks and helipads/helip hydrants) be in place early in construction.

Other residents voiced worries about the volume and accessibility of project materials and the time available for public review. Buran said the agenda packet contained more than 3,000 pages and recommended that exhibits be hyperlinked so the public and commissioners can find maps and specific exhibits more easily.

Commissioners debated whether to receive a staff report tonight or continue to allow staff and the applicant time to finalize outstanding conditions. Commissioner Vernon moved to continue SP2025-001 to the May 27 Planning and Housing Commission meeting; Commissioner Woody seconded, and the motion passed 3-0. The commission then similarly voted 3-0 to continue TTM36544 to May 27. The chair left the public hearing open for further written comments and said the items would return to the dais on May 27.

What happens next: The Planning and Housing Commission will reconvene the Skyline Heights items on May 27; staff and the applicant are expected to supply finalized conditions and a full staff report before that meeting. Members of the public were invited to submit written comments to the planning department if they cannot attend the next hearing.