1 OPEN HOUSE
MEETING
SUMMARY
CITY OF CHINO
GENERAL PLAN UPDATE
MAY 2023
PREPARED BY
IN ASSOCIATION WITH
VMA COMMUNICATIONS
1 MEMORANDUM
Chino General Plan
Update
Chino Open House Meeting Summary
The two open house meetings hosted on May 6 and May 13 were intended to provide Chino residents with an orientation to the General Plan and the process for updating it; introduce future land use and transportation concepts for six key areas of the city; and get feedback from community members that will help shape the General Plan and Zoning Code Update. Part of the General Plan Update’s inclusive and participatory decision-making process, this feedback will inform a more comprehensive and representative General Plan and Zoning Code Update that aligns with the community's needs and aspirations.
LOCATIONS
• Chino Community Building
• Saturday, May 6, 2023, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
• 5443 B Street | Chino, CA 91710
• Preserve Community Center
• Saturday, May 13, 2023, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
• 15800 Main Street | Chino, CA 91708
MEETING SUMMARY
This report presents a summary of the information and feedback gathered during two community open house meetings, held on May 6 and May 13, 2023. At the events, attendees visited seven different stations set up around the room and engage with City Staff members stationed at each station. Participants had the opportunity to ask questions, interact, and provide feedback.
The first introductory station provided residents with background information on the General Plan Update, the Guiding Principles, the Opportunity Areas, and the layout of the remaining six stations at the venue.
The first station also invited participants to indicate on a large aerial map where in Chino they lived to provide a sense of where participants were coming from in Chino , and highlighted the diversity of neighborhoods where participants live.
2 MEMORANDUM
Chino General Plan
Update
Map from May 6 Open House Map from May 13 Open House In total, 75 community members attended the open house meeting at the Chino Community Building on May 6, and 149 community members attended the meeting at the Preserve Community Center on May 13.
The following section includes a summary of input collected at each station from the participants of both meetings. Images of the boards used in both meetings, including the feedback contributed by participants, are included in the Appendix of this document.
Participants were broadly supportive of the concepts presented at each station. Among the most popular concepts were the Vibrant Downtown Concept, the Main Street Mixed Use Concept, the Ayala Park Driving Range Concept, and the Destination Mixed-use Concept.
SUMMARY OF INPUT BY STATION:
Station 1: Guiding principles, General Plan Background, Opportunity Areas Station 1 was primarily informational, so extensive feedback was not collected. However, participants of both meetings were able to engage with the Vision and Guiding Principles board by placing dots near principles that resonated with them or leaving stic ky notes with suggestions or additional feedback. Some of the principles that were supported the most included Small Town Feel, Vibrant Downtown, Green and Scenic City, and Successful Local Businesses.
3 MEMORANDUM
Chino General Plan
Update
Station 2: Downtown
Station 2 included background context and information on the Civic Center Master Plan Concept and the Vibrant Downtown Concept. Most of the participants who visited this station strongly supported the Vibrant Downtown Concept, and envisioned diverse places to eat, shop and gather similar to nearby downtown areas with small-town-ambiances in Upland and Claremont. Many participants also supported narrower downtown streets with buffered bike lanes that emphasize safety and connectivity. Most participants supported leasing City land for retail/residential partnerships to help fund other City facilities such as a new amphitheater and auditorium.
Community Comments:
• Participants were hopeful that the mixed-use concept would align with Chino’s small town feel and charm and supported the preservation of existing historic buildings. • Many participants supported infill development strategies to fulfill Chino’s housing needs and recognized that new housing could help support new businesses. • Many participants also supported narrower downtown streets with buffered bike lanes that emphasize safety and connectivity, though s ome residents wanted to ensure that the locations of buffered bike lanes were thoughtfully considered to avoid affecting traffic. • Participants were hopeful that the suggested improvements would be realized quickly. • Participants encouraged the Civic Center Master Plan to maintain open space for concerts and other City sponsored events, and also preferred that existing facilities (NAC, Senior Center, Library) were either preserved or replaced with updated facilities. • People tended to prefer small local businesses over chain stores in the downtown area as they felt that would be important for maintaining Chino’s small town feel and character.
Station 3: Riverside/Central
Generally, participants offered positive feedback was positive for the Main Street Mixed Use concept .
Participants consistently agreed that shopping centers in this area require significant improvement and investment, and many responded positively to the renderings of Central Avenue and Riverside Drive included in the station board. This aligned with the broad support for more attractive and walkable streets, improved pedestrian pathways and enhanced bike lane networks. Participants generally agreed that mo re housing in Chino will be necessary to address rapidly increasing housing costs and to support future retail and commercial development.
Community Comments:
• Participants emphasized Chino’s small-town nature with regard to mixed -use development and requested a “unique in character” approach that reflects Chino’s small-town feel. • Some participants preferred buffered bike lane rather than the painted bike lane depicted in the rendering. Participants tended to agree that proposed roadway changes shouldn’t negatively impact parking availability or traffic.
• People emphasized the need for buffering pedestrians and public plazas from traffic with shade trees, landscaping, bike lanes and building design.
4 MEMORANDUM
Chino General Plan
Update
Station 4: Philadelphia/Central
Station 4 provided information two proposed concepts: the Medical Mixed-Use Concept, and the Destination Mixed Use Concept. At this station, many participants expressed desires to see Chino’s shopping centers revitalized with new and expanded restaurant, shopping, and entertainment offerings.
Participants expressed interest in an activity driven destination to make residents more inclined to spend time in Chino instead of venturing to other cities for these amenities . Preferences amongst participants slightly varied between the Chino Community Center meeting and the Preserve Community Building meeting: at the Chino Community Center, most participants were pleased to learn of the mixed-use overlay approval and were supportive of both future sports complex use s and residential uses. At the Preserve Community Building participants preferred concepts that proposed new medical facilities and services as well as sports complexes, and several participants were enthusiastic about a new hospital or medical campus to provide an array of medical services.
Community Comments:
• Young families were particularly supportive of the proposed pathways along the flood channel to allow people to walk from one center to the other.
• Participants suggested an additional sports, activity, or play facility for families and children, ideally with a pool and fitness equipment.
• One participant opposed the digital sign for retail.
• Participants suggested partnering with Kaiser Permanente or Cedars Sinai to develop a medical complex, and requested medical facilities focused on pediatrics. • Some participants suggested an additional shopping center with new stores : some participants preferred “mom-and-pop” or local businesses, while others preferred an outlet mall.
Station 5: Euclid Avenue
This station provided information on the Scenic Corridor Concept proposed along Euclid Avenue. While participants were broadly supportive of the ideas proposed in this concept, participants were particularly supportive of creating development standards to increase the landscape setback between new housing and the street and protecting the views of the mountains. Participants of the Chino Community Center open house meeting favored increased landscape setbacks between the street and new housing development and the protected and separated bike lane on Chino Avenue. Alternatively, participants of the Preserve Community Building open house meeting favored the mixed -use overlay and creating development standards to separate and buffer new housing from traffic along the corridor.
Community Comments:
• Some participants requested a protected and separated bike path on Euclid Avenue, since Euclid Avenue is a heavily traveled roadway with high vehicular speeds. • Participants agreed that the proposed bike lane shouldn’t impact traffic on Euclid Avenue going north towards the 60 freeway.
5 MEMORANDUM
Chino General Plan
Update
Station 6: Ayala Park Driving Range
Station 6 provided information on an array of concept ideas proposed at the former driving range located in Ayala Park. Participants were supportive of all of the concepts proposed, and many were enthusiastic about the idea of more than one amenity proposed be added to the same space. However, the most popular concept proposed at both open house meetings was the Container Park, which participants viewed as a welcome opportunity for a place to eat in between games without leaving Ayala Park. After the container park, many also supported the Water/Splash Park, and participants responded positively to the potential addition of facilities to help cool off in the warmer months and a n additional place for children to play.
Participants also supported the Athletic/Training Course and Mountain Bike/Pump Track.
Community Comments:
• Residents proposed co -locating the Container Park and an amphitheater to watch live performances while dining. Some participants also suggested that container park could support small businesses as tenants.
• Some participants questioned if that a water park would be appropriate for the size of the space and preferred an option that could be utilized year-round.
• Participants proposed an age -friendly aquatic facility with a temperature-controlled swimming pool with designated usage for senior residents.
• Other ideas participants provided included:
- additional sports fields such as soccer fields, a baseball complex, basketball courts, an outdoor roller-skating rink, sand volleyball courts, or restored driving range. - farmers markets, art expositions, craft market and cultural fair, mediation garden, or dog park.
Station 7: Euclid/Bickmore
Station 7 provided background information about the Preserve Specific Plan, the Merge in Eastvale, and ideas proposed for the Regional Commercial-Employment Concept. Overall, participants who visited this station were supportive of the concept, understood the context, and agreed it seemed like a reasonable and logical way to attract retail to the area. People strongly supported retail and restaurants on the site and also strongly supported completing the Pine Avenue connector to provide improved access to H wy 71. Many people liked the open space concept and supported the idea of an interpretive walkway with signage and information on the nature and history of the site. Many participants who attended the May 13 open house lived close to and were familiar with The Merge. Participants were curious to know how soon the concept might be implemented and were heartened to learn that the developer of The Merge owns the Bickmore site.
Community Comments:
• One local area resident had previously lived adjacent to The Merge and his observation was that while the project was great, his one concern was that it did not provide pedestrian access to the retail and restaurant uses for surrounding residents.
• Other participants suggested that skinning the industrial buildings to match the retail is good but landscaping and trees to further screen the industrial buildings would be preferable. They emphasized the need for design standards to avoid boxy buildings.
6 MEMORANDUM
Chino General Plan
Update
• Some participants advocated for outdoor seating with shade trees and landscaping on the site around the retail and restaurants.
• One participant suggested a bicycling trail on the open space portion, and several wanted to see more bicycle connectivity throughout Chino.
• Some participants felt that flooding on Euclid south of Pine has been resolved and knew that ongoing construction on Pine will help with flooding there. The biggest concern was with recent flooding on Bickmore east of Euclid, which is a newly constructed roadway that they thought should have been designed to prevent flooding.
• One or two participants asked whether housing would be allowed on the site as part of a mixed-use project, which they were not in favor of.
• Some raised questions about truck traffic circulation in the area, including to/from the site and whether trucks would use the Pine Connector and how that would affect congestion in the area • One p articipant raised the issue of cellphone connectivity in The Preserve and suggested that having new towers installed as part of commercial and industrial developments might help address spotty service.
7 MEMORANDUM
Chino General Plan
Update
Appendix: Open House Boards
MAY 6 OPEN HOUSE:
Station 2: Downtown
8 MEMORANDUM
Chino General Plan
Update
Station 3: Riverside/Central
9 MEMORANDUM
Chino General Plan
Update
Station 4: Philadelphia/Central
10 MEMORANDUM
Chino General Plan
Update
Station 5: Euclid Avenue
11 MEMORANDUM
Chino General Plan
Update
Station 6: Ayala Park Driving Range
12 MEMORANDUM
Chino General Plan
Update
Station 7: Euclid/Bickmore
13 MEMORANDUM
Chino General Plan
Update
MAY 13 OPEN HOUSE:
Station 2: Downtown
14 MEMORANDUM
Chino General Plan
Update
Station 3: Riverside/Central
15 MEMORANDUM
Chino General Plan
Update
Station 4: Philadelphia/Central
16 MEMORANDUM
Chino General Plan
Update
Station 5: Euclid Avenue
17 MEMORANDUM
Chino General Plan
Update
Station 6: Ayala Park Driving Range
18 MEMORANDUM
Chino General Plan
Update
Station 7: Euclid/Bickmore
19 MEMORANDUM
Chino General Plan
Update