15 April 2014

Madrona Site Video Reveals Project Impacts

A video, a little under 6 minutes long, put together by opponents of the Madrona housing project, proposing 162 houses on the north side of Carbon Canyon in Brea between Olinda Village and the Chino Hills border, starkly and powerfully shows the major impacts this ill-conceived plan would wreak on the area.

As shown, the project would require removing 8-10 feet of steep hillside on the southern side of Carbon Canyon Road and then take 16 feet of area on the northern side of the state highway to accommodate the proposed entrance.  This entrance, in turn, would ascend a steep, narrow canyon, subject to landslides (the Canyon's vulnerability to slides was amply demonstrated after the recent earthquake) and rapid spread of fire (also fully illustrated by the 2008 wildfires) to lead to the home sites.

Extensive grading, the leveling of three hillsides, the removal of mature trees (which would be replaced by new trees, most of which will not survive--making "replacement" absurd) and other extraordinarily invasive measures are well illustrated in the video.

Produced by a Chino Hills company using a drone to capture the aerial and panoramic footage, the presentation aptly illustrates the perils and problems of this poorly-planned project in a realistic way.  This is unlike the 3-D animated presentations put forward by the developer--projections that mislead in perspective and downplay the results.

Meanwhile, the Brea City Council meets again tonight at 7 p.m. at City Hall, at the corner of Birch and Randolph streets, to continue its hearing on the appeal of the Madrona project and the council might very well vote tonight.  Those concerned about this project are encouraged to attend and make your presence known.

To see this extraordinary video, please click here.

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