A Turn of Events at Tres Hermanos Ranch

The situation has evolved yet again at Tres Hermanos Ranch, situated in Tonner Canyon just north of Carbon Canyon.  Long owned by the City of Industry's redevelopment agency and subject to a purchase by the City after the dissolution of those agencies by the state, the ranch was then earmarked for a solar farm.

The cities of Chino Hills and Diamond Bar separately filed lawsuits challenging the sale on several grounds concerning this proposed plan without consulting the cities with respect to existing general plans and others.

Recently, however, came news in late July through the San Gabriel Valley Tribune that the City of Industry, which has undergone major administrative changes, has abandoned the solar farm plan, though it is not clear if the concept of some use of the ranch for solar power generation is totally jettisoned.

Yesterday, a new shift was announced in the form of an article in the Tribune that Industry has made overtures on some form of a joint partnership concerning the future of the 2,500-acre ranch, about 70% of which is in Chino Hills and the remainder in Diamond Bar.  The article indicated that discussions have yielded progress with an agreement nearing completion toward a joint powers authority.  There has been a Tres Hermanos Conservation Authority in the past, so it appears this would be a new entity with Industry having a more direct and formal repersentation.

One of the issues is the $42 million price tag which was attached to the ranch when a deal was made to sell the former redevelopment property to Industry and whether it would ask the other cities to help defray portions of that cost.  Industry is seeking to end a lease agreement with a firm hired to develop plans for the now-scuttled solar farm but is being challenged by that company, San Gabriel Valley Water and Power, LLC.

While specifics of the discussions were not provided by any of the cities, Chino Hills City Manager Rad Bartlam called the talks so far "genuine" and found them encouraging, stating that the several weeks of meetings would, hopefully, lead to a result "we can all live with."  Industry leaders have expressed hope for use of Tres Hermanos for a public purpose, with green energy still an interest of some of them.

Jim Gallagher of Save Tres Hermanos Ranch and a recent candidate for a Chino Hills City Council seat, however, expressed suspicion about the latest news, citing the possibility of housing needs assessments leading to Chino Hills and Diamond Bar eyeing at least parts of the ranch for development.  Instead, Gallagher and others with the advocacy group are pushing to preserve the ranch as part of a nature corridor linking the Puente and Chino hills ranges.

As the Tres Hermanos situation continues to develop, look for more here.