The city of Claremont has released the first public draft of the Village South Specific Plan to allow early viewing in advance of an extended public review by commissions and the council.  The bulk of the draft plan is now available on the city website by searching “Village South.” Two additional chapters will be added as work on those are completed. The city is in the process of preparing a draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) to analyze the potential impacts that could result from the approval of the document.  The Draft EIR is expected to be circulated for public review in February and March 2020.

City staff and its consultant team, Sargent Town Planning, introduced plan concepts and solicited comments from the public and affected groups and agencies in late July and August 2019. At that time, the city identified a possible range of development that precipitated heavy public comment. 

In all, the city received more than 150 comment letters and emails that were split fairly evenly between those wanting lower development and fewer residential units and those who were supportive of the concepts as proposed, the city said.

“Most of the objections assumed a worst-case scenario of development that is not likely to be developed under the plan,” the city said on its website. “The city has since lowered the amount of development being analyzed in the EIR to represent a more realistic build out for the project.”