Happy Thursday,
Fall is starting to feel like it’s really coming. We had a couple cooler days already, and our evening walks have gotten really pleasant. SoCal has been noisy with news of El Niño, bringing forth a wetter rainy season than most years.
i just hope my toddler’s rain coat and boots still fits
Chino Valley has a some low-lying flood zones, so be sure you sign up for San Bernadino emergency communication just in case, as well as your city’s.
This issue, we have a lot of developmental updates, our next Dinner Club announcement, and as always, great events to fill up your weekend.
Let’s get into it.
Here are some things that happened around us, in 60 seconds or less:
Business & Development
🔋A battery storage fire in La Verne prompted renewed local discussion about Chino’s approved Dirac battery energy storage project near an Edison substation.
🗳️ A committee supporting Chino Hills’ Measure J reported raising $38,000 as of Sept. 24. The measure concerns a proposed local sales tax. Read more
🏟️ The $850 million sports complex being built on a former landfill in Ontario is nearing completion. Read more
📋 A Chino Hills Planning Commissioner raised concerns over the city’s $7,000 fee for residents appealing development projects and requested a future discussion.
Community
🌄 The Chino Hills side of Carbon Canyon Road has become cluttered with construction equipment, signs and other materials, according to the Chino Valley Champion.
🚧Drivers may notice dust, potholes and uneven pavement along Peyton Drive in Chino Hills amid current road conditions.
🌧️ Chino Public Works said the city is prepared for potential flooding with this year’s El Niño in coordination with police, fire and other local agencies.
⚖️ The City Council approved a $218,000, five-year contract with Carpenter, Rothans and Dumont LLP for specialized legal services involving law enforcement matters.
🗳️City candidates are discussing San Bernardino’s finances and government transparency ahead of the Nov. 3 election. Read more
The Digest: Rancho Cielito, Delayed Again
The 354-unit apartment project at Lake Los Serranos — officially Rancho Cielito — just got pushed back at least three more years. Developer Jack "Jay" Greening, who owns the adjacent Lake Los Serranos Mobile Home Park, asked the Chino Hills Planning Commission on Sept. 15 for a 36-month extension, citing permits he still needs from Fish and Wildlife and the Army Corps of Engineers, plus labor and material costs that have made financing harder. "When we started, we had no idea how complicated the lake would make this project," Greening said. The plan covers 48 acres at 15303 Country Club Drive, including the 19-acre lake: 166 units east, 188 west, two clubhouses with pools. It's been in motion since 2019 and was approved by both the Planning Commission and City Council in 2022.
Why it matters: Residents of the 306-unit mobile home park have objected since the beginning — over traffic, lake wildlife, and the fact that the apartments carry no 55+ restriction in a park many moved to as a senior community. The delay doesn't resolve any of that; it just resets the clock, and the project stays approved. The city says its main concern now is who owns and maintains the lake long-term, which is still an open question. And this isn't the only Greening project in the pipeline: the family also owns Los Serranos Golf Course and has a separate plan in review called The Serranos — 782 units on 80 acres of the course, more than double this one.
💡 We’re Looking for the Next Cohort of Community Sponsors
The Chino Chew is more than just a local newsletter — it’s what connects residents, online and in-person. We aim to bring culture to Chino Valley & beyond as it rapidly grows. The Chino Chew family is 25k+ strong across emails and social platforms.
More importantly, the Chew is free for everyone to read and enjoy, supported by Local Businesses that champion the community!
We’re looking for businesses to partner with us.
Some practicality: we work best with long-term, trust-based businesses (dentists, doctors, health memberships, home services, financial services) so that locals can trust who we recommend.
And being in front of our local readers works: Our roofing partner, Gorrocino Roofing, was able to land a job within 3 months of partnering with us and 5x their investment. Our real estate partners received motivated, valuable leads from our reader base. As an added bonus, every time we do new things (like hosting events), your business will be the first to be recognized as a sponsor.
Want to reach the Chino Valley community in a meaningful way? Send us an email & let’s chat: [email protected]
Contract Distrofino for your global palate excursion.
💡 A New Place to Reset in Chino Hills
Glow Sauna Studios is getting ready to open in Chino Hills, bringing a new space focused on relaxation, recovery, and making wellness a little easier to fit into everyday life.
The studio is designed to be somewhere you can slow down for a bit, whether that means unwinding after a long day, recovering after a workout, or simply building a regular routine that gives you some time to yourself.
Ahead of their opening, Glow is offering a Founding Membership for those who want to join early. Founding members will have access to exclusive benefits and introductory pricing reserved for the studio’s first community of members.
It’s a nice chance to get in from the beginning — especially if “make more time for myself” has been sitting on your to-do list for a while.
📍 4200 Chino Hills Pkwy, STE 915
Chino Hills, CA 91709
📞 (909) 858-0867
*not a sponsored post
🍷 October Dinner Club — already half way sold OUT!!!
Maybe it’s time to say yes to dinner.
Meeting new people as an adult can be surprisingly hard. Dinner Club makes it a little easier by giving you a reason to get out, try somewhere new, and sit down with people you probably wouldn’t have met otherwise.
September’s Dinner Club brought together a room full of strangers, and by the end of the night, they weren’t really strangers anymore.
Now we’re getting ready to do it again on October 15th!!
Come on your own, meet your table, have a good dinner, and see where the night goes. We’ll take care of the rest. Seats are already filling up, so if Dinner Club has been on your radar, this might be the one to join.
And for anyone who’s joined us before, there’s another way to come back: we’re looking for past attendees to host a table. Hosts get a FREE ticket, so if you’re interested, just reply to this email.
