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IE Gazette
Independent news for Riverside and San Bernardino counties · Est. 2026
Housing·Fontana

Fontana Planning Commission approves 108 townhomes on Baseline Avenue and 37-home rental tract on Citrus Avenue

Commissioners voted 5-0 on both housing projects Aug. 4. The Citrus Avenue tract uses the state density bonus law and sets aside three homes for very low-income households.

From the Aug. 4 Fontana Planning Commission minutes and staff reports

The Fontana Planning Commission approved two housing developments totaling 145 homes at its Aug. 4 meeting, according to minutes posted with the commission's next agenda.

Both votes were 5-0. Chair Joseph Armendarez, Vice Chair Ricardo Quintana, Secretary Torrie Lozano and Commissioners Gilbert Roldan and Dylan Keetle were present.

108 townhomes near Baseline and Palmetto

Item PH-D (file 26-1181) was a condominium map and design review for 108 townhome units in 18 two-story buildings on about 6.7 acres near the northwest corner of Baseline and Palmetto avenues.

The applicant is Monte Vista Homes. The staff report lists two-, three- and four-bedroom units of 935 to 1,703 square feet, at a density of 16.5 units per acre.

The site is in the Walnut Village Specific Plan area. Staff told commissioners the plan's 2024 environmental report estimated roughly 1,180 daily trips on average at full residential buildout, and that this project would generate about 710 because it is less dense, the minutes say.

Access would be from Baseline and Palmetto. A gated connection at Melon Avenue would be for emergency vehicles only, according to the minutes.

Staff also said a signal is proposed for the intersection and that a raised Baseline Avenue median would limit some turns.

The city clerk received one written comment. One person spoke in opposition and another asked questions about the project, the minutes say.

The commission adopted Resolution No. PC 2026-027 with amended conditions. Staff had asked to add a condition requiring compliance with the specific plan's mitigation monitoring program.

37 homes on Citrus Avenue

Item PH-C (file 26-1151) was a tract map and design review for 37 detached single-family homes on about 5.29 acres at 7844 Citrus Ave. The applicant is RC Homes Inc.

The staff report says the developer is using the state density bonus law, which allows a 35% increase in density in exchange for three affordable units.

Those three homes would be restricted to very low-income households, defined in the report as earning no more than half of San Bernardino County's area median income. Rental units would carry the restriction for 55 years.

Under that law, the applicant also requested waivers of standards including setbacks, lot dimensions and amenity space, the report says.

The applicant's representative told the commission the homes are intended to operate as a rental community with a pool, leasing office and tot lot, according to the minutes. It would not be gated.

No one spoke for or against the project. The commission adopted Resolution No. PC 2026-026. Staff's recommendation on the item included recommending that the City Council approve the related density bonus agreement.

Other items

The commission continued Item PH-A, a 46-unit duplex project at 14907 South Highland Ave., to Aug. 18 at staff's request.

It also approved, 5-0, a site for storing registered vehicles with an office of about 5,000 square feet on roughly 2.2 acres at 10610 Live Oak Ave. (Item PH-B). Staff said no overnight stays would be permitted there, the minutes say.

Gazette Staff

Stories bylined Gazette Staff are produced by the IE Gazette newsroom from public records: agenda packets, staff reports, minutes, filings and budgets. Each one links to the documents it was drawn from.

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