Planning Commission Calls For Revisions To Potential Plans For Saugus Speedway

On Tuesday night, the Santa Clarita Planning Commission discussed the potential future of the Saugus Speedway, as a proposal for the new 318-home Riverview neighborhood was presented to it.

The proposal , submitted by Integral Communities, seeks to construct 122 detached single-family condos and 196 attached townhomes, 22 of which are identified as “affordable,” known as the “Riverview Project,” according to planning commission officials.

In addition, the proposal includes a 122,000-square-foot industrial manufacturing building and a community recreation area. According to officials, the project is expected to be approximately 35.2 acres in size.

Though races are no longer hosted at the historic Saugus Speedway, the Saugus Swap Meet has stepped in as a community resource, hosting an open-air market twice a week. Several vendors spoke up Tuesday night in support of the Riverview Project but requested that the city review other potential locations for the Swap Meet and other large-scale meetings to use in the future.

Commissioners acknowledged the Saugus Swap Meet’s importance as a community resource, with several members expressing a desire to see the city explore options for relocating or accommodating the swap meet rather than allowing the destruction of the speedway to spell its end.

“We’re a planning commission. Planning commission. And unless we have some kind of plan to move it somewhere, we’re going to lose something that keeps me here,” said Commissioner Dennis Ostrom.

The planning commission eventually determined that the Riverview Project was not yet ready for approval and directed the applicant to make changes to address concerns raised during the meeting.

Some concerns included the fact that although the area was zoned for mixed-use, the proposal did not feel like a true mixed-use development, and also did not meet the city’s affordable housing requirements.

Additionally, planning commissioners raised concerns about the planned community’s proximity to the railroad tracks, which regularly carry freight and commuter lines throughout the day and would impact residents through vibrations, sound, and potential air quality.

Other environmental concerns were raised, including a more specific plan for the removal of the existing oak trees at the site, including one heritage oak.

A representative for the applicant, Integral Communities, appeared concerned about the extent of the changes, noting that if the requirements for passing the project were too different, the planned community might fail in its current rendition.

“If we’re talking about wholesale changes to this project, like what’s being suggested here, I’m just going to come out and say that I’m not threatening. I’m just kind of saying like, this is reality, like, it probably doesn’t happen. The project probably doesn’t happen at all,” said Peter Vanek of Integral Communities.

The project is currently scheduled to be discussed again at a future Planning Commission meeting, either on Sept. 17 or at a later date if more time is needed.

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