Fontana planning commissioners weigh 59-unit Foothill Boulevard condo project

Fontana planning commissioners are scheduled to take up a 59-unit attached condominium project at 14335 Foothill Boulevard on Tuesday, April 7, in a hearing that will test how the city applies its newer Route 66 Gateway rules along this stretch of Foothill.

The request in front of the Planning Commission is not a simple yes-or-no on construction. Commissioners are being asked to approve a tentative tract map that would create the condominium parcels, approve the project’s design review, and find the proposal exempt from CEQA under the Class 32 infill exemption. As of the published agenda, the item was listed as agenda ready, and no action had yet been posted.

What is being proposed

City staff describes the project as an 11-building condominium complex on about 2.3 acres at the southeast corner of Foothill Boulevard and Almond Avenue. The plan calls for 59 attached units in three-story buildings reaching 37 feet in height.

The staff report says the units would be sold separately as condominiums, with a homeowners association responsible for common areas, landscaping, and shared amenities. Project documents also describe on-site recreation space, including a common area, shaded seating, barbecue space, a pedestrian plaza, and a play area.

Why staff says it fits the corridor rules

A key issue for nearby residents is density. City staff says the project comes in at 25.65 units per acre. That matters because the city’s Route 66 Gateway standards allow residential or mixed-use density from 18 to 39 units per acre in this part of the corridor.

In other words, staff is not arguing for an exception above the district’s stated range. The city’s position is that the proposal falls inside the zoning envelope already adopted for Foothill Boulevard, even if it is denser than the lower-scale neighborhood pattern some nearby residents are used to.

Parking is another point staff highlights. The report says 89 spaces are required and 128 are proposed. Access in and out of the site would run through Almond Avenue, and the report says the internal layout was reviewed by planning, fire, traffic, and engineering staff and found sufficient for this use.

Where the disagreement is

The sharpest opposition in the public record comes from a submission by an Almond Avenue resident writing on behalf of multiple Almond and Chesebro residents. That letter argues the project is too intense for the surrounding area and says it could strain existing infrastructure.

The objections focus on six practical issues neighbors are likely to watch closely: added traffic at Foothill Boulevard and Almond Avenue, turning conflicts tied to the project entrance, spillover parking on nearby streets, emergency access, the ability of Almond Avenue to handle more trips, and pedestrian safety because of the site’s proximity to a school area.

The same public communication also challenges the city’s use of the Class 32 infill exemption, arguing that traffic, parking, noise, and safety concerns warrant fuller environmental review. Staff rejects that argument in the report, saying the project is consistent with the general plan and zoning, provides parking above city requirements, can be served by utilities and public services, and includes a traffic impact and vehicle miles traveled assessment that came in below city thresholds for more analysis.

What a commission vote would mean next

If the Planning Commission approves the item, that would mean the city has granted the land-use entitlements now under review: the condo map, the design approval, and the CEQA exemption finding. It would not mean every neighborhood concern has been resolved or that future construction impacts disappear.

For residents, the bigger signal is what this case says about growth on Foothill Boulevard. If commissioners side with staff, it would reinforce that Fontana is prepared to add more housing in the Route 66 Gateway corridor when projects fall within the city’s adopted density rules, even when nearby neighbors argue the change is too much for the immediate area.

Sources

• Fontana Planning Commission meeting details for April 7, 2026
• City staff report for the 59-unit Foothill condo proposal
• Public hearing notice for 14335 Foothill Boulevard
• Resident objection submitted to the Planning Department
• Fontana Ordinance 1923 for the Route 66 Gateway district
• Fontanaca
• Daily Bulletin report on recent Fontana housing pipeline activity