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CHINO HILLS NEWS FROM http://hillsforeveryone.org

October 4, 2007

Greetings!

There is a new organization in town working to preserve the quality of life for the residents. This newsletter covers upcoming local events with Diamond Bar CARD.

Diamond Bar CARD (Citizens Advocating Responsible Development) will be hosting a Candidate's Forum on Tuesday October 9th at 7:30 PM. The event will be held at the United Church of Christ at 2335 S. Diamond Bar Blvd. This is located just north of Pathfinder on the west side of the street. All five city council candidates (three challengers and two incumbents) have been invited. To date three candidates have agreed to come. Two council seats are up for election on November 6th.

Following the questions, residents will have a chance to speak individually with the candidates and learn the latest on the Shell-Aera project.

The hardy souls of Diamond Bar CARD continue to circulate a petition and gather signatures to oppose both the development of the hills along the 57 freeway as well as the relocation of the Diamond Bar Golf Course. They could use all the help they can get with more signature gatherers. These petitions are available to be downloaded online at: www.DiamondBarCARD.com or you can pick up both petitions and new bumper stickers at the forum.

One measure of their rising presence is the fact that Shell-Aera's Public Relations consultant, Laer Pearce, has been attacking the accuracy of their website.

SHELL-AERA PROJECT UPDATE:

Supposedly the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) will be released this winter. Once released, the public, agencies and jurisdictions will have a 45-60 day time frame in which to comment on the DEIR.

These comments will then be responded to in a Final EIR. The public will then have another chance to comment on that document. Then the hearings begin - first before the Diamond Bar Planning Commission and next before the Diamond Bar City Council.

THE ROWLAND HEIGHTS MONKEY-WRENCH:

Residents of the unincorporated community of Rowland Heights, just west of Diamond Bar, are taking steps toward city hood - just as Diamond Bar residents did in the late 1980s.

Because Shell-Aera's land west of the 57 freeway is within the Planning Area and existing Community Standards District of Rowland Heights, this drive toward city hood could doom the City of Diamond Bar's effort to annex this portion of Shell-Aera's holdings.

Organizers of city hood are receiving the pro bono (free) services from an attorney firm, an engineering firm and a human resources firm. These are all indications of the confidence of these businesses that the city hood effort will be successful.

The city hood effort by residents of Rowland Heights can be viewed at www.RowlandHeightscity.org.