Sheraton’s run through Planning Commission under appeal by newly formed community group.

A plan to put a Sheraton Hotel at the corner of Valencia Blvd. and McBean Pkwy. in Santa Clarita is being put under the microscope by a new group of community members who have organized under the name “Positive Solutions Association,” (PSA).

The project is being financed by Brisam Valencia, LLC, and it plans to build the Sheraton hotel over the footprint of The Greens Sports Bar and Restaurant, which will be demolished. According to Santa Clarita Associate Planner Jessica Frank, the 136,550 square foot building will accommodate roughly 200 rooms, a 120-seat restaurant and 7,600 square foot banquet facility.

PSA has issued an appeal regarding the recent Planning Commission approval of the hotel project proposal, requesting a formal review by City Council. Organizers believe that several factors of the project depart from the City’s general plan. Those factors likely include the project’s proposed height, which exceeds the city’s development code limit. To break the limit, the project has to be granted a Conditional Use Permit. Another area of concern could be the potential traffic impacts on McBean Pkwy and surrounding streets.

Approximately 110 people make up PSA, which was formed just ten days ago. Some of the members are residents of the Woodlands Community, located directly behind the proposed hotel site.

Their spokesman Don Stevens, a Doctor of Environmental Engineering and Woodlands resident, claims that the City was misled.

“Our great City has been duped,” he exclaimed to a crowd of about 20 supporters in front of City Hall Wednesday.

Still early in the process, Stevens says that PSA is evaluating the project fully and will be prepared to offer specific areas of concern by the appeal date, which has yet to be set.

“The time has been very, very short,” he said. “We don’t know much right now, so essentially we’ve filed the appeal and put together the group trying to get something started.”

Just the thought of a major project like the hotel, which could be taller than the adjacent Hyatt Regency, has the group spooked.

“The idea of putting that size of a hotel on that small piece of property is what really hit us, and the changes that it will make in that intersection right there,” Stevens said while pointing out McBean Pkwy. and Valencia Blvd.

The City adopted a mitigated negative declaration for the project, which means that the developer will be responsible for mitigating all of the environmental impacts before they can be issued the certificate of occupancy. One of those mitigations includes the addition of another right lane for westbound traffic on Valencia Blvd. near the hotel.

While the opposition to the project has been set, Stevens reports that the group isn’t upset with the City. Instead, he says, the members want to work with the City to uncover all of the details about the project and its effects on the community.