(June 21) The Chino City Council has rejected attorney Cory Briggs’ challenge of that city’s planning commission’s approval of the Watson Land Company’s industrial complex project at the corner of Kimball and Mountain avenues.
According to Briggs, there were shortcomings and defects in the planning commission’s findings for its April 29 approval of the project. The commission failed to advertise the hearing properly, Briggs maintained, and did not properly inform the public about changes to the general plan’s provisions for an environmental impact report for the project.
According to city officials, Briggs’ challenge was not discussed by the city council in closed session June 4 prior to the council, without any open public hearing, simply rejecting Briggs’ challenge. The council did so on the basis of city attorney Jimmy Gutierrez’ assertion that Briggs’ procedural challenge of the project approval was not an issue that  merited the council’s revocation of the commission’s action.
Briggs, who in 2012 prevailed in a challenge of what he detailed as deficiencies in the city’s general plan and garnered $215,000 in legal fees in so doing, was required to post a $2,400 fee to make the appeal the city council rejected.
Briggs hinted that he would be willing to accept a compromise from the city on the Watson Land Industrial Complex approval if the city would refund his hearing fee, recompense him for his hours devoted to the appeal and incorporate a solar energy component into the project.
The council rejected that offer, risking further legal action by Briggs and his firm.