Saddleback Meadows Project Delayed Again

A bitterly debated project for 705 manufactured homes on 232 acres of wooded hillsides near Trabuco Canyon faced another delay Wednesday before the county Planning Commission.

Commissioners asked the developer, Aradi Inc. of Los Angeles, to return Dec. 3, when commissioners will decide how to proceed with an environmental study of the project.

The extra time also will give the panel and the public an opportunity to view grading documents that relate to the environmental report. Neighbors and canyon residents argued Wednesday that the report is flawed and doesn’t properly address the effects of hillside grading, among other issues.

The Saddleback Meadows project received its first approval by the county in 1978 and has been debated and revised ever since. A year ago, supervisors rejected an alternate proposal that called for 318 high-end homes.