Chandler Quarry / Chandler Ranch Project

Chandler Quarry / Chandler Ranch Project

The 91 acre Chandler Sand and Gravel Quarry, located on Palos Verdes Drive East between Palos Verdes Drive North and Pacific Coast Highway opened in 1934. The Quarry was originally owned by the Portland Cement Company. Shortly after forming his own trucking company in 1939, Linden Harold Chandlerbought 5 acres of land in the Quarry, and in 1945 he was able to purchase the gravel pit and 600 additional acres of land for $1 million. The family accumulated a large amount of land holdings in the South Bay, part of which the family donated in 1993 to create the 28 acre Linden H. Chandler nature preserve. Linden Chandler died on April 14, 1995.

Several proposals have been made over the years to recycle the quarry which is currently used to store inert construction materials. In the late 1960€™s a proposal was made to fill in the quarry and construct a regional park, however that proposal was defeated finally in 1974. In 1971, a developer proposed building about 3,000 apartments and townhouses on the property, In 1972, another proposal was made that would mix single-family homes, townhouses and commercial and recreational facilities not to exceed 750 unites on 125 acres of Chandler property. As far back as 1978, Cayman Development Co. began discussions with the Rolling Hills Country Club adjacent to the Quarry to expand the golf course and to build single family homes.

The current proposed project by the owners of the Quarry consists of redeveloping/reusing 228 acres of the existing Chandler€™s Palos Verdes Sand and Gravel facility (Chandler€™s) and the adjacent Rolling Hills Country Club with the following: 114 single-family homes, 113 of which would be within a new 62 acre residential community; A reconfigured/relocated 18-hole golf course; A new clubhouse complex that includes a 61,411-square feet structure; and 3.9 acres set aside as natural open space.RHCC currently leases about 2/3rds of the existing golf course from Chandler. The lease expires in July 2022 and RHCC has no renewal right. The plan requires the Approval of an approximately 32-acre annexation/deannexation between the Cities of Rolling Hills Estates and Torrance to allow for all residential development to be located within the City of Rolling Hills Estates, with golf course and open space use in the City of Torrance. At this time, students in the residential area would attend either the Palos Verdes, Torrance, or Los Angeles Unified School Districts.

On July 26, 2011, the Rolling Hills Estates City Council certified the plan€™s Environmental Impact Report and approved a tentative map for the new tract along with various permits and a grading plan. The approval includes a requirement for the developer to donate $1 million( to be matched by developer fees) for equestrian activities in Rolling Hills Estates. The City has a 10 year development agreement with Chandlers. The developer is now finalizing negotiations for the required annexation agreements.