County Officials, Environmental Groups and Area Residents Oppose the Action
Despite opposition from Los Angeles County officials, environmental groups, and area residents, the City of Diamond Bar City Council approved a planning and pre-annexation agreement with Aera Energy at its December 19, 2006 City Council meeting.

Despite opposition from Los Angeles County officials, environmental groups, and area residents, the City of Diamond Bar City Council approved a planning and pre-annexation agreement with Aera Energy at its December 19 City Council meeting. Approval of this agreement moves Aera's controversial development one step closer to being processed outside the oversight of strict environmental regulations applied by the County of Los Angeles , essentially bypassing the Significant Ecological Area (SEA) designation that Diamond Bar does not recognize.. Area has proposed building 2,800 homes and close to a quarter million square feet of commercial development on 1,940 acres of land that would be annexed into Diamond Bar.

The action by Diamond Bar was taken the week before Christmas and during Chanukah, with no public outreach. On behalf of HOSEC, its attorney Michael Colantuono, submitted a letter to the Diamond Bar City Council detailing a number of legal and environmental concerns about the agreement and urging the Council to continue the item until adequate analysis could be completed. The approval occurred over HOSEC and the County's requests for greater public input, especially by residents of Diamond Bar and its adjacent communities. Please click here to read the complete letter.