At this month’s Phelan Piñon Hills Community Services District meeting, the board received updates on water infrastructure, storm-related repairs, the new Civic Center, and the district’s park expansion project, while residents also used public comment to raise concerns about the proposed Maverik gas station in Piñon Hills.
One of the most significant updates came from Assistant Water Operations Manager Chris Cummings, who said the district’s new Well 16 tested at about 900 gallons per minute, making it the highest-producing well in the system. General Manager Don Bartz called that “an absolute win” and said the well also showed very low chromium levels.
That matters locally because chromium is one of the naturally occurring elements found in groundwater that water agencies have to monitor. Lower levels can make a well easier to put into service and less expensive to manage.
Cummings also said testing is underway on Well 18, where samples are being taken for chromium, arsenic, fluoride and gross alpha.
He told the board the district is also continuing repairs related to the Christmas flooding, which damaged several water service line crossings along the Sheep Creek Wash. A repair on Trinity Road has been completed and brought back online, and work on the next crossing at Calaveras is expected to begin within the next week or week and a half, with completion targeted for mid-April.
Assistant General Manager George Cardenas reported that the district’s new Civic Center is continuing to move forward, with most underground utilities now installed and the building footings completed earlier this month. He said the next phase is pouring the concrete slabs, which will be done in two stages.
Cardenas said the contractor requested crews be on site at 4 a.m. to prepare for a 5 a.m. concrete delivery, citing concrete quality, temperature control, delivery timing, finishing conditions and reduced traffic impacts. Director Greg Snyder asked whether county approval would be needed for work outside normal construction hours, and Cardenas said staff was following up on that.
Cardenas said once the slab work is complete, the next step will be erecting the structural steel, which is currently scheduled for the second week of April. He also noted that while there have been several change orders, the project remains in a positive position financially, with credits still exceeding added costs by about $83,000. The overall schedule remains on track, with the contractor indicating the project could be completed by December, ahead of the full contract timeline.
He also updated the board on the district’s park expansion project, where work is continuing on the pickleball courts, sidewalk and landscape irrigation. The project received a seven-week extension after delays tied to design revisions and approvals, but Cardenas said construction is continuing steadily.
Board members also discussed the long-closed Phelan Road crossing at Sheep Creek Wash, though that work is being handled by the county, not the CSD. The issue came up because the district has water infrastructure in that area and because residents have been dealing with the closure for months. Vice President Jeanna Mills asked whether the closure is affecting emergency response times. A sheriff’s representative said deputies are still able to use alternate routes. Later in the meeting, Cardenas said a pre-construction meeting for the county project had been scheduled for the following morning.
The board also approved two required workplace policies without opposition: an updated heat illness prevention policy that now includes indoor protections, and a lactation accommodation policy.
Public comment at the start of the meeting focused on the proposed Maverik gas station project near Oasis Road and Highway 138 in Piñon Hills, though the matter was not agendized and is outside the district’s authority. Community member Chris Hale outlined the proposal, while communty members Ann Hale and Debbie McAffee spoke in opposition and urged residents to participate in the county appeal process.
Ann Hale, who said she has lived in Piñon Hills for 38 years, told the board the project has generated strong local concern over traffic, student safety, pollution and the loss of rural character.
“The community is even more strongly opposed than before,” Hale said.
Their comments did not result in board action, but they showed how prominent the issue has become ahead of the May 19 appeal hearing before the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors.
The meeting also included reports from local public safety agencies. Brent Cannon of San Bernardino County Fire shared recent call totals and highlighted the department’s Fire Explorer program and EMT training partnership at Serrano High School. Sheriff’s representatives also reported recent call volumes in Phelan and Piñon Hills.
Before adjourning, the board indicated it will likely cancel its April 8 meeting because some board members will be attending California Special Districts Association legislative days in Sacramento.
