Connecting people, places and experiences in Brea
The Brea 265 site is located toward the eastern portion of town near the Brea Sports Park, Olinda Elementary School and Carbon Canyon Regional Park.
Its story is a familiar one for a town the OC Register once dubbed the “oil capital of Orange County.”
Oil was first discovered at the site 100 years ago, and its early landowners were among the city’s most successful “wildcatters” - or oil explorers. Many local businesses opened on and near the site to serve those working the field.
Shell Oil, Aera Energy’s predecessor, purchased most of the Brea 265 site in the 1930s. The company continued oil production, but its local contributions later broadened to include significant land conservation.
In the 1960s, Shell (and later Aera) began working with state and local organizations to place some of its properties into permanent preservation and public land. These lands - totaling about 4,000 acres - would help create Chino Hills State Park and Carbon Canyon Regional Park.
This legacy of partnership continues today. As Brea 265’s oil production winds down, Aera has reimagined this land to create new parks, public access, trail connections and homes at all income levels.
From historical oil production to new, master-planned communities. It's an evolution common in Brea - indeed, it’s one that helped build this city.
Brea 265 Master Plan At-a-Glance:
- Size: 265 acres
- Park Space: 15 acres of new public parks
- Trails: 7 miles of new public trails connecting to regional and local trails
- Public Safety: 1-acre site reserved for new fire and police substation; two new "heli-hydrant" sites
- Schools: Major funding to expand Olinda Elementary School
- Homes: Diverse range of approximately 1,100 homes at all levels of affordability
- Density: About 4 units per acre; equal to or lower than surrounding neighborhoods
- Transportation: Major street widenings at Rose Drive and Lambert Road; funding 13 "smart signals" across city; additional technology investments
- Public Art: New, interactive public art areas, including an illuminated pedestrian tunnel under Lambert Road.
Brea 265
Master Plan
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Sports Park
Expansion
Brea 265 will expand the Brea Sports Park by nearly 65% - 13 acres. The expanded facility will bring new state-of-the-art fields and equipment, including: full-sized soccer fields, baseball and softball field, flag football field, public pickleball courts (Brea’s first), tennis courts, basketball courts, playgrounds, trails and new public parking. Aera Energy will also fund the modernization of the existing sports park, including new turf fields.
Trailhead
& Trails
Brea 265 embraces this great city’s passion for hiking and biking. The centerpiece is a new 2-acre public trailhead. Seven miles of new public trails emanate from the trailhead creating linkages to local and regional trail systems within Brea and Carbon Canyon Regional Park. A new illuminated pedestrian tunnel under Lambert will allow current and new residents to walk to Olinda Elementary and the Sports Park... without crossing major streets.
Diverse Housing
“Brea’s economy and employment base is the envy of cities across Southern California. But we lack the necessary housing stock to keep our talent here in town. That leads to thousands of commuters driving into Brea each day. Aera Energy's Brea 265 plan is the best opportunity to help solve this 'jobs-to-homes imbalance’ and keep hardworking employees, recent graduates and young professionals in Brea.”
- Heidi Gallegos, President/CEO, Brea Chamber of Commerce*
Brea 265 brings a diverse range of new homes close to jobs. The plan includes 1,100 units over 265 acres, creating a community character and density similar to or less than surrounding neighborhoods.
To the east, larger estate homes will have views of the ocean and canyon. On the west, beautiful new homes for young families, empty nesters and professionals will be within walking distance to the expanded Brea Sports Park and Olinda Elementary. And nearly all homes will be within a mile from Brea’s largest employment centers, allowing for shorter commutes and more time with friends and family.
Public
Benefits
Brea 265 makes possible one of the most significant investments in this great city's future. Overall, this investment goes well beyond typical fees and creates major public benefits for all Brea residents, including:
About Aera Energy
As a California company that accounts for about 25% of the state’s oil production, Aera holds the values of Californians: we strive to innovate, we celebrate productivity and advocate for the preservation of our beautiful state. The oil we produce enables millions of Californians to travel to work every day, allows businesses to grow and thrive, and helps California-grown food to arrive at dinner tables.
Formed in 1997 and headquartered in Bakersfield, Aera is jointly owned by Shell Oil and ExxonMobil. Our presence in Brea is nearly as old as the city itself. In fact, our predecessor (Shell Oil) began local operations in the 1920s. Since then, the company has placed roughly 4,000 acres of land – nearly half the size of Brea – into permanent regional open-space preservation. This includes the early acreage that formed Chino Hills State Park and Carbon Canyon Regional Park. Aera also developed the highly regarded Vista del Verde community and Black Gold Golf Club in neighboring Yorba Linda on a restored oilfield.
Oil production on the property dates back more than 100 years and continues to this day. These operations would be halted and a comprehensive cleanup and well-closure program would be implemented ahead of the site's redevelopment. Aera joined with Orange County-based Brooks Street to assist with land-planning and entitlement operations.
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