Sorenson Engineering has received approval from the Yucaipa City Council to expand its operations in the area of Dunlap Boulevard.

The four-phase project calls for a five-acre parking lot, two new machine shops and a break room. The company, which has been in Yucaipa since 1956, is involved in micromachining technology. It builds very small parts.

Bernhard Mayer, a civil engineer hired by Sorenson, said after Monday's council meeting that the 353-space parking lot will be built first, followed by a 20,000-square-foot machine shop. He said work on the underground utilities, which has to be done first, could start in 60 days.

Sorenson is adding 70,600 square feet of industrial buildings on 16 acres. The second machine shop, the final part of the expansion, will measure 48,000 square feet.

Mayer told the council that the company expects to hire 100 employees over the life of the expansion, which it intends to complete in about three years.

"Thank you for expanding here," Councilwoman Diane Smith told the company's representatives.

"We love you being here and we're glad that you're staying," added Councilman Tom Masner.

Sorenson has 150 employees, according to Mayer. He said 70 percent are Yucaipa residents and most of the rest live in Redlands.

The Yucaipa Planning Commission previously recommended that the council approve the company's expansion plans. When the expansion came up for a vote at Monday's council meeting, there was no public comment, as was the case at the Planning Commission meeting.

Architectural renderings of the new facilities have not been completed. Once they are finished, they go to the Planning Commission for review.

Reach Erin Waldner at 951-763-3473 or ewaldner@PE.com