Planning Commission OKs Plan for Menifee Lakes Plaza

Plans for the Menifee Lakes Plaza show hotel space near Interstate 215 and an LA Fitness gym to the north side of the site.

The Menifee Planning Commission Wednesday night unanimously approved plans for the Menifee Lakes Plaza commercial center, sending the recommendation to the City Council for final approval of the project.

The project is to be built between Antelope Road and Interstate 215, north of Newport Road. It has been discussed over the last four Planning Commission meetings and the developer returned with a revised plan with minor changes. As approved, the project includes plans for a hotel, LA Fitness gym, gas station and pads for a small number of retail businesses.

Revised plans submitted by the developer, MGMD Inc./Muirfield Properties, include an increase in parking spaces from 787 to 843, outdoor seating areas, and an entrance from Antelope Road. The project also includes plans from city staff for a raised median on Antelope Road, two traffic signals north of Newport Road, and two dedicated turn lanes off Antelope Road heading to the freeway.

LA Fitness is the only tenant included in the project at this point. At the previous request of the Planning Commission, the revised plan moved the site of the 34,500-square-foot LA Fitness further west toward the freeway and away from Antelope Road.

Ron Underwood, architect for the project, told Planning Commissioners the parcels located on the outer edge of the development, along Antelope Road, would probably attract applicants for eating establishments.

No applicants for the hotel space have been received, and any specific design for that hotel must come to the Planning Commission for approval. The height could be up to three or four stories.

Chris Thomas served as interim chair of the meeting upon vote of the newly configured commission. Greg Folsom (left) and Robert Karwin (lower right) were sworn in as new commissioners, joining Thomas, Lesa Sobek and Earl Phillips. Karwin recused himself from the vote because he had not yet studied all discussion of the project in previous commission meetings.

"We've put the developer through a lot the last few months," Thomas said before casting his vote in favor of the project. "This will draw, in my opinion, higher quality stores. The signals on Antelope will eliminate almost entirely the U-turners [motorists who drive north past Newport and turn around to head west on Newport more quickly]. We have made several requests of the developer and they have met them."

A request by Sobek resulted in an addition to the plan Wednesday night to install architectural shade coverings in the outdoor seating areas. Sobek also stated her opinion that when a design for the hotel comes back to the commission, the height be limited to three stories.

A number of residents spoke both in favor of and against the project. Ron Sullivan, a resident of the Palmilla development across Antelope Road from the project site, spoke in favor of Menifee Lakes Plaza.

"I particularly like the issue of the hotel," Sullivan said. "We need one and it's the perfect location for one. It will also be great to have a fitness center on that side of the freeway. This has been a long time coming and I look forward to the commission approving this."

Residents Grant Yoders and Katie Mineer questioned the eligibility of new commissioners Folsom and Karwin to vote on a project they have not been present to study and discuss in the past. Folsom said he had thoroughly studied the minutes and video of previous meetings and did take part in the vote, however.

Martin Gelband expressed concern about the impact on traffic. City Engineer Jonathan Smith confirmed that an extensive traffic study was conducted and said factors were in place to mitigate congestion, including the traffic signals and median on Antelope Road and the upcoming improvements on the Newport Road interchange.

"We need more stuff like this on the east side of the freeway to decrease the traffic on the west side of the freeway," said Matt Orzech, speaking in favor of the project.