City Council approves Menifee Commerce Center project

By Doug Spoon, Editor

The Menifee Commerce Center got the final approval it needed, receiving unanimous support from the City Council last week.

The project, first approved by the Planning Commission, will consist of two buildings covering 1.25 million square feet and 385,000 square feet. The complex will be located on what is now vacant land bordered by Ethanac Road to the north, Trumble Road to the west, and Dawson Road to the east. To the south is a portion of undeveloped McLaughlin Road, along with a county flood control channel and an SCE easement.

Nick Fidler, public works director, told council members that the developer is investing $25-35 million in the community with the project – the first in the northern economic development corridor identified by the city’s General Plan. Several construction union workers attended the council meeting to express support of the project, which will give them a major employment opportunity in their hometown.

The area has been zoned as industrial since 1980. The project will include widening of Ethanac Road east of the 215 Freeway to Sherman Road to facilitate truck access and maintain traffic patterns. According to John Kelly, developer of the project, community outreach produced overwhelming support.

In the previous Planning Commission meeting, Kelly stated that tenants for the buildings have not been identified, but tenants for a building as big as the larger one typically include businesses such as Shopify, Target, Home Depot, Burlington, Disney and Best Buy. The smaller building will likely house businesses such as local plumbing companies.

The design for the structures includes landscaping and screen walls to separate the facility from residences around it. According to city officials, the project will be located more than 275 feet from the nearest home in what is primarily a rural area.

Although generally in favor of the project, Mayor Pro Tem Dean Deines expressed concern that a widened Ethanac Road will reduce from four lanes to two at Dawson Road, creating potential traffic problems. Fidler said that 70 of the truck traffic would be turning at Sherman Road and that city officials didn’t consider that a major issue.

“If you’re a logistics or warehouse worker and get a chance to work where you live, that’s a plus,” Deines said. “The benefits certainly outweigh the concerns.”

“This is the first industrial project like this in Menifee,” said Mayor Bill Zimmerman. "I echo Major Pro Tem’s comments about getting assurance that Ethanac can eventually be improved to Dawson. Hopefully, a day will come when the Ethanac Expressway comes to fruition.”