Citizens advocacy group files suit against City of Menifee

By Doug Spoon, Editor

A citizens advocate group has filed a lawsuit against the City of Menifee, attempting to stop the City Council-approved plan for a car wash in the Shoppes at the Lakes center on Newport Road.

The City Council on May 1 denied an appeal of the project by environmental group Menifee Neighbors Care. The project, originally approved the Planning Commission on Feb. 28, includes a Mister Car Wash next to a KinderCare child care center. In a news release, Menifee Neighbors Care opposes the car wash “because over 100 cars and vehicles per hour will go to the car wash and pass by the child day care center.”

“Evidence shows that this project does not comply with CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act),” said Jesse Marquez, policy director for the alliance, at the May 1 meeting. “You can’t make a judgment if you don’t have sufficient data.”

That claim was disputed by council members.

Council member Bob Karwin responded by challenging Marquez’s claim that the car wash would serve “100 cars an hour”, stating that there is no data to support such a claim.

“Have you even met with the business (day care center) you are trying to protect?” Karwin asked Marquez, who said no. “Are you saying the child care center is forsaking safety for the sake of profits?”

According to the news release, “the car wash will generate noise, air pollution, increased traffic congestion, increased traffic vehicle and pedestrian safety accidents, ground contamination from leaking motor oil, transmission fluid, brake fluid, radiator fluid and brake dust. The childcare location does not have a rear emergency road exit or safe distance staging area to evacuate to. The daycare center will care for 150 children, the majority will be around 5 years old, and some will have disabilities requiring extra time and staff to safely evacuate.”

The City Council voted 4-1 to deny the alliance’s appeal, with Ricky Estrada casting the lone dissenting vote.

“Menifee Neighbors Care submitted written public comments and testified before the City Council identifying numerous environmental, public health and public safety impacts and criticizing the inadequacies of the studies Menifee had prepared, but the Menifee City Council ignored them,” said Marquez. “We cannot allow certain types of business projects that create significant environmental, public health and public safety impacts to be built close to facilities that care for children.”