Public hearing to address appeal regarding warehouse plan

By Doug Spoon, Editor

A public hearing will be held before the Menifee City Council on Dec. 4 to consider a developer’s appeal of the Planning Commission’s denial regarding a warehouse project in the city.

The proposed project site is located south of Floyd Avenue (a dirt road), east of Geary Street (also a dirt road), west of Murrieta Road, and north of McLaughlin Road. Further north from Floyd Avenue is Ethanac Road, which is part of Menifee’s designated Economic Development Corridor bordering the City of Perris.

Plans call for a 517,720-square-foot warehouse building with 20,320 square feet of ground floor office space, 7,000 square feet of mezzanine office space, 505,932 square feet of warehouse space, and would be approximately 55 feet tall.

In addition, the project would include 90 dock-high doors and four grade-level truck doors. There would be approximately 28 trailer parking spaces in the northern truck court and 64 trailer parking spaces in the southern truck court. Access would be provided via two driveways from Geary Street and three driveways from Murrieta Road.

After considerable discussion at the Oct. 23 Planning Commission meeting, a motion to approve the project failed by a 3-2 vote. Commissioners Jeff LaDue, Chris Thomas and Joe Long expressed doubts about the applicant’s testimony that “overriding considerations” such as an enhanced local economy, alternative transportation mode benefits, transformation of an underutilized site, and “employment generating uses” would mitigate concerns raised in the Environmental Impact Report.

The EIR stated that “significant and unavoidable” impacts of Greenhouse Gas emissions and noise were beyond the standard for approval, but city staff cited the overriding considerations in recommending approval.

Also speaking out against the project was resident Bob Powell, who lives adjacent to the site. He is concerned that there would be only a 25-foot buffer zone between the project site and his property.

According to the City of Menifee’s public notice about the hearing, which will take place during the 6 p.m. Dec. 4 City Council meeting at City Hall (29844 Haun Road):

“Any person wishing to comment on the proposed project may do so in writing between the date of this notice and the public hearing and be heard at the time and place noted above. All comments must be received prior to the time of the public hearing. All such comments will be submitted to the City Council Commission, and the City Council will consider such comments, in addition to any oral testimony, before making a decision on the proposed project. “If this project is challenged in court, the issues may be limited to those raised at the public hearing, described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the City Council at, or prior to, the public hearing. Be advised that as a result of public hearings and comments, the City Council may amend, in whole or in part, the proposed project. Accordingly, the designations, development standards, design or improvements, or any properties or lands within the boundaries of the proposed roject, may be changed in a way other than specifically proposed.”

For further information regarding this project or to provide written correspondence, contact Ryan Fowler at 951-723-3740, e-mail rfowler@cityofmenifee.us, or mail:

CITY OF MENIFEE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
Attn: Ryan Fowler, Principal Planner 29844 Haun Road
Menifee, CA 92586