There is perhaps no better example of the emotions surrounding land development in Menifee than the case of the Murrieta Road warehouse project.
After more than 90 minutes of discussion and public comments from 22 individuals on both sides of the issue, the Menifee City Council on Wednesday voted 4-1 to approve a project that has been in the works for three years and has put 26 families of local homeowners through the wringer.
At issue was the proposal of a 517,720-square-foot warehouse on vacant land between Geary Avenue and Murrieta Road, south of a dirt road called Floyd Avenue and further south of Ethanac Road. The land is part of the City of Menifee’s Economic Development Corridor Northern Gateway zone. In other words, it is land designated for industrial and other forms of commercial business – not private residences.
It wasn’t always that way. The Northern Gateway EDC zoning was part of the City’s General Plan that was adopted in 2013. Before that, the zoning was Medium Density Residential (2-5 DU/Acre) when the houses were built under Riverside County’s jurisdiction.
That move left this small group of residents on an island in a rezoned area. Many of them have lived there for years. Knowing what was coming in an area in which several warehouse projects were recently approved, they appeared to have a way out when, in 2022, Panattoni Development Company made a deal with residents to buy them out in exchange for building a warehouse there.
Unfortunately for those residents, Panattoni backed out of the deal – partly because of a lawsuit filed by the City of Perris against the City of Menifee over possible environmental impacts of the project. Ares Industrial Management, the developer of the new project, did not offer homeowners the same deal. Now, many say, they will be forced to stare at a 25-foot wall next to their homes, endure truck traffic on adjacent streets, and hear truck noise throughout the night.
The Menifee Planning Commission denied the project by a 3-2 vote in October 2024, citing concerns that the proposed mitigation of environmental concerns was not sufficient to protect the residents. Ares appealed, and during a December 2024 meeting before the City Council, the appeal was held over to allow Ares officials time to have further community meetings with residents.
Wednesday’s continuation of the appeal hearing was the first city meeting since then. In that meeting, Peter Schafer of Ares outlined some adjustments made in the proposal after meetings with residents. They include:
— Rerouting of truck traffic to avoid Geary Street between Ethanac Road and Floyd Avenue. Trucks must enter Murrieta Road from Ethanac Road. If they need to access the western driveways, they must go around to the other side of the property via McLaughlin Road.
— Physical barriers and more trees will be added in an attempt to shield residents from views of the facility.
— Offers have been made to homeowners for improvements on their homes, including new windows and air conditioning so windows can be closed and minimize noise.
— At Wednesday’s meeting, under questioning from Mayor Pro Tem Bob Karwin, Schafer said it’s possible that truck service in the evenings would not be needed. He also said he would be willing to add 55 extra feet to the setback, leaving the boundary 80 feet away from residents.
Those concessions were not enough to satisfy residents who spoke out against the project. They included multiple generations of families who have lived in that neighborhood for decades.
“What happens when multiple industrial projects surround this residential neighborhood?” asked Chris DeChristopher, one of three family members who spoke out against the project. “I think they are hoping the residents will just go away. We will never stop fighting.”
The presentation by Schafer referred to a study conducted by Urban Crossroads Consulting which indicated that the current project would have less of an impact on traffic and the environment that other possible land uses such as commercial centers, business parks, or residential development. Most council members agreed. Karwin also pointed to the concessions made by Ares.
“I’ve lost a lot of sleep over this,” Karwin said. “I voted against continuing this matter before, and I felt the project was not a good fit here. But I don’t think this is the same project we voted on two years ago. The developer has made some really significant changes as a direct result of meetings with the residents of Floyd Avenue. This is night and day from the previous project.
“Everything around this is eventually going to be industrial. I don’t know of a project that would have less traffic than this one. You could put a shopping plaza in and there would be 10 times more traffic. I don’t think you’ll find a developer who is as willing to improve the project as this one is.”
There is currently no timetable for the start of construction.
Editor’s note: At Menifee 24/7, we realize there are strong opinions among our readers regarding land use in Menifee. We are working on a series of articles that will examine the land development process through research, public records, and interviews. More on this topic will be coming soon. Readers with specific questions may email them to info@menifee247.com or send them in a private message on Facebook.
