PC20-511
RESOLUTION NO. PC 20- _____
A RESOLUTION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF
MENIFEE, CALIFORNIA RECOMMENDING THAT THE CITY COUNCIL
APPROVE PLOT PLAN NO. 2017-287 FOR “THE JUNCTION”, A
RETAIL COMMERCIAL CENTER, HOTEL, AND ASSISTED LIVING
FACILITY LOCATED ON THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF SCOTT
ROAD AND HAUN ROAD IN THE CITY OF MENIFEE, COUNTY OF
RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA (APNS: 360-380-002 AND -005 THRU -007)
WHEREAS, on September 19, 2017, the applicant, PacTen Partners, filed a
formal application with the City of Menifee for the approval of the following: (1) Plot Plan
No. 2017-287, which proposes the construction and operation of the 268,824 sq. ft. of
commercial retail buildings, a 85,282 sq. ft., 5-story hotel, and a two-phase 304-unit
senior assisted living, independent living and memory care facility located on the
northwest corner of Scott Road and Haun Road (APNs: 360-380-002, -007, -009, and -
010) (herein referred to as the “project site”); (2) Conditional Use Permit No. 2017-288,
which would allow for the assisted living facility and gas station uses; and (3)
Development Agreement No. 2017-291, which proposes a Development Agreement
between the Property Owners (Kelco Properties, LLC and Platinum Partners, LLC) and
the City of Menifee (collectively, the “Project”); and
WHEREAS, on June 10, 2020, the Planning Commission of the City of Menifee
held a public hearing on the Project, considered all public testimony as well as all
materials in the staff report and accompanying documents, regarding Plot Plan No.
2018-287, which hearing was publicly noticed by a publication in The Press Enterprise, a
newspaper of general circulation, an agenda posting, and notice to property owners
within 900 feet of the Project boundaries, and to persons requesting public notice; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Planning Commission of the
City of Menifee recommends that the City Council make the following Findings:
Section 1: Consistency with the General Plan. The Plot Plan is consistent with the
adopted General Plan and any applicable specific plan.
Consistency with General Plan
The Project site is designated Economic Development Corridor (EDC) per
the City of Menifee’s General Plan and Zoning map and is intended for a
variety of commercial, entertainment, office and industrial uses.
Specifically, the Project site is located within the EDC: Southern Gateway
(EDC-SG). The General Plan states that west of Interstate 215, north of
Scott Road, the EDC area provides an opportunity for commercial,
residential, and office uses with a high level of freeway accessibility as a
transitional area to the Town Center located to the north. It instructs to
avoid placement of residential units directly adjacent to the freeway.
The Project is consistent with the EDC-SG land use designation, because
the commercial center and senior living facility will provide commercial
and residential uses as envisioned in the General Plan.
The Project provides services and goods designated to serving patrons
within the vicinity of the Project site as well as those from surrounding
communities. Scott Road and Haun Road are both commercial corridors
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Plot Plan No. 2017-287
June 10, 2020
within the southerly portion of the City with Interstate 215 paralleling the
site to the east.
In addition, the Project is consistent with the following City of Menifee
General Plan policies:
Project Design
CD-3.5 Design parking lots and structures to be functionally and
visually integrated and connected; off-street parking lots should not
dominate the street scene.
Perimeter landscaping and of the Project’s commercial and residential
buildings has been provided to visually screen the parking lot and
drive aisles from surrounding roadways along Scott Road, Haun
Road, and Howard Way.
CD-3.9 Utilize Crime Prevention through Environmental Design
(CPTED) techniques and defensible space design concepts to
enhance community safety.
The Project is required to include security cameras at the entrances
as well as within the property and the site has been designed to limit
concealed areas to allow for greater visibility and security.
Building Design
CD-3.10 Employ design strategies and building materials that evoke
a sense of quality and permanence.
The Project includes quality architectural features, such as stone
veneer, wood siding and trim, metal siding, awnings, decorative light
fixture, tower elements, spandrel glass, and standing seam metal
roofing. In addition, the varied color palette creates a warm
environment and ranges from soft reds to gray-toned whites and gray
colored accents, which will complement the more natural earth tones
within the stone veneer.
CD-3.14 Provide variations in color, texture, materials, articulation,
and architectural treatments. Avoid long expanses of blank,
monotonous walls or fences.
The architecture of the Project incorporates varied colors, recesses,
material changes, varied roof lines, wall plane changes, accent
materials, and other architectural treatments that break up wall areas
to avoid any long expanses of blank, monotonous walls.
Enhanced Landscape Corridors
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Plot Plan No. 2017-287
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CD-4.2 Design new and, when necessary, retrofit existing streets to
improve walkability, bicycling, and transit integration; strengthen
connectivity; and enhance community identity through improvements
to the public right-of-way such as sidewalks, street trees, parkways,
curbs, street lighting, and street furniture.
The Project will provide sufficient right-of-way for an expanded 8-foot
sidewalk on Haun Road and standard sidewalks on Howard Way and
Scott Road, parkway, street trees, street lighting and an 8 to 10-foot-
wide Class II bike lane on Scott Road and Haun Road, and a Class
III bike route on Howard Way.
Lighting
CD-6.4 Require that lighting and fixtures be integrated with the
design and layout of a project and that they provide a desirable level
of security and illumination.
The applicant is proposing decorative down-shielded building
mounted lighting, as well as decorative down-shielded free-standing
lighting.
CD-6.5 Limit light leakage and spillage that may interfere with the
operations of the Palomar Observatory.
The Project has been conditioned for all lighting fixtures to comply
with Menifee Municipal Code Chapter 6.01, “Dark Sky Ordinance”,
which will have the effect of limiting leakage and spillage of light. All
lighting is to be down-shielded as described above.
Policies
ED-2.1 Promote retail development by locating needed goods and
services in proximity to where residents live to improve quality of life,
retain taxable spending by Menifee residents and attract residents
from outside the City to shop in Menifee.
o Locate businesses providing convenience goods and services in
retail centers that are on arterials adjacent to neighborhoods and
communities throughout the City but not in rural residential areas.
o Encourage comparison goods businesses to locate in larger retail
centers located on major arterials near freeway interchanges,
because businesses that provide comparison goods tend to draw
customers from larger areas.
The Project would provide additional retail options and greater
convenience to residential and commercial uses in the Project vicinity.
The Project locates these retail businesses along a major east/west
commercial corridor (Scott Road) and a north/south corridor (Haun Road).
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Plot Plan No. 2017-287
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The Project and the properties situated to the north and south of the
project site share the same General Plan and Zoning designation of
Economic Development Corridor (EDC) and Economic Development
Corridor (EDC) – Southern Gateway. The properties to the east are
designated and zoned Menifee Commercial Specific Plan. Properties to
the west are designated Rural Residential – 1 Acre Minimum and 2.1-5
Dwelling Units per Acre – Residential (2.1-5R) and zoned Rural
Residential – 1 Acre Minimum and Low Density Residential – 2 (LDR-2)
(7,200 sq. ft.).
Furthermore, the properties to the north and east are presently vacant.
Properties to the west and south include single-family residences. The
Project is compatible with the surrounding uses it augments and supports
the land uses in the vicinity of the Project.
Consistency with Multiple Specie Habitat Conservation Plan (MSHCP)
The City of Menifee has two (2) active conservation plans within the City’s
boundary, the Western Riverside County MSHCP, and the Stephens’
Kangaroo Rat Habitat Conservation Plan (SKR-HCP). The subject site is
within the jurisdiction of the SKR-HCP and the Western Riverside County
MSHCP. The Project site is located inside the Stephen’s Kangaroo Rat
(Dipodomys stephensi) (SKR) Fee Area. The Project is located within the
boundaries of the Western Riverside County Multiple Species Habitat
Conservation Plan; however, the Project is not located with a Criteria Cell
or Cell Group. The Project will be subject to the payment of fees for a
commercial project consistent with Riverside County Ordinance No. 810.2
as adopted by the City of Menifee. Therefore, the Project will not conflict
with the provisions of the adopted HCP, Natural Conservation Community
Plan, or other approved local, regional, or State conservation plan and the
impact is considered less than significant.
Section 2: Consistency with the Zoning Code. The Plot Plan is consistent with the
zone designation Map, and applicable development standards within the
zone designation:
The Project site is zoned Economic Development Corridor – Southern
Gateway (EDC-SG). Surrounding zoning classifications include EDC-SG
to the north and south, Menifee Commercial Specific Plan to the east and
Rural Residential – 1 Acre Minimum and Low Density Residential – 2
(LDR-2) (7,200 sq. ft.) to the west, which are consistent with the zoning
for the Project site.
The General Plan Land Use Designation and Zoning classification of
Economic Development Corridor are consistent and compatible with one
another. As previously stated, the General Plan states that west of
Interstate 215, north of Scott Road, the EDC area provides an opportunity
for commercial, residential, and office uses with a high level of freeway
accessibility as a transitional area to the Town Center located to the
north. It instructs to avoid placement of residential units directly adjacent
to the freeway.
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Plot Plan No. 2017-287
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This project was deemed complete prior to the current version of the
Development Code (Title 9) became effective (January 17, 2020) and
was therefore reviewed under the previous Development Code.
The Project, which includes a commercial center and senior living facility,
is consistent with the Economic Development Corridor’s list of allowable
uses and the design of the Project is consistent with the development
standard of the EDC-SG zone. The proposed Project requires the
processing of a Plot Plan and requires a Conditional Use Permit
specifically to allow for the gas station and assisted living use. As such,
Conditional Use Permit No. 2017-288 is being processed concurrently
with Plot Plan No. 2017-287 application for the retail center. The
proposed Project meets all applicable standards of development and
operation of the City’s Zoning Code, including any applicable specific use
regulations. The Project meets the setbacks, landscape area, floor area
ratio (FAR) and height requirements of the EDC-SG zone.
The Project is consistent with Menifee Municipal Code (MMC) Chapter
9.86, Park Design, Landscaping and Tree Preservation, as well as
Riverside County Ordinance No. 348 which were in effect when the
Project was deemed complete. The Project is consistent with the parking
requirements of Ordinance 348, Section 18.12. The Project also includes
a condition of approval to obtain approval of a sign program. Per MMC
Chapter 9.76, a master sign program is required for all multi-tenant
shopping centers. Therefore, the Project is consistent with the Zoning
Code.
Section 3: Surrounding Uses. The establishment, maintenance, or operation of the
proposed Project will not be detrimental to the health, safety, or general
welfare of persons residing or working in the neighborhood of such use or
to the general welfare of the City.
The Project site is located at the northwest corner of Haun Road and
Scott Road. To the north and east of the site if vacant land. To the west
and south of the site is single-family residences and some vacant land.
The Project is compatible with the surrounding land uses, General Plan
land use designations, and zoning classifications and is adequately sized,
shaped, designed and located to accommodate the proposed uses. As
noted above in Sections 1 and 2, the Project includes uses that are
compatible and serve surroundings residents and businesses. The
Project will provide residential uses in the area with additional goods and
service options in the southerly portion of the City. The senior living
facility will also provide services that are not available within the southerly
portion of the City. The Project incorporates quality architecture and
landscaping which will enhance the area.
The Project has been reviewed by a variety of Departments to ensure
compliance with applicable regulations, including, but not limited to City of
Menifee Building and Safety, Engineering and Public Works, Riverside
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Plot Plan No. 2017-287
June 10, 2020
County Fire, Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, and Riverside
County Environmental Health. These Departments have also provided
conditions of approval as appropriate to ensure compliance with
applicable regulations.
In addition, environmental impacts resulting from the Project have been
analyzed in an Addendum to a previous Environmental Impact Report
(i.e., the Junction at Menifee Valley Final Environmental Impact Report
[FEIR]). The Addendum determined that none of the conditions
described in Sections 15162 or 15163 of the CEQA Guidelines calling for
the preparation of a subsequent or supplemental Environmental Impact
Report (EIR) or negative declaration have occurred. The Project will not
generate any new significant environmental effects that were not
previously discussed in the Junction at Menifee Valley FEIR.
Therefore, the Project is not anticipated to create any new conditions, not
previously discussed in the Junction at Menifee Valley FEIR, materially
detrimental to the public health, safety, and general welfare or injurious to
or incompatible with other properties or land uses in the Project vicinity.
Section 4: Compliance with CEQA. Processing and approval of the permit
application are in compliance with the requirements of the California
Environmental Quality Act.
An Addendum to the Junction at Menifee Valley FEIR was prepared
pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) for the
Project. In the Addendum, it was found that none of the conditions
described in Sections 15162 or 15163 of the CEQA Guidelines calling for
the preparation of a subsequent or supplemental Environmental Impact
Report (EIR) or negative declaration have occurred.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the Planning Commission of the City of Menifee hereby
recommends to the City Council the following:
1. That the City Council determine that the Findings set out above are true
and correct.
2. That the City Council finds that the facts presented within the public
record and within the Planning Commission Resolution provide a basis to
approve Plot Plan No. 2017-287 subject to the Conditions of Approval set
forth in Exhibit “A” of this Resolution.
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Plot Plan No. 2017-287
June 10, 2020
PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED this the 10th day of June, 2020
_________________________
Randy Madrid, Chairman
Attest:
___________________________
Stephanie Roseen, Deputy City Clerk
Approved as to form:
______________________________
Thai Phan, Assistant City Attorney
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