Murrieta's Golden Triangle Plan up for Environmental Review

Members of the Murrieta Planning Commission were tasked as of Wednesday to begin looking over revived development plans for The Golden Triangle, a large swath of land situated where Interstates 15 and 215 intersect.

The project, bordered by Murrieta Hot Springs Road, would consist of a 1.7-million-square-foot open-air retail commercial district that could break ground as early as 2014. Proposed features include restaurants, a theater, a hotel and office space.

First things first, however.

The city of Murrieta has released an environmental impact report that was conducted as a precursor to the build-out of the 64.3-acre triangular project site.

A 45-day window during which the public can review the environmental report opened Feb. 8 and concludes March 25. During this time, members of the public may submit comments to the city.

The report is available for the public to view via the city's website or at Murrieta City Hall or the Murrieta Public Library, according to City Planner Cynthia Kinser.

City staff will review all submitted feedback, which will be followed by public hearings before the Planning Commission and the City Council, Kinser said.

Though a specific plan was developed for The Triangle in 1991, much has changed since then, Kinser said. Thus, a new environmental review and updated plans needed to be compiled.

Provided the revised specific plan is approved, development could get underway as soon as 2014 and continue for as many as seven years, according to city staff. The project would be constructed in phases based on market demand.

Improvements to the property would need to include utilities and the possible addition of roadway access from the adjacent freeways, according to the report. The impact of increased traffic on Murrieta Hot Springs Road was listed as a plausible concern in the report.