Public Voice Concerns About Murrieta's General Plan

Murrieta is about 70 percent built out. To develop the remaining 30 percent, the City is in the process of updating its general plan, much of which is geared to spawn economic development.

The plan calls for adding new land uses that would pave the way for office and research parks consisting of high-rise buildings. The focus areas are near Loma Linda University Medical Center-Murrieta; south Murrieta on each side of the interstates; and central Murrieta between Murrieta Hot Springs Road and south of Los Alamos Road.

"The impetus has been economic development; this has been our driving force throughout the process," said Community Development Director Mary Lanier.

"With the introduction of Loma Linda University Medical Center-Murrieta and the Murrieta Education Center, that really introduced a vision of office/research parks," Lanier said. "It is important to set the stage for that type of growth to occur, to help guide that development. It is better to be in front of it rather than play catch up."

The plan is open for public review and comments through March 24. The first of three public hearings was held before the Planning Commission on Wednesday night.

Some property owners questioned why their land zoning could change under the plan. Robert Carrigan owns several acres in the Central Murrieta Business Corridor, between Los Alamos Road and Murrieta Hot Springs Road, west of Hancock Avenue and east of Madison Avenue. The City is proposing changing that zoning to accommodate office and research parks and multifamily housing. Current residents would be able to stay, but their land would become non-conforming.

"This affects my property. I am strongly opposed to these changes," Carrigan said. "I am a resident of Murrieta for over 30 years and I have already participated in helping Murrieta grow. I have invested my own money to bring my property into compliance with the zoning requirements...I feel this is unjust and I would like to find out why this has happened to me."

Another property owner in the same area, Carol Hansen, has 10 acres that front Los Alamos Road. She said she has been unable to sell her property because of consecutive moratoriums on it. Now, she fears she won't be able to sell it with the proposed zoning changes.

"I see no reason for half the city to be research development," Hansen said. "I was told we could look like Irvine in 30 years. Well I might not be around for that long.
I don’t want my land rezoned just because there isn’t land zoned like mine on the other end of town."

Residents of another part of town, Los Alamos Hills, also spoke during the hearing. They asked to have a specific plan for their land included in the general plan update, which would include boundaries.

"Let’s do it right. We have been waiting 15 years to get to this point. Respect the work of the many groups who have put in hundreds of hours," said MaryAnn Shushan Miller, treasurer of Citizens for Quality Life in Murrieta, a group of Los Alamos Hill residents. The land in question is east of Interstate 215, along Los Alamos Road.

According to Miller, a plan to bring infrastructure to the area was shelved in 2008. The area has unpaved roads and no public utilities. There are no fire hydrants.

"Los Alamos residents are not looking for a handout for infrastructure. This has to start with you," Miller told planning commissioners. "Los Alamos Hills must have its boundaries included in the general plan, and if we don’t get this done today, who will protect these residents?"

Lanier said many of the residents' suggestions have been incorporated in the general plan, and that it provides for a future amendment to add a specific plan for the area.

Residents asked that the City slow down its approval of the plan until their plan can be added. The general plan has been developed in a record amount of time--within 18 months, according to Lanier. If it stays on track, it will go before City Council for final approval in late April or early May, after the Planning Commission makes its final recommendation.

Some commissioners questioned why the specific plan for Los Alamos Hills has still not come to fruition.

"I have only been on the commission for 22 months, and this Los Alamos Hills thing keeps coming up. Seven years to get this thing done seems inappropriate. So you are saying we cannot, or will not or should not?" Vice Chair Gregory Goodman asked City staff.

Commissioner Harley Cohen asked that the general plan reference the creation of the specific plan.

"Give it a fighting chance to actually occur...to accomplish the things that have been discussed for the last seven years," Cohen said.

An update on the Historic Downtown Murrieta specific plan is also not included in the general plan update, but is expected to be picked up after the general plan is finalized, according to Lanier. The housing element will also be re-examined after that point.

"We envision updating the historic plan and looking at what the opportunities there are to create a more vibrant, viable downtown, with changes along Washington," Lanier said.

Two more hearings will be held before the Planning Commission--on March 23 and April 13.