Wildomar Residents Rally To Keep Rural Farm Feel

WILDOMAR, CA — Proposed changes to Wildomar's municipal code that would have altered the way residents can keep and own livestock have been tabled for now.

The Wildomar Planning Commission is meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the council chambers, located at 23873 Clinton Keith Road, Suite 106, to discuss, among other things, amendments to its municipal code.

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Earlier, some of the suggested code amendments worried residents who keep farm animals. Now, in its final draft, those proposed amendments have been removed.

Councilmember Bridgette Moore addressed her constituents on Tuesday afternoon over Facebook, stating that an immediate change had been made.

"I've gotten some calls!" she said. "The possibility of reducing livestock on properties was pulled from Wednesday's meeting, and there will be no changes to the code for livestock in Wildomar. When something is on the agenda that gives you a chance to voice your opinion. Items like development updates go through the planning commission first."

Local coffee shop owner Raphael Montague of Montague Brothers Coffee and Wildomar Wild-O-Market Space founder Darla Dunn were among those crying foul."

Montague told Patch that he and his wife keep horses at his Wildomar property. The family also has chickens, a single pig and two male cows, he said.

He suggests residents pay attention to the planning commission meeting to ensure the city maintains Wildomar's rural nature.

Montague shared how having horses actually helped save his home.

"In the recent fire, my house was saved by the horse enclosure," he said. "The fire stopped directly at the horse enclosure because they eat every single weed, and that saved my house."

He has pleaded that those introducing changes look at the community.

"Consider that this can not only save people's property, but it is also supposed to be a rural area, and we have rural heritage. It literally hurt my feelings when I heard about folks who are trying to reduce the number of animals allowed."

Dunn told Patch that many of her Wildomar friends have cattle, horses, sheep, goats and other livestock. She lives in a tract home with a large yard and has owned chickens, but does not currently own livestock. She still believes that the ability to do so is part of the culture in Wildomar.

"Although I live in a tract home, I work on local farms around here, and have been in Wildomar long enough to know that while the city might not have much, it is the rural character and farm freedom that shapes the town," she said.

Dunn advises all interested in maintaining the Wildomar farm lifestyle to attend the meeting or submit a statement.

The Planning Commission members include Nolan King, Dr. Charles Golden III, Rene Cambero, Eric Filar, John Hume.

For more information about the Planning Commission, contact the Planning Department at 951-677-7751, ext. 213.