Despite Some Objections, Lake Elsinore Property Swap Approved

By PAUL J. YOUNG, City News Service:

Over the objections of environmentalists, Riverside County supervisors Tuesday approved a land swap between the county and a Lake Elsinore property developer, each of which will convey 40 acres of vacant space to the other.

"This is a doable and good proposal," Supervisor Kevin Jeffries said. "We have the best set of regulations in place, the best agreement with the developer and the best indemnifications we can achieve."

Jeffries, whose First District encompasses the area in question, submitted the proposal in February, following what he described as three years of negotiation and research.

"This was envisioned before I got on the Board of Supervisors (in 2013)," he said. "The idea had been abandoned, probably because it's a painful process. All I've tried to do is move it forward again."

Under the deal, four parcels of county-owned land will be transferred to Castle & Cook Inc. in exchange for two parcels that the developer owns. The acreage each party is putting up is roughly equal in size, according to the supervisor. All of the properties are located south of Interstate 15, near Lake Street and Nichols Road.

Documents indicated that no environmental impact report was necessary before the swap can occur because the city of Lake Elsinore already authorized subdivision of the vacant parcels under a 2004 EIR.

The area falls within the Alberhill Ranch Specific Plan, which calls for preservation of a riparian wildlife corridor that abuts I-15. According to Jeffries, the corridor would be unaffected by the swap.

However, Eileen Anderson with the Oakland-based Center for Biological Diversity told the board that the action would "undermine" conservation requirements in place at the site for the last 12 years.

"The county should retain the parcel (straddling the wildlife corridor)," she said. "If there's an exchange, there should be a new environmental analysis subject to public review."

Some of the county property contains rare San Diego Ambrosia plants, so the land swap compact stipulates that the county will retain supervision of those patches until "successful trans-location" of the plants to another area within the wildlife corridor takes place.

Tom Pollock, chairman of the Friends of the Northern San Jacinto Valley, told the board that the county was exposing the plants to irreparable harm without better safeguards spelled out in the transfer compact.

One of Jeffries' opponents in the June election, Debbie Walsh of Mead Valley, called the land swap a "precedent for future abuses of the general plan" applicable to that area.

"Taking the land out of reserve is starting us on a slippery slope," Walsh said. "I don't think this is a good use of the land. These plants are not going to survive."

Jeffries touted the savings the county will net from relinquishing several of the parcels because they have escarpments that require landscaping and erosion control, costing between $200,000 and $300,000 a year. He also pointed out that the plants are being overtaken by weeds, and if they're not moved, will disappear.

Castle & Cook wants the land for residential development, but Jeffries and County Counsel Greg Priamos pointed out in February that Lake Elsinore officials will ultimately be responsible for approving construction permits.

Jeffries said the swap agreement does not, by itself, authorize any type of construction.

When the matter was first brought forward, it involved a total 96 acres changing hands, but that figure was later determined to be too large, according to Jeffries.

Under California law, land swaps between local governments and private parties are permitted as long as the parcels at issue are of roughly equal value.

Jeffries said the county owns a total 548 acres at the location.

The board vote was 4-0 in favor of the swap. Supervisor John Tavaglione was away on business.