Lake Elsinore's Historic Main Street: New Development Approved

LAKE ELSINORE, CA — The entrance into historic downtown Lake Elsinore is poised to get a new Chevron gas station, convenience store and drive-thru carwash.

On Tuesday, the Lake Elsinore City Council unanimously paved the way for the project that would be situated on the east side of Main Street, between Flint Street and the I-15 freeway southbound onramp. Currently, the area is six lots totaling .88 acres; with Tuesday's approval, the mostly vacant lots will be consolidated into one. One dwelling will need to be demolished, according to Grant Taylor, the city's community development director.

According to the city's findings, the project is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act.

Although the final architecture of the project is still being worked on, the developer has reached out to the city, the historical society, local merchants and residents for input to ensure the project's architecture and design fit the historical area, according to Taylor.

The city will have final say on the design and signage. Mayor Pro Tem Magee said the area, which leads into historic downtown, is too critical "to not get this right."

The project applicant is Boos Development.