Large-Scale Murrieta Hills Development Gets City's OK

MURRIETA, CA — Following approximately three hours of discussion Tuesday afternoon, the Murrieta City Council voted unanimously to approve the 972-acre Murrieta Hills Project that will bring hundreds of new homes to an area situated just south of Menifee, and just east of Wildomar, along Interstate 215.

The project proposed by Pulte Homes will bring up to 522 single-family residences and 228 condos/apartments, as well as retail, office, and service businesses to the area. The project will be built in phases, with the first phase completed in 2023 and the final phase to wrap up in 2031.

Parks are planned and approximately 619 acres of the 972 will be dedicated as natural open space overseen by the Western Riverside County Regional Conservation Authority. Another 44 acres at the project site will also be open space.

The project area has long been a destination for mountain bikers, hikers and dog walkers — many of whom have opposed the Murrieta Hills development.

It will be up to the Western Riverside County Regional Conservation Authority to determine whether to allow public access to the 619 acres of open space allotted in the project. According to city staff, the agency has signaled it will allow permittable recreational uses, including mountain biking and hiking. A staging area is planned as part of the development, although it is not scheduled in the first development phase. Today, people who use the open space often stage their vehicles along Scenic View Drive and Keller Road.

No gated communities will be allowed in Murrieta Hills.

Before development can begin, the vacant land needs to be annexed to the city. The land is unincorporated area within the sphere of Murrieta's influence.

Because the area is in a high fire-risk zone, with many steep slopes, people who purchase in Murrieta Hills will be part of a Community Services District that pays for additional firefighting resources.

Pechanga tribal member and attorney Laura Miranda addressed the City Council Tuesday. Because of project modifications in the months since the Murrieta Planning Commission signed off on the project, the tribe is no longer opposed to the development, she said. Instead, the tribe is taking a neutral stance.

There is evidence the project site was once a village complex for Luiseño Indians, who have always lived in the Temecula Valley. The complex also served as a regional hub for other Native people who came through the area. The site likely contains numerous ceremonial artifacts, including funeral areas, according to Miranda.

Eight letters and emails from individuals and state and federal agencies were received by the city just prior to Tuesday's special meeting. The agencies included the Sierra Club, Center for Biological Diversity, Endangered Habitats League, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. The correspondence was discussed in closed session of Tuesday's meeting and the public was not updated on what the letters said.

Road improvements for the project include an extension of McElwain Road, from Linnell to Keller roads, and a Keller Road/I-215 interchange. A wildlife corridor is also planned.

During the meeting, one member of the public spoke in favor of the project, one against, and one was neutral.