NOTICE OF PREPARATION AND NOTICE OF INTENT TO PREPARE AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT
FOR NUTMEG APARTMENTS, DEVELOPMENT PLAN (DP-2019-1997) PROJECT
The City of Murrieta has prepared a Notice of Preparation (NOP) for Development Plan (DP-2019-1997) Project, which recommends that a Focused Environmental Impact Report be issued, and the City has authorized the release of the NOP for public review and comment for the above project.
The revised Washington/Nutmeg Multifamily Development would construct 17 apartment buildings containing 210 multi-family housing (all market-rate apartment units). This includes 88 one-bedroom units; 88 two-bedroom units; and 34 three-bedroom units. The Project proposes 13 two-story buildings and four (4) three-story buildings. A total of 210 garage spaces will be installed; 183 uncovered parking spaces will be installed; and 52 guest parking spaces will also be installed for a total of 445 parking spaces. Off-site improvements to be completed as part of the project would include curb and gutter on adjacent streets, and lighting and landscaping along Washington Avenue and Nutmeg Street on the project side of the street. The developer is seeking to merge the four parcels within the 14.4-acre site into one parcel. The application (DP-2019-1997): is required for permitting the proposed project’s improvements at the site, such as site buildings and landscaping.
The City has prepared an Initial Study and NOP to evaluate the project impacts and has concluded that all project-related impacts, except one, are less than significant with implementation of mitigation measures where required. The City proposes to analyze the following environmental issue as a potentially significant impact in the Focused EIR: aesthetics, specifically modification of existing scenic vistas from adjacent residences to the Santa Rosa Plateau, which forms the western background visual setting for the City of Murrieta. The 30-day public review period for the NOP and Initial Study begins on June 16, 2020 and ends on July 15, 2020.
Pursuant to the California Governor’s Executive Order N-54-20, an electronic PDF of the Initial Study/EIR is available for download on the City’s website at https://www.murrietaca.gov/290/Public-Notices. Also, in accordance with the California Governor’s Executive Order N-54-20, all materials shall be submitted electronically to the State Clearinghouse CEQAnet Web Portal (https://ceqanet.opr.ca.gov/).
In addition, in the event that the Governor’s Executive Order N-33-20 (commonly known as the “Stay at Home Order”) is lifted during the public review and comment period, hard copies will then be available at the following locations:
• City of Murrieta Planning Division, 1 Town Square, Murrieta, California 92562
• Murrieta Public Library, 8 Town Square, Murrieta, California 92562
Any interested person or agency may comment on this matter by submitting their written comments before 5:00 pm on July 15, 2020. If you are interested in attending future public meetings for this project, submit your name and contact information or comments before 5:00 pm on July 15, 2020. Comments should be sent to James Atkins, Associate Planner at City of Murrieta, 1 Town Square, Murrieta, CA 92562. Please submit comments to Mr. Atkins at (951) 461-6061 or at [email protected].