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PUBLIC NOTICE OF ORDINANCE ADOPTION

Notice is hereby given that the Murrieta City Council introduced the following Ordinance at a Regular meeting on November 16, 2021 and adopted the Ordinance at a Regular meeting on December 7, 2021, commencing at 6:00 p.m., City Council Chambers, 1 Town Square, Murrieta, CA  92562.

Said Ordinance is on file in the office of the City Clerk at 1 Town Square, Murrieta, CA  92562, and may be viewed on the City website at www.murrietaca.gov/. If you would like a copy of this Ordinance including exhibits, please contact the City Clerk’s office at (951) 461-6030.

ORDINANCE NO. 570-21

AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MURRIETA APPROVING AND ADOPTING THE MURRIETA HILLS SPECIFIC PLAN AMENDMENT 012-3164 LOCATED ON APPROXIMATELY 972 ACRES WEST OF I-215, SOUTH OF KELLER ROAD, IMMEDIATELY NORTH OF THE GREER RANCH COMMUNITY, ABUTTING THE CITIES OF MENIFEE TO THE NORTH AND WILDOMAR TO THE WEST, MURRIETA, CALIFORNIA, IN THE COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA

WHEREAS, the applicant, Pulte/BP Pacific Murrieta Hills LLC (the “Applicant”) submitted applications on May 2, 2013 to the City of Murrieta (the “City”) for approval of the following applications that constitute  the Murrieta Hills Project: Specific Plan Amendment 012-3164; General Plan Amendment 012-3165; Tentative Tract Map 35853, Change of Zone 2014-289 and submitted an application on February 27, 2018  for Development Agreement No. 2018-1631 on approximately 972 acres (the “Project”); and

WHEREAS the Project site is generally located west of I-215, south of Keller Road, immediately north of the Greer ranch community, abutting the cities of Menifee to the north and Wildomar to the west, in the    County of Riverside; and

WHEREAS, in accordance with Section 16.58.080 of the Murrieta Municipal Code, the Applicant has submitted an application for Specific Plan Amendment 012-3164 to replace the previously approved specific plan, SPM-4, on the subject property that was approved by the City of Murrieta in 1995. That project included 1585 residences, a memorial park, commercial uses, a park, passive open space and an elementary school on approximately 985 acres; and

WHEREAS, a public hearing was duly noticed for the Planning Commission meeting of May 12, 2021, by mailing a notice to property owners within a one-half mile radius of the site on April 30, 2021, publishing   the notice in the Press Enterprise newspaper on May 2, 2021, and posting the Project site on April 30, 2021; and

WHEREAS, on May 12, 2021 the Planning Commission of the City of Murrieta held a duly noticed public hearing on the EIR and the Project, and considered all written and oral reports of staff, public testimony on the matter, and written and oral testimony provided by the Applicant and such other matters as are reflected in the record of this matter; and

WHEREAS the Planning Commission used its independent judgment and considered all the reports, recommendations, and testimony set forth above; and

WHEREAS, on May 12, 2021, the Planning Commission recommended that the City Council certify the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) as satisfying the requirements of CEQA; and voted (5-0) to recommend approval of the Specific Plan Amendment to the City Council; and

WHEREAS, a public hearing on the matter was duly noticed as provided in Murrieta Development Code section 16.78.050 for the City Council meeting of November 16, 2021; and 

WHEREAS, the City Council held a duly-noticed public hearing on November 16, 2021, at which time, the City Council considered the Planning Commission recommendations, staff report and public comments, both oral and written.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED by the City Council of the City of Murrieta, in accordance with Section 16.54 of the Murrieta Municipal Code, and based upon the facts and statements of public and city staff, and information of record provided at the public hearing in this matter, the City Council of the City of Murrieta makes the following findings regarding the Specific Plan Amendment No. 012-3164.

Section 1: Findings for Approval of the Murrieta Hills Specific Plan Amendment (012-3164)

FACTS: The Specific Plan is consistent with General Plan Goal LU-1 and associated Policies LU-1.1 and LU-1.6 which relate to providing a balance of land uses throughout the community and achieving the community’s vision by promoting future patterns of development and that reduces infrastructure construction costs and make better use of existing and planned public facilities. The  Specific Plan is also consistent with Goal LU-4 and policies LU-4.1, 4.2, and 4.3 to provide housing opportunities for current and future residents, monitor housing needs, and locates multi-family housing adjacent to jobs, retail, schools, public transportation, and open space.

FACTS: The Specific Plan is necessary and desirable in order to implement the general plan as the Specific Plan applies City goals and policies of the General Plan (General Plan 2035). The Project, as proposed under the Specific Plan, provides necessary housing consistent with the City’s General Plan policies supporting the provision of housing to support the future housing needs of the City, as well as, providing a diverse mix of housing types. The Project includes Open Space conservation consistent with the City’s General Plan conservation policies.

FACTS: The Specific Plan would not adversely affect the public convenience, health, safety, or general welfare, or result in an illogical land use pattern as the Project site currently has Riverside County   General Plan land use designations of Rural Mountainous and Estate Density Residential.

The development standards contained in the Specific Plan would result in a superior development to that which would occur using standard zoning and development regulations and furthermore, the Project will dedicate approximately 608 acres to the Western Riverside Regional Conservation Authority for permanent open space.

FACTS: The development standards in the Specific Plan result in an enhanced development design     in comparison to standard zoning and development regulations. The Specific Plan includes seven residential planning areas (PA 1-7) comprising approximately 238 acres, a mixed- use planning area, PA 8, that comprises approximately 12 acres and a neighborhood commercial planning area that comprises approximately 18 acres. The Specific Plan proposes three open space classifications as follows: Open Space 1 includes approximately 619 acres, of which 615 acres will be dedicated to the Riverside County Habitat Conservation Authority and 4.4 acres dedicated to the Greer Ranch HOA for fuel modification purposes; Open Space 2 includes approximately 40 acres of linear natural open space that will be dedicated to and managed by the Murrieta Hills Homeowners Association; Open Space 3 includes approximately 3.14 acres that will be dedicated to and managed  by the Murrieta Hills Homeowners Association. In addition, the Specific Plan includes approximately 19.53 acres for backbone streets, 4.61 acres that will be dedicated for the future Keller Road/I-215 interchange and approximately 16.31 acres for slopes outside of the right of way.

The Specific Plan also proposes a 4.7-acre public park that includes restroom facilities, softball/baseball diamond, multi-purpose field, half-court basketball courts, tot lots, picnic area and turf area and a 2.76-acre HOA community center that will include restroom facilities, multi- use pool and spa, children’s splash pad, tot lots, picnic area, turf area and an ornamental garden. In addition, the specific plan includes 11 HOA pocket parks that will offer a variety of recreational     opportunities for future residents of Murrieta Hills.

FACTS: Pursuant to CEQA, a Draft Final Environmental Impact Report (SCH#2014-031045) was prepared and circulated for a 45-day public review and comment period. Public comments were received, and the City provided responses to the comments. The City Council has reviewed the Final Environmental Impact Report (“FEIR”) and has used its independent judgment  and considered all the reports, recommendations, and testimony related to the FEIR in accordance with CEQA, including adopting a Statement of Facts and Findings, a Statement of Overriding Considerations and a Mitigation Monitoring & Reporting Program. Furthermore, none of the corrections or additions made to the FEIR constitute significant new information or substantial project changes requiring recirculation of the EIR as defined by Section 15088.5 of the CEQA Guidelines.

SECTION 2: APPROVAL

A. The Murrieta Hills Specific Plan Amendment attached to the Agenda Report is hereby adopted and incorporated herein by reference [available upon request from the City Clerk’s Department].

SECTION 3: Notice of Adoption

The City Clerk shall certify to the adoption of this Ordinance and shall cause a copy

of the same to be published in a manner prescribed by law. This Ordinance shall take effect thirty (30) days after the date of its adoption.

Introduced at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Murrieta, California, held on this 16th DAY OF NOVEMBER 2021.

PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED THIS 7th Day of December 2021 by the City Council of the City of Murrieta, State of California.

APPROVED:

/s/

Scott Vinton, Mayor

ATTEST:

/s/

Cristal McDonald, City Clerk

APPROVED AS TO FORM

/s/

Leslie E. Devaney, City Attorney

I, Cristal McDonald, City Clerk of the City of Murrieta, California do hereby certify under penalty of perjury that    the foregoing Ordinance was duly and regularly introduced at a meeting of the City Council on the 16th of November, 2021 and that thereafter said Ordinance was duly and regularly adopted at a meeting of the City Council on the 7th day of December 2021 by the following roll call vote:

AYES:             Ingram, DeForest, Stone, White, Vinton

NOES:             None

ABSENT:        None

ABSTAIN:       None

RECUSAL:     None

DATED: December 7, 2021

/s/

Cristal McDonald, City Clerk

Published: December 16, 2021

A copy of the Ordinance, including exhibits, can be provided at no cost by contacting the City Clerks Department at (951) 461-6031 or [email protected]