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. 571-21
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MURRIETA APPROVING AND ADOPTING CHANGE OF ZONE 013-3312 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, AND ON APPROXIMATELY 187 ACRES OF LAND LOCATED IMMEDIATELY SOUTH OF THE MURRIETA HILLS SPECIFIC PLAN PROJECT AREA OWNED BY THE WESTERN RIVERSIDE COUNTY REGIONAL CONSERVATION AUTHORITY, (RCA) IN THE COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA
WHEREAS, the applicant, Pulte/BP Murrieta 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 013-3312 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 Change of Zone 013-3312 to change the existing Riverside County zoning of Rural Residential (RR) zoning on the Murrieta Hills Project site and the approximately 187 acre property owned by the Western Riverside County Regional Conservation Authority (RCA), to pre-zone the Specific Plan Project Area and the RCA Property into City of Murrieta Zoning designations of Single Family Residential (SF-2), Estate Density Residential (ER-3), Mixed Use (MU), Community Commercial (CC) and Open Space (OS); 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 notice at 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 Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) as satisfying the requirements of CEQA, including the Facts, Findings, and Statement of Overriding Considerations, 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; and
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 Change of Zone 013-3312.
Section 1: Findings for Approval of Change of Zone 013-3312
1. The proposed change of zone ensures and maintains internal consistency with all of the objectives, policies general land uses, programs and actions of all elements of the general plan;
FACTS: The Zoning Map is consistent with the City’s General Plan, as amended, in that the Map establishes the boundaries established by the City’s Land Use Map, which was adopted by the City as part of the adoption of Murrieta General Plan 2035.
- The proposed change of zone would not be detrimental to the public convenience, health, safety, or general welfare of the City.
FACTS: The proposed amendment to the Zoning Map would not adversely affect the public convenience, health, safety, or general welfare, or result in an illogical land use pattern in that the Zoning Map implements land use policies and goals established by the City’s Land Use Element, which was adopted by the City Council in June 2011 after it received public testimony and comments during the Project’s Land Use public hearing.
- The site is physically suitable (including access, provisions of utilities, compatibility with adjoining land uses, and absence of physical constraints) for the requested zoning designation(s) and anticipated land use developments(s).
FACTS: The amendment to the Zoning Map delineates the location and boundaries of the City’s zoning districts for the purpose of consistency with the City’s General Plan Land Use Map, which when adopted as part of the Murrieta General Plan 2035, considered the City’s geography, physical layout, and existing and future utility and transportation infrastructure, so that the proposed zoning boundaries and potential future development will be physically suitable in scale and land use to its designated area.
- The proposed amendment is in compliance with the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
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 and Reporting Program.
SECTION 2: APPROVAL
A. The Murrieta Hills Change of Zone 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
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]