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Proposed Villages of Lakeview Project, Lakeview/Nuevo:

The San Jacinto Wildlife Area faces continual threat from urbanization and encroaching development. On July 20, 2006 Riverside County issued a Notice of Preparation of a Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for a proposed project called The Villages of Lakeview (TVOL) Specific Plan 342. The proposed project is slated to put 11,350 dwelling units on 2,800 acres of agricultural lands in the rural communities of Lakeview and Nuevo. The project will be bisected by the Ramona Expressway, a two-lane highway. (The Ramona Expressway is slated for expansion by Riverside County to a six to eight lane highway, called the Mid County Parkway, from the city of San Jacinto to the city of Corona.)

The proponents of the Villages of Lakeview plan to locate approximately 3,000 units of their project on 300 acres of land on the southern boundary of the San Jacinto Wildlife Area, between the wildlife area and the Ramona Expressway. Locating high density urban residential units on the wildlife area boundary will certainly have devastating impacts to the San Jacinto Wildlife Area.

As a cornerstone reserve in the Riverside County Multi-Species Habitat Conservation Plan (MSHCP) reserve system, the wildlife area provides habitat for a great many of the 146 species of plants and animals protected under the MSHCP and the California Natural Communities Conservation Plan (NCCP).

The Notice of Preparation of a Draft Environmental Impact Report on the project was issued on July 20, 2006.

For your information we are posting the following documents:

1) An article on the threat to the San Jacinto Wildlife Area which was published in both the San Gorgonio Chapter newsletter, The Palm & Pine and the San Bernardino Valley Audubon Society newsletter, The Meadowlark in July 2005, updated August 2006: DevelopmentThreatensSJWAUpdatedAug2006.pdf

2) Agency Notice of Preparation of an Draft Environmental Impact Report, The Villages of Lakeview Project: NOPSP342.pdf

3) County of Riverside, Environmental Assessment Form: Initial Study for The Villages of Lakeview Project: Final Initial Study 7-19-06.pdf

4) Friends' August 7, 2006 Notice of Preparation comment letter: FriendsVillagesofLakeviewNOPCommentsAug72006.pdf

Updated Information:

Riverside County held a second second Scoping Meeting for The Villages of Lakeview Project on September 21, 2006 as part of the Municipal Advisory Committee MAC) for Lakeview/Nuevo.

County of Riverside, Second EIR Scoping Meeting and Errata: SecondEIRScopingMeetingAug232006.pdf

The proponents of the TVOL are still working on the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for the project. The Riverside County Planning Department has scheduled a hearing/workshop on the project before the Riverside County Planning Commission on October 15, 2008 to discuss the project.

The Friends will be making detailed comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Report and post their comments here on our web page.

Lead Agency for the proposed Project is:

    Riverside County Planning Department
    4080 Lemon Street, 9th Floor
    P.O. Box 1409
    Riverside, CA 92502-1409
    Attention: Matt Straite, Planner
    Tel: (951) 955-8631
    FAX: (951) 955-3157

PLEASE ATTEND THIS MEETING
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
9:00 a.m.
Riverside County Planning Commission
County Administrative Center
First Floor Board Chambers
4080 Lemon Street
Riverside

The Riverside County Planning Commission will have an All Day “Workshop” to discuss the Lewis Corp proposed project, The Villages of Lakeview.
Nuevo and Lakeview residents are urged to attend this important meeting and give comments (3 minute limit) and let the Planning Commissioners know how you feel about this 10,000+ residential development. The Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) will not be completed by the October 15 meeting.
If you have questions about how to get to the meeting, questions about the issues of concern, why should I attend this, please call Pat Ratliff, UCCRC/Concerned Citizens of Nuevo at (951) 928-1592. Friends of the Northern San Jacinto Valley members can contact Ann McKibben, (951) 924-8150.
You can look up the Planning Commission Agenda at: http://www.rctlma.org/planning/content/hearings/pc/current_pc.html   You can view the Staff Report, Conditions of Approval and Power Point Presentation for the project (look for October 15 Agenda; scroll to Agenda Item 6.1, Specific Plan 342, The Villages of Lakeview
For information on the Riverside County Planning Commission go to:
http://www.rctlma.org/planning/content/hearings/pc/pccomish.html
If you can’t attend the October 15 meeting, please send your comments to the commissioners (all correspondence is routed through the Planning Commission Secretary):

            Chantell Griffin, Planning Commission Secretary
            County of Riverside Administrative Center
            4080 Lemon Street, 9th Floor
            P.O. Box 1409
            Riverside, CA 92502
          E-mail: CGRIFFIN@RCTLMA.ORG
          Phone: (951) 955-3251 Fax: (951) 955-3157

SEE YOU THERE!

Proposed McAnally Enterprise Chicken Ranch, Conditional Use Permit 3512:

The County of Riverside Planning Department issued a Notice of Preparation (NOP) for a Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for the McAnally Enterprise Poultry Farm in August 2006. In order to build The Villages of Lakeview Project a chicken ranch in Nuevo must be relocated. The project proposes to relocate the facility (combined with another chicken ranch) to a Bridge Street location (the southeast corner of Bridge Street and Gilman Springs Road) which is immediately adjacent to the eastern boundary of the San Jacinto Wildlife Area. The Friends submitted comments on the NOP and questioned the wisdom of locating 2.25 MILLION chickens immediately next to habitat of thousands of migratory waterfowl and shorebirds using Mystic Lake.

Friends' September 2006 Notice of Preparation comment letter: FriendsMcAnallyEnterpriseChickRanchNOPCommentsSept112006.pdf

Updated Information:
The Riverside County Planning Department released the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for the McAnally Chicken Ranch Conditional Use Permit (CUP) No. 3512 on September 26, 2008. Approval for this project is being 'fast tracked' by the county, which means the CUP will not go to the Riverside County Planning Commission for a hearing, but it will go directly to the Riverside County Board of Supervisors for approval.

Here is the the Planning Department notice for the availability of the DEIR: McAnallyChickenRanchDEIRNoticeSept2008.pdf

Please take time to write a letter and comment on this project. The DEIR is available from the county planning department. Please contact Planner Matt Straite for a copy of the DEIR (information below). COMMENTS ARE DUE: November 9, 2008

If you are following this project, you can check the Board of Supervisors' web page for meetings agendas at their web page: http://www.clerkoftheboard.co.riverside.ca.us/agendas/2008.htm

Lead Agency for the project:
Riverside County Planning Department
4080 Lemon Street, 9th Floor
P.O. Box 1409
Riverside, CA 92502-1409
Attention: Matt Straite, Planner
Tel: (951) 955-8631
FAX: (951) 955-3157

Proposed Motte Ranch Specific Plan (SP366):
Developers of the Motte Ranch Specific Plan (SP366) hope to locate 2,200 homes between the San Jacinto Wildlife Area and the Ramona Expressway. The project is located east of the Villages of Lakeview project along the Ramona Expressway. Dwelling units are planned adjacent to the San Jacinto River flood plain; the project area has serious geotechnical issues such as large ground cracks, soil compaction and close proximity to the Casa Loma Fault (part of the San Jacinto Fault Zone, one of the most active geotechnical areas in southern California.

Updated Information:
At this time the project is on hold and no new information is available.

Lead Agency for the project:
Riverside County Planning Department
4080 Lemon Street, 9th Floor
P.O. Box 1409
Riverside, CA 92502-1409
Attention: Matt Straite, Planner
Tel: (951) 955-8631
FAX: (951) 955-3157

Highland Fairview Corporate Center, Moreno Valley:
The proposed Highland Fairview Corporate Center would be located on the south side of Highway 60 between Redlands Boulevard and Theodore Street in Moreno Valley. The proposed project would be a 2.4 million square foot warehouse for Skechers Shoes, a building a half mile long. The project would generate hundreds of truck trips per week. The city held a pubic scoping meeting on November 26, 2007. Public comments given at the meeting included concerns that Moreno Valley could become another Mira Loma with unhealthy levels of diesel particulates polluting the city's air. Other concerns included: lost of prime agricultural lands, light and noise pollution, availability of water and water quality issues, global warming issues, the abandonment of a planned city trail, and cumulative impacts when the project is considered with other projects in the region.

Two other warehouse projects (ProLogis Park and Ridge Property Trust) are proposed to be located along Highway 60.

The Friends are concerned that the project, along with similar projects, would cumulatively degrade the ability of the San Jacinto Wildlife Area to function as a reserve in the Riverside County Multi Species Habitat Conservation Plan since it is located close to the San Jacinto Wildlife Area.

1) Friends' Notice of Preparation Letter: HighlandFairviewLogisticsProjectNOPNov2007Web.pdf

2) Friends' Draft Environmental Impact Report Letter: Highland FairviewCorporateParkDEIRCommentsSept182008Web.pdf

Please take time to forward your comments and concerns about this project to the contact listed by the September 19 deadline. The Inland Empire already has the worst air quality in Southern California; multiple facilities with 100s of diesel trucks clogging our highways and polluting our air will worsen our existing air quality problems and endanger the health of children with asthma and those with health issues.

Updated information:
The draft environmental impact report (DEIR) was released in August 2008. Comments on the project were due: September 19, 2008.
The DEIR is posted on the city of Moreno Valley web page at: www.moreno-valley.ca.us/

The Moreno Valley City Planning Commission may have public hearing on the project in November or December. The project may appear before the Moreno Valley City Council about a month and a half after it is considered by the planning commission.

The Moreno Valley Planning Commission and city council meeting agendas can be found on the city's web page at: www.moreno-valley.ca.us/

Lead agency for the project:
City of Moreno Valley
Community Development Department
Planning Division
14177 Frederick Street
P.O. Box 88005
Moreno Valley, CA 92552-0805
Planner: Mark Gross
Tel: (951) 413-3215
FAX: (951) 413-3210

For more information, contact the Friends at:

    Friends of the Northern San Jacinto Valley
    P.O. Box 9097
    Moreno Valley, CA 92552-9097
    e-mail: northfriends@northfriends.org

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