54 HOMES PLANNED: The applicant for a housing development that was approved by the county in 2009 has had to make revisions to the original plan.

VIEW COUNTY STAFF REPORT AND ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT

UPDATE: April 20, 2017

The Riverside County Planning Commission, following an April 19 public hearing, voted to recommend to the Board of Supervisors the approval of a 54-home development in the Hunt/Lawson neighborhood.

According to Project Planner Russell Brady, seven letters of opposition and a petition with more than 130 signatures were received prior to the hearing. Five Temescal Valley residents spoke at the hearing, citing unsafe road conditions on Hunt and Lawson roads, which are narrow, winding and unlighted, and subject to flooding during heavy rains.

The Planning Commissioners, in voting to recommend approval of the development, imposed two additional conditions on the applicant — James Rapp and Ron Waleki. Drainage concerns of the two property owners closest to the main entrance to the project on Lawson Road must be addressed, possisbly with the addition of basins.  The applicants also must pay $325,000 toward signage and/or a blinking light at the intersection of Hunt and Lawson, and toward a traffic signal at the intersection of Lawson and Temescal Canyon Roads, if the signal is deemed necessary by the county’s Transportation Department. It is estimated that the 54 homes will generate an additional 500 daily vehicle trips in the area.

Speakers requested a stop sign at the intersection of Hunt and Lawson, but Transportation Department staff said it would impede the flow of traffic.

(Published on April, 14, 2017)

Comments either for or against the changes can be emailed to:
Project Planner Russell Brady: rbrady@rivco.org
Comments must be received prior to April 19

A Temescal Valley housing development approved by the county in 2009 will again be reviewed by the county Planning Commission at a Wednesday, April 19 public hearing because of changes to the original approval.

Now planned for 54 houses, the development’s 48.7 acres are primarily in the Hunt/Lawson neighborhood, are adjacent to California Meadows and close to Wildrose Ranch, Montecito Ranch and Trilogy.

For public safety considerations, all county-approved projects require two roads for ingress and egress in case of an emergency.

The primary entrance to the gated community would be from a private section of Lawson Road, northeast of Hunt Road. In the original approval, the homes would have been accessed by a second street constructed from Knabe Road to the project.

The property for that road required an easement from the California Meadows Homeowners’ Association, which the HOA chose not to grant. The revamped plan would construct the second road from a driveway off Hunt Road.

If the changes are approved, the applicant would widen the private portion of Lawson Road from 12 feet to 36 feet and dedicate the road to the county. No other widening or improvements are planned for Hunt or Lawson roads. The county does not require traffic counts for projects under 100 homes.

According to David Jeffers, project consultant, one- and two-storied homes are planned with the maximum height of 35 feet. The average lot size is 19,191 square feet with the minimum lot size set at 12,000 square feet. The homes will be built by Lafferty Communities.

Residents wishing to comment on the changes to the project can do so at the April 19 public hearing. The Planning Commission meets at 9 a.m. at the county’s Administrative Center, 4080 Lemon St., Riverside.

Comments either for or against the changes also can be emailed to Project Planner Russell Brady: mailto:rbrady@rivco.org, but must be received prior to April 19.