REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL
To:Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From:Jason Simpson, City Manager
Prepared by:Remon Habib, City Engineer
Date:February 11, 2025
Subject:Vacation of Certain Streets and Easements Located Within Stockdale Area Recommendation
Adopt A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LAKE ELSINORE,
CALIFORNIA, VACATING CERTAIN STREETS AND EASEMENTS LOCATED WITHIN THE
AREA BOUNDED BY NICHOLS ROAD TO THE NORTH, PIERCE ROAD TO THE EAST, KINGS
HIGHWAY TO THE SOUTH, AND TERRA COTTA ROAD TO THE WEST (WITHIN AN AREA COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS “STOCKDALE”).
Background
The Stockdale site consists of an approximately 74 acres, more or less, of largely vacant land is approximately bounded by Nichols Road to the north, Pierce Street to the east, Kings Highway to the south, and Terra Cotta Road to the west. Stockdale site is encumbered by what is known as “paper streets.” A paper street is a road or street that appears only on maps and has been used or improved for street purposes. The tract map that created these paper streets dates back to the late 1800’s.
California Street and Highways Code Section 8334(b) provides that the legislative body of a local agency may vacate a part of the street or highway that lies within property under one ownership and that does not continue through such ownership or end touching property of another. These paper streets or easements within the Stockdale area are under one ownership and may, therefore, be vacated by the City Council.
Discussion
Before the City Council may take action, the Planning Commission must determine if the vacation conforms with the adopted General Plan (Government Code Section 65402). The General Plan does not designate any of the paper streets within the Stockdale site as roadways, and such paper streets have never been used as public roadways.
Stockdale Vacation
1 7
0 4
On December 3, 2024, the Planning Commission found that the vacation would conform with the City’s General Plan.
Southern California Edison (SCE) has communicated with the City and indicated that certain easements must be retained for existing power lines. Attachment 3 shows where SCE easements will be preserved and the legal descriptions of the vacated streets/easements reflect that those identified easements will be retained for the benefit of SCE.
Fiscal Impact
No fiscal impact on the City.
Attachments
Attachment 1 – Resolution
Exhibit A – Legal Description
Exhibit B – Plat Map
Attachment 2 - Site Depiction of Vacated Areas
Engineering