CITY OF MENIFEE
SUBJECT: Appeal of the Planning Commission Decision for the Northern Gateway Logistics Center Warehouse Project
MEETING DATE: July 16, 2025
TO: Mayor and City Council
PREPARED BY: Brandon Cleary, Associate Planner
REVIEWED BY: Orlando Hernandez, Community Development Director APPROVED BY: Armando G. Villa, City Manager
APPELLANTS: Golden State Environmental Justice Alliance and City of Perris
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RECOMMENDED ACTION
1. Adopt a resolution denying Appeal No. PLN25-0109 submitted by the Golden State Environmental Justice Alliance; and
2. Adopt a resolution denying Appeal No. PLN25-0110 submitted by the City of Perris; and
3. Adopt a resolution certifying an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for Plot Plan No. PLN23- 0040 for the Northern Gateway Logistics Center Warehouse Project generally located south of Ethanac Road, east of Evans Road, west of Barnett Road, and north of McLaughlin Road within the City of Menifee; and
4. Adopt a resolution approving Plot Plan No. PLN23-0040 for the Northern Gateway Logistics Center Warehouse Project.
DISCUSSION
On May 14, 2025, The Planning Commission held a duly noticed public hearing and voted 4-1 (Commissioner Ramirez voting no) to approve Plot Plan (PP) No. PLN23-0040 – Northern Gateway Logistics Center Warehouse Project along with the related environmental analysis. On May 20, 2025, the City received an application from the Golden State Environmental Justice Alliance (GSEJA) to appeal the Planning Commission decision. Additionally, on May 23, 2025, the City received an application from the City of Perris to appeal the Planning Commission decision.
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PP No. PLN23-0040 was approved by the Planning Commission and includes the construction of two speculative warehouses. Building 1 (northern building) is 45 feet 1 inch in height and includes 99,326 square feet of warehousing space with 6,000 square feet of office space for a total of 105,326 square feet. Building 2 is 45 feet 7 inches in height and includes 277,715 square feet of warehousing space, 8,000 square feet of office space and a 7,000 square-foot mezzanine for a total of 292,715 square feet. Both warehouses have a combined total of 398,041 square feet. Additional improvements include a parking lot and loading docks, ornamental landscaping, associated onsite infrastructure, and construction of offsite street improvements.
The buildings are designed with a total of 52 dock-high doors (15 on Building 1 and 37 on Building 2) and four grade-level truck doors (two per building). Approximately 15 trailer stalls (including dock spaces) are provided on the truck court on Building 1 and 78 trailer stalls are provided on Building 2 within areas secured by sliding gates. The proposed layout includes 108 passenger car parking spaces for Building 1and 244 for Building 2. Access to the site would be provided by one driveway on Barnett Road and three driveways on Evans Road. Access to the Evans Road driveways will be provided by Ethanac Road and the proposed westbound driveway on the southern end of the Project site.
Additionally, the Project includes approximately 106,512 square feet (approximately 13 percent of the Project site) of ornamental landscaping, split between the two building sites. Building 1 proposes 35,374 square feet of landscaping totaling approximately 15 percent of the site and Building 2 proposes 71,138 square feet of landscaping totaling approximately 12 percent of the Building 2 site.
The truck courts will have an 11-foot-tall screen wall along the flood channel and at the entries to screen the truck court from public view. Various road and utility improvements will be constructed along the southern, eastern and western project frontages.
Location
The Project is generally located south of Ethanac Road, east of Evans Road, west of Barnett Road, and north of McLaughlin Road within the City of Menifee (City), County of Riverside, State of California (Assessor Parcel Numbers [APNs]: 331-060-007, 331-060-008, 331-060-030, 331- 060-023, and 331-060-020).
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Project Location
Appeal No. PLN25-0109 – Golden State Environmental Justice Alliance (GSEJA) GSEJA filed an appeal of the Planning Commission’s May 14, 2025 approval of PP No. PLN23- 0040, claiming areas of the project (as outlined below), including the environmental analysis, were not adequately analyzed/addressed.
GSEJA provided information depicting the severity of the level of pollution and health hazards the City of Menifee and its citizens are experiencing. The appeal letter reaffirms its concerns that were presented in its original letter dated July 17, 2024 (and again on May 11, 2025), which were responded to by staff, in conjunction with our California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Consultant, in the Final EIR.
The commenter provides a table of data which gives the false impression that the area surrounding the Project site is disproportionately impacted. However, the proposed Project would not result in any significant and unavoidable air quality or traffic impacts. Localized air quality impacts would be less than significant and there are no significant air quality impacts to local residents as a result of approval of the proposed Project.
The original July 17, 2024 comment letter on the Draft EIR contained concerns from GSEJA regarding air quality, energy, Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, hazards and hazardous materials, land use and planning, transportation and traffic, growth inducing impacts, significant and irreversible environmental changes, mandatory findings of significance and population and
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housing. The EIR is supported by substantial evidence in the record that all of the proposed mitigation measures are feasible mitigation measures that are capable of substantially reducing the Project’s environmental impacts. In addition, the appeal letter did not provide any evidence supporting their claim that the Project’s EIR did not sufficiently analyze all environmental impacts.
As such, the previous responses to these resource topics are still appropriate, and no additional points were raised in the appeal letter which would require further analysis.
Appeal No. PLN25-0110 – City of Perris
The City of Perris filed an appeal of the Planning Commission’s May 14, 2025 approval of PP No.
PLN23-0040, claiming areas of the Project (as outlined below), including the environmental analysis, were not adequately analyzed/addressed. The appeal letter raises concerns with the following:
1. Analysis of land use and Senate Bill (SB) 330 (No Net Loss)
2. Transportation impacts
3. Previously approved surrounding industrial development In response to the City of Perris appeal letters, staff, in conjunction with the City’s CEQA Consultant, has prepared detailed responses to each topic as an attachment to this report. A summary of the appellant’s concerns are provided below:
1. Analysis of land use and SB 330 (No Net Loss)
The appeal letter asserts the Project and EIR does not comply with SB 330 or the General Plan and Zoning designation, where 5 percent of the land is intended to be preserved for residential development while the remaining land is designated for industrial development.
SB 330 requires that jurisdictions must replace lost units due to downzoning. The units can be replaced by either upzoning or rezoning a different property by the same amount as the lost units.
This Project does not include a change in zone nor contributes to the loss of residential units as the Project site is vacant, therefore the Project is not subject to the requirements of SB 330. Additionally, the 5 percent intended for residential in the Economic Development Corridor - Northern Gateway is intended for the preservation of existing residential in the area which exceed the 5 percent requirement in the General Plan. This Project is proposed on vacant land and will not result in the loss of units and therefore is consistent with the Economic Development Corridor (EDC) General Plan and Zoning Designation.
2. Transportation Impacts
The letter asserts that the Project and EIR did not properly address the following:
a. Incorrect analysis of Ethanac Road as a two-way truck access route and require the project to utilize Barnett Road as the only truck access as the Evans Road left turn pocket is not designed for this level of use and will contribute to excessive queuing.
The letter states that it is inappropriate for the Draft EIR to study using Evans Road, which routes trucks further along Ethanac Road, and that only Barnett Road should be utilized instead. Ethanac Road is currently designated as a truck route. Accordingly, City of Menifee City Council
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it was appropriate for the Project Traffic Study to utilize Ethanac to Evans to access the site. It is also considered a conservative, worst-case scenario because the Draft EIR thus analyzed air quality and transportation impacts on the residences north of Ethanac Road, and air quality and transportation impacts were found to be less than significant with mitigation incorporation, and less than significant, respectfully.
Additionally, to aleviate queuing on Ethanac Road, the traffic study recommends extending the left turn pocket to 475 feet and install a traffic signal to accommodate the typical worse-case queues and increase in traffic generated by this Project. These improvements would mitigate impacts for westbound left-turn trucks from Ethanac Road to Evans Road.
b. Consideration of the EDC Master Circulation Plan traffic study A global traffic study for the Menifee EDC area, including the addition of a truck corridor south of Ethanac Road, is currently being prepared and/or considered in coordination with the City of Menifee and the City of Perris. However, that global study has not been completed, and therefore it was not appropriate for the Draft EIR to utilize and speculate about alternative truck routes that might later be designated. c. Analysis of the Barnett Road/Case Road and Ethanac Road intersection characteristics
The letter asserts that the Barnett Road/Case Road and Ethanac Road intersection was incorrectly analyzed due to the characteristics of the offet intersection and that the traffic study understates how the Project will contribute to degrading traffic safety at this location. The intersection was analyzed as a single intersection and was determined to be consistent with City of Menifee and City of Perris standards. The intersection was analyzed at a Level of Service (LOS) Level D or above with the Project included, which is considered a passing grade by the City of Menifee and City of Perris standards. In addition, intersection delays over two seconds are considered a significant impact, however the traffic study determined that with the Project included in the analysis, the delay was less than two seconds. Further discussed below, the Project will also contribute fair share funds for improvements to intersection geometry along Ethanac Road between Evans Road and the I-215 north and southbound ramps. d. LOS, queuing and traffic safety
A LOS analysis was conducted for the Project and determined that all intersections within the Project scope operates at Level D or above. As noted above, a queuing analysis was also conducted and recommended extensions to left turn pockets on Ethanac Road including at Evans Road, Barnett/Case Roads and the I-215 Northbound ramps.
3. Previously approved surrounding industrial development The letter asserts the Project will exacerbate a public safety and traffic issue for the I-215 Interchange and the Barnett Road/Ethanac Road realignment without improvements or fair share funding. While the City of Perris did not directly identify the public safety and City of Menifee City Council
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traffic issues for the above mentioned intersections, the Project will be providing fair share funding for the following:
1. Evans Road at Ethanac Road – improve intersection geometrics
2. I-215 Southbound Ramps at Ethanac Road – improve intersection geometrics
3. I-215 Northbound Ramps at Ethanac Road – improve intersection geometrics
4. Ethanac Road (Evans to Case) – improve intersection geometrics
5. Ethanac Road (Case to I-215 southbound ramps) – improve intersection geometrics
6. Ethanac Road (I-215 southbound ramps to I-215 northbound ramps) – improve intersection geometrics
The above mentioned fair share funding requirements for the Project will assist in aleviating any potential public safety and traffic issues for the I-215 Interchange and Barnett/Ethanac Road realignment.
Public Notice
The proposed Project was noticed on July 6, 2025 for the July 16, 2025 City Council public hearing. A public notice was published in The Press Enterprise and notices were mailed to property owners and non-owner residents within a 500-foot radius of the Project site. The proper public notice was posted on-site, and in addition, all relevant public agencies and those requesting notification were notified of the public hearing.
STRATEGIC PLAN OBJECTIVE
Thriving Economy
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with this recommended action.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Appeal Letter – GSEJA
2. Resolution – GSEJA
3. Exhibit A - City Response to Appeal Letter – GSEJA
4. Appeal Letter – City of Perris
5. Resolution – City of Perris
6. Exhibit A - City Response to Appeal Letter – City of Perris
7. Resolution – EIR
8. Exhibit A – FEIR
9. Exhibit B – MMRP
10. Exhibit C – Findings of Fact
11. Resolution – Plot Plan
12. Exhibit A - Conditions of Approval
13. May 14, 2025 Planning Commission Staff Report
14. Project Exhibits
15. Public Hearing Notice