CITY OF MENIFEE
SUBJECT: Menifee Hills - Salt Creek Trail Connection Study Capital Improvement Program Project
MEETING DATE: October 1, 2025
TO: Mayor and City Council
PREPARED BY: Kori Jones, Senior Management Analyst
REVIEWED BY: Mariana Mitchell, Community Services Director APPROVED BY: Armando G. Villa, City Manager
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RECOMMENDED ACTION
1. Amend the adopted Fiscal Year (FY) 2025/26 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) to include the Menifee Hills – Salt Creek Trail Connection Study (STY26-11); and
2. Adopt a budget amendment resolution for the Trust Fund approving an increase in revenue and appropriation of expenditures in the amount of $125,000 (Transfer Out); and
3. Adopt a budget amendment resolution to the Capital Projects Fund approving an increase in revenue (Transfer In) and appropriation of expenditures in the amount of $125,000 to account assigned by the Finance Department.
DISCUSSION
In May 2025, City Council approved the acquisition of 19 land parcels totaling approximately 398 acres of open space on the east side of the City generally located west of Menifee Road, north of Aldergate Drive, east of Antelope Road, and south of McCall Boulevard. This area, referred to as Menifee Hills, is visible for miles and offers panoramic views of the valley presenting opportunities for ecotourism. It is visited frequently by hikers and outdoor enthusiasts and is home to a myriad of wildlife and native plant species. Menifee Hills, as a public asset, supports the City’s adopted Strategic Plan goals related to placemaking, social infrastructure, and equitable access to recreational opportunities. It directly supports the 2023 Parks Master Plan, which identifies open space preservation and land acquisition as essential strategies to meet long-term park and recreation needs. Lastly, Menifee Hills is adjacent to the regional Salt Creek Trail which is a popular multi-use trail that connects across four cities within Riverside County.
Following the acquisition of Menifee Hills, staff are committed to evaluating opportunities for site improvements that would enhance outdoor recreational activities and increase public access and
City of Menifee Staff Report
Menifee Hills - Salt Creek Connection
October 1, 2025
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connectivity. In July 2025, the City submitted a grant application for funding to support acquisition of maintenance easements along the Salt Creek Trail to support connectivity to the vista point of Menifee Hills. In conjunction with pursuing grant funding, staff would work with Dokken Engineering (Dokken), to evaluate access points and potential for establishing additional right-of- way and/or easements to connect the Menifee Hills area to the Salt Creek Trail. Dokken would also look at opportunities for public access from Antelope Road and/or from McCall Boulevard by utilizing City owned property and access options for a public parking lot. Dokken is currently approved as an on-call service provider for Right-of-Way (ROW) acquisition services established under Master Agreement 2024-0108 approved by City Council in July 2023. Staff requests an appropriation in the not-to-exceed amount of $125,000 for ROW support services. Of this amount, $30,000 would be allocated for the feasibility study to be completed by Dokken Engineering. The remaining amount is to be reserved for additional services including engineering study, survey, appraisal, and acquisition support. These additional services would be initiated based upon viable access options for public egress and parking identified in the feasibility study. Staff would bring final recommendations back to Council for consideration and further direction.
Because the Menifee Hills – Salt Creek Trail Connection Study (Study) was not included in the adopted FY 2025/2026 CIP, staff recommends amending the CIP to include this study, which would be a precursor to a future CIP project should the results from the Study indicate feasible next steps. By incorporating the Study into the CIP, staff are more equipped to track efforts to develop the Menifee Hills area. The Study and associated budget would be incorporated into the revised FY 2025/2026 CIP budget. Funds for the feasibility study are available due to a one-time revenue from the Commerce Pointe Development Agreement.
STRATEGIC PLAN OBJECTIVE
Connectivity and Mobility
FISCAL IMPACT
Funding for the study is available within the Trust Fund which holds a current balance of $985,460 received from the Commerce Pointe Development Agreement. Accordingly, $125,000 from the full amount held in trust will be recognized as revenue in the Trust Fund (8350-438851). The funding would then be transferred out of the Trust Fund (8350-PWD-CIPC-904320) and transferred into the Capital Projects Fund (4320-808350). The corresponding expenditures would be appropriated within the Capital Projects Fund to professional services for the study (4320- PWD-CIPC-652800), as summarized in Table 1 below.
TABLE 1 – PROJECT BUDGET SET-UP
Fund Account Description Account # Revenue
Budget
Expenditure
Budget
Trust Fund Revenue – Commerce DA 438851 $125,000
Trust Fund Transfer Out 904320 $125,000
Capital Projects Transfer In 808350 $125,000
Capital Projects Expenditure - Professional
Services
652800 $125,000
City of Menifee Staff Report
Menifee Hills - Salt Creek Connection
October 1, 2025
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Any additional resources or project modifications identified through this process would be brought forward for City Council consideration as appropriate.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Project Site Map
2. Budget Amendment Resolution – Fund 8350
3. Budget Amendment Resolution – Fund 4320