CITY OF MENIFEE
SUBJECT: Santa's Workshop Facility Use Request
MEETING DATE: March 18, 2026
TO: Mayor and City Council
PREPARED BY: Rebekah Kramer, Assistant City Manager
REVIEWED BY: Bryan Jones, Assistant City Manager
APPROVED BY: Armando G. Villa, City Manager
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RECOMMENDED ACTION
1. Review and discuss the local non-profit organization, Santa’s Workshop, facility use request.
DISCUSSION
Established in 2005, Santa’s Workshop is a local non-profit organization that partners with other public agencies, community, and service organizations to provide backpacks, school supplies, clothing, sports equipment, science and craft kits, and holiday gifts to children from low-income families served by the Menifee Valley Community Cupboard or attending schools within Menifee Union and Romoland School Districts.
On January 21, 2026, the City Council requested that staff bring forward a discussion item to evaluate the availability of City owned/operated facilities that could be utilized by Santa’s Workshop for the storage of donated items. The organization is currently occupying space at the Menifee Valley Elementary School site at no cost in exchange for the covenants in the use agreement and the community benefit they provide to students affiliated with Menifee Union School District (MUSD). Given MUSD’s plans to renovate the school site, they will need to relocate their donated items stored at the school by June 2026. For this reason, representatives from Santa’s Workshop are seeking approval from the City to utilize a portion of retired fire station 5 located in the Quail Valley area for the storage of donated items. Site access would be limited to a select group of program volunteers assigned to deliver, inventory, and remove donated items throughout the year. Climate control and access to other site amenities such as bathrooms would not be needed based upon the identified use.
A list of existing owned and leased facilities is provided in Table 1 on the following page.
City of Menifee Staff Report
Santa's Workshop Facility Use Request
March 18, 2026
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TABLE 1 – City Facility Summary
Facility Name Location
Leased or
City Owned Status
City Hall 29844 Haun Road Leased Occupied
Information Technology (IT)
Department Headquarters 29826 Haun Road Leased Occupied Menifee Police Department
(MPD) Headquarters 29714 Haun Road Leased Occupied
Cherry Hills Facility - Police
Substation 26800 Cherry Hills Blvd City Owned Phase I Improvements - In Design
Public Works Maintenance
Operations Center (MOC) 27860 Bradley Road City Owned Occupied New Fire Station 5 29745 Goetz Road City Owned Occupied Retired Fire Station 5* 28971 Goetz Road City Owned Vacant Fire Station 7 28349 Bradley Road City Owned Occupied
Fire Station 68 26020 Wickerd Road City Owned Occupied
Fire Station 76 29950 Menifee Road City Owned Occupied
Lazy Creek Recreation Ctr. 26480 Lazy Creek
Road City Owned Occupied
Community Services
Department Head Quarters
29995 Evans Road
West Annex City Owned Occupied
Kay Ceniceros Senior Ctr. 29995 Evans Road
North Annex City Owned Occupied
*Facility does not meet current building code or Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance standards for use outside of life safety operations.
With the shift of fire suppression operations in the western portion of the city to a new facility in the Quail Valley area (29745 Goetz Road), the retired station located at 28971 Goetz Road is now unoccupied. While the City has significant space constraints and extensive facility needs to support municipal operations, consideration could be given to allowing an outside organization to occupy a portion of the retired fire station on a limited basis. It is important to note however that this facility, built in the 1960s, does not conform to current Building Code and ADA standards.
Due to the site conditions and liability considerations, the facility could not be utilized for a purpose outside of public life safety operations without addressing building code and ADA compliance requirements. Nor could the property be leased for use outside supply/equipment storage restricted to a small portion of the facility.
Until the best long-term use of this facility is identified and funding can be allocated for the upgrades needed to support municipal operations, the facility could be utilized for storage restricted to the existing apparatus bay area. Some modest facility modifications would be required for the existing apparatus bay (approximately 800 square feet) to be leased for this purpose. Such improvements would include reinforcing/securing facility doors/access points at an estimated cost of $2,000. It is also important to note that the building is not staffed or equipped with surveillance equipment outside of security alarms. Any organization leasing the space at this facility would need to assume the risk related to its use of the facility, indemnify the City, and maintain property and liability insurance coverage.
City of Menifee Staff Report
Santa's Workshop Facility Use Request
March 18, 2026
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Should the City Council wish to consider leasing the apparatus bay portion of Retired Fire Station 5, staff would work with Santa’s Workshop to negotiate terms and prepare a lease agreement for Council’s consideration.
STRATEGIC PLAN OBJECTIVE
Community Engagement and Social Infrastructure
FISCAL IMPACT
The fiscal impact associated with leasing the apparatus bay portion of Retired Fire Station 5 would require securing facility doors/access points at an estimated cost of $2,000. These costs are in addition to the allocation of staff time to prepare and manage the lease agreement and site access. No additional budget appropriation action(s) is necessary.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Santa’s Workshop Request Letter