OPEN SPACE AND CONSERVATION
BACKGROUND DOCUMENT & DEFINITIONS PAGE 1 OF 19
Open Space and
Conservation Background
Document & Definitions
PARKS AND RECREATION
A system of high quality parks and recreation programs is a high priority for Menifee residents. Parks and recreational facilities provide a great number of benefits to Menifee’s residents, including improving health, wellness, and quality of life; strong family and neighborhood connections; protecting open space areas and natural resources; enhancing air and water quality; contributing to a healthy and productive workforce; and attracting visitors and retirees and enhancing real estate values. In Menifee, recreational open space refers to open space developed for outdoor recreation, including passive and active activities and golf courses.
Menifee’s active parks offer an array of facilities, including playgrounds, sports courts, barbeque facilities, and picnic benches. The largest active recreation facility is the Menifee Recreation Center/Wheatfield Park at the southwest corner of Menifee and La Piedra Roads. The Recreation Center and park provide a gymnasium, baseball fields, basketball, tennis and volleyball courts, horseshoe pits, and a picnic area. Overall, 16 of Menifee’s existing parks have playground facilities and 14 parks have sports fields/courts. A 25,000-square-foot community center on Briggs Road includes a child-care center, gymnasium, multipurpose rooms, kitchen, snack bar, park with two lighted baseball fields, a tot lot, and picnic shelters. Menifee has also contributed funds to the development of the Perris-Menifee Valley Aquatic Center, a 12-acre county-run project in Perris near the Menifee border.
The Community Services Department maintains approximately 83 acres of parkland in the City, including 5 Community Parks, 15 Neighborhood Parks, 2 Mini Parks, and trails. These facilities offer a variety of amenities from ball fields, basketball courts, and playgrounds to picnic tables, and barbeque facilities. Additionally, Valley-Wide Recreation and Park District (Valley-Wide), owns and maintains 25 parks within Menifee city limits. The Valley-Wide park district was created when Menifee was an unincorporated area of the County of Riverside. All these public parks offer ample opportunities for passive and active recreation within the City.
The City’s passive parks primarily offer space for relaxing outdoor activities. Some of Menifee’s parks are designated especially for passive recreation. Menifee has approximately 277.9 acres of publicly accessible parks
OPEN SPACE AND CONSERVATION
BACKGROUND DOCUMENT & DEFINITIONS PAGE 2 OF 19
that shape the City’s recreational and ecological landscape. The City is anchored by five large community parks, Lazy Creek Park; Audie Murphy Ranch Sports Park; Gale Webb, Kids-R-#1, Action Sports Park; Underwood Park; and Centennial Park, which offer a wide range of amenities such as sports fields, and courts, playgrounds, and group picnic areas. Valley-Wide community parks within the City include Aldergate Park, Heritage Lake Sports Park, Marion V. Ashley Park, Sunrise Park, Lago Vista Sports Park, and Wheatfield Park, providing park amenities to residents located east of the I-215 Freeway. Menifee’s community parks attract diverse users from across the community. Lazy Creek Park serves as a major hub for community events as it also has a newly renovated recreation center on site. The Lazy Creek Recreation Center, the Kay Ceniceros Senior Center, the Marion V. Ashley Community Center, and the Wheatfield Park Community Center all offer a variety of programs, camps, and events year-round for all residents of all ages.
In addition to community parks and centers, Menifee is home to a network of small neighborhood and mini parks nestled within residential areas. These parks provide everyday recreational opportunities and are designed to meet the specific needs of nearby residents.
Residents also have access to an extensive array of regional parks and open spaces in the surrounding area such as the Lake Perris State Recreation Area, Diamond Valley Lake, Lake Elsinore Recreation Area, Kabian Park, and the Salt Creek Trail.
Desert Green Park, Pepita Square Park, and Richmond Park are three spaces in the City devoted entirely to passive recreation. Aldergate Park and E. L. “Pete” Peterson Park also have off-leash dog parks.
In addition to the City’s active and passive recreational facilities, the demand for golf courses in Menifee is particularly high due to the City’s sizable senior population. The City has four 18-hole golf courses, two in Sun City (one is executive style) and another two in Menifee Lakes. Although golf courses play an important role in providing recreational opportunities for Menifee’s residents, the land devoted to golf courses does not count toward the City’s park requirements.
PARK ACCESS
While the amount of parkland is an essential consideration in planning for parks and recreational facilities, the quality and accessibility of these spaces is equally important. A city should have parks with a distribution and form that allows the facilities to serve as a point of focus for residential neighborhoods, easily accessible for children, families, and seniors from their homes whether they choose to walk, ride, or take transit to the recreational area.
The City’s existing and proposed recreation areas are illustrated on Exhibit OSC-b1, Existing and Proposed Recreation Areas, this exhibit also identifies areas that are within ½-mile (generally considered walking distance) to a public or private park. Areas not within ½ mile of an existing or proposed park should be targeted for new park locations when sites and/or funding become available.
OPEN SPACE AND CONSERVATION
BACKGROUND DOCUMENT & DEFINITIONS PAGE 3 OF 19
PARKS ADMINISTRATION MAINTENANCE
The General Plan provides an overarching framework for the provision of parks and recreational facilities in the community. Menifee’s Parks Master Plan acts as Menifee’s primary implementing tool for parks planning. The Parks Master Plan provides a detailed inventory of Menifee’s existing parks and recreational facilities as well as recommendations for the development of future park and recreational facility needs. Menifee’s parkland dedication ordinance operates under the umbrella of the State of California’s 1975 Quimby Act, which allows cities to require that new development dedicate land or pay fees to help ensure sufficient parkland to meet the Level of Service standard of three acres per thousand residents. Additionally, the City can explore other strategies to encourage the provisions of parks and recreational facilities, such as public-private partnerships or impact bonds.
The City of Menifee’s park and recreation facilities and programs are maintained by two organizations, Valley-Wide Recreation and Park District (Valley-Wide) and the Riverside County Economic Development Agency (EDA) County Service Area #145. (CSA #145).
Valley-Wide provides recreation and park services to residents within an 800-square-mile area. These boundaries encompass Menifee, the cities of Hemet and San Jacinto, and the unincorporated communities of Valle Vista, Sage, Aguanga, Winchester, and French Valley. Valley-Wide also provides numerous recreational activities that include special events in addition to various programs and classes. In Menifee, Valley-Wide maintains and programs the City’s parks located east of I-215, except those areas covered by County Service Area #145, discussed below. \
In July 2002, the Riverside County EDA assumed control of CSAs. CSAs are an alternative method of providing governmental services by the county within unincorporated areas to provide extended services such as local park maintenance services, sheriff protection, fire protection, water and sewer services, ambulance services, streetlight energy services, landscape service, and street sweeping. Prior to incorporation, the City of Menifee was served by eight CSAs. Upon incorporation, the City assumed responsibility for seven of those eight CSAs, leaving CSA #145 intact, which covers the area north of Rouse Road and east of I-215.
QUIMBY ACT AND PARKLAND STANDARDS
The Quimby Act (1975) is state legislation that authorizes cities and counties to pass ordinances requiring that developers set aside land, donate conservation easements, or pay fees for park improvements. Revenues generated through the Quimby Act cannot be used for the operation and maintenance of park facilities (California Government Code 66477). The 1982 amendment to Quimby was designed to hold local governments accountable for imposing park development fees. Cities and counties were required to be more accountable and to show again a strong direct relationship or nexus between the park fee exactions and the proposed project. Local ordinances must now include definite standards for determining the proportion of the project to be dedicated and the amount of the fee to be paid.
OPEN SPACE AND CONSERVATION
BACKGROUND DOCUMENT & DEFINITIONS PAGE 4 OF 19
The Quimby Act sets forth parkland standards for jurisdictions in California. The act provides for a minimum of three acres of park dedication/fee per 1,000 persons unless the amount of existing (at the time of adoption) neighborhood and community parkland exceeds that limit. Neighborhood and community parks typically include open space areas such as pocket parks, tot lots, community centers, sportscourts, playgrounds, and passive recreation areas. If a jurisdiction exceeds the three acres per 1,000 persons, then the jurisdiction is eligible to adopt the higher five acres per 1,000 persons standard.
The City of Menifee has established that it has 144 acres of public parkland and 179 acres of private parkland; 100 percent of public parkland and 50 percent of private parkland (89.5 acres) can be applied towards establishing the City’s existing parkland per 1,000 persons ratio (the City’s golf courses are not included in these totals). In order to determine the existing parkland ratio, a jurisdiction’s parkland acreage must be divided by its population (in 1,000s) as established by the most recent decennial census. In the 2010 decennial census, Menifee had a population of 77,591 persons. Based on the above information, the City has a current parkland ratio of 3.01 acres per 1,000 persons (233.5 acres/77.591). Because the City has established that it current provides a minimum of 3 acres per 1,000 persons, it has the option to set a higher parkland requirement. Menifee has chosen to establish a parkland requirement of 5 acres per 1,000 people in order to ensure that an adequate amount of parkland is provided as growth and development occurs. The City’s existing and proposed recreation areas are illustrated on Exhibit OSC-b1, Existing and Proposed Recreation Areas, This exhibit also identifies areas that are within ½-mile (generally considered walking distance) to a public or private park. Areas not within ½ mile of an existing or proposed park should be targeted for new park locations when sites and/or funding become available.
RECREATIONAL PROGRAMS
The City of Menifee offers a wide range of recreation classes and programs through its community facilities, serving residents of all ages and interests. Program offerings include, but are not limited to, Senior Soul Line Dance, Taekwondo, Texas Hold’em, fitness classes, ballet for children ages 6–9, the “Rec N Trek” Middle School Lunch Program, and early childhood programs such as Tiny Tots and Little Learners. These programs are designed to promote health, wellness, education, and social engagement across all age groups.
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the City experienced a notable increase in program participation, highlighting the community’s growing demand for accessible and high-quality recreational opportunities. To effectively communicate these offerings, the City publishes Menifee Matters, a community news and activity guide that categorizes and promotes available recreation programs.
The City recently expanded its recreational partnerships by collaborating with Paloma Valley High School and the Perris Union High School District to offer swim programs, further enhancing access to aquatic recreation. As Menifee continues to grow, the City remains committed to evaluating and improving both existing and future recreational programs to meet evolving community needs.
OPEN SPACE AND CONSERVATION
BACKGROUND DOCUMENT & DEFINITIONS PAGE 5 OF 19
Consistent with the General Plan’s goals and policies, the City of Menifee prioritizes the enhancement of cultural and recreational opportunities, recognizing their critical role in fostering community engagement, strengthening neighborhood connections, and improving overall quality of life for all residents. has a number of youth and senior programs available to its residents. Youth sports are particularly popular in Menifee, with active clubs in all major sports (football, baseball, softball, basketball, soccer) and some minor sports (horseback riding, karate, hockey, volleyball, diving). There are also opportunities for Menifee’s youth to engage with the City’s senior community. Examples include a class of elementary school students that worked with seniors to plant a garden at the Kay Ceniceros Community Center, and computer classes for seniors taught by high school students. The Riverside County EDA has hosted four annual Menifee Youth Fairs at Lazy Creek Park in Menifee. The Menifee Youth Fair offers live stage entertainment and over 30 vendor booths, with a focus on youth activities. It is designed to showcase the many youth programs, both public and private, available in Menifee.]
Given Menifee’s sizeable senior population, active senior recreation programs play an especially important role in the community. At the Kay Ceniceros Community Center in Sun City, intergenerational programs are promoted and the center functions as a community-hub providing services and programs for residents of all ages. The Sun City Civic Association, a prominent homeowners association in Sun City, also provides numerous activities at its facility, including an indoor tournament shuffle board court, tournament horseshoe pits, a fitness center, two pools, spa, tournament lawn bowling, and a variety of 60 clubs and social activities.
Special Events
Throughout the year, Menifee hosts a variety of is home to small-scale community events that celebrate its history and community pride. These events include the an annual Independence Day Ccelebration and Pparade, the Mayor’s State of the City address, car shows, Movies in the Park, the Adaptive Sports Fair, and the Shakespeare Play in the Park, and more. Menifee Community Barn Dance, among others. The City’s largest annual event is the Independence Day Celebration which draws approximately 12,500 attendees and features around 60 vendors. The Christmas Tree Lighting & Holiday Bazaar is another major event, attracting an estimated 7,000 attendees and 65 vendors each year. The City’s largest event is its Birthday Celebration, which in 2013 had an attendance of 15,000 community members.
RECREATIONAL TRAILS
An interconnected system of recreational trails for hiking, biking, walking, running, and equestrian use is an important feature of Menifee’s small town character. Recreational trails provide residents the opportunity to connect with each other and the natural environment while improving their health and quality of life. The City’s recreational trails complement the City’s Class I, Class II, and Class III bike trails, which are identified and described in the Circulation Element.
OPEN SPACE AND CONSERVATION
BACKGROUND DOCUMENT & DEFINITIONS PAGE 6 OF 19
CITY OF MENIFEE TRAILS COMMITTEE
In April 2012, the City of Menifee Trails Committee convened to inventory existing trails in the City. In a report dated April 15, 2012, the committee provided the City with detailed observations on the community’s various trails and, in some cases, made recommendations related to future trail locations and opportunities to close trail gaps.
The committee also prepared an exhibit as part of their work. A digital version of the committee’s report, including the exhibit, is available as a link on the Open Space and Conservation Element Home Page on the City’s website. The committee’s field work and recommendations set the foundation for the goal and policies related to recreational trails in the Open Space and Conservation Element and Exhibit OSC-1, Proposed Recreational Trails.
Additionally, when the City prepares a Trails Master Plan, it will use the Trails Committee report as a reference.
REGIONAL AND COMMUNITY MULTIPURPOSE TRAILS
Regional and community trails are multipurpose recreational trails and are intended for the use of equestrians, hikers, joggers, non-motorized bikers, as well as the casual walker. Where the trail is located will affect the type of use the trail gets, but all community and regional trails are open to all of these uses. Regional trails are designed to connect parks and provide linkage opportunities between open space areas and regional recreation areas.
Community trails create linkages similar to regional trails, but are local serving to shopping centers, parks, and for recreation use. The City’s regional and community trails also connect to a larger network of hiking and biking trails established in the Circulation Element of the General Plan (including Class I, II, and III bike routes). To illustrate the robust network of connections, both the City’s proposed recreational trails and Class I, II, and III bike routes are depicted on Exhibit OSC-b2.
Although regional and community trails can both be used for hiking, biking, and equestrian use, they have different widths. Until such time the City of Menifee develops its own trails master plan, the City will continue to use the classification system and standards for regional and community trails developed for Riverside County.
Regional trails will have an easement of 14 to 20 feet wide and a trail width of 10 feet. Community trails will have an easement of 10 to 14 feet wide and a trail width of 8 feet. The cross-sections for these two trail types are provided below.
OPEN SPACE AND CONSERVATION
BACKGROUND DOCUMENT & DEFINITIONS PAGE 7 OF 19
NATURAL LANDFORMS
Located in Menifee Valley, the City of Menifee is a community with a dynamic topography; hills and small mountains can be found throughout the City. The steepest slopes and largest cluster of hillsides can be found north of Menifee Lakes, traveling northward across McCall Boulevard. Quail Valley also has a significant number of steep hillsides that influence development patterns in the area. Menifee’s two tallest peaks—Quail Hill at 2,250 feet and Bell Mountain (in the City’s southeast area) at 1,850 feet—are important landmarks in the City.
Elevations in the City range from 1,500 feet to slightly more than 2,600 feet above mean sea level. .
The City of Menifee is also home to a large collection of natural rock formations and pilings. These rock features are sometimes found in combination with more significant hillsides, but can also stand alone on the side of major roadways or drainage features.
As the City grows it is important to establish guidance for the protection and thoughtful development of Menifee’s hillsides and natural rock outcroppings. The intent is to ensure that proposed development is carefully designed to respect the views and character that residents have identified as one of the City’s most valuable assets in addition to the sensitive biological resources that can be found there.
ENERGY AND MINERAL RESOURCES
Whether it is fuel to operate automobiles or electricity to light, heat, and cool buildings, energy is constantly being used to meet our daily needs. Generating the energy to meet California’s increasing demand calls for sustainable energy resources. In addition, with the passing of state legislation to decrease fossil fuel reliance and mitigate the impacts of global climate change, cities must act accordingly to address energy management issues.
ELECTRICITY AND NATURAL GAS
Southern California Edison (SCE) provides electricity and maintains a distribution network for Menifee. Changes in electricity usage and future development may prompt SCE to reassess the capacity of existing substations to provide adequate power.
OPEN SPACE AND CONSERVATION
BACKGROUND DOCUMENT & DEFINITIONS PAGE 8 OF 19
Substations are links in the electricity distribution chain. High voltage is needed to transfer electricity from a generating facility over long distances to serve customers. That voltage then has to be reduced at a substation to a level that can be used by consumers.
Substations do not produce electricity, but they make it usable by homes and businesses. The more substations, the more electricity can be converted for consumer use. That relieves stress on the system, which is important during periods of peak use.
The only substation handling the transmission load for the I-215 corridor between Corona and Murrieta is a facility at Highway 74 and Menifee Road in the Romoland Area (Valley substation). However, once constructed, the Alberhill System Project (substation) proposed in Lake Elsinore near Temescal Canyon Road will help to handle the demand along the I-15 corridor.
INLAND EMPIRE ENERGY CENTER
The Inland Empire Energy Center (IEEC) is located on approximately 46 acres in the Romoland area of Menifee.
Created through a joint partnership of General Electric and Calpine Corporation, the IEEC is an approximately 670- megawatt power plant that serves the energy needs of almost 600,000 households in one of the fastest growing regions in the state. The IEEC uses gas turbine technology (GE’s “H System”) to generate electricity when energy officials have predicted that energy supplies may not be sufficient to meet demand.
The H System represents the most efficient gas-turbine, combined-cycle system available to the energy industry.
GE’s innovative gas turbine technology enables the H System to provide superior fuel economy and environmental performance. For every unit of electricity produced, the system employed at the IEEC uses less fuel and produces less greenhouse gases and other emissions than other large gas turbine combined-cycle systems. The IEEC is not only a source of energy for the region and state, but it is also a large employment-generating facility for Menifee.
NATURAL GAS
Natural gas in Menifee is provided by the Southern California Gas Company. According to the 2008 California Gas Report, gas demand in all market sectors is expected to grow at an annual average rate of just 0.02 percent from 2008 to 2030. Demand is expected be virtually flat for the next 22 years due to modest economic growth; Demand Side Management goals and renewable goals mandated by the California Public Utilities Commission; a decline in commercial and industrial demand; and continued increased use of nonutility pipeline systems by Enhanced Oil Recovery-Related Cogeneration customers.
MINERAL RESOURCES
Menifee Valley has a history of mining activities dating back to 1880, when Luther Menifee Wilson discovered gold about eight miles south of Perris. He called his claim the Menifee Quartz Lode. Mining activities continued in and around the Menifee area until 1917 when mining production reached zero. Menifee’s landscape still shows
OPEN SPACE AND CONSERVATION
BACKGROUND DOCUMENT & DEFINITIONS PAGE 9 OF 19
evidence of past mining activities, including Leon Mine, located southeast of Garbani and Briggs Roads. Today, the City of Menifee has no active mining activities.
The State of California Geological Survey Mineral Resources Project provides the most recent and accurate information about mineral resources in Menifee and the surrounding area. Based on an assessment of local and regional mineral deposits, the State of California assigns different Mineral Resource Zones (MRZs). These include:
• MRZ 1: Areas where adequate information indicates that no significant mineral deposits are present or likely to be present.
• MRZ 2: Areas where significant mineral deposits are present or likely to be present and development should be controlled.
• MRZ 3: Areas where the significance of mineral deposits cannot be determined from the available data.
The City of Menifee is nearly entirely designated as Urban Area (meaning there is no MRZ associated with that area) or MRZ 3, except for a small area along Murrieta Road, north of McCall Boulevard, which is designated MRZ
1. This means that, based on available information, the City of Menifee has no known significant mineral deposits; however, significant mineral deposits may be identified in the future.
PALEONTOLOGICAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES
Menifee has a rich history dating back to the area’s first inhabitant 10,000 years ago. The City’s prehistoric and historic-period archeological resources, historic resources, and cultural resources enrich the community’s heritage and identity.
PALEONTOLOGICAL RESOURCES
The City of Menifee has been inventoried for geological formations known to potentially contain paleontological resources. Paleontological resources are the fossilized biotic remains of ancient environments. They are valuable for the information they yield about the history of the earth and its past ecological settings. Except for the western border of the City, Menifee’s hills generally lack potential for significant fossil resources. These hills, which make up the western boundary of the City, incorporate low-lying areas and have undetermined potential to contain fossil resources. On the other hand, the City’s alluvial plains and sediments flanking the base of the hills throughout the City are ranked as highly sensitive for finding significant fossils. Past recoveries include fossils from the Pleistocene period, including mammoths, mastodons, ground sloths, dire wolves, short-faced bears, saber-toothed cats, horses, camels, and bison.
CULTURAL RESOURCES
Cultural resources are those places, objects, physical features on the landscape and human settlements that reflect group or individual habitation locations (i.e., villages) religious and ceremonial activities, architectural and
OPEN SPACE AND CONSERVATION
BACKGROUND DOCUMENT & DEFINITIONS PAGE 10 OF 19
spacial spatial designs, and other forms of evidence documenting human activities. These resources are important for scientific, historic, and/or religious reasons to cultures, communities, groups, or individuals. Most researchers agree that the earliest occupation of the Menifee area dates to the Early Holocene [11,000 to 8,000 years before present (B.P.) 1]. Over time, in response to warming and cooling trends, different cultures have travelled in and out of the region looking for food and water. In-depth investigations at the Eastside Reservoir Project refine the chronology for the past 1,500 years into four stages— Saratoga Springs (1500–750 B.P.); Late Prehistoric period (750–410 B.P.); Protohistoric period (410–180 B.P.); and Historic period (within the last 180 years)..
Previous cultural resource investigations in the general region of Menifee substantiate that people have inhabited these lands for thousands of years. However, the following classificatory systems/time periods are anthropological and archaeological devices, and Native people often have very different understandings of and perspectives on Native American histories and identities.
Regional Prehistory
Many of Menifee’s cultural resources date back to the Protohistoric and Historic periods. When the Franciscan friars established an asistencias (mission) near the coast between Mission San Juan Capistrano and Mission San Diego in 1798 they recruited people from the coastal and inland areas and called them the Luiseño. The Luiseño were a highly organized people and occupied a territory that stretched from western San Jacinto Valley to the Pacific Ocean along several major rivers, including the Temecula, Santa Margarita, and San Luis Rey. Menifee lies on the northern and inland portion of the Luiseño territory. The Cahuilla people lived to the east, the Serrano to the north, and the Gabrielino to the west. Because the boundaries for these groups were drawn and recorded in the 1800s and 1900s after disruption and destruction of their native life ways, it is difficult or impossible to determine which group settled in the Menifee area originally. Over the ages, several groups probably utilized this portion of Western Riverside County.
The Luiseño people made and used a wide variety of tools, including grinding slabs, bone and shell fish hooks, stone and shell ornaments, bone awls, wood throwing sticks, hammer stones, handstones, pestles, mortars, and drills. Some of these valuable artifacts still remain uncovered in Menifee today, and their continued discovery is important in documenting the region’s past. The Luiseño also held many rituals to handle social and political events such as girls and boys initiations, marriages, peace-making, hunting, and death rites. Part of the ritual for these ceremonies included sand and rock art paintings. The City of Menifee’s unique rock forms would have made for ideal locations to complete these paintings, and in fact, some tribal artwork remains visible on rocks throughout the City.
Historical Overview
During the 1700s and 1800s the Spanish authorities, and then after 1921, the Mexican governors, made large grants of the best grazing and farming lands to favored soldiers, citizens, and even to a few Native Americans. Sixteen 1 While B.P. means Before Present, it is a scientific term indicating before 1950.
OPEN SPACE AND CONSERVATION
BACKGROUND DOCUMENT & DEFINITIONS PAGE 11 OF 19
land grants were established in Riverside County; however, none of these included the Menifee area, and no structures or features dating from that period are recorded. For the first three-quarters of the 1800s, the land in Menifee Valley remained unclaimed, but not unused. The California gold rush of 1848 drew prospectors to Menifee Valley, and in 1880, Luther Menifee Wilson discovered gold about eight miles south of Perris. He called his claim the Menifee Quartz Lode, and the area around it became known as the Menifee Mining District. Gold production in the area reached a high in 1896 and decreased over the next several decades until the value of gold production was reported as zero in 1917. The landscape still shows evidence of past mining activities, including the Alice and Leon mines.
The gold rush caused California’s population to triple. Farming, ranching, and businesses of all types flourished during the first bloom of the gold rush, but it was difficult to bring products to market. When the transcontinental railroad was completed in 1869, access to rail lines made citrus and other agricultural products important parts of the state economy. In 1876, the Southern Pacific Railroad reached Los Angeles, giving the City its first rail connection to San Francisco and the rest of the United States. In 1882 the California Southern Railroad completed a rail line from National City to Colton, through Oceanside, Temecula, and Elsinore, and then through San Jacinto Canyon, also known as Railroad Canyon. A railroad station was established at Pinacate Road, and Menifee Valley’s farming and livestock activities became connected to the rest of the state and country.
With a small rural population, commercial centers and residential communities took some time to develop in Menifee Valley. In 1887, the Menifee post office was established, and by 1890, there was a blacksmith shop and new school at the intersection of Newport and Bradley Roads. As new rail lines were established and new towns were created, population grew and expanded, and in 1893, Riverside County was created from portions of San Diego and San Bernardino Counties. When residents voted on a county seat, the largest city, Riverside, easily received the most votes. But Menifee received the second-highest number.
In the late 1880s Menifee Valley lost its rail connection to San Diego County and faced troubles related to its water supply. Absence of any direct rail links and sustainable irrigation helped Menifee maintain its rural character through most of the 20th century. Residents worked hard on their farms, and when electricity came in 1946, so too did new residents. In 1925, the town of Romoland was developed where the small community of Ethanac had been located, adjacent to the rail tracks at Ethanac and Mathews Roads. After WWII, automobiles and freeways helped accelerate growth in southern California, but Menifeee was not an early participant. Although US 395 had become a major highway between Spokane and San Diego as early as the 1930s, it went through Perris and Temecula, not Menifee. The portion of old US 395 between Riverside and March Air Force Base was made into an expressway in 1942, but I-215 was not completed until the 1980s.
In the 1960s Del Webb opened its first Sun City, a planned retirement community near Phoenix. After secretly buying about 14,000 acres, Del Webb began construction on its second Sun City in Menifee Valley. In 1964, there were 2,500 homes and 4,500 people in Sun City. The goal of 5,000 homes was reached in 1977. Sun City’s early
OPEN SPACE AND CONSERVATION
BACKGROUND DOCUMENT & DEFINITIONS PAGE 12 OF 19
structures soon will be 50 years or older, which makes them potentially historical and appropriate for evaluation and possible preservation.
AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES
The City of Menifee has a long history of agricultural production, and although urban expansion over the past few decades has resulted in loss of farmland within the City limits, some farms remain. As of 2008, the City of Menifee contained 429 acres of Prime Farmland, 242 acres of Farmland of Statewide Importance, 150 acres of Unique Farmland, and 8,395 acres of Farmland of Local Importance.
Some of the City’s farmland is conserved through the California Land Conservation Act, known as the Williamson Act. Property owners commit their land to farming for a minimum of 10 years and in return receive tax benefits based on their agricultural production rather than the property’s market value. The termination of Williamson Act contracts can be initiated by the property owner or the jurisdiction. In the City there are 77 acres of lands (4 parcels) under Williamson Act contracts, all of which have filed not to renew their contracts upon completion of their 10-year commitment. All parcels went into nonrenewal in 2007, meaning they will be out of contract in 2016.
WATER RESOURCES
The Eastern Municipal Water District (EMWD), a retail water agency with a service area of approximately 555 square miles and service population of 675,000 people, provides water service to the City of Menifee. EMWD has three sources of water supply: imported water from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, local groundwater, and recycled water. EMWD’s initial mission was to deliver imported water to supplement local groundwater supplies. Over time, EMWD’s role changed as additional agency responsibilities were added, including groundwater production and resource management, wastewater collection and treatment, and regional water recycling. Recycled water is former wastewater that has been treated to remove solids and impurities before it is reused for nonpotable uses. To reduce its consumption of groundwater and maintain a healthy water supply, more than half of EMWD’s recycled production is sold to agricultural and irrigation customers. Schools, parks, a cemetery, more than a dozen golf courses, and streetscapes will be using recycled water when planned pipelines are completed.
EMWD is a member agency of the Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority, or SAWPA, a joint powers authority that focuses on water supply and water quality. SAWPA’s mission is to develop and maintain regional plans, programs, and projects that will protect the Santa Ana River basin water resources to maximize beneficial uses within the watershed in an economically and environmentally responsible manner. In 2010 SAWPA developed the Santa Ana Watershed Integrated Regional Water Management Plan , better known as the “One Water One Watershed” Plan. Created in collaboration with SAWPA’s five member agencies, including EMWD, and a diverse group of stakeholders, the plan attempts to change the way in which water and other environmental resources
OPEN SPACE AND CONSERVATION
BACKGROUND DOCUMENT & DEFINITIONS PAGE 13 OF 19
are managed in the watershed, moving from reliance on large centralized infrastructure projects to a systems approach that complements existing centralized infrastructure with decentralized facilities (e.g., groundwater desalination), technology, natural infrastructure, and human capital.
WASTEWATER
EMWD sees sewage treatment as a way to convert a nuisance and an expense into a resource that extends water supplies in many ways. By the 1920s, wastewater processing consisted of primary treatment, a mechanical process involving settling, skimming off floating materials, and removing sludge. By the end of World War II, it became apparent this process was not enough. The next phase incorporated biological processes into a more advanced secondary treatment. This advance in technology is based on natural occurrences after solids have dropped out—organisms consume remaining nutrients. Simply put, the treatment plant speeds up the natural water cycle.
During the late 1980s, even more advanced treatment became feasible—tertiary treatment. This highest level of treatment removes bacteria and viruses and virtually all suspended solids. Water at this level can be used for almost any purpose short of direct human consumption.
Every gallon of water that is used at least one more time means one more gallon of fresh water can be left in the ground or one less gallon needs to be imported through aqueducts from hundreds of miles away. According to EMWD, Heritage Lakes is a major user of recycled water, and both local Sun City golf courses (California Golf and Art Country Club and North Golf Course) have been long-time users of tertiary-quality recycled water.
WATER CONSERVATION
The City actively promotes water conservation initiatives, such as residential plumbing retrofits, water system audits and repairs, water metering, large landscape conservation programs, rebates for high-efficiency washing machines and ultra-low-flow toilets, and educational programs. The City collaborates with EMWD and a variety of organizations to spread the conservation message.
For example, EMWD partnered with the Inland Empire Utilities Agency and Western Municipal Water District in 2008 to recognize local residents who utilize California-friendly landscapes as part of the second annual Western Water-Wise Landscape Contest. Conserving water during times of drought is one of the biggest challenges in the region, and adoption of water-wise landscapes contributes to EMWD’s conservation efforts. Implementation of drought-tolerant landscapes, compliance with EMWD’s recently-adopted landscape ordinances, and other water- saving practices should be incorporated as part of future development or streetscape improvements.
SUN CITY REGIONAL WATER RECLAMATION FACILITY
During the 1960s, the Del E. Webb Corporation announced it would develop another major retirement community after having acquired large tracts of land in the Perris and Menifee valleys. This provided the Eastern Municipal
OPEN SPACE AND CONSERVATION
BACKGROUND DOCUMENT & DEFINITIONS PAGE 14 OF 19
Water District with their first sewage project. Located adjacent to Salt Creek on 123 acres, the Sun City regional facility redirects the wastewater from residents living within a 57-square-mile service area and sends it to Perris for processing. Onsite storage capacity totals 187 million gallons of tertiary recycled water.
PERRIS VALLEY REGIONAL WATER RECLAMATION FACILITY
Located on a 300-acre site west of I-215 and north of Ethanac Road, the Perris Valley Regional Water Reclamation Facility receives sewage from a 120-square-mile area, including Perris, Sun City, Romoland, Homeland, and a portion of Moreno Valley. Recycled to high standards for beneficial reuse, the water is sold to farmers who irrigate about 900 acres. Some water also goes to duck clubs and to the San Jacinto Wildlife Area. Surrounding agricultural customers buy the entire output of the Perris Valley plant during the summer. In winter, EMWD must be ready to store the daily production during rainy weather. With two billion gallons of storage available, the Perris Valley plant, if necessary, could successfully sail through stormy weather lasting three months or more.
SEWER FACILITIES IN QUAIL VALLEY
All residences within the Quail Valley community are on individual septic systems, since there is no community collection system. Failing septic systems have resulted in polluted water in the community and in Canyon Lake, a potable water supply reservoir for the Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District, which is downstream from the Quail Valley. The primary challenge is simply that there is inadequate land and leaching surface to accommodate the volume of effluent produced due to the size of residential lots in the area, typically 4,000 square feet. In addition, the soil conditions in Quail Valley are not conducive to sustainable leaching of septic effluent. The 152- unit Quail Hills development was recently approved and includes plans to build a sewer line 2,300 feet south of the project that would connect to a system which services nearby Canyon Heights. EMWD engineers are exploring opportunities to help Quail Valley by building extra capacity into Quail Hills’ new sewer lines and pumps.
REGIONAL STORMWATER FACILITIES
Operated and maintained by the Riverside County Flood Control District (RCFCD), and part of the Romoland/Homeland Master Drainage Plan area, the City’s stormwater facilities include a regional storm drain system referred to as Line A. The Line A storm drain system and its subsidiaries consist of a series of open channel and closed conduit systems running in a general east–west direction and out flowing into the San Jacinto River watershed system. These facilities are designed to accommodate regional stormwater flow through the City.
Residential, commercial, and industrial development associated with future buildout of Menifee will increase the amount of impervious hardscape throughout the City. During rainfall events, this increase in developed areas amplifies the amount of runoff stormwater. The City should work in concert with the RCFCD to monitor regional storm drain systems, including Line A, to ensure the long-term viability and adequacy of this infrastructure. The City should also consider requiring all new development to install above-or below-ground retention systems capable of managing runoff associated with a 100-year storm event.
OPEN SPACE AND CONSERVATION
BACKGROUND DOCUMENT & DEFINITIONS PAGE 15 OF 19
SALT CREEK
Salt Creek is a huge swath of shallow watercourse that bisects the City in a generally east to west orientation.
Although channelized in the developed areas of Sun City and central Menifee, Salt Creek returns to its natural state as it flows toward the west and the City of Canyon Lake. The much smaller Paloma wash also bisects the landscape, crossing I-215 south of Holland Road and continuing to the City’s southern boundary. EMWD operates a groundwater desalter and “brine line” to Orange County at a plant north of Salt Creek and west of Murrieta Road.
BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES
Wildlife, including threatened or endangered species, may make their homes in urbanized areas, agriculturally productive areas, and open space areas. The main general habitat types commonly encountered within the City of Menifee include grasslands, nonnative grasslands, coastal sage scrub, and wetland/riparian/woodlands. These areas support various native and nonnative wildlife species. Key species found within the City’s boundaries include burrowing owl, fairy shrimp, coastal California gnatcatcher, and Quino checkerspot butterfly. In Menifee, impacts to wildlife and habitats are addressed through the followingtwo regulatory frameworks: the Western Riverside Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan (MSHCP), the Stephens’ Kangaroo Rat Habitat Conservation Plan (SKRHCP), and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). All discretionary actions undertaken by the City, such as approving a grading permit for a new housing subdivision, require environmental review under the MSHCP and CEQA.
The MSHCP is a comprehensive, multi-jurisdictional Habitat Conservation Plan focusing on conservation of species and their habitats in western Riverside County. The plan was approved in 2003 and encompasses approximately
1.2 million acres, including Menifee. The MSHCP protects 146 native species of plants, birds, and animals and designates half a million acres of habitat in western Riverside County as protected. habitat conservation plan prepared pursuant to the federal Endangered Species Act and the state’s Natural Community Conservation Plan.
The MSHCP was adopted in June 2003, and the federal and state permits were issued in June 2004. The County of Riverside, along with the 18 cities in the western portion of the county, are all participants in the MSHCP, and a member from each jurisdiction sits on the Regional Conservation Authority Board. The board was created as a joint powers authority, and with incorporation, the City of Menifee is a part of the joint powers authority overseeing the implementation of the MSHCP. Participants also include Caltrans, State Parks, County Flood Control, County Waste Management, Riverside County Transportation Commission, and County Parks. The City of Menifee is a permittee to the MSHCP. Pursuant to Section 13 of the Implementing Agreement, the City shall implement and follow MSHCP goals and policies when making discretionary actions.
The SKRHCP, developed and managed by the Riverside County Habitat Conservation Agency, is focused on protecting and preserving major habitat areas of the Stephens’ Kangaroo Rat, a small rodent endemic to the area
OPEN SPACE AND CONSERVATION
BACKGROUND DOCUMENT & DEFINITIONS PAGE 16 OF 19
that is listed as an endangered species. The plan was adopted in 1996 and covers a planning area of 533,954 acres.
The SKRHCP preserved 41,221 acres of land in seven core reserves to protect 12,460 acres of Stephens’ Kangaroo Rat habitat. Due to the success of the efforts to protect its critical habitat, the US Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed that the Stephens’ Kangaroo Rat be re-classified from an endangered to a threatened species, a lower- risk classification.
In addition to the protections provided through MSHCP, SKRHCP, and CEQA, the City will also incorporate opportunities for rewilding consistent with Senate Bill (SB) 1425. Rewilding involves restoring and enhancing natural processes, native habitats and ecosystems functions in both open space and urbanized areas. In Menifee, this may be achieved by restoring native plants in parks and public spaces, enhancing riparian corridors such as the Salt Creek, and improving habitat connectivity through wildlife corridors and green infrastructure. The City may also promote the use of native landscaping in residential and commerical developments, integrate goals into urban planning and partner with community organizations to support the education, stewardship, and long-term ecological monitoring. These efforts can contribute to a more resilient biodiverse urban environment.
SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLCING
California law requires cities and counties to develop solid waste diversion and recycling programs to meet gradually increasing performance standards. With decreasing capacity in local landfills, cities recognize that recycling and reusing waste materials becomes more cost-effective than traditional disposal practices. Recycling of construction and demolition debris, curbside recycling, green waste collection, and other creative programs also translate into cost savings for manufacturers and consumers.
Waste Management provides collection and disposal, recycling, and green waste services to Menifee’s residents and businesses. Residential and commercial solid waste produced in the City is transported to the Corona Landfill, approximately 17 miles away.
Like all municipalities, Menifee must meet the solid waste diversion mandates established by the California Integrated Waste Management Board under State Assembly Bill 939 (AB 939). Currently, Waste Management provides a comprehensive recycling program for residents with separate bins for green waste and other recyclables. During the General Plan process the City should look for additional ways to encourage waste reduction and consider programs to capitalize on the recycling efforts already underway.
AIR QUALITY
The project site lies within the South Coast Air Basin (SoCAB), which includes all of Orange County and the nondesert portions of Los Angeles, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties. The SoCAB is in a coastal plain with connecting broad valleys and low hills and is bounded by the Pacific Ocean in the southwest quadrant, with high mountains forming the remainder of the perimeter. The general region lies in the semipermanent high-pressure
OPEN SPACE AND CONSERVATION
BACKGROUND DOCUMENT & DEFINITIONS PAGE 17 OF 19
zone of the eastern Pacific. As a result, the climate is mild, tempered by cool sea breezes. This usually mild weather pattern is interrupted infrequently by periods of extremely hot weather, winter storms, and Santa Ana winds. In Menifee, wind is a particular concern. Between periods of wind, periods of air stagnation may occur, both in the morning and evening hours. Air stagnation is one of the critical determinants of air quality conditions on any given day. During the winter and fall months, surface high-pressure systems over the SoCAB, combined with other meteorological conditions, can result in very strong, downslope Santa Ana winds. These winds normally continue a few days before predominant meteorological conditions are reestablished.
The mountain ranges to the east affect the transport and diffusion of pollutants by inhibiting their eastward transport. Air quality in the SoCAB generally ranges from fair to poor and is similar to air quality in most of coastal southern California. The entire region experiences heavy concentrations of air pollutants during prolonged periods of stable atmospheric conditions .
CRITERIA AIR POLLUTANTS
Pollutants emitted into the ambient air by stationary and mobile sources are regulated by federal and state law.
Air pollutants are categorized as primary pollutants or secondary pollutants. Primary air pollutants are those that are emitted directly from sources. Some primary air pollutants are classified as “criteria air pollutants,” which means that ambient air quality standards have been established for them. Volatile organic compounds and oxides of nitrogen are air pollutant precursors that form secondary criteria pollutants through chemical and photochemical reactions in the atmosphere. Ozone (O 3) and NO 2 are the principal secondary pollutants. A description of each of the primary and secondary criteria air pollutants and their known health effects is included in the City of Menifee’s General Plan Environmental Impact Report (Section 5.3, Air Quality).
SENSITIVE RECEPTORS
Some land uses are considered more sensitive to air pollution than others due to the types of population groups or activities involved. Sensitive population groups include children, the elderly, the acutely ill, and the chronically ill, especially those with cardiorespiratory diseases.
Residential areas are also considered to be sensitive receptors to air pollution because residents (including children and the elderly) tend to be at home for extended periods of time, resulting in sustained exposure to any pollutants present. Other sensitive receptors include retirement facilities, hospitals, and schools. Recreational land uses are considered moderately sensitive to air pollution. Although exposure periods are generally short, exercise places a high demand on respiratory functions, which can be impaired by air pollution. In addition, noticeable air pollution can detract from the enjoyment of recreation. Industrial, commercial, retail, and office areas are considered the least sensitive to air pollution. Exposure periods are relatively short and intermittent, as the majority of the workers tend to stay indoors most of the time. In addition, the working population is generally the healthiest segment of the public.
OPEN SPACE AND CONSERVATION
BACKGROUND DOCUMENT & DEFINITIONS PAGE 18 OF 19
CLIMATE RESILIENCY
In 2015, Senate Bill (SB) 379 amended State Planning law to require that cities and counties address climate adaptation and resiliency strategies within their General Plan Safety Element. This effort included the preparation of a climate vulnerability assessment, identification of adaptation goals, policies, and objectives, and a plan for implementation. Menifee completed this step by adopting a Climate Vulnerability Assessment (CVA) that identifies the City’s primary exposures – extreme heat, poor air quality, variable precipitation and flooding, wildfire, and severe winds – as well as the sensitivity of the City’s infrastructure, population, and resources. With the CVA in place, Menifee has established a scientific foundation for adaptation planning. Building on SB 379, the State enacted SB 1425 in 2022, which requires cities to address climate resilience within the Open Space and Conservation Element of the General Plan. While SB 379 emphasized public safety and hazard reduction, SB 1425 expands the responsibility of cities to also consider the role of open space and natural systems in climate resilience.
The City of Menifee is well positioned to comply with SB 1425 because the CVA already provides a clear understanding of the local climate hazards that open space policies can address. The CVA highlights how these hazards intersect with sensitive populations, infrastructure, and natural resources. The City’s open space and conservation framework can act as a first line of defense by providing buffers, natural cooling, flood absorption, and by using the land, vegetation, and natural systems as living infrastructure. Through the General Plan, these strategies can be reinforced with goals and policies that address extreme heat and air quality, wildfire risk, and flooding, ensuring that Menifee’s open space planning both safeguards the community and strengthens long-term climate resilience.
OPEN SPACE AND CONSERVATION DEFINITIONS
Prime Farmland. Land best suited for producing food, feed, forage, fiber, and oilseed crops, and available for these uses: cropland, pastureland, rangeland, forest land, or other land, but not urban land or water. It has the soil quality, growing season, and moisture supply needed to economically produce sustained high yield crops when treated and managed according to modern farming methods.
Farmland of Statewide Importance. Land other than Prime Farmland that has a good combination of physical and biological characteristics for producing food, feed, forage, fiber, and oilseed crops, and is available for these uses (the land could be cropland, pastureland, rangeland, forest land or other land, but not urban land or water).
Unique Farmland. Land other than Prime and Statewide Important Farmland that is currently used for the production of specific high value food and fiber crops. It has the special combination of soil quality, location, growing season, and moisture supply needed to produce sustained high quality of a specific crop when treated
OPEN SPACE AND CONSERVATION
BACKGROUND DOCUMENT & DEFINITIONS PAGE 19 OF 19
and managed according to modern farming methods. Examples of such economically important crops are citrus, olives, and avocados.
Local Important Farmland. Farmlands not covered by the above categories but of locally significant economic importance. They include the following: lands with soils that would be classified as Prime or Statewide Important Farmlands but lack available irrigation water; lands planted in 1980 or 1981 in dry land grain crops such as barley, oats, and wheat; lands producing major crops for Riverside County that are not listed as Unique Farmland crops; dairylands including corrals, pasture, milking facilities, hay, and manure storage areas if accompanied with permanent pasture or hayland of 10 acres or more; lands identified by the county with “Agriculture” land use designations or contracts; and lands planted with jojoba that are under cultivation and are of producing age.