Elsinore
TABLE OF CONTENTS
A Special Note on Implementing the Vision
Cleveland Ridge (Lakeland Village)
Skylark Airport Influence Area
Rural Village Overlay Study Areas
Lake Elsinore Environs Policy Area
Mt. Palomar Nighttime Lighting
Community and Environmental Transportation Acceptability Process (CETAP) Corridors
Watersheds, Floodplains, and Watercourse Policies
Proposed Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan
LIST OF FIGURES
5: Skylark Airport Influence Policy Area
6: Mt. Palomar Nighttime Lighting Policy
LIST OF TABLES
1: Land Use Designations Summary
3: Adopted Specific Plans in the Elsinore Area Plan
| The County of Riverside General Plan and Area Plans have been shaped by the RCIP Vision. Following is a summary of the Vision Statement that includes many of the salient points brought forth by the residents of Eastvale as well as the rest of the County of Riverside. The RCIP Vision reflects the County of Riverside in the year 2020. So, "fast forward" yourself to 2020 and here is what it will be like. |
"Riverside County is a family of special communities in a remarkable environmental setting."
It is now the year 2020. This year (incidentally, also a common reference to clear vision), is an appropriate time to check our community vision. Twenty years have passed since we took an entirely new look at how the County of Riverside was evolving. Based on what we saw, we set bold new directions for the future. As we now look around and move through the County, the results are notable. They could happen only in response to universal values strongly held by the people. Some of those values are:
• Real dedication to a sense of community;
• Appreciation for the diversity of our people and places within this expansive landscape;
• Belief in the value of participation by our people in shaping their communities;
• Confidence in the future and faith that our long term commitments will pay off;
• Willingness to innovate and learn from our experience;
• Dedication to the preservation of the environmental features that frame our communities;
• Respect for our differences and willingness to work toward their resolution;
• Commitment to quality development in partnership with those who help build our communities;
• The value of collaboration by our elected officials in conducting public business.
Those values and the plans they inspired have brought us a long way. True, much remains to be done. But our energies and resources are being invested in a unified direction, based on the common ground we have affirmed many times during the last 20 years. Perhaps our achievements will help you understand why we believe we are on the right path.
Population Growth
The almost doubling of our population in only 20 years has been a challenge, but we have met it by focusing that growth in areas that are well served by public facilities and services or where they can readily be provided. Major transportation corridors serve our communities and nearby open space preserves help define them. Our growth focus is on quality, not quantity. That allows the numbers to work for us and not against us. We enjoy an unprecedented clarity regarding what areas must not be developed and which ones should be developed. The resulting pattern of growth concentrates development in key areas rather than spreading it uniformly throughout the County. Land is used more efficiently, communities operate at more of a human scale, and transit systems to supplement the automobile are more feasible. In fact, the customized "Oasis" transit system now operates quite successfully in several cities and communities.
Our Communities and Neighborhoods
Our choices in the kind of community and neighborhood we prefer is almost unlimited here. From sophisticated urban villages to quality suburban neighborhoods to spacious rural enclaves, we have them all. If you are like most of us, you appreciate the quality schools and their programs that are the centerpiece of many of our neighborhoods. Not only have our older communities matured gracefully, but we boast several new communities as well. They prove that quality of life comes in many different forms.
Housing
We challenge you to seek a form of housing or a range in price that does not exist here. Our housing choices, from rural retreat to suburban neighborhood to exclusive custom estate are as broad as the demand for housing requires. Choices include entry level housing for first time buyers, apartments serving those not now in the buying market, seniors' housing, and world class golf communities. You will also find "smart" housing with the latest in built-in technology as well as refurbished historic units. The County of Riverside continues to draw people who are looking for a blend of quality and value.
Transportation
It is no secret that the distances in this vast County can be a bit daunting. Yet, our transportation system has kept pace amazingly well with the growth in population, employment and tourism and their demands for mobility. We are perhaps proudest of the new and expanded transportation corridors that connect growth centers throughout the County. They do more than provide a way for people and goods to get where they need to be. Several major corridors have built-in expansion capability to accommodate varied forms of transit. These same corridors are designed with a high regard for the environment in mind, including providing for critical wildlife crossings so that our open spaces can sustain their habitat value.
Conservation and Open Space Resources
The often-impassioned conflicts regarding what lands to permanently preserve as open space are virtually resolved. The effort to consider our environmental resources, recreation needs, habitat systems, and visual heritage as one comprehensive, multi-purpose open space system has resulted in an unprecedented commitment to their preservation. In addition, these spaces help to form distinctive edges to many of our communities or clusters of communities. What is equally satisfying is that they were acquired in a variety of creative and equitable ways.
Air Quality
It may be hard to believe, but our air quality has actually improved slightly despite the phenomenal growth that has occurred in the region. Most of that growth, of course, has been in adjacent counties and we continue to import their pollutants. We are on the verge of a breakthrough in technical advances to reduce smog from cars and trucks. Not only that, but our expanded supply of jobs reduces the need for people here to commute as far as in the past.
Jobs and Economy
In proportion to population, our job growth is spectacular. Not only is our supply of jobs beyond any previously projected level, it has become quite diversified. Clusters of new industries have brought with them an array of jobs that attract skilled labor and executives alike. We are particularly enthusiastic about the linkages between our diversified business community and our educational system. Extensive vocational training programs, coordinated with businesses, are a constant source of opportunities for youth and those in our labor force who seek further improvement.
Agricultural Lands
Long a major foundation of our economy and our culture, agriculture remains a thriving part of the County of Riverside. While we have lost some agriculture to other forms of development, other lands have been brought into agricultural production. We are still a major agricultural force in California and compete successfully in the global agricultural market.
Educational System
Quality education, from pre-school through graduate programs, marks the County of Riverside as a place where educational priorities are firmly established. A myriad of partnerships involving private enterprise and cooperative programs between local governments and school districts are in place, making the educational system an integral part of our communities.
Plan Integration
The coordinated planning for multi-purpose open space systems, community based land use patterns, and a diversified transportation system has paid off handsomely. Integration of these major components of community building has resulted in a degree of certainty and clarity of direction not commonly achieved in the face of such dynamic change.
Financial Realities
From the very beginning, our vision included the practical consideration of how we would pay for the qualities our expectations demanded. Creative, yet practical financing programs provide the necessary leverage to achieve a high percentage of our aspirations expressed in the updated RCIP.
Intergovernmental Cooperation
As a result of the necessary coordination between the County, the cities and other governmental agencies brought about through the RCIP, a high degree of intergovernmental cooperation and even partnership is now commonplace. This way of doing public business has become a tradition and the County of Riverside is renowned for its many model intergovernmental programs.
It doesn't matter whether you whiz by on Interstate 15 or wind your way down the spectacular face of the Santa Ana Mountains on State Route 74; the eye cannot avoid taking in Lake Elsinore. From the I-15 you also get a bonus in the form of the precipitous slope of the mountains; from the 74 you gaze out over hills, towns and valleys stretching far into the distance. As if that was not enough, there is even the man-made Canyon Lake off to the northeast, capturing waters from the San Jacinto River. The richness of this special place isn't just in its visual qualities. It is also a collection of unique communities as well as home to a remarkable variety of natural species. The Elsinore area is a truly unique human and natural habitat within a County that encompasses many notable environments.
The Elsinore Area Plan doesn't just provide a description of the location, physical characteristics, and special features here. It contains a Land Use Plan, statistical summaries, policies, and accompanying exhibits that allow anyone interested in the continued prosperity of this distinctive area to understand the physical, environmental and regulatory characteristics that make this such a unique area. Background information also provides insights that help in understanding the issues that require special focus here and the reasons for the more localized policy direction found in this document.
Each section of the Area Plan addresses critical issues facing Elsinore. Perhaps a description of these sections will help in understanding the organization of the Area Plan as well as appreciating the comprehensive nature of the planning process that led to it. The Location section explains where the Area Plan fits with what is around it and how it relates to the cities that impact it. Physical features are described in a section that highlights the planning area's communities, surrounding environment and natural resources. This leads naturally to the Land Use Plan section, which describes the land use system guiding development at both the countywide and area plan levels.
Unincorporated land is all land within the County that is not within an incorporated city or an Indian Nation. Generally, it is subject to policy direction and under the land use authority of the Board of Supervisors. However, it may also contain state and federal properties that lie outside of Board authority.
While a number of these designations reflect the unique features found only in Elsinore, a number of special policies are still necessary to address unique situations. The Policy Areas section presents these additional policies. Land use related issues are addressed in the Land Use section. The Plan also describes relevant transportation issues, routes and modes of transportation in the Circulation section. The key to understanding the valued open space network is described in the Multipurpose Open Space section. There are, of course, both natural and man made hazards to consider, and they are spelled out in the Hazards section.
A Special Note on Implementing the Vision
The preface to this area plan is a summary version of the Riverside County Vision. That summary is, in turn, simply an overview of a much more extensive and detailed Vision of Riverside County two decades or more into the future. This area plan, as part of the Riverside County General Plan, is one of the major devices for making the Vision a reality.
No two area plans are the same. Each represents a unique portion of the incredibly diverse place known as Riverside County. While many share certain common features, each of the plans reflects the special characteristics that define its area's unique identity. These features include not only physical qualities, but also the particular boundaries used to define them, the stage of development they have reached, the dynamics of change expected to affect them, and the numerous decisions that shape development and conservation in each locale. That is why the Vision cannot and should not be reflected uniformly.
Policies at the General Plan and Area Plan levels implement the Riverside County Vision in a range of subject areas as diverse as the scope of the Vision itself. The land use pattern contained in this area plan is a further expression of the Vision as it is shaped to fit the terrain and the conditions in the Elsinore area.
To illustrate how the Vision has shaped this area plan, the following highlights reflect certain strategies that link the Vision to the land. This is not a comprehensive enumeration; rather, it emphasizes a few of the most powerful and physically tangible examples.
Pattern of Development & Open Space. The Plan intensifies and mixes uses at nodes adjacent to transportation corridors, more accurately reflects topography and natural resources in the Gavilan and Sedco Hills with appropriate land use designations, and avoids high intensity development in natural hazard areas. Land use densities step down into areas constrained by natural features, resources or habitats, or remote from transportation facilities. Existing communities and neighborhoods retain their character and are separated from one another by lower intensity land use designations where possible.
Community Centers. This method of concentrating development to achieve community focal points, stimulate a mix of activities, promote economic development, achieve more efficient use of land, create a transit friendly and walkable environment, and offer a broader mix of housing choices is a major device for implementing the RCIP Vision. One Community Center designation and three Community Center Overlays are located within the Plan area in Wildomar. The Community Center designation is located adjacent to Clinton Keith Road, a major east-west connector, and adjacent to a planned light industrial center. The overlays represent options for alternative locations for a second Community Center.
Watercourses. Temescal Wash is a major influence on the character of the northern portion of the Area Plan, traversing it from northwest to southeast and flowing around Lee Lake and adjacent to Interstate 15. Land use designations adjacent to the Wash reflect a desire to buffer it from development so that its scenic and natural resource values are retained. Murrieta Creek, which flows adjacent to Palomar Street in Wildomar, has also been illustrated as a watercourse.
Data in this area plan is current as of October 7, 2003. Any General Plan amendments approved subsequent to that date are not reflected in this area plan and must be supported by their own environmental documentation. A process for incorporating any applicable portion of these amendments into this area plan is part of the General Plan Implementation Program.
The strategic location of this area is clearly evident in Figure 1, Location. Because of the access provided by State Route 74 over the Santa Ana Mountains, Elsinore is a gateway to the west. It is also an important north/south link in the western flank of the County. One looks outward toward five area plans that constitute a major portion of the vast development potential in Western Riverside County. Starting to the south and moving counter-clockwise, we find the adjacent Southwest Area Plan, and the plans for Sun City/Menifee Valley, Mead Valley, Lake Mathews/Woodcrest, and Temescal Canyon. The Cities of Lake Elsinore and Canyon Lake are core communities here. Murrieta approaches from the south and Perris from the northeast, but neither extend into this planning area. Moreover, the Elsinore planning area borders on both San Diego County to the south and Orange County to the west. These relationships can be better visualized by reference to Figure 1, Location, which also depicts the unincorporated places that have a strong local identity. As a framework for these locales, some of the more prominent physical features are also shown on this exhibit.
The Riverside County Vision builds heavily on the value of its remarkable environmental setting. That certainly applies here as well. This section describes the setting, features and functions that are unique to the Elsinore Area Plan. These defining characteristics are shown on Figure 2, Physical Features.
The San Jacinto River meanders over 40 miles through Riverside County, beginning at Lake Hemet in the San Jacinto Mountains and terminating at Lake Elsinore.
Much of the Elsinore Area Plan is situated within a valley, running from northwest to southeast, framed by the Santa Ana and Elsinore Mountains on the west and the Gavilan and Sedco Hills on the east. Lake Elsinore, which is the largest natural lake in Southern California, covering about 3,000 surface acres, is a centerpiece in the valley. Lake Elsinore is the terminus of the San Jacinto River, which is regulated by the Railroad Canyon dam and generally stabilized at an elevation of approximately 1,230 feet. The Lake is fed by the San Jacinto River and underground springs and is drained by the Temescal Wash to the north, flowing eventually into the Santa Ana River. Murrieta Creek, which eventually drains into the Santa Margarita River, starts just south of Lake Elsinore. Lake Elsinore, Canyon Lake, the San Jacinto River, Temescal Wash, and Murrieta Creek provide a distinctive pattern of lakes and watercourses throughout the valley floor and the settlements here are significantly shaped by the richness of both waterways and the widely varied topography. It is truly a remarkable setting.
The Cleveland National Forest forms the western boundary of the area and encompasses large portions of the Santa Ana and Elsinore Mountains. This area is characterized by natural open space and outdoor recreational uses with pockets of rural residential and wilderness oriented visitor serving uses scattered along State Route 74. Private inholdings within the Forest boundary are developed with limited residential and commercial uses.
The Temescal Wash creates an impressive swath pinched between the Gavilan Hills and the Santa Ana Mountains. Although dry most of the year, the wash serves as an outlet for Lake Elsinore and eventually drains into the Santa Ana River. While the wash runs in a generally northwest/southeast direction, it also provides a critical perpendicular linkage for animals between the mountain and hill habitats on either side. That is why the wash plays such an important role in the Western Riverside County Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan.
A Community of Interest (COI) is a study area designated by LAFCO within unincorporated territory that may be annexed to one or more cities or special districts, incorporated as a new city, or designated as an Unincorporated Community (UC) within two years of status obtainment.
Designation of an area as a UC may require removal from a municipal sphere of influence since the two designations are mutually exclusive.
Meadowbrook
Meadowbrook, an Unincorporated Community recognized by the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) in 1997, is situated in the northeastern portion of the Area Plan immediately north and east of presently undeveloped portions of the City of Lake Elsinore. This community includes some commercial and light industrial uses focused along State Route 74, the central transportation spine within the community. However, Meadowbrook is generally characterized by very low density residential development and vacant properties set amid rolling hills. Community residents have expressed interest in economic development through implementation of a Rural Village Overlay.
Warm Springs, a Community of Interest recognized by LAFCO, forms a portion of the northern boundary of the Elsinore Area Plan. The northerly portion of this community is set in the Gavilan Hills. A strip along the north edge of this area, along the border of the Lake Mathews/Woodcrest Area Plan, is within the sphere of influence of the relatively distant City of Riverside. This area is generally characterized by rural uses set along steep slopes. Development is concentrated adjacent to Interstate 15 and in a focused area along State Route 74 adjacent to the City of Lake Elsinore.
Horsethief Canyon is located in the northwestern corner of the plan area. This emerging suburban development is developing pursuant to a comprehensive specific plan (Specific Plan No. 152) that both accommodates potential population growth and provides for conservation of open space.
Cleveland Ridge (Lakeland Village)
The community of Cleveland Ridge is located immediately west of Lake Elsinore and includes a major ridge along the eastern face of the Santa Ana and Elsinore Mountains. This community also incorporates the Lakeland Village Redevelopment Project Area, which comprises a mix of urban residential and commercial uses along Grand Avenue on the low lying areas adjacent to the lake. Natural open space with pockets of rural residential uses are adjacent to State Route 74 as it winds along the steep easterly face of the Santa Ana Mountains.
Wildomar/Sedco Hills is located immediately south of the City of Lake Elsinore in a valley between the Santa Ana Mountains and the Gavilan and Sedco Hills. Wildomar, also an Unincorporated Community recognized by LAFCO, includes rural residential uses in the rolling hills and more intense concentration of residential, commercial and employment uses between Interstate 15 and Grand Avenue. The community is expanding easterly of Interstate 15, especially along Clinton Keith Road and Bundy Canyon Road.
A "sphere of influence" is the area outside of and adjacent to a city's border that has been identified by the County Local Agency Formation Commission as a future logical extension of its jurisdiction. While the County of Riverside has land use authority over city sphere areas, development in these areas directly affects circulation, service provision, and community character within the cities.
The Elsinore Area Plan surrounds the incorporated City of Lake Elsinore. As of 1997, the City encompassed about 38 square miles, with an estimated population of 26,280, and 8,103 households. As of 1999, Lake Elsinore's Sphere of Influence extends into the Horsethief Canyon, Warm Springs and Meadowbrook communities.
A portion of the City of Riverside's Sphere of Influence extends into the Warm Springs community. The City's predominantly rural land use designations for this area are consistent with this area plan's direction.
"Communities should range in location and type from urban to suburban to rural, and in intensity from dense urban centers to small cities and towns to rural country villages to ranches and farms."
- RCIP General Plan Principles
The Land Use Plan focuses on preserving the numerous unique features in the Elsinore area and, at the same time, guides the accommodation of future growth. To accomplish this, more detailed land use designations are applied than for the Countywide General Plan. Proposed uses represent a full spectrum of categories that relate the natural characteristics of the land and economic potential to a range of permitted uses.
The Elsinore Land Use Plan, Figure 3 depicts the geographic distribution of land uses within this area. The Plan is organized around 30 Area Plan land use designations and five overlays. These land uses derive from, and provide more detailed direction than, the five General Plan Foundation Component land uses: Open Space, Agriculture, Rural, Rural Community and Community Development. Table 1, Land Use Designations Summary, outlines the development intensity, density, typical allowable land uses, and general characteristics for each of the area plan land use designations within each Foundation Component. The General Plan Land Use Element contains more detailed descriptions and policies for the Foundation Components and each of the area plan land use designations.
Many factors led to the designation of land use patterns. Among the most influential were the Riverside County Vision and Planning Principles, both of which focused, in part, on preferred patterns of development within the County; the Community and Environmental Transportation Acceptability Process (CETAP) that focused on major transportation corridors; the Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan (MSHCP) that focused on opportunities and strategies for significant open space and habitat preservation; established patterns of existing uses and parcel configurations; current zoning;, and the oral and written testimony of County residents, property owners, and representatives of cities and organizations at the many Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors hearings. The result of these considerations is shown in Figure 3, Land Use Plan, which portrays the location and extent of proposed land uses. Table 2, Statistical Summary of the Elsinore Area Plan, provides a summary of the projected development capacity of the plan if all uses are built as proposed. This table includes dwelling unit, population, and employment capacities.
The Elsinore Area Plan reflects the RCIP Vision for Riverside County in several ways. It does so by intensifying and mixing uses at nodes adjacent to transportation corridors, by more accurately reflecting topography and natural resources in land use designations, by avoiding high intensity development in natural hazard areas, and by considering compatibility with adjacent communities' land use plans as well as the desires of residents in the plan area.
"Our communities - both improvements to existing ones and newly emerging ones - are models for new ways to provide and manage infrastructure, deliver education, access jobs, apply new technology, and achieve greater efficiency in the use of land, structure, and public improvements."
- RCIP Vision
The land use designations maintain the predominantly very low density character of the Meadowbrook and Warm Springs communities, the natural and recreational characteristics of the Cleveland National Forest, and Community Development uses in Wildomar and Cleveland Ridge. Areas designated Conservation-Habitat and Rural Mountainous help provide a separation between communities and provide additional definition for existing communities.
For more information on Community Center types, please refer to the Land Use Policies within this area plan and the Land Use Designations section of the General Plan Land Use Element.
A major tool for accommodating growth pressures in a more balanced and effective way is the use of Community Center designations in carefully selected locations. Typically they occur where previous planning had already indicated the need for more intensive uses. The difference lies in an expanded array of uses to be attracted to these locales. Even where their scale is insufficient to support the unique Oasis Transit Concept included in this Plan, these smaller centers can still stimulate a more walkable character than with strictly segregated use patterns.
The community center at Interstate 15 and Clinton Keith Road is envisioned as a Job Center incorporating business park, office, retail, and residential uses. Commercial and light industrial uses would be located farther to the east, generally along the south side of Clinton Keith Road.
The County envisions the need to provide for an additional community center in the area. The County will select one of three possible locations for the additional Community Center, based on the relative probability that a Community Center could be effectively established at that location.
Establishment of such a Community Center would be especially important in the event that the Community Center at Interstate 15 and Clinton Keith Road is included in any future annexation to the City of Murrieta. The three possible locations for the additional Community Center would be centered at:
a. The Baxter Road/Interstate 15 interchange;
b. The Bundy Canyon Road/Interstate 15 interchange; and
c. The area in the vicinity of the intersection of Mission Trail with Bundy Canyon Road, extending northerly and westerly to the Mission Trail/ Corydon Street intersection.
| Table 2 Statistical Summary | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base Land Use Designationsa,b | ||||
| Land Use Designation | Acreage | Dwelling Units | Population | Employment |
| Agriculture Foundation Component | ||||
| Agriculture (AG) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Agriculture Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rural Foundation Component | ||||
| Rural Residential (RR) | 2,898 | 435 | 1,308 | NA |
| Rural Mountainous (RM) | 14,934 | 747 | 2,248 | NA |
| Rural Desert (RD) | 0 | 0 | 0 | NA |
| Rural Total | 17,832 | 1,182 | 3,556 | 0 |
| Rural Community Foundation Component | ||||
| Estate Density Residential (RC-EDR) | 1,876 | 657 | 1,977 | NA |
| Very Low Density Residential (RC-VLDR) | 101 | 50 | 152 | NA |
| Low Density Residential (RC-LDR) | 402 | 483 | 1,453 | NA |
| Rural Community Total | 2,379 | 1,190 | 3,582 | 0 |
| Open Space Foundation Component | ||||
| Open Space-Conservation (OS-C) | 234 | NA | NA | NA |
| Open Space-Conservation Habitat (OS-CH) | 51,338 | NA | NA | NA |
| Open Space-Water (OS-W) | 341 | NA | NA | NA |
| Open Space-Recreation (OS-R) | 398 | NA | NA | 60 |
| Open Space-Rural (OS-RUR) | 7,462 | 187 | 562 | NA |
| Open Space-Mineral Resources (OS-MIN) | 1,398 | NA | NA | 42 |
| Open Space Total | 61,171 | 187 | 562 | 102 |
| Community Development Foundation Component | ||||
| Estate Density Residential (EDR) | 251 | 88 | 265 | NA |
| Very Low Density Residential (VLDR) | 4,725 | 2,363 | 7,112 | NA |
| Low Density Residential (LDR) | 2,451 | 2,941 | 8,854 | NA |
| Medium Density Residential (MDR) | 5,026 | 17,592 | 52,951 | NA |
| Medium High Density Residential (MHDR) | 339 | 2,205 | 6,638 | NA |
| High Density Residential (HDR) | 20 | 219 | 659 | NA |
| Very High Density Residential (VHDR) | 220 | 3,732 | 11,232 | NA |
| Highest Density Residential (HHDR) | 0 | 0 | 0 | NA |
| Commercial Retail (CR)c | 1,106 | 2,322 | 6,983 | 6,645 |
| Commercial Tourist (CT) | 17 | NA | NA | 281 |
| Commercial Office (CO) | 150 | NA | NA | 5,717 |
| Light Industrial (LI) | 1,082 | NA | NA | 13,904 |
| Heavy Industrial (HI) | 0 | NA | NA | 0 |
| Business Park (BP) | 69 | NA | NA | 1,132 |
| Public Facilities (PF) | 181 | NA | NA | 49 |
| Community Center (CC) | 171 | 456 | 1,372 | 3,628 |
| Community Development Total | 15,808 | 31,918 | 96,066 | 31,356 |
| Other Land Uses, Overlays and Policy Areasd | ||||
| Rural Community-Estate Density Residential 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | NA |
| Glen Eden Policy Area | 728 | 1,821 | 5,480 | NA |
| Medium Density Residential (2-4 du/ac) | 0 | 0 | 0 | NA |
| Vista Santa Rosa Policy Area | 0 | 0 | 0 | NA |
| Rural Village Overlay | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rural Village Overlay Study Area | 986 | 71 | 214 | 60 |
| Community Center Overlay | 100 | 583 | 1,755 | 780 |
| Community Retail Overlay | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Other, Overlays and Policy Areas Total | 1,814 | 2,475 | 7,449 | 840 |
| BUILDOUT PROJECTIONS TOTAL | 98,018 | 36,952 | 111,215 | 32,298 |
| Other | ||||
| City | 27,781 | |||
| Indian Lands | 0 | |||
| Freeways | 507 | |||
| Other Total | 28,288 | |||
| AREA PLAN TOTAL ACRES | 126,306 | |||
| Overlays and Policy Areas The following provides the acreages for each Overlay and/or Policy Area within the Area Plan. Overlays and Policy Areas are districts that contain unique standards tailored to a local geographic area. In some instances, these Overlays and Policy Areas alter the allowable uses and maximum densities/intensities within the particular district. In these cases, the buildout potential resulting from the application of the Overlays and Policy Areas has been accounted for in the Base Land Use Designations above. Please see the Area Plan for a description of the unique features contained within each Overlay or Policy Area. | ||||
| Acreage | ||||
| Overlays | ||||
| Mixed Use Planning Area | 27 | |||
| Community Development Overlay | 0 | |||
| Specific Community Development Designation Overlays and Policy Areas | ||||
| Glen Eden | 728 | |||
| Walker Canyon | 1,249 | |||
| Lake Elsinore | 234 | |||
| East Temescal Hillsidd | 0 | |||
| Total | 2,238 | |||
| NOTES: a. Statistics reflect the midpoint for the theoretical range of build-out projections. Reference Appendix E of the General Plan for assumptions and methodology. b. Overlay figures reflect the additional dwelling units, population and employment permissible under this category. c. It is assumed that Commercial Retail designation will buildout at 40% Commercial Retail and 60% Medium Density Residential. d. The acreage for the Overlays and Policy Areas have not been included in the acreage totals to avoid double counting. | ||||
A Policy Area is a portion of an area plan that contains special or unique characteristics that merit detailed attention and focused policies. The location and boundaries of the Policy Areas identified in the Elsinore Area Plan are shown on Figure 4, Policy Areas, and are described in detail below.
Special policies are appropriate to address important locales that have special significance to the residents of this part of the County. Seven policy areas have been designated within the Elsinore Area Plan. Many of these policies derive from citizen involvement over a period of years in planning for the future of this area. In some ways, these policies are even more critical to the sustained character of the Elsinore area than some of the basic land use policies because they reflect deeply held beliefs about the kind of place this is and should remain. The policy area boundaries are only approximate and may be interpreted more precisely as decisions are called for in these areas. This flexibility, then, calls for considerable sensitivity in determining where conditions related to the policies actually exist, once a focused analysis is undertaken on a proposed development project.
ELAP = Elsinore Area Plan Policy
Located in the northern portion of the plan area, Warm Springs includes a rural area set within the steep slopes of the Gavilan Hills. The ridge line and slopes of the Gavilan Hills are biological and visual assets to the region.
Policies:
ELAP 1.1 Protect the life and property of residents and maintain the character
of the Gavilan Hills through adherence to the Hillside Development and Slope section of the General Plan Land Use Element, the Environmentally Sensitive Lands section of the Multipurpose Open Space Element, and the Slope and Soil Instability section of the General Plan Safety Element.
ELAP 1.2 Require that development of contiguous areas designated as Light Industrial be designed in a coordinated manner.
ELAP 1.3 Require that all commercial and industrial uses be sensitive to environmental hazards (i.e., flooding) and not substantially impact environmental resources (i.e., biological and water quality).
ELAP 1.4 Require commercial and industrial uses to not substantially impact circulation systems.
Temescal Wash, extending 28 miles from Lake Elsinore to the Santa Ana River, is the principal drainage course within the Temescal Valley. The Wash also serves as an important component of the Western Riverside County MSHCP and has the potential for providing recreational amenities to serve the planning area. The preservation and enhancement of this feature is an important component of the Elsinore Area Plan land use plan. This policy area is synonymous with the 100 year flood zone for the Wash.
Policies:
ELAP 2.1 Protect the multipurpose open space attributes of the Temescal Wash through
adherence to policies in the Flood and Inundation Hazards section of the General Plan Safety Element, the Trails section of the Circulation Element, and the Open Space, Habitat and Natural Resource Preservation section of the Land Use Element.
ELAP 2.2 Encourage the maintenance of Temescal Wash in its natural state, with its ultimate use for recreational and open space purposes such as trails, habitat preservation, and groundwater recharge.
Skylark Airport Influence Area
Skylark Airstrip is a small privately owned airstrip located in the southeastern portion of the City of Lake Elsinore. In order to provide safety buffers around airports, the Federal Aviation Administration and Riverside County impose restrictions on the uses and height of proposed development in the vicinity of airports. Increasing noise from the airport may adversely impact surrounding properties. There are three safety zones associated with the Skylark Airport Influence Area. These safety zones are shown in Figure 5, Skylark Airport Influence Policy Area. Properties within these zones are subject to regulations governing such issues as development intensity, density, height of structures, and noise. These land use restrictions are fully set forth in Appendix L and summarized in Table 4, Land Use Compatibility Guidelines for Airport Safety Zones for March, Flabob, Bermuda Dunes, Chino, and Skylark Airports, and land use proposals shall be evaluated for appropriateness within these safety zones. For more information on these zones and additional airport policies, refer to Appendix L and the Land Use, Circulation, Safety and Noise Elements of the Riverside County General Plan.
Policies
ELAP 3.1 To provide for the orderly development of Skylark Airport and the surrounding area, comply with the Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan for Skylark Airstrip as fully set forth in Appendix L and as summarized in Table 4, as well as any applicable policies related to airports in the Land Use, Circulation, Safety and Noise Elements of the Riverside County General Plan.
The Walker Canyon Policy Area consists of 1,250 acres of land located northerly of Interstate 15 in the vicinity of Walker Canyon Road. The site is designated Open Space -Rural on the Elsinore Area Plan. However, a preferable alternative to extremely large lot rural land sales would be the master planning of this area to provide for a limited amount of development, coupled with preservation of the majority of the site as open space and wildlife habitat.
Policies:
ELAP 4.1 Notwithstanding the Open Space -Rural designation of this property, any proposal to establish a master planned community within this area through the general plan amendment and specific plan process shall be exempt from the five-year limit placed on Foundation Component amendments as described in the Administration Element, provided that:
a. A specific plan is submitted for a Community Center or mixed use village center development designed as a hillside village. Potential uses may include residential uses at a variety of densities (including community development foundation component densities), commercial retail and service uses, offices, and a hotel, as well as public facilities and recreational areas. In addition to the required components, the specific plan must address the unique requirements of hillside development, special hillside design guidelines, and the special nuances of integrating hillside development into the natural environment.
b. Approximately 900 acres, or at least two-thirds of the site area, is set aside as Open Space - Conservation Habitat for inclusion in the Western Riverside County Multi-Species Habitat Conservation Plan reserve system.
c. The specific plan shall include special attention to the following concerns: (1) pedestrian circulation in a hillside context, including provision for ramps and paths as well as stairs in order to ensure full accessibility for all users; (2) provision for retail commercial uses so as to minimize the need for residents to travel outside the village for routine daily needs, such as groceries, banking, etc.; and (3) the buffering and protection of conserved open space, especially relating to the interface between riparian areas and development.
d. Due to the unique character of this development, the area is hereby determined to be eligible for reductions in on-site street widths and an exemption from the prohibition on development on slopes over 25%. Such exemptions would be subject to official determination by the Board of Supervisors or its successor-in-interest at the time of its action on the specific plan.
e. The environmental impact report or other CEQA document prepared for any specific plan at this site shall address the site's access, soils, geology, hydrology, biology, and wildfire susceptibility in addition to issues of slope and topography.
The Glen Eden Policy Area consists of portions of Sections 17, 18, and 19 located southwesterly of Temescal Canyon Road and northerly, northeasterly, and westerly of the Horsethief Canyon community. Development within this Policy Area shall be subject to the following policies.
Policies:
ELAP 5.1 Residential development shall comply with an average density of 2.5 dwelling units per acre. No individual project may have an overall density in excess of 2.5 dwelling units per acre, unless a permanent density transfer between two or more projects is approved by the County of Riverside, in which case the overall density of the projects together may not exceed 2.5 dwelling units per acre. The density of individual parcels or planning areas within a project may exceed 2.5 dwelling units per acre, as long as the overall project density does not exceed this level.
ELAP 5.2: Clustering of dwelling units within an individual project is encouraged where such clustering would enable the conservation of open space in accordance with the Multipurpose Open Space Element.
Rural Village Overlay Study Areas
Rural Village Overlay Study Areas have been identified on the Elsinore Area Plan map for the communities of Meadowbrook (along State Highway Route 74 northeasterly of the City of Lake Elsinore) and El Cariso Village (along the Ortega Highway segment of State Highway Route 74). Following the adoption of the General Plan, these areas will be studied in greater detail in conjunction with the County's consistency zoning program. Additional analysis will include a review of the pattern of existing land uses, lot sizes, topography, and available infrastructure, in order to determine appropriate designations and areas that would be considered for commercial uses, small-scale industrial uses, or residential development intensities higher than those levels depicted on the Area Plan map. As necessary, the County may initiate a general plan amendment to establish the final Rural Village Overlay boundaries, which may be larger or smaller than the Study Areas depicted on the Area Plan map.
Policies:
ELAP 6.1 Commercial uses, small-scale industrial uses (including mini-storage facilities), and residential uses at densities higher than those levels depicted on the Area Plan may be approved within the Rural Village Overlay Study Area for Meadowbrook. Additionally, existing commercial and industrial uses may be relocated to this Rural Village Overlay Study Area as necessary in conjunction with the widening of State Highway Route 74.
ELAP 6.2 Commercial uses and residential uses at densities higher than one dwelling unit per five acres may be approved within the Rural Village Overlay Study Area for El Cariso Village, provided that adequate water supplies and fire protection are available.
Lake Elsinore Environs Policy Area
The Lake Elsinore Policy Area consists of portions of Sections 11, 13, and 14 of Township 6 South, Range 5 West and portions of Sections 18, 19, and 20 of Township 6 South, Range 4 West designated Open Space-Conservation. The Open Space-Conservation designation is based generally on (1) the boundaries of the mapped 100-year flood plain in this area and (2) the boundaries of existing W-1 zoning prohibiting development of structures. The intent of this designation is to protect the public from flooding hazards.
Policies:
ELAP 7.1 The Open Space-Conservation designation within this area is based on concerns related to flooding hazards. Following adoption of this General Plan, the County of Riverside will review the most accurate flood mapping information in conjunction with the County's consistency zoning program. If property not within the 100-year flood plain is designated as Open Space-Conservation, the County will initiate a general plan amendment to an appropriate Community Development foundation component designation, or include such a change in a general plan amendment of greater scope. Such a general plan amendment shall be exempt from the 5-year limit placed on Foundation Component amendments as described in the Administration Element. Additionally, privately-initiated amendments within this Policy Area may be exempted from the 5-year limit provided that any area proposed for removal from the Open Space-Conservation designation is located outside the 100-year flood plain and that the proposed new designation is a Community Development Foundation Component designation.
The authority for preparation of Specific Plans is found in the California Government Code, Sections 65450 through 65457.
Specific Plans are highly customized policy or regulatory tools that provide a bridge between the General Plan and individual projects in a more area-specific manner than is possible with community-wide zoning ordinances. The specific plan is a tool that provides land use and development standards that are tailored to respond to special conditions and aspirations unique to the area being proposed for development and conservation. These tools are a means of addressing detailed concerns that conventional zoning cannot accomplish.
Specific Plans are identified in this section as Policy Areas because detailed study and development direction is provided in each plan. Policies related to any listed specific plan can be reviewed at the Riverside County Planning Department. The two specific plans located in the Elsinore planning area are listed in Table 3, Adopted Specific Plans in the Elsinore Area Plan. Each of these specific plans is determined to be a Community Development Specific Plan.
| Table 3 Adopted Specific Plans in the Elsinore Area Plan1 | |
|---|---|
| Specific Plan | Specific Plan # |
| The Farm | 116 |
| Horsethief Canyon Ranch | 152 |
| 1 Source: County of Riverside Planning Department. | |
| Table 4 Land Use Compatibility Guidelines for Airport Safety Zones for March, Flabob, Bermuda Dunes, Chino, and Skylark Airports1,2 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Safety Zone | Maximum Population Density | Maximum Coverage by Structures | Land Use |
| Area I | 03 | 03 | No significant obstructions4 No petroleum or explosives No above-grade powerlines |
| Area II | Uses in Structures:5 25 persons/ac. OR 150 persons/bldg. (see text in the source document for the Comprehensive Land Use Plan for explanation) Uses not in structures: 50 persons/ac. Residential 2.5 Acre minimum lots Uses in Structures:5 75 persons/ac. or 300 persons/bldg. (see text in the source document for the Comprehensive Land Use Plan for explanation) |
25% of net area 50% of gross area or 65% of net area whichever is greater |
No residential No hotels, motels No restaurants, bars No schools, hospitals, government services No concert halls, auditoriums No stadiums, arenas No public utility stations, plants No Public communications facilities No uses involving, as the primary activity, manufacture, storage, or distribution of explosives or flammable materials.6 |
| Area III | Not Applicable | 50% of gross area or 65% of net area whichever is greater | Discourage schools, auditoriums, amphitheaters, stadiums Discourage uses involving, as the primary activity, manufacture, storage, or distribution of explosives or flammable materials.6 |
| 1. The following uses shall be prohibited in all airport safety zones: a. Any use which would direct a steady light or flashing light of red, white, green, or amber colors associated with airport operations toward an aircraft engaged in an initial straight climb following takeoff or toward an aircraft engaged in a straight final approach toward a landing at an airport, other than an FAA-approved navigational signal light or visual approach slope indicator. b. Any use which would cause sunlight to be reflected towards an aircraft engaged in an initial straight climb following takeoff or towards an aircraft engaged in a straight final approach towards a landing at an airport. c. Any use which would generate smoke or water vapor or which would attract large concentrations of birds, or which may otherwise affect safe air navigation within the area. d. Any use which would generate electrical interference that may be detrimental to the operation of aircraft and /or aircraft instrumentation. 2. Avigation easements shall be secured through dedication for all land uses permitted in any safety zones. 3. No structures permitted in ETZ or ISZ. 4. Significant obstructions include but are not limited to large trees, heavy fences and walls, tall and steep berms and retaining walls, non-fragible street light and sign standards, billboards. 5. A structure includes fully enclosed buildings and other facilities involving fixed seating and enclosures limiting the mobility of people, such as sports stadiums, outdoor arenas, and amphitheaters. 6. This does not apply to service stations involving retail sale of motor vehicle fuel if fuel storage tanks are installed underground. Source: Extracted from Riverside County Airport Land Use Commission Comprehensive Land Use Plan | |||
Figure 5: Skylark Airport Influence Policy Area
While the General Plan Land Use Element and Area Plan Land Use Map guide future development patterns in the Elsinore Area Plan, additional policy guidance is often necessary to address local land use issues that are unique to the area or that require special policies that go above and beyond those identified in the General Plan. These policies may reinforce County regulatory provisions, preserve special lands or historic structures, require or encourage particular design features or guidelines, or restrict certain activities, among others. The intent is to enhance and/or preserve the identity, character and features of this unique area. The Local Land Use Policies section provides policies to address those land use issues relating specifically to the Elsinore area.
Community Center Guidelines have been prepared to aid in the physical development of vibrant Community Centers in Riverside County. These guidelines are intended to be illustrative in nature, establishing a general framework for design while allowing great flexibility and innovation in their application. Their purpose is to ensure that Community Centers develop into the diverse and dynamic urban places they are intended to be. These guidelines will serve as the basis for the creation of specified Community Center implementation tools such as zoning classifications and Specific Plan design guidelines.
The Community Center Guidelines are located in Appendix J of the General Plan.
The Elsinore Area Plan Land Use Plan identifies one Community Center and three Community Center Overlays within the planning area, each offering the potential for a unique mix of employment, commercial, public and residential uses. In order to promote the compact vertical and horizontal mixing of uses intended for these Community Centers, voluntary incentives may be necessary to promote this more efficient form of land development.
Policies:
ELAP 8.1 Ensure that Community Centers development adheres to those policies listed in the Community Centers Area Plan Land Use Designation section of the Land Use Element.
ELAP 8.2 Provide incentives such as density bonuses and regulatory concessions to property owners and developers to facilitate the development of community centers as designated on the Elsinore Area Plan Land Use Plan, Figure 3.
This community is located in the southeastern portion of the Elsinore Area Plan. The majority of the projected growth within Elsinore can best be accommodated within this area.
Policies:
ELAP 9.1 Reduce fl
ooding damage through adherence to design and density standards contained in the Master Drainage Plans for the Sedco Area and the Wildomar Area.
ELAP 9.2 Encourage retail commercial development to be focused in nodes at intersections, as opposed to strip development spread along corridors.
Mt. Palomar Nighttime Lighting
The Mount Palomar Observatory, located in San Diego County, requires darkness so that the night sky can be viewed clearly. The presence of the observatory necessitates unique nighttime lighting standards throughout the Elsinore Area Plan as shown on Figure 6, Mt. Palomar Nighttime Lighting Policy. The following policies are intended to limit light leakage and spillage that may obstruct or hinder the view. This is an excellent example of a valuable public resource that requires special treatment far beyond its immediate locale.
Policies:
ELAP 10.1 Adhere to the
lighting requirements of Riverside County for standards that are intended to limit light leakage and spillage that may interfere with the operations of the Palomar Observatory.
Figure 6: Mt. Palomar Nighttime Lighting Policy
The circulation system is vital to the prosperity of a community. It provides for the movement of goods and people within and outside of the community and includes motorized and non-motorized travel modes such as bicycles, trains, aircraft, automobiles and trucks. In Riverside County, the circulation system is also intended to accommodate a pattern of concentrated growth, providing both a regional and local linkage system between unique communities. This system is multi-modal, which means that it provides numerous alternatives to the automobile, such as transit, pedestrian systems, and bicycle facilities so that Riverside County citizens and visitors can access the region and move around within it by a number of transportation options.
As stated in the Vision and the Land Use Element, the County is moving away from a growth pattern of random sprawl toward a pattern of concentrated growth and increased job creation. The intent of the new growth patterns and the new mobility systems is to accommodate the transportation demands created by future growth and to provide mobility options that help reduce the need to utilize the automobile. The circulation system is designed to fit into the fabric of the land use patterns and accommodate the open space systems.
While the following section describes the circulation system as it relates to the Elsinore Area Plan, it is important to note that the programs and policies are supplemental to, and coordinated with, the policies of the General Plan Circulation Element. In other words, the circulation system of the Elsinore Area Plan is tied to the Countywide system and its long range direction. As such, successful implementation of the policies in the Elsinore Area Plan will help to create an interconnected and efficient circulation system for the entire County.
Environmental features–both water oriented and topographic–impose substantial obstacles to circulation routes; however, the Elsinore Area Plan proposes a circulation system to handle these challenges. The area is served by Railroad Canyon Road, Bundy Canyon Road, and Clinton Keith Road from the east. Temescal Canyon Road is the main arterial serving the area from the north. State Route 74 also traverses the Area Plan in an east-west orientation.
Policies:
ELAP 11.1 Des
ign and develop the vehicular roadway system per Figure 7, Circulation, and in accordance with the functional classifications and standards specified in the Planned Circulation Systems section of the General Plan Circulation Element.
ELAP 11.2 Maintain the County's roadway Level of Service standards as
described in the Level of Service section of the General Plan Circulation Element.
A multi-purpose trails system is a critical part of this area plan because of the concentration of critical linkages centered here. In this sense, the trails for human use parallel the connectivity required for habitat linkages. An extensive system of proposed trails and bikeways exists within the planning area connecting the various neighborhoods with the recreational resources of the Cleveland National Forest and the regional trail system. The Elsinore Area Plan trail system is mapped in Figure 8, Trails and Bikeway System.
Policies:
ELAP 12.1 Implement the Trails and Bikeway System, Figure 8, through such means as dedication or purchase, as discussed in the
Trails and Greenways section of the General Plan Multipurpose Open Space Element and in the Non-motorized Transportation section of the General Plan Circulation Element.
The California Scenic Highways program was established in 1963 to "Preserve and protect scenic highway corridors from change which would diminish the aesthetic value of lands adjacent to highways."
Certain roadways are not only functional; they are a part of the public's ability to experience an area, especially one that offers important scenic vistas. That is the case with Interstate 15 from Corona south to the San Diego County line. It has been designated as an Eligible State Scenic Highway. State Route 74 has also been designated as an Eligible State Scenic Highway. The western segment is a secondary County entrance road and will serve as a link to Orange County's system of scenic routes. The scenic highways designated within the Elsinore Area Plan are depicted on Figure 9, Scenic Highways.
Policies:
ELAP 13.1 Protect Interstate 15 and State Route 74 from change that would diminish the aesthetic value of adjacent properties through adherence to the Scenic Corridors sections of the General Plan Land Use and Circulation Elements.
Community and Environmental Transportation Acceptability Process (CETAP) Corridors
The population and employment of Riverside County are expected to significantly increase over the next twenty years. The CETAP was established to evaluate the need and the opportunities for the development of new or expanded transportation corridors in western Riverside County to accommodate increased growth and preserve quality of life. These transportation corridors include a range of transportation options such as highways or transit, and are developed with careful consideration for potential impacts to habitat requirements, land use plans, and public infrastructure. CETAP has identified four priority corridors for the movement of people and goods: Banning/Beaumont to Temecula, Hemet to Corona/Lake Elsinore, Moreno Valley to San Bernardino County, and Riverside County to Orange County.
The Hemet to Corona/Lake Elsinore CETAP Corridor passes through the Elsinore Area Plan along State Route 74, or to the north of it. This corridor could accommodate a number of transportation options, including vehicular traffic and high occupancy vehicle lanes. The Riverside County to Orange County corridor is currently under study, but is envisioned to connect from Interstate 15 in Riverside to State Route 241 in Orange County, somewhere in the range between State Route 91 and State Route 74.
Policies:
ELAP 14.1 Accommodate the Hemet to Corona/Lake Elsinore CETAP Corridor in accordance with the
CETAP section of the General Plan Circulation Element.
ELAP 14.2 Accommodate the direction of the Riverside County to Orange County corridor study, once it is complete.
Interstate 15 is a major connector between the Corona/Riverside area and San Diego. This corridor could be enhanced, especially by connecting transit links, to provide a critical north-south link for transit, automobile and truck trips within and outside the County. The capacity of this critical corridor could be expanded through such strategies as widening, high-occupancy vehicle lanes, dedicated truck lanes, and transit improvements, such as exclusive express buses. Infrastructure put in place along with development in this area plan should support all modes of transit along this corridor.
Policies:
ELAP 15.1 Require projects to be reviewed for the provision of transit support facilities (including bus turnouts, signage, benches, shelters, etc.) along arterial streets and local transit service routes.
ELAP 15.2 Consider the following regional and community wide transportation options when developing transportation improvements in the Elsinore Area Plan:
a. Construct a new interchange on Interstate 15 at Horsethief Canyon Road.
b. Develop regional transportation facilities and services (such as high-occupancy vehicle lanes and express bus service), which will encourage the use of public transportation and ridesharing for longer-distance trips.
ELAP 15.3 Require each proposed Specific Plan, and major commercial and industrial projects consisting of 20 acres or larger, to be evaluated for the provision of a park-and-ride facility.
Figure 8: Trails and Bikeway System
"The open space system and the methods for its acquisition, maintenance, and operation are calibrated to its many functions: visual relief, natural resources protection, habitat preservation, passive and active recreation, protection from natural hazards, and various combinations of these purposes. This is what is meant by a multipurpose open space system."
- RCIP Vision
The Elsinore area contains an unusually rich concentration of open space resources, for both habitat, recreation and scenic purposes, hence the label of "multi-purpose." The point is that open space is really a part of the public infrastructure and should have the capability of serving a variety of needs and diversity of users. The importance of the resources here means that they require thoughtful preservation and, in some cases, restoration. In many cases, the focus here must be on establishing and maintaining vital linkages, without which the vital habitat and recreational potential of this area would be severely compromised. This Multipurpose Open Space section is a critical component of the character of the County of Riverside and of the Elsinore Area Plan. Preserving the scenic background and natural resources here gives meaning to the "remarkable environmental setting" portion of the overall Riverside County Vision. Not only that: these open spaces also help define the edges of and separation between communities, which is another important aspect of the Vision.
A watershed is the entire region drained by a waterway that flows into a lake or reservoir–or the ocean. It is the total area above a given point on a stream that contributes water to the flow at that point, and the topographic dividing line from which surface streams flow in two different directions. Clearly, watersheds are not just water. A single watershed may include a wide variety of resources and environments.
In this area plan, the natural characteristics are quite dominant. In addition to their extensive basic "supply" value, they offer design opportunities for quality development. Achieving a desirable end state of valued local open space to benefit residents and visitors will require sensitive design attention in laying out development proposals and linkages to make the open space system work to its optimum.
Watersheds, Floodplains, and Watercourse Policies
The Elsinore Area Plan contains a major portion of the Santa Margarita River watershed, which includes Murrieta Creek. This watershed, and its included watercourses, provide a truly unique habitat for flora and fauna of statewide significance. The watercourses provide corridors through developed land as well as linking open spaces outside of development areas. This allows wildlife the ability to move from one locale to another without crossing developed land. The following policies preserve and protect these important watershed functions.
Policies:
ELAP 16.1
Protect the Santa Margarita watershed and habitat, and provide recreational opportunities and flood protection through adherence to the policies found in the Open Space, Habitat, and Natural Resource Preservation section of the General Plan Land Use Element, and the Environmentally Sensitive Lands, Watershed Management, and Open Space, Parks and Recreation sections of the Multipurpose Open Space Element.
There are significant areas of mineral resource extraction within the Elsinore Area Plan. The area contains regionally important aggregate and clay resources, as well as non-regionally important mineral resources. Most of these resources are currently being extracted or are being held in reserve for future extraction. Compatibility with surrounding land uses, potential noxious impacts, surface runoff management, and the future reclamation of the sites must be considered for all existing and proposed mineral extraction areas.
Policies:
ELAP 17.1 Protect the
economic viability of mineral resources as well as the life and property of Elsinore Area Plan residents through adherence to the Mineral Resources section of the General Plan Multipurpose Open Space Element.
ELAP 17.2 Avoid mineral resource extraction within the Temescal Wash Policy Area, which contains viable riparian habitat, in favor of areas containing very sparse or non-existent riparian habitat.
ELAP 17.3 Require a biologically designed and professionally implemented revegetation program as part of reclamation plans, where avoidance is not feasible.
ELAP 17.4 Require hydrologic studies by a qualified consultant as part of the environmental review process for all proposed surface mining permits within or adjacent to the Temescal Wash Policy Area. This shall include proper management of surface run-off.
The Elsinore Area Plan contains significant oak woodland areas. Oak woodlands should be protected to preserve habitat and the character of the area.
Policies:
ELAP 18.1 Protec
t viable oak woodlands through adherence to the Oak Tree Management Guidelines adopted by Riverside County and the Vegetation section of the Multipurpose Open Space Element of the General Plan.
For further information on the MSHCP please see the Multipurpose Open Space Element of the General Plan.
Proposed Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan
Regional resource planning to protect individual species such as the Stephens Kangaroo Rat has occurred in Riverside County for many years. Privately owned reserves and publicly owned land have served as habitat for many different species. This method of land and wildlife preservation proved to be piecemeal and disjointed, resulting in islands of reserve land without corridors for species migration and access. To address these issues of wildlife health and habitat sustainability, the proposed Western Riverside County Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan (WRC MSHCP) has been developed by the County. This Plan has been adopted by the County and, as of October 7, 2003, awaits approval by other jurisdictions and the Wildlife Agencies. The MSHCP comprises a reserve system that encompasses core habitats, habitat linkages, and wildlife corridors outside of existing reserve areas and existing private and public reserve lands into a single comprehensive plan that can accommodate the needs of species and habitat in the present and future.
The Wildlife Agencies include The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG)
The Endangered Species Act prohibits the "taking" of endangered species. Taking is defined as "to harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect" listed species. The Wildlife Agencies have authority to regulate this "take" of threatened and endangered species. The intent of the proposed MSHCP is for the Wildlife Agencies to grant a "take authorization" for otherwise lawful actions that may incidentally "take" or "harm" species outside of reserve areas, in exchange for supporting assembly of a coordinated reserve system. Therefore, the proposed Western Riverside County MSHCP will allow the County to "take" plant and animal species within identified areas through the local land use planning process. In addition to the conservation and management duties assigned to the County, a property owner-initiated habitat evaluation and acquisition negotiation process has also been developed. This process is intended to apply to property that may be needed for inclusion in the MSHCP Reserve or subjected to other MSHCP criteria.
The following sensitive, threatened and endangered species, covered under the MSHCP, may be found within this area plan:
• Bell's sage sparrow
• California gnatcatcher
• orange-throated whiptail
• loggerhead shrike
• San Diego ambrosia
• bobcat
• Quino checkerspot butterfly
• Munz's onion
• many-stemmed dudleya
• southwestern willow flycatcher
• least Bell's vireo
• slender-horned spineflower
The habitat requirements of the sensitive and listed species, combined with sound habitat management practices, have shaped the following policies. These policies provide general conservation direction.
Policies:
ELAP 19.1 Protect sensitive biological resources in the Elsinore Area Plan through adherence to General Plan policies found in the General Plan Multipurpose Open Space Element.
ELAP 19.2 Provide for connection between Santa Ana Mountains, Temescal Wash and foothills north of Lake Elsinore; existing connections are at Indian Truck Trail (buffer along Canyon Creek), Horsethief Canyon, and open upland areas southwest of Alberhill.
ELAP 19.3 Provide northwest-southeast connection along hills between Estelle Mountain and Sedco Hills, primarily for California gnatcatchers, but also other sage scrub species.
ELAP 19.4 Conserve clay soils supporting sensitive plants such as Munz's onion, many-stemmed dudleya, small-flowered morning glory and Palmer's grapplinghook. (There is a Munz's onion population of approximately 7,500 heads in Alberhill.)
ELAP 19.5 Conserve wetlands including Temescal Wash, Collier Marsh, Alberhill Creek, Wasson Creek, and the lower San Jacinto River, (including marsh habitats and maintaining water quality).
ELAP 19.6 Maintain upland habitat connection between North Peak Conservation Bank, Steele Peak, and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands.
ELAP 19.7 Conserve Engelmann Oak Woodlands.
ELAP 19.8 Conserve sensitive plants, including Parry's spineflower, prostrate spineflower, Payson's jewelflower, smooth tarplant, slender-horned spineflower, Couldte's matijila poppy, Palomar monkeyflower, little mousetail, vernal barley, San Jacinto Valley crownscale, Coulter's goldfields, heart-leaved pitcher sage, and the Quino checkerspot butterfly.
ELAP 19.9 Conserve Travers-Willow-Domino soil series.
ELAP 19.10 Conserve foraging habitat adjacency for raptors, sage scrubbed-grassland ecotone.
ELAP 19.11 Conserve habitat in Sedco Hills to maintain connection between Granite Hills and Bundy Canyon Road.
ELAP 19.12 Provide for connection across State Route 74 for birds and land species.
ELAP 19.13 For Wasson Creek, maintain north-south linkage at least 750 feet wide from Wasson Creek to North Peak.
ELAP 19.14 South of Wasson Creek, development should be limited to western and eastern slopes.
Hazards are natural and man made conditions that must be respected if life and property are to be protected as growth and development occur. As the ravages of wildland fires, floods, dam failures, earthquakes and other disasters become clearer through the news, public awareness and sound public policy combine to require serious attention to these conditions. Portions of the Elsinore Area Plan may be subject to hazards such as flooding, dam inundation, seismic occurrences, and wildland fire. These hazards are depicted on the hazards maps, Figure 10 to Figure 14. These hazards are located throughout the Elsinore area and produce varying degrees of risk and danger. Some hazards must be avoided entirely while the potential impacts of others can be mitigated by special building techniques. The following policies provide additional direction for relevant issues specific to the Elsinore Area Plan.
Temescal Wash, Murrieta Creek, and the San Jacinto River, as well as Lake Elsinore, pose significant flood hazards within the Elsinore Area Plan. Dam failure of the Railroad Canyon Dam at Canyon Lake would cause flooding in the plan area. Refer to Figure 10, Flood Hazards for a depiction of flood hazards in the Elsinore area.
Policies:
ELAP 20.1Adhere to the flood proofing and flood protection requirements of the Riverside County Flood Control and Water Conservation District.
ELAP 20.2Protect proposed development projects that are subject to flood hazards, surface ponding, high erosion potential or sheet flow by requiring submittal to the Riverside County Flood Control and Water Conservation District for review.
ELAP 20.3When possible, create flood control projects that maximize multi-recreational use and water recharge.
Fire Fact:
Santa Ana winds create a special hazard. Named by the early settlers at Santa Ana, these hot, dry winds heighten the fire danger throughout southern California.
ELAP 20.4Protect life and property from the hazards of potential dam failures and flood events through adherence to theFlood and Inundation Hazards section of the General Plan Safety Element.
The plan area contains a number of unique features and communities that are subjected to a high risk of fire hazards, including the Cleveland National Forest, Cleveland Ridge, Warm Springs and Meadowbrook. Methods to address this hazard include techniques such as avoidance of building in high-risk areas, creating setbacks that buffer development from hazard areas, maintaining brush clearance to reduce potential fuel, establishing low fuel landscaping, and utilizing fire-resistant building techniques. In still other cases, safety oriented organizations such as Fire Safe can provide assistance in educating the public and promoting practices that contribute to improved public safety. Refer to Figure 11, Wildfire Susceptibility.
Liquefaction occurs primarily in saturated, loose, fine to medium-grained soils in areas where the groundwater table is within about 50 feet of the surface. Shaking causes the soils to lose strength and behave as liquid. Excess water pressure is vented upward through fissures and soil cracks and a water-soil slurry bubbles onto the ground surface. The resulting features are known as "sand boils", "sand blows" or "sand volcanoes." Liquefaction-related effects include loss of bearing strength, ground oscillations, lateral spreading, and flow failures or slumping.
Policies:
ELAP 21.1 Protect life and property from wildfire hazards through adherence to the Fire Hazards section of the General Plan Safety Element.
The Elsinore fault runs north-south through the middle of the plan area. Threats from seismic events include ground shaking, fault rupture, liquefaction, and landslides. The use of specialized building techniques, the enforcement of setbacks from faults, and practical avoidance measures will help to mitigate the potentially dangerous circumstances. Refer to Figure 12, Seismic Hazards, for the location of faults within the Elsinore Area.
Policies:
ELAP 22.1 Protect life and property from seismic-related incidents through adherence to the Seismic Hazards section of the General Plan Safety Element.
Many areas within the Elsinore Area Plan, depicted on Figure 13, Steep Slope, contain steep slopes that require special development standards and care to prevent erosion and landslides, preserve significant views and minimize grading and scarring. Additionally, the ridgelines of the Santa Ana Mountains and Gavilan and Sedco Hills provide a significant visual resource for users of the Interstate 15 corridor and occupants of the valley floor.
Policies:
ELAP 23.1 Identify and preserve the ridgelines that provide a significant visual resource for Elsinore through adherence to the
Hillside Development and Slope section of the General Plan Land Use Element and the Scenic Resources section of the Multipurpose Open Space Element.
ELAP 23.2 Prohibit building sites on the Gavilan Hills Ridgeline. Projects proposed within this area shall be evaluated on a case by case basis to ensure that building pad sites are located so that buildings and roof tops do not project above the ridgeline as viewed from Interstate 15.
ELAP 23.3 Protect life and property and maintain the character of the Elsinore area through adherence to the Slope and Soil Instability section of the General Plan Safety Element,
the Hillside Development and Slope section of the General Plan Land Use Element, and the Rural Mountainous land use designation.
Figure 11: Wildfire Susceptibility
