400 Acres In Hills Above Temecula, Murrieta Eyed For Development

DE LUZ, CA — Amid heightened fire concerns across Southern California, a proposal to rezone 401 acres above Temecula and Murrieta to make way for residential estates and commercial development was on the table Monday at the Riverside County Planning Department.

The county agency held a director's hearing for the rezoning request from applicant Beresford Properties, LLC, a Santa Monica-based company.

The request is to change the zoning of 29 De Luz parcels from rural mountainous to commercial retail and "estate density residential." The targeted area includes the Walker Basin surrounding the Cross Creek Golf Club at 43860 Glen Meadows Road. The area is north of Sandia Creek Drive, east of Carancho Road, south of Tenaja Road/Clinton Keith Road, and west of Temecula.

According to the developer, residential lots would be no smaller than 2 acres, and the commercial retail area would encompass approximately 5 acres.

More than 20 public speakers argued against the proposal during the hearing. No one spoke in favor of the plan.

Speakers raised concerns about fire risk, lack of infrastructure and escape routes, the inability of new residents to get fire insurance, traffic congestion, and how any rezoning would alter De Luz's agricultural identity.

"We are seeing what's happening in Los Angeles," one speaker said, referring to the ongoing fires. "You don't have the infrastructure [in De Luz]."

Most local residents who spoke Monday said they could only get fire-protection insurance through the California FAIR Plan, a state-administered program for residents in high-risk fire areas who cannot obtain insurance from traditional carriers.

In addition to criticism about the FAIR Plan's cost and lack of complete coverage, concerns about the program's solvency were raised, especially in the face of the Los Angeles County blazes.

Getting people out of De Luz in an emergency is already dicey. The speakers argued evacuation would be compounded if the area saw significant growth.

Access to De Luz is largely via Rancho California Road in Temecula. Other routes include the dirt De Luz Road in Murrieta and the potholed and severely steep Los Gatos Road on the Santa Rosa Plateau, which is unsuitable for truck trailers.

"It isn't a matter of 'if'; it's a matter of 'when,'" one speaker said of the extreme fire risk.

When rain does come, the area is prone to substantial flooding, and snow and ice are seen during severe winter storms.

Several public speakers said they were promised decades ago by the county that zoning in their community would not change. The area is characterized by steep terrain and agriculture, including many avocado groves.

"Once we lose De Luz, we can never get it back," one public speaker said.

During Monday's hearing, the county's General Plan Advisory Committee unanimously voted down the proposal, though the applicant is expected to appeal to the Riverside County Planning Commission. The Riverside County Board of Supervisors will have the final word.

Only if the rezoning is approved will the applicant be able to submit development plans.