• Planning Commission Meeting April 2026 or Don't OC My Wildomar

This is how local government is supposed to work. It's of the people, by the people, and for the people. With apologies to the community for the wheels coming off the tracks in the first place. 

Left to right: Community Development Director Robert Flores, Assistant City Attorney Joaquin Vazquez, Commission Vice Chair Charles Golden, Commission Chair Nolan King, Commissioners Rene Cambero, Eric Filar, and John Hume. 

After a full day in Sacramento, I queued up the Planning Commission meeting on YouTube and stayed up past midnight, taking it all in. 

Know this, the city would rather I not blog about such things in the first place, and if they're being honest, that would extend down to my colleagues, too. 

Thing is, I got to the City Council by way of telling it like it is with this blog in the first place, and when I stop that'll be the day to replace me.

First: Kudos to the Commissioners

If staff chooses to read this, please wear a fireproof suit or don't complain about singes later. 

I've spoken with many of the commissioners over time. I always encourage them to remember the pecking order. 

The residents, especially the ones who vote, are the ones who have the ultimate say in the direction the city goes in. 

Not so much that City Council appointments are how they got there, but that the City Council is chosen by the voters... the residents of Wildomar. 

The residents, the people who call Wildomar 'home' are the ones with the ultimate power.

If you ever suspect that any of us has forgotten that basic fact, do not hesitate to remind us. The best place would be at a city council meeting, though I do understand the allure of social media (it's much easier to post things from the comfort of one's home or car). 

There were many public speakers at the planning commission meeting, and it was good to see such passion. Sadly, an uncommon feature in Wildomar for many years now. 

The idea for this came from Christine Salcedo and Anna Whitlock. Sorry, Will, I know you hate AI images, but I was in a hurry. 😅

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If I can also be so bold as to suggest that [some of] you need to know what you're talking about when you are on the march with torches and pitchforks. 

Seriously, there is so much laughably off-the-mark nonsense that I see on Facebook, I often wonder if some people (you know who they are) are just trolling for laughs, or trying to upset the more trusting members of the community.

Please take a moment to gather the facts before accusing the city council, planning commission, or city staff of malfeasance. We're here because we love Wildomar and have put ourselves in the firing line as we work for the common good. 

Just ask any of us for clarification before torching us online. If, after we've given you more information on a matter, and you're still ready to storm the castle, ok, at least now you're better prepared for the task at hand. 

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Back to what I remind all the commissioners: You're not there to be a rubber stamp, especially when there are controversial items on the agenda. 

You are in charge of the planning commission, and if you don't like what you're presented, absolutely pepper staff with questions. Plus, just as a matter of fact, most of staff do not live or pay property tax in Wildomar, but you do, and you are the gatekeepers.

If you don't like what you're hearing, even after explanations, DO NOT BE APOLOGETIC about being against the item. 

Do so in a collegial manner, be courteous to staff and the other commissioners, but if you've done your homework ahead of the meeting, and you think the item should be voted down — then vote it down, and be specific during your comments why you've voted that way. 

As you saw with this item, the residents appreciate that you're there, protecting the community's best interests.

There was no grand plan to remove large animals from Wildomar 

I have a high level of confidence in Wildomar's staff. They are very professional and well-trained in their specialties. That doesn't preclude them from "getting out too far over their skis" from time to time.

No one is perfect, and other than learning that the community is still engaged and ready to respond, no damage was done. 

Below is a transcription of the Wildomar Community Development Director's opening comment:

"Good evening, everybody. My name is Robert Flores, Community Development Director here with the City of Wildomar. 

Before we get into the staff report for item 2.1, I want to inform everybody that the modifications to the animal keeping section of the development code that were originally part of this ordinance are no longer part, and thereby not being considered under agenda item 2.1.

Briefly, I want to explain that the changes to the animal keeping section were driven by my staff due to recent code enforcement cases relating to animal quantities and also keeping violations.

However, we heard you, we heard the community, and determined that it was best to pull those changes out of the proposed ordinance to obtain community feedback and evaluate it, and then determine what the best next steps are and the best way to move forward."

Using a tennis reference, this agenda item was basically an unforced error, which I guarantee that staff would like to have back.

They don't call government "sausage making" for nothing, and there are going to be errors during the process, there just are. 

There are several layers to the process. The very first line is the planning commission, which is comprised of five local residents appointed by the City Council. Each member selects one... and you, the voters, elect the members. 

Also in the mix are the residents. Most are busy living their lives, and trust that the elected city council will be making the right decisions. 

There are some (though I'd like to see dozens more) who do go over the agendas and attend meetings. They are also there to point out matters of concern when they spot something.

Be assured, this was dealt with at the soonest possible point once the troublesome item made it to the agenda. 

Wildomar Rap opinion time

Trying to stay within the small box afforded by the very restrictive Brown Act, I can speak for myself and say that we just had an exhaustive couple of years putting together an updated General Plan. 

I understand that there are regular updates to our codes that the State mandates we adopt, so that part of the process is basically a 'rubber stamp' at the business end of a proverbial gun pointed at us by Sacramento.

However, as long as I'm a member of the city council, for discretionary things, it's going to take a 'pitch for the angels' to get me to agree to any, if not all, of the suggested changes that currently go before the planning commission or city council. 

I understand the desire to streamline a process, but we're not going to streamline things to such a point that local oversight, also known as "local control," is forfeited.

That's how I read many of the proposed changes, and it's a nonstarter for me.

Below is a link to the complete video.

Last, and definitely least... 

This is what I saw when I arrived at city hall at 10pm (to drop off the city vehicle), and later had it confirmed that they were up during the meeting.

I'm going to go with a simple, poorly-timed comedy of errors that had nothing to do with the planning commission meeting.

There is NO WAY that staff intentionally prevented parking at the council chambers on a night that a large crowd was expected. 

• City Council Meeting April 2026

The meeting began with a couple of proclamations (an Eagle Scout and Donate Life), an introduction of the new Fire Chief, Robert Fish, and Wildomar Battalion Chief, Shawn Burris, followed by a League of California Cities (Cal Cities) update from the Riverside County division Public Affairs Manager, Jesse Ramirez. (See meeting video at bottom of blog for full details)

There were three big takeaways from the meeting.

1) Wildomar Elementary's Stella's public comment

She spoke about the things she likes about Wildomar and Wildomar Elementary School, and then spoke about the desire to see a Wildomar Museum come to town.

Hey Historical Society, I think she's speaking your language. 

2) Community Development Update

I highlighted many of the slides from this presentation in a preview blog for this meeting. It was a somewhat shorter part of the meeting than I'd anticipated.

The presentation was about 6 minutes, and the question and answer portion was about another 6 minutes. 

I had questions regarding Walmart, Tres Lagos, and Camelia Townhomes. 

Let's Go Down The List
1) Walmart

Community Development Director Robert Flores went over entitlements (see video below for full exchange. Q&A begins at the 6:10 mark).

 "Entitlements are usually issued by the city and the property owner... through the entitlement that they receive, they have the ability, if the entitlement has not expired or if they meet all the conditions of approval, and they build the project in accordance with what was approved... they have the ability to build the project as approved. Unless the city revokes the permit for some reason" [04:46]

Q: On Revoking Entitlements

• Joseph Morabito: "You had said... 'unless the city revokes for some reason'... I'm assuming that those must be extraordinary reasons?"

• CDD: "There are particular findings we have to make... in order to revoke an entitlement; it's either that they're not complying with it, or they're not meeting the conditions of approval, or they're just not operating or using the permit as envisioned and as approved." 

• Joseph Morabito:  "So, a preponderance of comments on a Facebook post is not enough to stop it." 

Everyone at City Hall has been watching the responses on Facebook. Personally, I've answered many different comments on Facebook, and some through email or in person meetings.

The facts since 2015 have always been that the project is a done deal. 

One that I supported then and that I support now

When I announced that Walmart was going to finally get off its derriere and use its entitlements, I was somewhat taken aback by the comments.

To keep things in perspective: The approval vote was done back when today's high school seniors were still preschoolers. 

The video below is from February 2015. This is the council discussion before the Walmart vote. It has 32 views over all that time. 

I'm one who always gives the residents the straight answers as I know them. That seems to rankle some. They think I'm not nice enough (or something). 

I'm very nice, but I'm not going to lie to you, and I have very little patience with grown adults who push misinformation, needlessly upsetting the community on social media.

It's an election year and I could play it safe, or I could be the type of elected official you want representing you. 

The one who asks questions, gets answers, and tells it to you straight... even when the answers aren't what you want to hear.

2) Camelia Townhomes (163 attached condos)

The key for the community here is when the road work will be done. When it's complete, Palomar will connect to Jefferson and Washington will T into Palomar at a traffic signal. 

No dates as to when that will occur, but it will be before Camelia is granted rights of occupancy. 

This is an image I used back in 2017. The orange circle is the location of the future T intersection. Most of the homes on the left side of the image have been built as of 2026.

3) Tres Lagos phase 3

I asked if there was going to be any further road improvements (to Catt) and though the answer was 'no', the road is already being fixed.

Though I'd have liked to have seen that done by the developer, we all know about the special status of these types of SB35 projects that can, essentially, do anything they want with no requirements for approval that every other development would face. The bad part of Catt Rd is being redone as I'm typing. 

Ok, I mean the "really bad part" from where Tres Lagos ends and the stop sign at Hidden Springs.

Rough grading has occurred, and they're looking for permit for precise grading at this point. It sounds as if the developers are still looking for funding before they can start building phase 3. 

I inquired about their perimeter wall and if they'll get it in before the next rainy season. The usual order of things starts with perimeter walls going up before the rest of the construction, but there are no timetables at this point. 

3) Wildomar Cemetery Master Plan Update: Veterans and First Responders Memorial Stakeholder Engagement Workshop

This took up the lion's share of the three-hour meeting. 

It began with a brief presentation and then the original idea was to leave the dais for the workshop before getting into deeper opinions. 

Here is the location of all the cemetery land. Pay no attention to one of those street names. 

I try to stay away from quoting my colleagues for obvious reasons, so I'll just sum up what I got from this part of the meeting and suggest that you watch this item on the video if you'd like details.

In short, all five members of the city council are interested in having an official Veterans Memorial, but the level of enthusiasm for it being part of the cemetery (currently in the gravel parking lot of the ball fields to the east), varied greatly.

Cities can have more than one such memorial in town, and though one at the cemetery isn't a bad idea, I'd rather have "The Veterans Memorial" in a high traffic area. 

I'm not sanguine about either option.

I've been to these workshops many times in the past. Both as a general member of the public and a city councilman, and I can say with a high degree of confidence after participating in the workshop that NOTHING is going to happen anytime soon.

I'd be stunned if something demonstrative happened in less than five years... even ten, for that matter.

(For the record, I left my Cheerios at home. Inside joke you'll understand if you watch the video)

If you're going to watch the complete video, the item begins at the 1:35:00 mark of the video below.

• City Council Meeting Preview April 2026

If you're interested in hearing the facts about various development projects wending their way through the Wildomar city machine, I strongly urge you to make it a point to watch the coming Community Development Department & Development Update staff presentation that will be coming in the first half of the meeting.

Your other option, one I'd suggest avoiding, is to get misinformation from people on Facebook.

Slides from the coming presentation are already available to review. Here are a few that I pulled to share. 

Use this link to access the full slide presentation

Phases 1 and 2 are basically complete at this point, and phase 3 isn't far behind. 

This project has caused a lot of recent consternation due to incorrect information being circulated on Facebook though it was a done deal back when Obama was still in the White House. If you'd like to hear some facts, tune in.

You can see the rooftops from the freeway as you're leaving Lake Elsinore. This is another SB 35 Low-Income housing special, where they were allowed to cram a crazy number of units into an entirely unfit spot, and the city was barred by Sacramento from having any discretionary opinions on it. 

This is going to turn into a living hell for those who live near it. 

Camelia Townhomes caused a big ruckus back in 2017. The council chambers were jammed with people (mostly from Murrieta) for both the planning commission and city council meetings. 

Link to one of many 2017 blogs covering this.
https://wildomarrap.blogspot.com/2017/08/camelia-townhouse-project-slated-for.html
Remember, these are For Sale units, not apartments of any type. 

Unless you've driven past this, it's not easy to see much movement from Wildomar Trail to this point.

This is the final slide in the deck, but this is a department update, so it won't come with public comments attached to it. If you have questions you'd like addressed by staff during this item, you can email them to the city clerk, asking her to forward them to the Community Development Department. 

jmorales@wildomar.gov

You can also send any questions to the city council members, too. My email is jmorabito@wildomar.gov.

I won't be looking for questions on Facebook, so to ensure that your questions get addressed, please use email.

There is also a consent calendar item of interest, but I imagine it'll be brought up during the Community Development Department & Development Update already mentioned.

 1.11 Parcel Map No. 36612 (Westpark Promenade) Subdivision Improvement Agreement

191 housing units that were approved well before Wildomar Rap was even a twinkle in my eye... but it's finally starting to move forward. 

Located just north of Clinton Keith on the east side of the freeway. 

Here is a link I found online that goes into more details from the developer's POV. 

https://www.wdland.com/westpark-promenade