• Planning Commission Meeting March 2018

Only one newsworthy item on the agenda. A GPIP (General Plan Initiation Proposal) that was seeking to change a 3.82 plot of Commercial Retail (CR) land into Highest Density Residential (HHDR). 

As with other GPIPs, this was just a chance for the developer to get a sense of what the Planning Commissioners thought. There were no votes cast in regards this project. Just as there won't be any when this comes before the city council in April.

With that established, what is this proposal?

In short, 94 units of apartments, in four story buildings on 3.82 acres of land behind the shopping center called The Shops at Clinton Keith. The ingress/egress would be from Hidden Springs Road.

Area map of proposed apartment project.

There was a presentation by the planning department, and another by the developer, David Horenstein, followed by public comments, then final comments from the commissioners.

Planning Director Matt Bassi listed several things to consider regarding this proposed project.

► Loss of potential land use opportunities and sales tax revenues.
► Loss of potential jobs for Wildomar residents.
► Land use compatibility with high density apartments adjacent single family residential zoned properties and residences.
► Development of 94 more apartment units that would be added to the 1,245 apartment/condo units approved but not yet constructed.
► Potential traffic impacts.

There were three public comments.

•  Ken Mayes hated it. 
•  Kathleen Hamblin was nearly coming apart at the seams as she hammered home her points, at times approaching Miss Miller level of outrage... sans the singing of course.

"This is clearly another horrible, scaled down Camelia Townhouse Project. We are a small, semi-rural city and it needs to be preserved, and to stay that way." 
Points to her for adjusting the description of Wildomar to "semi-rural"
This is where she goes off the rails.

"Why do you people insist on proposing highest and high density residential developments here? The residents have expressed their views time and time again about the negative effects of apartments, condos, and townhouses in Wildomar. These kinds of development proposals are outrageously out of proportion and do not belong in Wildomar. I am opposed to any zone changes, or amendments to the general plan that will destroy our rural community and lifestyle."

I'm guessing that you have Ken proofread your comments before heading to the podium, and unless he's trying to have fun at your expense, wouldn't it be considered a kindness to help you edit out the false, or misleading, portions?

Who the hell is "you people"?

If you don't understand the basics of the process, why bother commenting on it? 

Let's go over it again.

It's the landowner or developer that comes to the city, telling them what they'd like to build on their land. Not the other way around. The city didn't solicit an untenable project like these apartments. 

I actually agree with many of your contentions above, but you've obviously been taught well by Professor Mayes on how to weave a couple of good points into a morass of oddball points, losing any chance at convincing the very people you're talking to.  

Then the kicker, "I am opposed to any zone changes, or amendments to the general plan that will destroy our rural community and lifestyle."

It's a lead pipe cinch that 100% of the people on the city staff, the electeds (council members) and the appointeds (commissioners) agree completely with that statement. 

I can only think of a handful of people that would like to "destroy our rural community and lifestyle" and they usually sit in the same part of the audience that you do. Jus' sayin'.

The triumphant return of Cantankerotti Corner. Starring Wildomar's favorite cranks.

•  Joseph Morabito suggested that this project is most likely a real life example of The Art of the Deal. Where you come in with something that will trigger people into panicking, like the person mentioned above, and then come back with a pared down version of the project. Making it seem like they're very willing to negotiate as they appear to take the concerns of everyone to heart.

▲         ▼         ▲

The developer, David Horenstein, the man behind many commercial developments in town, including the new Wildomar Square, and The Shops at Clinton Keith, gave a brief presentation.

He seemed to speak more about other properties, than the one on the agenda. He talked about a how retail isn't what it once was with Amazon taking a big bite out of traditional brick and mortar stores.

He also talked about a future Civic Center, but since that's not part of this, I didn't understand how it helped this item.

With nearly a quarter of the land designated as "wetland", units would be mashed into 3 acres, including 139 parking spaces. Of which more than a third of that was suggested to be for a Park & Ride area. The parking is woefully under provided for. 

The name that he gave to the apartment complex is Solar Village, and touted it being "green"... though the rough drawings had no real recreation amenities, not even a pool or other things that I've seen in all the other apartment projects.

Horenstein brought in an odd term: Wilshire corridor. Commissioner Langworthy interrupted and asked to have it defined.

He basically threw the City Manager under the bus by saying, "I got that from Gary [Nordquist]." As he further said it refers to a district in Los Angeles. 

Trying to salvage the moment, Director Bassi jumped in saying that "we refer to Clinton Keith, that stretch, as our "Miracle Mile", how we treat it, and the quality we want to see."

Commissioner Comments

► Chair John Lloyd
"I've seen Mr. Horenstein's projects before, he does very good work. I'm not concerned about that at all. I believe he has a good vision for our community as far as retail locations and layouts and such. For this specific one, I have more concerns, because I don't see a need for additional apartments at this point."

► Commissioner Mason Ballard
"At this time I don't feel I know enough about it to stand one way or the other on it. I know that high density property always strikes a chord, and you're either on one side or the other with it. I've personally lived in the apartments right behind this building, when I first moved to Wildomar, and that was a very plesant place for me and my family. They're not all bad (apartments), but we want to make sure it's done right."

I always enjoy Commissioner Veronica Langworthy's take when it comes to apartments in town. This is at least the third time I've heard her invoke "Little House on the Prairie" and how the Olsen family had a store on the ground floor, and lived above it. 

Based on the orientation of that property, and it being well off the beaten path, I don't really envision too many successful mom and pop shops in that area.

► Commissioner Veronica Langworthy
"I would say that if you considered something like, first floor commercial, and second and maybe third floor, like townhouses above commercial. That might be a possibility. Something like Little House on the Prairie."

► Commissioner Kim Strong
(Addressing Chair Lloyd) "John, I agree with you 100%. I don't think the city needs more apartments [...] I'm also concerned about the financial impacts and the impacts that Mr. Bassi brought up [...] and I don't think we have enough commercial and tax dollars coming into the city."

► Commissioner Michele Thomas
"It's hard to run a city as a bedroom city unfortunately. I always hesitate when we look at these [proposed] changes [away from] commercial use. I think we have enough apartment projects on the books already... it's a hard sell."

Complete 26 minute video below.

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"For centuries, theologians have been explaining the unknowable in terms of the-not-worth-knowing."

– H.L. Mencken (1880-1956)



Sounds like ol' Mencky could have been referring to Wildomar Rap.

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• Planning Commission Meeting October 2017

Nothing earth shattering came out of this meeting, mostly just requests for extensions of time on already approved projects. However, item 3.2 was the most interesting and I'll detail it further down in the blog.

Recapping the notables.

Public  Comments on non agenda items.

• Ken Mayes reprised his request for city meetings to be live streamed, but of course, being reasonable is never enough with him, so he added in the following to keep his rep at the high caliber (cough) that we've all become inured to with the following quote.

"I'd like to sit at home with a nice, big, fat doobie watching the meetings."

Hmmm... live streaming of city meetings is all it'll take to keep Ol' Kenny A-Mayes-ing at home? 

Something to give some serious consideration to. 

Though, we all know he'd never actually stay home, giving up his regular opportunity to pontificate to a captive audience... still, it's worth a shot.

Item 2.1 Change of Zone 

If you know the area, this is a no brainer if ever there was one. 

The house sits on 1 ¾ acres right on Clinton Keith.

The house in question was built in the 1970's and the owner wanted to change the zoning to fit the General Plan. 

It's been designated as commercial retail for as long as the GP has existed. Let's be real for a sec, few people would want to live that close to businesses and right on the busiest street in the city anyway. 

A look at the house from Google Maps. 

The problem with an agenda item that is normally a "no-brainer", when Miss Miller is around, is that sparks are likely to fly anyway. 

I've included the video of her off topic rant as a cautionary tale to those that might feel the urge to spout off about something that they're completely unprepared for.

Miss Miller, this was just a request to change the zoning to match the general plan. No one is seeking to do anything more with it at this time, and it is ACROSS THE STREET from Renaissance Plaza, not in it.

Item 3.2
This was a GPIP. 

What's a GPIP you're asking?
It's asking for input on the suggestion of a request for a General Plan Amendment. (Dizzying, I know.) 

A couple of years back I made a 4 panel cartoon trying to illustrate it. Allow me to dust it off and use it here.

Key: Mario represents the developer in this example.
In my experience, a GPIP is generally only done when the developer knows he's begging.

I'll add the video, though it really has no lasting value. I've seen a lot of people go through the process over the years with nothing to show for it.

I wasn't all that impressed with the developer's presentation or his way of trying to convince the people of Wildomar that this was in our best interest.

Not only was the project a horrible suggestion, adding another 364 apartments to an area that is already waterlogged with apartments, but his approach came off as if he was the only smart guy in the room. Though delivered in low key manner.

This graphic shows where there are already 1600 apartments in 1800 foot radius of the site.
Either already built, or already approved.

The highlights of this item included:
Public Comments

• Ken Mayes talked about the benefits of local business parks and the impacts on traffic with the addition of 364 Apartments and concern about how the fire department would deal with a fire if they were to be three story units. (his part begins at 11:30)
• Joseph Morabito reminded the commissioners that at least one of the city council members frowns on this kind of GPA, as attested to by her comments during the City Council meeting where the Camelia Townhouse project was hammered out. (His part picks up at the 13:00 minute mark)
• Miss Miller went bonkers discussing how everyone she talks to at shopping centers tell her that they're moving out of town. She invoked burrowing owls and the Stephens Kangaroo Rat, but lost me when she jumped over to sinkholes, earthquakes, birth control and a countdown to disaster. (Her part begins at the 16:30 mark of the video)

The commission discussion lead off with Chair John Lloyd going over why he's not in favor of converting more business park land to apartments, and Vice Chair Michele Thomas agreed with him.

Commissioner Veronica Langworthy hearkened back to a comment she'd made back in November 2013 (link to that blog) when she discussed her fondness for multi-use projects.

"We do want to encourage business in our area, if we don't have the land available for it and the development that occurs for it, it'll be done elsewhere.

I had mentioned a few years ago about mixed use [projects]. I'm a strong proponent of, kind of like, Little House on the Prairie where you have the Olsen's store downstairs and the people living upstairs."

Her comment in 2013 inspired me to create one of my earliest WR photoshop specials.

To each his own, but I don't see how such complexes, with owners living above their stores, works in practice in a place like 21st century Wildomar. 

Also, even if everyone was down with it, there would STILL need to be a General Plan Amendment because neither apartments, nor commercial retail (like the Olsen's store) are supposed to go into a business park, and that is what the General Plan Land Use Map calls for.

There were several comments from the developer that could be made into pull quotes, but why bother.

Like I said in my public comment, "if the council is as good as its word, as of just a few short months ago, it'll fly about as well as a dead cat bounces."

If this dead cat actually bounces back to life, then we can spend time itemizing the developer's comments. Until then, they are in the video below.

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Personally, I'm always ready to learn, although I do not always like being taught.
– Winston Chruchill

Wildomar Rap is always ready to teach, even when you don't want to be taught.

• Planning Commission Meeting September 2017

A very short Planning Commission meeting which only had a couple of real bits of business to attend to: extending the time for two approved projects and electing new commission officers.

I can't believe it's already been three years since I blogged about Rancon's 11.62 acre, 13 parcel, 96,240sf medical, office and retail project located at the southwest corner of Clinton Keith Road and Elizabeth Lane.

They asked for, and received, an additional year for their project. Don't be surprised if this happens again next year too.

To read the blog from 2014, click this link.

I have to warn you... I still was trying to hammer out the format.

What's the hold up fellas?

It's been three years, and the economy is doing fine and can't be used as an excuse for foot dragging here.

I sure would like to see that area developed, but if they're not in a rush, why should the rest of us be? It's their money.

There was a second such EOT (Extension of Time) for an already approved project. 

The Oak Springs Ranch residential project consists of about 312 apartment units (already built & occupied), 103 single family lots (currently undeveloped) and an open space lot for trail and drainage purposes. This time extension request represents the first of 5 possible time extensions.

The tract map was first approved by Riverside County Board of Supervisors on November 20, 2007 for the subdivision of approximately 48.5 into 106 parcels.

I can't imagine what these people are waiting for... another downturn in the economy or something?

For reference, the orange star is where city hall is.

With the passing of Commissioner Stan Smith last month, that opened the Chairman's seat. 

It was a natural choice to select Vice-Chair John Lloyd. He was nominated by Commissioner Kim Strong, and his nomination was seconded by Michele Thomas. He was elected by a 4-0 vote.

The Vice Chair was a unanimous choice for Michele Thomas. Her nomination was made by Kim Strong and seconded by Veronica Langworthy.

John Lloyd was quoted as saying, "I for one would like to thank you for voting me in, but I'm kind of worried because I have big shoes to fill here. Stan will definitely be missed."

The meeting was adjourned in memory of former PC Chairman Stan Smith.

(It was also heard that Mayor Pro-Tem Ben Benoit will likely appoint a new planning commissioner at the next city council meeting.)

Next planning commission meeting is set for October 4th.

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If only, when we hear old age coming, we could bar the way and shout, "The one you seek is absent. Call another day." Old age must come to everyone. Old age is, afterall, a part of the grand design for life. So, why do we fight it? It's a battle no human being has ever won.
– E.G. Marshall (CBSRMT)

Wildomar Rap welcomes old age... the older and prunier the better.