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We began with a proclamation by the Daughters of the Revolution: America 250
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| Daughters of the American Revolution |
Meeting Recap
Before getting into the agenda as presented, let me touch on several public comments that we received.
Darla Dunn, the driving force behind Wild-O-Market Space. She would like to see more backing by the city.
In addition to that, there was a theme among several public speakers, indicating to me that many haven't been keeping up with new state housing laws over the past ten or so years.
I don't blame them. Most people have better things to do than chase down all the lesser publicized laws that Sacramento has enacted, but they still exist, they apply to Wildomar, and many of them defy logic.
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| Proposed Melia Homes, Wildomar (95 units). |
There are two developments that are wending their way through the planning department. Melia Homes on Wesley and Palomar (95 market rate homes and 4 low income homes), and "Mission Hills" with a total of 51 units on 12 acres.
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| I can't imagine actually calling that area "Mission Hills." It's right up there for worst name of an area since "The Miracle Mile" that was foisted on the Clinton Keith Business corridor in the past. Thankfully, that nonsense is in the past. |
Several well-meaning residents essentially implored the council to "Keep Wildomar Wild."
To a member, your Wildomar City Council wholeheartedly agrees
We've been the ones leading the charge to fight back against the state. I'm sorry if you've been looking in a different direction, but that's the fact. We're already on your side.
Respectfully, where have you been before now?
The problem is the state laws that go over our heads by a mile.
There simply are no options to derail such developments.
Elections have consequences, and when you vote for the same party in Sacramento, over and over and over again, they really become deaf to the concerns of places like Wildomar, as they continue to strip away at "local control".
Also, let me say, these are FOR SALE developments. Have you seen the price points of new homes in Wildomar?
These are NOT "Section 8" by any stretch of the imagination... they just aren't
These developers are in it for profit (who isn't in business for "profit"?), and one person worried that they could change all the proposed units to "low income".
There is less money, less profit, in low income units. People are still going to have to qualify for a mortgage, and I'd be stunned if there are any units under half a million dollars based on the current market.
Below is a parody video I made of this exact location well more than ten years ago. Remember folks, this isn't open space, it's not a park, it's someone's unfenced land that has a long history of being a dumping ground.
Back to the agenda
There were several nuggets in the Public Works presentation to share.
Wildomar Trail restriping near the freeway
To be on the safe side, I'm going to say it's supposed to be upgraded, including opening the u-turn at Margaret Lane, before the end of Summer. It could be done before the middle of August, but I'm tired of giving out dates that don't materialize.
It'll be done around the same time that Bundy Canyon, under the overpass, is completed.
City Maintained Roads v Non Maintained Roads
A key part of the presentation was going over the differences between dedicated city roads, and private roads.
If this is an issue that you're curious about, please watch the video of the presentation. It explains the differences between the road designations.
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Wildomar doesn't use money from property taxes to do road work.
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My comment was, this is part of keeping Wildomar "wild," dirt roads, and other 'careworn' roads that are never going to come close to matching areas like Temecula or Murrieta.
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| This recent acquisition has started making recurring potholes a thing of the past. Long may it live. |
Shopping Cart Ordinance
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A smattering of people have always pushed carts away from stores, into neighborhoods, but this ordinance is coming about as natural fallout from Tres Lagos.
For those of us who live near the epicenter, we see carts abandoned there more times than we don't.
Unfortunately, the owners of the carts in question haven't been cooperative with the carrot approach, so now it's time for the stick.
The goal is for the owners of the shopping carts to find a way to keep them on their property, or at very minimum, cooperate in retrieving them when one of their customers dumps them in the right of way.
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Discussion Regarding Recreation Programming Opportunities and Potential Future Recreation Service Models
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The council was unanimous in wanting to explore this further. We'll never have a robust parks department like other cities, but that doesn't mean we should stay satisfied with the same meager level of amenities as Wildomar had decades before the glory of cityhood commenced.
As more information comes out, I'll be sure to get it out to the public.
Future agenda item: Data Center Discussion
Councilwoman DePhillippo and I both had the same future agenda item to suggest.
We don't envision Wildomar being sought after by such types, but under our current codes they're already not an allowed usage, and our maximum warehouse size is said to be 50,000sf.
Still, we know this is an issue that the community has been following as its gone around the country, so we asked to bring the topic to the city council so that the residents can't weigh in on it... even though there is no desire to bring them here as it is.
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Though it wasn't formally announced, a townhall Townhall in September at Wildomar Elementary was casually mentioned by Councilwoman Bridgette Moore during one of her comments.
I'm sure they'll start getting out information as the date gets closer.
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Just as the meeting was minutes from concluding the HVAC system decided to take a leak on the City Manager and City Attorney. After a ten minute break, we were able to conclude the meeting.
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| Drip, drip, drip goes the water. |
Here is a link to the youtube video of the meeting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Yt1i04Nrn0&t
boy howdy, the hoops you have to jump through to make a comment on the local city council guys blog!
ReplyDeletefirst, thank you Joseph, for your service to our community, and for dedicating the time to recap here.
you might have heard me guffaw when you said that (freestyle quote:) "dirt roads are by definition rural" you mean we cant have wide, paved streets, high property values, a carwash on every corner, and also rural charm all at the same time? i am so disappointed.
This shopping carts ordinance seems well intentioned, but experience has shown that the retailers will continue to be uncooperative. and people who use those trolleys to take their stuff to their apartment or bridge arent really concerned with fines. it does seem a bit hostile to people without cars if we are being honest. maybe a cart rack at Tres Lagos is what we need. ask that super peppy genz lady from CARE.
last opinion: if we want a place to do community things like wildo-market... buy the corner at wildomar trail and palomar. Cities that succeed own land. want a charming downtown? buy the land. dont want apartments, gas stations, storage lots? buy the land. a way better investment that spending millions on pavement just so people can whine about traffic.
seeya later
Wish I had the money to buy the corner lot on Wildomar Trail and Palomar wouldnt that be grand! 😉 But as far as the market, the event coordinator secured a location visible and centrally located and is just asking for the city and community for help. Not everyone can afford to open a brick and mortar, but still wanting to contribute to our family income and build up a community.
DeleteAs both a Wildomar resident and a vendor at the Wild-O-Market, I wanted to share my perspective.
ReplyDeleteWhen I first heard about the idea of a community market, I was excited because I've heard so many people over the years say they wished Wildomar had something like this. Since we don't have a traditional downtown, I thought this could become a place where neighbors gather, families spend time together, and small businesses have an opportunity to grow.
Over the past year, I've watched the organizer pour countless hours into making this market happen. I've also watched dozens of small businesses invest their time, money, and hope into each event. As vendors, we don't expect guaranteed sales, but we do hope our community knows we're here and has the opportunity to discover us.
I don't see this as being about one person or one market. I see it as being about whether Wildomar wants to invest in creating community. Markets like this don't become traditions overnight—they grow because residents attend, local businesses participate, volunteers help, and cities support them through promotion and visibility. Communities aren't built by buildings alone—they're built by people choosing to gather. Every market, every small business, every family that comes out helps create the kind of hometown so many of us say we want.
One thought that keeps coming back to me is: How do we define success? Is it only when thousands of people attend, or is it also measured by the progress that's been made? Every month, more residents discover the market, more vendors return, and more relationships are built. To me, that's success that's growing, even if there's still work to do. I truly believe Wild-O-Market has the potential to become something our city is proud of, but it will take all of us. As residents, we can attend, invite friends, and share events. As local businesses, we can support one another. And I hope the city will continue looking for ways to help increase awareness so more people know these events are happening. I've always believed in focusing on the gain rather than the gap. Instead of only looking at how far we still have to go, I think it's important to recognize how far we've already come. One year ago, there wasn't a Wild-O-Market. Today, dozens of small businesses and neighbors have a place to gather each month. That's a foundation worth building on.
I also remember hearing that if Wildomar residents have to leave town to shop, then we've missed an opportunity. I think the same philosophy applies here. We often travel to neighboring cities to enjoy their markets and community events, but imagine if more of us chose to invest that time here at home. Supporting local events doesn't just benefit vendors—it helps create the kind of community experience many of us have been asking for.
I love this community, and I would hate to see us lose something that so many people have said they wanted. My hope is that this conversation leads to more partnership, more participation, and ultimately a stronger community for everyone.
Terina Matthews
Sunny Sips Lemonade