Winchester Community Plan (GPA No. 1207)

Winchester Community Plan (GPA No. 1207)

The Winchester Community Plan (GPA No. 1207) project (project area) is located within the southwestern portion of the County of Riverside (County). The project area is surrounded by unincorporated County land and the city of Hemet to the north and east, unincorporated County land and the cities of Murrieta and Temecula to the south, and the cities of Murrieta and Menifee to the west. The project area is almost entirely within the General Plan’s Highway 79 Policy Area (49,275 acres) boundary. The Draft EIR for the Winchester Community Plan (GPA No. 1207) project was circulated for a 45-day public review period that began on July 5, 2022 and concluded on August 19, 2022. It is noted that the County of Riverside extended the Draft EIR public review period from August 19, 2022 to September 23, 2022. Following the end of the public review period for the Draft EIR, the County prepared a Final EIR and published the Final EIR on August 16, 2024 with the State Clearinghouse. The County also published the Final EIR on the Winchester Community Plan project website and distributed a link to the document to commenters on the Draft EIR. In addition to addressing public comments, the Final EIR included minor revisions to the Draft EIR resulting from minor corrections or updates to Draft EIR information, including minor revisions made in response to several public comments submitted on the Draft EIR. Following publication of the Final EIR on August 16, 2024, the County placed the project on hold to address regional transportation concerns raised by neighboring jurisdictions and communities. To address these concerns, the County prepared the Transportation Analysis for the Winchester Community Plan (Fehr & Peers, July 24, 2026). The Transportation Analysis evaluates the capacity of future transportation infrastructure within the cities of Menifee, Murrieta, and Temecula, as well as unincorporated areas of southwestern Riverside County. The analysis is intended to serve as a regional planning tool to help the County and neighboring jurisdictions identify and coordinate future transportation improvements needed to address cumulative traffic impacts associated with regional growth. The County has also revised the Proposed Land Use Plan by modifying certain land use designations and adding/removing select parcels from the project area. These changes are a result of the public review process and would not result in population or employment levels that exceed those evaluated in the Draft EIR. In accordance with Public Resources Code Section 21092.1 and California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15088.5, the County has elected to recirculate specific portions of the Winchester Community Plan Draft EIR (SCH No. 2019049114) to incorporate the Transportation Analysis and revisions to the Land Use Plan. The information added to the Draft EIR, specifically in the Project Description and Transportation sections, does not identify a new significant environmental impact or a substantial increase in the severity of a previously identified environmental impact. Rather, the new information clarifies and refines the Draft EIR and provides additional information to the County’s decision-makers and the public. Although CEQA does not require recirculation based on these changes, the County has elected to recirculate specific portions of the Draft EIR to promote full disclosure and transparency and to obtain additional public input.

Unincorporated; Nearest cities of Menifee and Hemet

Riverside

Southern California, Unincorporated

California Air Resources Board (ARB), California Department of Conservation (DOC), California Department of Education, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Inland Deserts Region 6 (CDFW), California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), California Department of Parks and Recreation, California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC), California Department of Transportation, District 8 (DOT), California Department of Transportation, Division of Aeronautics (DOT), California Department of Transportation, Division of Transportation Planning (DOT), California Department of Water Resources (DWR), California Energy Commission, California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (OES), California Highway Patrol (CHP), California Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC), California Natural Resources Agency, California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), California Regional Water Quality Control Board, San Diego Region 9 (RWQCB), California State Coastal Conservancy (SCC), California State Lands Commission (SLC), Department of General Services (DGS), Office of Historic Preservation, State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Drinking Water, State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Drinking Water, District 20, State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Water Quality, State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Water Rights, State Water Resources Control Board, Divison of Financial Assistance

Other (Land Use Plan)

General Plan Amendment, Community Plan, Rezone

Transportation