The Riverside Local Agency Formation Commission voted July 24 to approve the annexation of the Beaumont Point specific-plan project into the City of Beaumont and related water districts, overruling staff concerns that the map would create an unincorporated island within the Norton Younglove Reserve portion of the county’s Multi-Species Habitat Conservation Plan. Commissioners approved the sphere-of-influence amendment to the San Gorgonio Pass Water Agency earlier in the hearing and then adopted option 2 for the reorganization after debate and public comment.

The Beaumont Point project, proposed by landowner Beaumont Point Partners, would annex about 540 acres and 11 parcels into the city and to water providers so the development can receive municipal services. Applicant representative Mike Canfield said the excluded Norton Younglove Reserve area is permanent open space managed by Riverside County and “never going to be used for any kind of urban development,” and urged the commission to accept the proponents’ justification not to include that land in the annexation. “This property is open space, never going to be used for anything for any kind of urban development,” Canfield said.

Commission staff recommended approving the technical sphere-of-influence amendment to San Gorgonio Pass Water Agency but warned that the proposed annexation boundaries would create a gap—an unincorporated island—inside the city boundary and the MSHCP reserve. Staff presented three options: (1) approve the reorganization with a condition requiring the city and applicant to file a follow-up application within six months to annex the would‑be island; (2) approve the reorganization as proposed by waiving LAFCO policy against creating islands but make explicit findings explaining why the policy should be waived; or (3) continue the item to give the parties more time to coordinate. Crystal Craig, LAFCO staff, told commissioners the map meets the 300-foot contiguity length standard but lacks width at the connection point and that the boundaries raise policy concerns because they would create a gap adjacent to land designated as Norton Younglove Reserve within the MSHCP.

The city of Beaumont, represented by Community Development Director Stephen Jones, urged approval under option 2, saying the annexation “respects the current infrastructure network and preserves continuity of public services” and that the configuration “abuts the other county lands and almost makes a regular horseshoe rather than an island.” Jones told the commission the city has no present intention to annex the adjacent preserve land into municipal control.

Opposition came from Riverside County Regional Parks and other county resource agencies by letter and from at least one nearby resident in public comment. Ron Roy, a resident near the site, urged denial, calling the development incompatible with surrounding uses and citing wildfire risk in the area. “This location has a history of many wildland fires,” Roy said, listing several recent nearby fires. A resident who identified herself as Shelby Loomis urged approval, saying the project would bring hotels and services and that evacuation planning and fire-rated buildings were addressed in the developer’s materials.

After public comment and extended commissioner discussion about the policy, contiguity requirements, and which agencies had been consulted, the commission first voted to approve the sphere-of-influence amendment for San Gorgonio Pass Water Agency. The commission then adopted option 2 — approving the reorganization as proposed while waiving the commission policy against creating islands — with the following roll-call outcome on the reorganization vote: Steve Sanchez, Jose Medina and Augustine Ariola voted yes; Michael Vargas, Bruce Underwood and Steven Corona voted no earlier in a tie that led to a subsequent motion; a final motion to approve option 2 passed (Sanchez moved; Ariola seconded) and the chair directed staff and counsel to draft findings and the resolution that document why the policy was waived.

Staff and legal counsel instructed commissioners that approving option 2 requires the commission to articulate specific findings explaining why the policy should be waived in this case; staff said they would draft language for the resolution and return it for the formal record. Craig noted that if the land later changes from preserved open space to developable land, the project would again face policy scrutiny and future annexation discussions under existing LAFCO practice.

The commission’s action advances the Beaumont Point annexation but requires LAFCO staff to prepare formal findings and a resolution reflecting the rationale for waiving policy 2.1.4 and documenting consultations. The decision leaves unresolved tensions among the city, the developer, and county resource agencies about managing the Norton Younglove Reserve and how annexation lines should be drawn where preserved habitat and new development abut each other.

The LAFCO hearing record shows staff presented maps depicting two small parcels for the sphere amendment and a larger project footprint of approximately 540 acres; staff said about 111 acres of the specific-plan area were outside the San Gorgonio Pass Water Agency service boundary prior to the SOI amendment. The commission also received last‑minute letters from Riverside County Regional Parks expressing concern that annexation could “disrupt or complicate our public safety and patrol responsibilities” for the preserve. Commissioners opted to proceed while committing to record written findings that justify their waiver of the island policy.