Temecula council approves Temecula Valley Hospital campus expansion, removes timing requirement for second tower

The Temecula City Council on Monday approved resolutions and introduced an ordinance to allow a multi-phase expansion of Temecula Valley Hospital, including two future hospital towers, additional medical office buildings, expanded emergency capacity and new parking, and removed a previously required deadline for construction of the hospital's second tower. The council voted unanimously, 4-0, on the sole agenda item.

The action approves planning applications PA21-1525, PA22-0105 and PA25-0181, certifies a subsequent environmental impact report (EIR) prepared for the project, and introduces ordinance language to amend the hospital plan development overlay district (PD 09). Staff described the approvals as allowing future development of two additional five-story hospital towers (each ~125,000 square feet and 140 beds), an emergency department expansion (about 20,000 square feet, increasing emergency bays from 21 to 30), multiple medical office buildings, a central utility plant and new parking including a four-story parking structure.

A Temecula Valley Hospital executive (name not specified) told the council the master facility plan "allows us to grow our facilities, add additional inpatient and outpatient services to help meet the growing needs of the community." The applicant and hospital executives attended the hearing; one public commenter, Adam Eventoff, urged approval on behalf of regional economic-development organizations, saying, "we urge you to support the proposal as presented."

Key elements described by staff include: a Phase 2 emergency expansion and a second hospital tower (five stories, ~125,000 sq ft, 140 beds), a 20,000 sq ft emergency expansion, an 80,000 sq ft medical office building and 427 new surface parking spaces; Phase 3 contemplates a third hospital tower (same size as Tower 2), a fourth medical office building option, a four-story parking structure with 680 spaces and additional surface parking (reported as either 987 or 935 spaces depending on building siting). The plan also includes a 12,600 sq ft central utility plant. Staff said the campus currently contains a roughly 206,000 sq ft, five-story hospital (Tower 1) with about 140 beds and an existing helipad.

Staff proposed, and the council approved, amendments to the overlay district to add design guidelines for future buildings (exterior colors, materials, design elements), require parking to meet the city's minimums (the PDO previously had none), and increase the maximum floor-area ratio (FAR) from 0.30 to 0.55 and associated lot coverage to 55 percent to accommodate the proposed development. The staff report emphasized that the approvals address uses and locations of buildings on the campus rather than detailed building architecture or landscaping.

Relocation of the helipad to the southwest corner of the proposed parking structure was discussed; staff said the average monthly helicopter trips (about six per month) would not change but the proposed flight path would run more east–west along Temecula Parkway to reduce overflight of residential areas. Staff noted that FAA approval and Caltrans Division of Aeronautics approval would be required before any final relocation or parking-structure development.

Staff also clarified that behavioral-health care uses are not part of the current applications. At TVH's request, the project as approved today excludes a behavioral-health hospital; if TVH later seeks to add that or another new use, staff said additional environmental review, new entitlements, planning commission review and a subsequent city council decision would be required.

The council also agreed to remove Condition of Approval 27 (COA 27), which had previously imposed a deadline for starting construction of Tower 2 tied to the certificate of occupancy of Tower 1. Staff described the time frame in COA 27 as no longer realistic and said its removal would allow TVH to add Tower 2 when community needs and other conditions make it appropriate. Prior council modifications had extended that deadline once; the current action removes the timing requirement entirely.

Staff reported three hospital-organized community meetings (attendance of eight in November 2021, about 130 in November 2023, and eight in March 2025) and five council subcommittee meetings between 2021 and May 2025. A subsequent EIR and a statement of overriding considerations addressing air quality, greenhouse-gas emissions, noise and transportation were prepared; the planning commission recommended approval on Jan. 4, 2025. The council's approval included certification of that EIR.

The council closed the public hearing after one public commenter and moved to approve the resolutions and introduce the ordinance; the motion and second were not identified in the record. The council's vote was recorded as a unanimous 4-0 approval. The meeting adjourned with the council scheduling its next regular meeting for July 8 at 3 p.m.

Details noted in the record: two future hospital towers of roughly 125,000 sq ft each and 140 beds per tower; existing Tower 1 ~206,000 sq ft and five stories; emergency bays expanding from 21 to 30; central utility plant ≈12,600 sq ft; FAR change from 0.30 to 0.55; helipad average monthly trips ~6; parking structure proposed with 680 spaces and additional surface parking reported as 987 or 935 depending on configuration. Planning application numbers referenced in the record were PA21-1525, PA22-0105 and PA25-0181; APN referenced was 959-080-039.