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Council denies developer’s request to loosen clubhouse and maintenance requirements at Rancho Del Sol
Summary
Council rejected a developer request to delay construction of the permanent golf-club clubhouse and to assign maintenance obligations to an unnamed third party; staff had recommended denial to protect city interests and ensure timely completion.
The Moreno Valley City Council on June 17 denied a developer request to amend the maintenance agreement for the Rancho Del Sol Golf Course and the Rancho Belago Phase 2 apartment project.
Assistant City Manager Sean Kelleher reviewed seven years of approvals and the terms of the maintenance agreement: the developer agreed as a condition of project approval to construct a permanent golf-course clubhouse and maintain the course. As a condition for apartment occupancy, the agreement requires the permanent clubhouse be completed before certificates of occupancy are issued for apartment buildings; the developer had used a temporary clubhouse to open the golf course during grading and early work.
The developer asked the city to amend the agreement so the apartments could receive occupancy before the permanent clubhouse is completed, to permit assignment of clubhouse and maintenance obligations to an unidentified third party, and to revise default provisions to their advantage. Staff recommended denying the second amendment, arguing the existing agreement offers the strongest assurance that the permanent clubhouse would be completed and the golf course properly maintained.
Company representatives told the council the permanent clubhouse will be built and that they had cleared recent water-district plan-check issues; they said investor capital is set aside and construction could resume immediately. The developer also said a potential buyer/operator for the golf course was interested and that $800,000 had been escrowed with the city for maintenance in prior years.
Public commenters raised mixed views: some urged the council to hold the developer to the original agreement; a representative from Eastern Municipal Water District told the council the district had processed plan checks quickly once the developer engaged, and said the district had been proactive in assisting the project.
After deliberation the council voted to deny the developer’s requested second amendment to the maintenance agreement. Council members said the original agreement protects neighbors’ expectations and the city’s interests in timely completion of public amenities; staff underscored that calling bonds would be the city’s only recourse if an assignee failed to perform under the requested revised language.
Ending: The denial preserves the existing contractual sequence — permanent clubhouse completion tied to apartment occupancy and direct developer responsibility for maintenance — and keeps the city’s enforcement options intact under the current agreement.
