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Commission approves 1.13‑million‑sq‑ft industrial proposal near Hemet Ryan Airport amid neighbor flood concerns
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Summary
The commission unanimously found a 60.86‑acre industrial proposal consistent with the Hemet Ryan Airport compatibility plan; a nearby resident warned retention basins could cause flooding and said a percolation test failed, and staff advised taking drainage concerns to the City of Hemet.
The Riverside County Airport Land Use Commission voted unanimously on Jan. 8 to find consistent a proposed 60.86‑acre industrial development near Hemet Ryan Airport.
Staff planner Jackie Vega described the project by "2 1 2 Markham LLC" as four industrial buildings with mezzanines totaling 1,129,894 square feet, with proposed rezoning to business park and subdivision into four parcels. Staff presented intensity calculations by parcel and zone using both building‑code and parking‑code methods and recommended the change of zone and site development be found consistent with the 2017 Hemet Ryan Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan, subject to conditions.
Vega also discussed noise and wildlife considerations: the site lies in noise contour range identified in the plan, office and industrial uses are typically acceptable in that contour, and the FAA issued a final aeronautical determination on Oct. 4, 2024 that the project would not be a hazard to air navigation provided required marking and lighting and other FAA OES conditions are met. Staff described proposed basins including a 77,803‑sq‑ft bioretention basin in Zone D and underground basins totaling 124,134 sq ft, and noted basins are conditioned for 48‑hour drawdown and vegetation controls to avoid attracting hazardous wildlife.
During public comment, nearby resident Roy Fales told the commission he lives about "4 and a half feet" from the property line, said local clay soils act as a sponge and that a percolation ("perc") test behind his house failed, and warned the proposed basins could overflow into his neighborhood and toward the runway. Fales said recent storms demonstrated the potential for ponding.
"I gave mister Sanchez my card with my phone number on it... Get a hydrological engineer or whatever you need. Have him really look fast because it's a glaring, glaring problem," Fales said.
Staff replied that the ALUC is not the local drainage authority and suggested taking the drainage comments to the City of Hemet planning department for review; staff acknowledged a slide typo about FAA distance thresholds and said the project is 1,081 feet from the runway, making it subject to FAA wildlife/basin guidance.
An unidentified commissioner moved to adopt staff’s recommendation and the motion passed unanimously.
What happens next
The consistency finding permits the local planning process to proceed; drainage, perc testing and final basin designs remain subject to local engineering review and any conditions imposed by the City of Hemet.
