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Murrieta plans narrow rezones to match three existing multifamily projects, staff says
Summary
City staff said the planned zoning changes affect three properties already developed as multifamily (Bridges on Los Alamos, Manamos Apartments, and the Terraces) and are intended only to align zoning with existing uses; the TOD overlay remains available for new development without zone changes.
Murrieta City staff told attendees at a public workshop that rezoning from office to multifamily will be applied narrowly to three properties that already contain multifamily housing, not as a broad new-development policy.
City Planner Carl Steele identified the three sites: the Bridges project on Los Alamos, the Manamos Apartments nearby, and the Terraces project currently under construction. He said those projects were built with an overlay or permit structure that created multifamily uses while the underlying zoning remained 'office.' The cleanup will change those parcels' zoning to match the current use.
"So we're just planning to give them the zone that matches the development that occurred that's already occurred there," Steele said, adding that the change is a "cleanup item" for those three properties only. He reiterated: "It's not allowing additional multifamily development." The transcript shows staff also noted the TOD overlay permits up to 30 dwelling units per acre, which allows multifamily development in transit-oriented locations without a separate zone change.
During Q&A, a resident asked whether adjacent property owners could combine parcels to seek similar rezones; Steele said property owners may pursue development under existing rules but the staff-led cleanup is limited to matching zoning to existing, built projects. Another question asked whether the Terraces project could install a gravel rather than paved road; Steele deferred that technical question to the city traffic engineer present at the workshop and offered to continue that discussion at the boards after the presentation.
Staff said they will proceed with drafting the land-use amendments, incorporate the changes in the EIR addendum to the 2020 EIR, and present the proposed amendments to the planning commission and City Council for formal consideration. Public comments will be accepted on the drafts during the outreach period.
