Anheuser-Busch Can't Build Homes Here

The Press Enterprise has been following a story that basically culminated in a failed bid to build more homes in the very southern portion of Menifee.

You can read the history here...

http://www.pe.com/..../PE_News_Local_H_land25.241b3fa.html

And the results of the outcome here...

http://www.pe.com/..../PE_News_Local_S_habitat03.3a23215.html

To sum it up, Anheuser-Busch owns a lot of land along the south-eastern border of Menifee and Murrieta. The County wants to extend Clinton Keith road east to Winchester Rd, but the road would cross into Anheuser-Busch's land.

In an attempt to do things fairly and equitably, the County entered into an agreement to swap properties with Anheuser-Busch. The County would get the company's present property of 658 acres, and in exchange the County would give Anheuser-Busch 265 acres of land that it owned.

One caveat with this, is that the 265 acres of County land is currently marked as wildlife conservation.

The County obtained this parcel of land in 2002 from a couple of families that lived on it for 70 years. The families sold this land to the County with the agreement that the County would maintain it as conserved for wildlife.

As soon as the exchange took place, the Anheuser-Busch company planned to subdivide it into a 3,100 unit housing development.

That caused those two families to issue a lawsuit to block the exchange.

Just last Monday, June 9, the Riverside County Regional Conservation Authority ruled on the matter, and made the exchangement agreement null and void.

As to what happens next is uncertain, but it might mean eminent domain proceedings against Anheuser-Busch, to get the land the County needs to extend Clinton Keith Rd.