City's purchase of Menifee Hills maintains open space

By Doug Spoon, Editor

In a move that should appeal to hikers and other residents who are concerned about open space in Menifee, the City of Menifee has purchased 398 acres of open space in a popular outdoor area known as Menifee Hills.

The area is located west of Menifee Road, north of Aldergate Road and south of McCall Boulevard. It is an area of hills accessed by many hikers from the intersection of Menifee Road and Simpson Road.

Residents who hike in the area have expressed concern on social media ever since an April 23 meeting in which the Planning Commission approved the Menifee Coastline project – a development of 39 acres at the base of those hills to accommodate 45 homes. Fears were expressed that the development would prevent hikers from continuing to enjoy the popular hillside hikes and views.

Mayor Pro Tem Bob Karwin made a public announcement at the time, telling residents that the hillside area was privately owned and that the owner simply hasn’t enforced any trespassing laws in the past. Now owners of the 19 parcels on those hills have sold to the City of Menifee, which plans to maintain it as outdoor space for continued use by residents.

The City’s purchase of that property was approved by the City Council at its May 21 meeting. At the time, Karwin expressed frustration with the negative comments readers were making when it was first announced the purchase was pending.

“I was shocked at what people were saying,” Karwin said about comments made on a social media post prior to the City Council meeting. “People were saying we would cut the hill down and flatten it to build homes.

“So here we buy open space from a private individual and people say we’re going to build homes. First, the City doesn’t build homes. This will ensure no homes are built there. We do something great for the residents and this is the reaction we get.”

Many residents comment on social media that “all the city does is build houses”, even though what the city actually does is approve compliance to standards for property that was previously sold to developers by private individuals. This was the subject of a recent Menifee 24/7 commentary that can be accessed here.

Purchase price for the property is not to exceed $1.15 million.

The staff report for the purchase states the following:

“With continued population growth, it is important that the City take advantage of opportunities to expand access to parks, trails and open spaces to improve the quality life for Menifee residents. To this end, the City has been presented with an opportunity to acquire 19 parcels totaling approximately 398 acres of open space. The purchase price of the 19 parcels that make up the land acquisition is $1,150,000, which is below market value and will provide Menifee residents with additional open space that can be used for a variety of outdoor recreational activities.

“The Menifee Hills property offers a rare opportunity to secure a significant amount of open space at a competitive price, using one-time funding from a development agreement. This investment would not only help close the parkland gap but also advance key Strategic Plan goals related to placemaking, social infrastructure, and equitable access to recreational opportunities across the City. The Menifee Hills are visible for miles around and offer panoramic views of the valley presenting additional opportunities for ecotourism and active recreational tourism, such as hiking and mountain biking, contributing to the development of the City’s unique identity and thriving economy, and putting Menifee on the map.”