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Home My WebLink AboutItem No. 02 Staff Report Page 1 of 4 REPORT TO PLANNING COMMISSION To: Honorable Chair and Members of the Planning Commission From: Damaris Abraham, Community Development Director Prepared by: Sophia Tatlyan, Contract Senior Planner Date: December 2, 2025 Subject: Planning Application No. 2025-11 (Tentative Parcel Map No. 39310) – A Request to Subdivide an Existing 81.38-acre Parcel into Two Parcels (35.64 acres and 45.74 acres, respectively) for Financing Purposes Only located South of Sugarbush Lane and East of Cottonwood Canyon Road Applicant: Brian Ortwein, Tri Pointe Homes Recommendation 1. Find that the proposed project is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3) (“Common Sense Exemption”); and 2. Adopt A RESOLUTION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF LAKE ELSINORE, CALIFORNIA, RECOMMENDING THAT THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LAKE ELSINORE, CALIFORNIA, APPROVE TENTATIVE PARCEL MAP NO. 39310 TO SUBDIVIDE 81.38 ACRES INTO TWO PARCELS THAT ARE 35.64 ACRES AND 45.74 ACRES IN SIZE FOR FINANCING FURPOSES WITHIN THE CANYON HILLS ESTATES SPECIFIC PLAN LOCATED AT APN 365-230-001. Project Location The proposed project is located on an approximately 81-acre parcel within the Canyon Hills Estates Specific Plan (CHESP). More specifically, the parcel is south of Sugarbush Lane and east of Cottonwood Canyon Road and includes Assessor Parcel Number (APN) 365-230-001. The project area is currently vacant and undisturbed open space with brush and trees across the landscape. PA-2025-11 (TPM 39310) Page 2 of 4 Environmental Setting EXISTING LAND USE GENERAL PLAN ZONING Project Site Vacant Canyon Hills Estates Specific Plan CHESP: Single Family Residential – 1 (SF-1) Open Space (OS) North Residential Canyon Hills Specific Plan (CHSP) CHSP: Single Family Residential – 1 (SF-1) Open Space (OS) South Residential City of Wildomar Rural Residential East Residential Canyon Hills Estates Specific Plan CHESP: Single Family Residential – 1 (SF-1) Single Family Residential – 2 (SF-2) West Residential City of Wildomar Rural Residential Table 1: Environmental Setting Background On January 23, 2007, the City Council approved the CHESP which included Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) No. 2006-04 (SCH No. 2006051073), General Plan Amendment (GPA) No. 2006-04, Specific Plan (SP) No. 2006-01, and Tentative Tract Map (TTM) No. 34249 for the subdivision of approximately 246.41 acres into 302 single-family residential lots, 12 open space lots, one public park, and two tank sites. More recently, on February 20, 2024, Revision No. 1 to TTM No. 34249 was approved to subdivide the 81.32-acre portion of the 246.41 acres into 133 single-family residential lots, three open space lots, two water quality/detention basins, and one 5.82-acre park. The subject parcel is located west of the recently approved map revision for TTM No. 34249 within the CHESP (refer to the CHESP Land Use Plan in Attachment 4). Project Description Tentative Parcel Map No. 39310 consists of an existing 81.38-acre parcel located within the CHESP. Tri Pointe proposes to subdivide the parcel into two parcels, with Parcel 1 proposed to be 35.64 acres and Parcel 2 proposed to be 45.74 acres for financing purposes only. No construction or physical improvements are proposed with the request, as the subdivision is strictly for financing purposes. Any future development would require a separate application and review process and would be subject to its own public hearing(s) at Planning Commission and/or City Council. The subdivision does not introduce new residential components nor modify the topography, hydrology, or access conditions of the property. TPM No. 39310 is intended to reduce annexation costs into the Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District (EVMWD) and streamline processing PA-2025-11 (TPM 39310) Page 3 of 4 through the Riverside Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO), while preserving long‑term planning objectives of the Specific Plan. Analysis The analysis below provides a discussion of the proposed project’s consistency with the CHESP and General Plan. In addition, the Design Review Committee, including staff from Planning, Building and Safety, Fire, and Engineering Departments and the Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District, has reviewed the project and have included recommended conditions of approval to ensure compliance with adopted plans, policies, and regulations. Specific Plan and General Plan Consistency The project is located within the CHESP’s Single Family Residential – 1 (SF-1) and Open Space (OS) land use designations. The SF-1 designation is intended for single-family detached residential development at a density between two and four dwelling units per acre. As previously mentioned in the above section of this staff report, TPM No. 39310 is for financing purposes only, and no development of any type is being proposed with it. Any future development for this area is required to conform to all standards set forth in the CHESP as well as the General Plan. The proposed subdivision complies with the minimum lot area and street frontage requirements outlined in the CHESP. Legal access to both parcels would be provided via public improvements currently under construction through the previously approved Tract No. 34249, satisfying the access standards set forth in Lake Elsinore Municipal Code Sections 16.12.030 and 16.12.040. These provisions require vehicular access to all lots and connection to a publicly maintained road. Although no residential development is proposed currently, the parcel configuration ensures adequate frontage and access should there be a proposal for future development. Additionally, the proposed TPM No. 39310 conforms to the requirements of LEMC Chapter 16.24 and the Subdivision Map Act. As such, the proposed subdivision is consistent with the CHESP, which was found to align with the General Plan at the time of its adoption. Accordingly, the project is also consistent with the General Plan. Environmental Determination Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3), the project is exempt under the “Common Sense Exemption.” The land division is for financing purposes only and does not propose any development or construction. Therefore, it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the land division may have a significant effect on the environment and is not subject to CEQA. MSHCP Consistency The Project is consistent with the Western Riverside County Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan (MSHCP). The proposed project site is not located in a Criteria Cell and was not required to be processed through the Lake Elsinore Acquisition Process (LEAP) and Joint Project Review (JPR) processes. The project complies with all other applicable requirements of the MSHCP. PA-2025-11 (TPM 39310) Page 4 of 4 Public Notice Notice of the public hearing for this application has been published in the Press-Enterprise newspaper and mailed to property owners within a 600-foot radius of the subject property. As of the writing of this report, no written comments concerning this application have been received by staff. Attachments Attachment 1 – TPM Resolution Attachment 2 – Conditions of Approval Attachment 3 – GIS Exhibits Attachment 4 – CHESP Land Use Plan Attachment 5 – TPM No. 39310 Attachment 6 – Public Notice Materials