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::: COMMUNITY NEWS

Developer proposes reducing South development from 181 units to 117

Updated Sunday, April 11, 2004 | Originally published Friday, April 9, 2004

South developer Reynen & Bardis has resubmitted a tentative map for the Lakeview subdivision, reducing the number of lots on the 40-acre site by a third, from 181 single-family units to 117. The configuration of the subdivision remains the same, with fewer but larger lots.

The revised map was submitted to the county on March 10.

"We reduced the number of lots to stay consistent with the lot sizes within the Rancho Murieta community," said Reynen & Bardis environmental manager Kellie Berry. She added that the larger lot sizes mean there will be less grading and less disturbance to the topography of the land. "We are responding to the community's desires," she said.

The development would be on land east of the South Course's lake and 11th hole.

The previous tentative map for Lakeview, now expired, was approved by the county in the early 1990s. It was resubmitted last year and is now being processed by the county.

The expired map has a density of 5.3 single family units per acre, the highest density in Murieta South. The property is zoned RD-7 for a density of seven dwelling units per acre. The lowest density in the South is 2.7 units per acre.

The reduction in density continues a development trend started by Murieta Holdings developers about four years ago when they reduced the number of homes proposed for construction on the North by almost 50 percent, lowering the total build-out figure for the community by about 20 percent, from 5,189 to about 4,100. The maps for the Residences of Murieta Hills, with a density of 1.7 units per acre, and the three Retreat properties, with densities of 3.7 and 3.6, were submitted to the county for approval several years ago, but remain under planning review as controversy continues within the community over the preservation of open space and further reductions in density.

Berry said she did not know what the density figure would be for Lakeview with the reduction in the number of lots. The new map still contains a request for an exception allowing some lots to have a depth greater than three times their width.

She said the drop in lot numbers is not expected to have any impact on funding for the proposed bridge connecting the North and South. While new developments on the North and the South are mandated to pay a per-unit fee of about $850 to fund the bridge, the $1.5 million cost of the bridge is secured by an irrevocable letter of credit that Reynen & Bardis has provided to the county. Any shortfall would be covered by the letter of credit, Berry explained. The South developer is obligated to provide a river crossing under the terms of a county ordinance.

According to Berry, construction on the Lakeview subdivision is expected to begin this summer.