SAVE OUR SOUTHWEST HILLS UPDATE RE QUARRY & LAFCO

 To all our “Save Our Southwest Hills” supporters

            It’s time to give you an update on the proposed Liberty quarry project

            as well as all of the confusing happenings going on recently around annexation.

            It appears that Granite Construction’s consultants have completed and

            returned to the Riverside Planning Group all of the (over 12,000) comments)

            made on the DEIR (Draft Environmental Impact Report).

            Now, the county will review the changes.  Once they are through, the Planning

            Commission will call a public meeting where comments will be heard from

            the public.  The time is estimated to be (possibly) October or November.

            From there, a recommendation will be made and the EIR sent to the

            Riverside County Supervisors.  After they review the EIR, the date will be set

            for  a public meeting to hear comments and a vote will be taken.

            The estimate for this meeting is early next year.

            THIS will be the time for our “CALL TO ACTION” for everyone of you who

            wants to stop this project from being approved.

            Now….Temecula’s annexation:

            The city of Temecula, beginning in June 2009, attempted through LAFCO

            (Local Area Formation Council) to annex over 4500 acres that included the

            Santa Margarita Ecological Reserve and the proposed quarry site.  They were

            repeatedly turned down. Finally, on the third try on June 24, 2010, they were

            successful, with the exception of the proposed quarry site, which remains

            under jurisdiction of the county.

            LAFCO also required, at the request of Granite Construction, a modification

            of the city’s “sphere of influence.”  Basically, Granite did not want Temecula to

            have any “say” on their land.

             On July 13, 2010, at the Temecula City Council meeting, councilman Ron

             Roberts called for a Grand Jury investigation of the questionable practices of

             LAFCO over these past 2 years in regard to the annexation attempts by the

             City of Temecula. There were several strong speakers and comments made

             by council people  that “stirred up” the wrath of LAFCO member, Phil Williams

             who proceeded to ask LAFCO to “reconsider” the last annexation decision. In

             his corner, was a landowner of a small piece of land within Granite’s property

             who also requested reconsideration.

             And so, the saga goes on….and on…..to be continued in September at the next 

             LAFCO meeting.