Wal-Mart center stalls

| Tuesday, June 18, 2002 10:00 PM PDT ∞

WYATT HAUPT
Staff Writer

RIVERSIDE ---- Plans to build a 428,000-square-foot shopping center in Vail Ranch stalled again Tuesday because of concerns county supervisors and some local residents raised about the impact the project could have on the area that lies on Temecula's southern border.

The $39 million proposal by Price Legacy of San Diego calls for the center to built on 47 acres along Highway 79 South between Apis Road and Redhawk Parkway. The center would be anchored by a near 150,000-square-foot Wal-Mart, which could be expanded an additional 74,702 square feet.

But critics said a fully expanded Wal-Mart would generate too much traffic because it would cater to people outside the area by selling a wide range of products, including groceries and used cars, which is something they say doesn't need to happen.

"Bigger is not better," said Michelle Anderson, co-founder of Citizens First of Temecula Valley, a local residents' group that is opposed to Wal-Mart being any bigger than 150,000 square feet.

The supervisors said they agreed with Anderson and other members of her group, which turned out for an afternoon public hearing on the proposed development Tuesday in downtown Riverside. The group also said the center needed to have better landscaping and a wider horse and bike trail that runs along the southern end of the project.

Representatives from the city of Temecula were not present. The two-hour hearing ended with supervisors giving Price Legacy a month to come up with a plan that addresses their concerns as well as those of local residents.

"Let's go with half a Wal-Mart," said Supervisor Bob Buster, whose district includes Lake Elsinore, Murrieta and Temecula, suggesting that a smaller version of the store would be a better fit for the area.

The project would also include a $9 million renovation of the historic Vail Ranch. The 4-acre ranch is home to several historical buildings, including the Wolf Store, which was built in 1868 and once served as a general store, trading post, courthouse and stagecoach stop.

The county plans on using proceeds from a tax-sharing agreement with the city of Temecula to help pay for the restoration of the ranch, with Price Legacy paying the remainder of the bill. Those costs would have to be reworked if the development is downsized because it would probably take in less sales tax dollars, officials said.

Temecula intends to use its share of the money to pay for municipal services the city is providing to residents in the community of Vail Ranch, which it annexed July 1. The deal will stay in place until voters in the nearby unincorporated community of Redhawk, who were not annexed, decide if they want to become part of the city.

"We'll have to see what Wal-Mart wants to do," said Bill Stone, senior vice president of Price Legacy. The proposal also includes a Kohl's department store, a Ross Dress for Less and another unnamed retail store that would take the place of a movie theater once slated along Redhawk Parkway.

Although there was opposition to the project, several people did speak in favor of the proposal. Richard Fox, a representative of the Vail Ranch Restoration Association, said the group favors the plan because it would bring needed improvements to the historical site.

Also voicing approval for the project was Nathan Hilbig, a Redhawk resident who lives about one mile from the proposed development.

"I believe the area is underserved for the goods and services needed in this market," Hilbig said.

The delay marked the second time Citizens First of Temecula Valley has been able to halt the project because of traffic-related concerns. The group filed a lawsuit in Riverside County Superior Court in fall 2000 ---- shortly after supervisors initially approved the project ---- claiming that traffic studies used in determining the impact the shopping center would have on the area were outdated.

The group also claimed that Price Legacy, formerly known as Price Enterprises Inc., was getting away with not spending an estimated $1 million in local road improvements. Last June, a Superior Court judge ordered additional studies. Those studies were part of an environmental review document for the project the county was taking comment on until late May.

Contact staff writer Wyatt Haupt at (909) 676-4315, Ext. 2615, or whaupt@nctimes.com.

6/19/02