TEMECULA - Plans to build a 15-acre water park north of Winchester Road stalled late last week when a judge overturned the city's approval of the project.

Superior Court Judge Gloria Connor Trask ruled Friday that a formal report analyzing the project's potential traffic and noise impacts will need to be completed before the city can again consider the plans.

The news came as a blow to the developer - who had hoped to open the park by July 4 - as well as some city officials who looked forward to moving ahead on the project.

"Needless to say, I am disappointed," said City Councilman Mike Naggar, who has been a proponent of bringing a water park to Temecula. He declined to comment further.

Clearwater Waterpark Development, which operates Wild Rivers in Irvine, received unanimous approval from the Temecula City Council in November to build the $14 million park, dubbed Temecula Splash Canyon. It was designed to feature pools, slides and other types of water rides.

The City Council is set to consider whether to appeal the judge's ruling during its closed-session meeting tonight. If a decision is made to appeal, it would be announced immediately after the open meeting starts at 7 p.m.

Representatives of the developer could not be reached Monday for comment.

Opposition to the project surfaced late last year - before the council approved the plans.

Homeowners and property owners near the planned water park site complained the project was inappropriate for the location, which is situated near office buildings and homes. An official with a business center adjacent to the proposed water park, Maury Alcheck, appealed the Planning Commission's October 2006 approval of the project to the City Council.

At that time, he argued that a formal environmental report was needed to address noise levels and traffic impacts. City planners had maintained that a full environmental report was not needed for the project.

The appeal was dismissed by the City Council, which voted to approve the plans the following month. Alcheck, chief executive officer of Ynez Business Center in Temecula, and his attorney David Hubbard challenged the city's approval of a permit for the park in December.

In that suit, Alcheck cited incomplete environmental reviews as the reason for the court to nullify the city's authorization.

After a hearing Friday, Trask agreed an environmental report should be completed before the project can be resubmitted to the city for approval. In the interim, she ordered all work on the park to be suspended.

When the project was proposed, city leaders hailed it as a way to provide more activities for families and children, as well as a way to bring jobs to the area.

According to the developer's plans, the park would be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. six days per week from Memorial Day to Labor Day. The attraction would have 15 full-time employees and also offer about 300 seasonal jobs.

The developer previously estimated that between 270,000 and 300,000 visitors would visit the park during its 110-day window of operation. He said a majority of those who would use the park would be residents of Temecula - primarily mothers with children.

Representatives of the water park had planned to receive the necessary building permits in December in hopes of opening it by July 4. It is not clear how last week's ruling will affect the timeline for the construction and opening of the attraction.

- Contact staff writer Nicole Sack at (951) 676-4315, Ext. 2616, or nsack@californian.com.