Moreno Valley Council Postpones Decision On Proposed Bradshaw Circle Development

The Moreno Valley City Council Tuesday postponed making a decision on the proposed development of a residential development at the intersection of Bradshaw Circle and Cactus Avenue due to the absence of Mayor Pro Tem Ed Delgado and Councilman David Marquez.

“We are not opposed, first of all, if this council would want to defer and wait to have a full five member panel for your deliberation,” Robert M. Beers, Cox-West Properties development manager, said during the meeting. “You know, we had requested a continuance from the last city council meeting to provide an opportunity for the council to, because of the subject matter, to have an opportunity to look and review the project.”

The proposed project includes 37 single-family two-story homes on a 4.81-acre site in French, Spanish and traditional architectural styles offered to buyers in three floor plans. The project would have a density of 7.9 dwelling units per acre.

The decision was made after roughly 30 minutes of public comment in which a number of residents spoke against the project and presented a petition opposing the project—that organizers said had garnered more than 100 signatures—to the city clerk.

One of the main issues brought up by those opposed to the project was the fact that Bradshaw Circle is currently a private road—meaning the residents whose property is adjacent to the road are responsible for maintaining it.

“You’re going to leave us with liability,” resident Veronica Outland said. “You’re going to leave us with a burden, and who’s going to help us? We’re not an association. We are individuals. You’re looking at one. I own a part of the road, and we don’t want this problem.”

But not everyone who spoke was opposed to the project, though they all typically agreed that the vote should be done with the full council present.

“I think that the council should consider this proposal, but I think it should be done with a full council,” longtime resident Donovan Saadiq said. “You know, I don’t think three people up there should be making a decision in regards to something that’s going to impact the community without the full council putting their vote in.”

The public hearing was initially on the agenda for the council’s Dec. 20 meeting, but was continued to the Jan. 3 meeting at the request of developers who are seeking council approval to move forward with the project after it was rejected by the city’s planning commission.

The planning commission rejected the project after finding that the proposed density was “inconsistent with the general plan and zoning standards,” and “would adversely affect the public health, safety, or general welfare.”

In a letter to the council seeking review, Beers said there appeared to be “a misunderstanding on the planning commissions part regarding the status of the existing Bradshaw Circle street improvements and right-of-way,” that led to the project being rejected. On Tuesday, Beers, who is the civil engineer for the project, said he felt the question of Bradshaw Circle was the main reason the planning commission rejected the project.

“Yes, indeed, Bradshaw Circle is today a private road,” he said. “But from the day it was created, there has been a standing offer of dedication, first to the county under the underlying parcel maps that were created, and secondly, on our map, we will be dedicating the right-of-way. And our frontage, including the westerly half that’s adjacent to us, for the two properties that are existing, will be built to full city standards, and public works has agreed and has said that upon those improvements being built, that portion of the roadway will be accepted as a public road.”

In other council news: The council also postponed approving the 2023 city council commission, board and inter-agency appointments after five residents spoke out about the number of proposed appointments there were for Cabrera and Marquez. The next city council meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Jan. 17. 

A recording of the meeting can be viewed here on the city’s YouTube channel.