Murrieta’s proposed Discovery Village would add 353 for-sale condominium homes, including townhomes, duplexes and detached homes, with shared recreation areas and road construction. The City Council has final approval authority.
What the city is deciding
The Planning Commission was asked to recommend approval of development plans and a tentative tract map, the proposed land division. The Master Development Plan sets building standards specific to this project, including setbacks, building separation and private open space. No rezoning is requested.
Where and who it affects
The approximately 25-acre site lies south of Baxter Road, west of Whitewood Road, north of Running Rabbit Road and east of the future Warm Springs Parkway alignment.
The proposal includes construction of Warm Springs Parkway, Running Rabbit Road and Discovery Place, plus improvements along Whitewood Road and Baxter Road. It also preserves an approximately 2.8-acre open space and drainage corridor.
What it could mean for your property
For future owners, the draft conditions require a homeowners association, or HOA, to maintain private streets, drainage, common areas and recreation facilities. Recorded property rules would establish those duties. HOA dues are unknown.
Planned amenities include a recreation center, swimming pool, pickleball courts, community garden, playgrounds and dog park. The draft conditions require written city approval before covered facilities can be removed, permanently closed, greatly reduced or converted to another use.
The draft conditions also refer to applicable special taxes through two Community Facilities Districts. These are districts the city set up to fund public safety services and public facilities maintenance through special taxes. Tax amounts are unknown. The documents read do not state whether those taxes would appear on buyers’ property tax bills.
The builder must pay applicable development and mitigation fees. The documents do not state the amounts or whether those costs would be passed into home prices.
Questions to ask before you buy or build
- What HOA dues would apply to the home?
- What special tax amounts would apply?
- What maintenance duties would the recorded property rules assign?
What happens next
The documents read do not show the Planning Commission’s October 28 vote result. The City Council hearing date is unknown, and the conditions remain draft.
SB 330 is a state housing law that, under the conditions, locks in fees and standards effective March 28, 2024. To retain those protections, the builder must begin construction within 30 months after final approval. Construction start and finish dates are unknown.