1 Introduction
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1 Introduction Framed by a backdrop of mountains and hills, Moreno Valley enjoys a beautiful setting and a strategic location with easy access Los Angeles, Orange County, and San Diego. The community has seen rapid population growth in recent decades as development has edged eastward from coastal communities, and today Moreno Valley is the second largest city in Riverside County and an important economic player in the region. The city is home to a host of thriving businesses, two major regional medical centers, and a young, diverse population. Looking ahead, Moreno Valley is well positioned to serve as a model city in the Inland Empire and Southern California—a desirable place to live, work, and play. For the community to continue to flourish, it will need to remain focused on diversifying and growing the local job base; ensuring a variety of housing types that cater to people at all stages of life; building community identity and sense of place; and enhancing neighborhood livability. In rising to meet these challenges and turning them into opportunities for an even brighter future, Moreno Valley will emerge a stronger, more resilient, and prosperous community for all. The General Plan is a dynamic document that sets all of which have recently expanded or have plans of forth conditions to guide how and where Moreno expansion in the near future. Valley will grow for years to come. This Plan reflects community aspirations to cultivate a family-friendly Today, Moreno Valley is a community of approx- 1 city with a modern, innovative brand and unique imately 208,000 residents and the city’s motto is sense of place that reflects Moreno Valley’s grow- “People, Pride, Progress.” Among California’s grow- ing reputation as a model community where people ing cities, Moreno Valley is the second most populous choose to live, work, and play for the next generation, in Riverside County and growth can be attributed to and generations to come. a range of quality housing options including higher- end executive homes, affordable single-family homes, Moreno Valley Profile and condominiums; a family-friendly lifestyle; good schools; and impressive quality-of-life amenities Moreno Valley is located within the northwestern and growing job centers. The demographic profile portion of Riverside County in the southern Inland of Moreno Valley consists primarily of young fam- Empire portion of the state of California. The city is ilies. The majority of the city’s population identify strategically located at the junction of Interstate 215 as Hispanic/Latino (of any race). The average age in (I-215) and State Route 60 (SR-60), well located for life the city is also young, with nearly 30 percent of the and for business. Moreno Valley is a progressive city population under 18 years of age. with a bright future. While maintaining its friendly small-town attitude, the 52-square-mile community 1 California Department of Finance, January 2020; Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) Pre-Certified boasts big city amenities including contemporary Local Housing Data for the City of Moreno Valley, August 2020. retail destinations and neighborhood shopping centers, plus a multitude of options for entertainment, dining, cultural, and recreational experiences and an array of housing options. The City is dedicated to fostering new business and well-managed growth to create a superb quality of life for residents and visitors to enjoy. Moreno Valley has seen significant employment growth in recent years, having created 20,000 new jobs locally since 2013. The city is currently home to approximately 4,500 businesses, including many Fortune 500 and international companies such as Amazon, Procter & Gamble, Skechers USA, and Karma Automotive. Other important institu- tions established in the city include the Riverside University Health System Medical Center, a public teaching hospital, the Kaiser Permanente Hospital and medical complex, and Moreno Valley College, 1-2 | MoVal 2040 GENERAL PLAN Due to the general and long-range nature of the Land Use and Scope and Purpose of the General Plan, there will be instances where more Housing Community Character General Plan detailed studies will be necessary in order to imple- ment the General Plan’s policies. California Government Code Section 65300 requires Open Space and Economic each city and county in California to adopt a General GENERAL PLAN REQUIREMENTS Resource Conservation Development Plan “for the physical development of the county or California grants local authorities power over land use city, and any land outside its boundaries which...bears decisions. As a result, cities have considerable flexi- relation to its planning.” The Moreno Valley General Healthy bility in preparing their general plans as long as State Communities Plan can be considered the city’s development consti- Circulation requirements are met. The California Government Elements of tution, containing both a statement of the communi- Code establishes both the content of general plans and the General Plan ty’s vision of its long-term development as well as the rules for their adoption and subsequent amendment. policies to support that vision by guiding the physical Parks and Together, State law and judicial decisions establish growth of the city. The Moreno Valley General Plan Environmental Public Services three overall guidelines for general plans; General Justice serves to: Plans should be: ◆ Establish a long-range vision that reflects the Noise Safety ◆ Comprehensive. The general plan must be aspirations of the community and outlines steps to geographically comprehensive, applying achieve this vision; throughout the entire incorporated area and the ◆ Guide decision-making related to development, Sphere of Influence. The general plan must also housing, transportation, environmental address the full range of issues that affect the city’s The Moreno Valley General Plan is presented in 10 quality, public services, parks, open space, and physical development. chapters. The General Plan covers all the elements agricultural conservation; ◆ Internally Consistent. The general plan must fully required under State law—land use, circulation, conser- ◆ Help Moreno Valley achieve compliance with integrate its separate parts and relate them to each vation, open space, safety, noise, housing, and envi- applicable State and regional policies, including other without conflict. “Horizontal” consistency ronmental justice—as well as three additional topics of around housing production and environmental applies as much to figures and diagrams as to local importance to the community—economic devel- regulations; the general plan text. It also applies to data and opment, community character, and health. Housing analysis as well as policies. All adopted portions of Elements are required by State law to be updated more ◆ Allow City departments, other public agencies, frequently than the General Plan, and to facilitate and private developers to design projects that will the general plan, whether required by State law or not, have equal legal weight. None may supersede that, the City publishes its Housing Element under a enhance the character of the community, preserve separate cover. The City of Moreno Valley Housing environmental resources, and minimize hazards; another, so the general plan must resolve conflicts among the provisions of each element. Element was most recently completed in 2021 and will and be next updated in 2029, consistent with the State- ◆ Provide the basis for establishing and setting ◆ Long Range. Because anticipated development will defined cycle. State law also requires that implemen- priorities for detailed plans and implementing affect the city and the people who live or work tation of the General Plan be “vertically” consistent: programs, such as the Zoning Ordinance and there for years to come, State law requires every all actions relating to zoning, subdivision approval, future specific plans. general plan to take a long-term perspective. This housing allocations, and capital improvements must be General Plan uses the year 2040 as its planning consistent with the General Plan. horizon. Introduction | 1-3 Planning Area PLANNING AREA SPHERE OF INFLUENCE The Planning Area is defined as the land area The Sphere of Influence (SOI) is a planning bound- REGIONAL LOCATION addressed by the General Plan, including land within ary outside of an agency’s jurisdictional boundary city limits and the Sphere of Influence outside city (that is city limit line) that designates the agen- Moreno Valley is an incorporated city located within limits, both are subsequently discussed. The Planning cy’s probable future boundary and service area. the northwestern portion of Riverside County in Area is shown in Map I-2. The boundary of the The Riverside County Local Agency Formation the southern Inland Empire portion of the state of Planning Area was determined in response to State Commission (LAFCO) has jurisdiction over defin- California. More than two million people live in law requiring each city to include in its General Plan ing Moreno Valley’s SOI and acts on annexations Riverside County and approximately 208,000 people all territory within the boundaries of the incorporated and approval of service contracts outside city limits. (about 8.6 percent of the county) reside within the area as well as “any land outside its boundaries which The purpose of the SOI is to ensure the provision of City of Moreno Valley. Moreno Valley is located in the planning agency’s