County of Riverside General Plan Desert Center Area Plan COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE Transportation and Land Management Agency 4080 Lemon Street, 12th Floor Riverside, CA 92501-3634 Phone: (951) 955-3200, Fax: (951) 955-1811 October 2011 County of Riverside General Plan Desert Center Area Plan TABLE OF CONTENTS Vision Summary.......................................................................................................................................................... iv Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................. 1 A Special Note on Implementing the Vision ........................................................................................................ 2 Location ........................................................................................................................................................................ 3 Features ........................................................................................................................................................................ 7 Setting ....................................................................................................................................................................... 7 Unique Features ........................................................................................................................................................ 7 Chuckwalla Valley ............................................................................................................................................... 7 The Colorado River Aqueduct ............................................................................................................................. 8 Unique Communities ................................................................................................................................................ 8 Eagle Mountain Landfill and Townsite ................................................................................................................ 8 Desert Center ........................................................................................................................................................ 8 Lake Tamarisk ...................................................................................................................................................... 8 Land Use Plan ............................................................................................................................................................ 11 Land Use Concept ................................................................................................................................................... 11 Policy Areas ................................................................................................................................................................ 19 Policy Areas ............................................................................................................................................................ 19 Eagle Mountain Landfill and Townsite .............................................................................................................. 19 Desert Center Policy Area .................................................................................................................................. 19 Desert Center Airport Influence Area ................................................................................................................ 20 Specific Plans ..................................................................................................................................................... 20 Land Use ..................................................................................................................................................................... 27 Local Land Use Policies ......................................................................................................................................... 27 Agricultural Preservation ................................................................................................................................... 27 Light Pollution ................................................................................................................................................... 27 Circulation .................................................................................................................................................................. 29 Local Circulation Policies ....................................................................................................................................... 29 Vehicular Circulation System ............................................................................................................................ 29 Rail Transit ......................................................................................................................................................... 30 Trails .................................................................................................................................................................. 30 Scenic Highways ................................................................................................................................................ 30 Multipurpose Open Space ......................................................................................................................................... 39 Local Open Space Policies ...................................................................................................................................... 39 Wildlife Habitat .................................................................................................................................................. 39 Hazards ....................................................................................................................................................................... 43 Local Hazard Policies ............................................................................................................................................. 43 Wildland Fire ..................................................................................................................................................... 43 Seismic ............................................................................................................................................................... 43 Slope .................................................................................................................................................................. 44 Page ii County of Riverside General Plan Desert Center Area Plan LIST OF FIGURES 1: Location ..................................................................................................................................................................... 5 2: Physical Features ....................................................................................................................................................... 9 3: Land Use Plan .......................................................................................................................................................... 13 4:Policy Areas .............................................................................................................................................................. 23 5: Desert Center Airport Influence Policy Area ........................................................................................................... 25 6: Circulation ............................................................................................................................................................... 33 7: Trails and Bikeway System ..................................................................................................................................... 35 8: Scenic Highways ..................................................................................................................................................... 37 9: Desert Tortoise Reserve ........................................................................................................................................... 41 10: Wildfire Susceptibility ........................................................................................................................................... 45 11: Seismic Hazards .................................................................................................................................................... 47 12: Steep Slope ............................................................................................................................................................ 49 13: Slope Instability ..................................................................................................................................................... 51 LIST OF TABLES 1: Land Use Designations Summary ............................................................................................................................ 15 2: Statistical Summary of the Desert Center Area Plan ............................................................................................... 17 3: Adopted Specific Plans in Desert Center Area Plan ...............................................................................................