County of Riverside General Plan Palo Verde Valley 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 Palo Verde Valley Area Plan TABLE OF CONTENTS Vision Summary.......................................................................................................................................................... iv Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................. 1 A Special Note on Implementing the Vision ........................................................................................................ 2 Location ........................................................................................................................................................................ 5 Features ........................................................................................................................................................................ 9 Setting ....................................................................................................................................................................... 9 Unique Features ........................................................................................................................................................ 9 The Palo Verde Mesa and Valley ......................................................................................................................... 9 Agricultural Lands ............................................................................................................................................... 9 Colorado River ................................................................................................................................................... 10 Mountains .......................................................................................................................................................... 10 Intaglios .............................................................................................................................................................. 10 Blythe Airport .................................................................................................................................................... 10 Unique Communities .............................................................................................................................................. 11 Nicholls Warm Springs/Mesa Verde .................................................................................................................. 11 Ripley ................................................................................................................................................................. 11 Incorporated Cities .................................................................................................................................................. 11 Land Use Plan ............................................................................................................................................................ 15 Land Use Concept ................................................................................................................................................... 15 Policy Areas ................................................................................................................................................................ 23 Policy Areas ............................................................................................................................................................ 23 Colorado River ................................................................................................................................................... 23 Wiley=s Well Road ............................................................................................................................................. 24 Blythe Airport Influence Area ............................................................................................................................ 24 Specific Plans ..................................................................................................................................................... 25 Land Use ..................................................................................................................................................................... 31 Local Land Use Policies ......................................................................................................................................... 31 Agricultural Preservation ................................................................................................................................... 31 Recreational Vehicle Development .................................................................................................................... 31 Farmworker Housing Policies ............................................................................................................................ 32 Circulation .................................................................................................................................................................. 35 Local Circulation Policies ....................................................................................................................................... 35 Vehicular Circulation System ............................................................................................................................ 35 Rail Transit ......................................................................................................................................................... 36 Trails and Bikeway System ................................................................................................................................ 36 Scenic Highways ................................................................................................................................................ 36 Multipurpose Open Space ......................................................................................................................................... 45 Local Open Space Policies ...................................................................................................................................... 45 Watershed, Floodplain, and Watercourses ......................................................................................................... 45 Habitat Conservation .......................................................................................................................................... 46 Hazards ....................................................................................................................................................................... 47 Local Hazard Policies ............................................................................................................................................. 47 Page ii County of Riverside General Plan Palo Verde Valley Area Plan Flooding and Dam Inundation ............................................................................................................................ 47 Wildland Fire Hazard ......................................................................................................................................... 48 Seismic ............................................................................................................................................................... 48 Slope .................................................................................................................................................................. 48 LIST OF FIGURES 1: Location ..................................................................................................................................................................... 7 2: Physical Features ..................................................................................................................................................... 13 3: Land Use Plan .......................................................................................................................................................... 17 4: Policy Areas ............................................................................................................................................................. 27 5: Blythe Airport Influence Policy Area ...................................................................................................................... 29 6: Circulation ............................................................................................................................................................... 39 7: Trails and Bikeway System ..................................................................................................................................... 41 8: Scenic Highways ..................................................................................................................................................... 43 9: Flood Hazards .........................................................................................................................................................