LAFCO approves Murrieta public-works site annexation to Eastern Municipal Water District and Rancho California Water District

The Riverside Local Agency Formation Commission voted July 24 to approve a reorganization that annexes a 7.52-acre City of Murrieta maintenance-yard parcel into the Eastern Municipal Water District and Rancho California Water District, with a concurrent sphere-of-influence amendment for Eastern Municipal Water District. Michael Henderson, LAFCO GIS analyst, described the proposal as an internal service-area cleanup intended to upgrade an existing City of Murrieta public-works maintenance yard and to provide Eastern with wastewater service and Rancho with water service.

Henderson told commissioners the annexation involves four parcels that will not change zoning or land use; the City of Murrieta approved a negative declaration under CEQA in August 2023. Staff recommended approval and directed the executive officer to prepare and execute the certificate of completion. No public commenters spoke at the hearing. The commission approved staff’s recommendation by unanimous roll call.

The annexation is presented as an administrative reorganization to align agency service boundaries with the city maintenance yard and to allow infrastructure upgrades and service delivery under the appropriate water and wastewater districts. Staff advised there is no change in land-use designation and all landowners consented to the reorganization.