Community Design Element

Only areas below are considered part of the General Plan.

Overview

The City of Menifee is visually defined by both its natural and built environments. As the city continues to grow, special attention must be paid to shaping the city's collective image while maintaining and improving the quality and character of its existing neighborhoods. The focus of this element is on strengthening the city's community design identity-the collection of gateways, neighborhoods, corridors, development, rural areas, activity centers, and design amenities that compose the city's image. These features are a foundation for achieving the design objectives established by the city.

Menifee largely consists of a collection of distinctive communities, originally established prior to incorporation; it is important to maintain the unique character of these areas while developing or enhancing features that create a cohesive city image. The objectives of this element are to:

  • Preserve and enrich the visual quality of the city
  • Protect and enhance the sense of place and character of Menifee's exiting neighborhoods
  • Create distinctive corridors that demonstrate variety in the visual character of the community
  • Protect the city's scenic resources
  • Protect the character of the city's rural areas
  • Create Economic Development Corridors that encourage pedestrian activity
  • Utilize buffers to transition between dissimilar land uses

Purpose of Element

According to state law, a community design element is not mandatory but the Government Code authorizes cities and counties to adopt additional elements as deemed relevant and necessary. The City of Menifee's Community Design Element is intended to enhance the current community identity through the identification of design techniques, guidelines, and features that will enhance the visual character of the city and its neighborhoods. It serves as a practical guide to city leaders, developers, business owners, and residents as they provide direction to implement new projects in Menifee and is intended to stimulate design creativity in the city.

All General Plan elements, whether they are mandatory or optional, must be consistent with 1 another. Building upon the Land Use Element, the Community Design Element focuses more specifically on the image, character, and form of the built environment. It also supports the goals and policies in the Circulation Element related to Scenic Highway Corridors and the preservation of natural landforms discussed in the Open Space and Conservation Element.

Goals

Click on the goal links below to see the policies that are associated with the individual goals identified in this element. Readers should also refer to the Implementation Actions for additional items that must be undertaken by the city to achieve the goals and policies for this element.

  • CD-1: Community Image. A unified and attractive community identity that complements the character of the city's distinctive communities.
  • CD-2: Rural Design. Preserve and enhance the character of the city's rural areas
  • CD-3: Design Quality. Projects, developments, and public spaces that visually enhance the character of the community and are appropriately buffered from dissimilar land uses so that differences in type and intensity do not conflict.
  • CD-4: Corridors and Scenic Resources. Recognize, preserve, and enhance the aesthetic value of the city's enhanced landscape corridors and scenic corridors.
  • CD-5: Economic Development Corridor design. Economic Development Corridors that are visually distinctive and vibrant and combine commercial, industrial, residential, civic, cultural, and recreational uses.
  • CD-6: Community Design Features. Attractive landscaping, lighting, and signage that conveys a positive image of the community.

General Plan Exhibits

Reference Material

For detailed information related to community design, please refer to the following reference materials.

City Resources