ALUC finds CenterPoint proposal near Hemet Ryan Airport consistent with compatibility plan

The Riverside County Airport Land Use Commission voted unanimously April 9 to find ZAP1088HR26 — a proposal to build multiple commercial facilities at 33640 Simpson Road near Hemet Ryan Airport — consistent with the 2017 Hemet Ryan Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan, subject to staff‑recommended conditions.

Staff planner Jackie Vega told commissioners the 51.94‑acre site would host a 936‑square‑foot car wash, an 11,307‑square‑foot retail auction building, a 70,644‑square‑foot car‑service building, a fuel‑pump station, a 650‑square‑foot guard house and a vehicle storage area. Vega said the buildings are located outside the airport influence area and that the project falls below FAA thresholds for height obstruction. She added the Hemet Ryan compatibility plan shows the site below the 55 CNEL aircraft‑noise contour, so no aircraft‑noise mitigation measures were required by ALUC staff.

Vega reviewed comments submitted by a nearby resident, Vicky Yang, who raised concerns about intensity, water‑quality basins, traffic, glare and agricultural impacts. Vega said most of those items fall to the local jurisdiction for review; she noted a small portion of the site within Zone D is primarily parking and that staff ran a parking‑based intensity analysis showing consistency with ALUCP criteria. Vega also said the project is about 13,658 feet from the runway and therefore outside the FAA guidance area for basins that could attract hazardous wildlife.

During the public hearing the applicant’s representative, Abi (Abby) Bartalo, answered remotely and said the project team intends to use shielded lighting across the site. Commissioners asked about the document with staff replies to public comments; Vega said the responses are included in commissioners’ packets and that a Riverside County planner (Jose) was provided as a contact for jurisdictional issues such as traffic and agriculture.

A commissioner moved to approve staff’s recommendation that the general plan amendment and rezoning be found consistent with the ALUCP; the motion was seconded and passed unanimously with all members present voting in the affirmative.

The commission’s approval is a consistency determination under the ALUCP; local land‑use approvals (building permits, local entitlements) remain under the jurisdiction of the county and are subject to the conditions described by staff.