Scope of Work: Environmental Planning / CEQA Compliance, Biological Services, Technical Services
Started: 2022 | Completed: 2026
Project Description:
EPD Solutions was retained by the City of Menifee to guide the Murrieta Road Warehouse Project through the CEQA environmental review process. The proposed 517,720-square-foot industrial building is located on a 28.27-acre site, within the City’s Economic Development Corridor – Northern Gateway. Surrounded by existing homes, vacant and undeveloped land, and utility corridors, the project needed a consultant who could navigate technical complexity and community sensitivity without losing momentum.
As the City’s environmental consultant, EPD worked closely with City staff to navigate several issues that evolved throughout the environmental review. These included the project’s proximity to adjacent residential uses, cumulative impacts related to concurrent industrial development, and ongoing cross-jurisdictional coordination over truck routes. As these issues developed, EPD adapted the technical analysis and worked with the City and project team to address new information while keeping the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and environmental review moving forward
Our Services:
From initial scoping through final certification, EPD managed the full CEQA process on the City’s behalf — coordinating technical studies, preparing the traffic analysis, peer reviewing applicant-prepared studies, and leading public meetings, and preparing every required environmental document along the way. We served as a true extension of City staff, keeping the project moving through public comment, revisions, and hearings.
Following circulation of the Draft EIR and in response to community input, the project was redesigned. EPD coordinated the additional technical analysis needed to evaluate the revised design and demonstrate that the changes did not require recirculation of the EIR, allowing the project to continue moving toward hearings. The City trusted EPD to deliver expedited yet in-depth responses in the days leading up to the hearings, allowing the City to hold to its hearing schedule without compromising the quality or defensibility of the record.
EPD also led the scoping meetings on the City’s behalf and assisted with two community meetings. In support of the hearings, EPD prepared a range of supplemental materials, including additional environmental memoranda and the administrative record, ensuring the City was fully equipped to present the project and defend its recommendation.
Following a multi-year environmental review, the project reached City Council in 2026, where the EIR was certified and the project entitlements were approved. The successful outcome reflects the collaboration between EPD, the Applicant team, and City staff throughout an evolving process—adapting as the project changed, responding quickly to new issues, and maintaining momentum through final approval.
The Murrieta Road Warehouse Project is a strong example of EPD’s core values in action: bringing a passion for expertise, innovating as a team, and demonstrating resilience by actively adapting to internal and external changes while supporting our public-sector clients.
