General Plan - Moreno Valley

CHAPTER 1 – INTRODUCTIONMORENO VALLEY GENERAL PLANArea, the floodplain of Mystic Lake and theSan Jacinto Wildlife Area and level terrain inthe City of Perris are located to the south.Gently sloping terrain lies west of the citylimits within March Air Reserve Base, the Cityof Riverside and the County of Riverside.1.4 HistoryAmerican Indians were the first inhabitants ofMoreno Valley. They hunted game andgathered seeds. They left evidence in rocksthat they used to grind seeds.Early settlers traveled through the area fromnorthern Mexico to various missionsettlements along a trail charted by JuanBautista de Anza in 1774. The trail passedthrough the San Jacinto Valley, the PerrisValley and southwest Moreno Valley.Moreno Valley and the rest of Californiabecame part of the United States in 1850.The Moreno Valley area began to develop inthe late 1880's with the establishment of theAlessandro and Moreno settlements. Thecommunity of Moreno was built around theintersection of Redlands Boulevard andAlessandro Boulevard. Alessandro waslocated within the limits of present day MarchAir Reserve Base.Grain and fruit farms were established and anaqueduct was built to deliver water from a newreservoir in the San Bernardino Mountains.Frank Brown formed the companies that builtthe reservoir and aqueduct. Water wasdelivered to the community of Moreno in 1891.The flow of water ended shortly thereafter dueto a combination of drought conditions and alegal dispute over water rights. Crops failedand many farmers and settlers moved away.Some of the remaining farmers turned to dryfarming.Activation of March Air Force Base in 1918(later closed in 1922) and an increase in waterwell drilling spurred new development.Reactivation and expansion of March Air ForceBase during the 1940's generated additionalgrowth. New development occurred in thearea that became the communities ofEdgemont and Sunnymead in thesouthwestern and central portions of the valleyand Moreno in the southeastern end of thevalley.Moreno Valley was included in the EasternMunicipal Water District in the 1950’s,providing a more reliable source of water forresidential and agricultural development. Thecommunity continued to grow at a rapid rate.The population grew from 13,291 residents in1960, 18,871 in 1970, to 28,139 residents in1980.The City of Moreno Valley was incorporated onDecember 3, 1984 and thereafter thepopulation soared, reaching 118,779 in 1990.For part of that period it was the fastestgrowing city in the country. Moreno Valley isthe second largest city in Riverside Countywith a population of 142,381 in the year 2000.The California Department of Financepopulation estimate for 2005 was 165,328.1.5 Planning AreaFigure 1-1 is a map illustrating the regionalsetting. The planning area boundary includesthe approximately 50 square miles within thecity limits and 18 square miles within thesphere of influence.Development of land to the north and east ofthe City and its sphere of influence couldhave an effect on the City of Moreno Valley.Therefore, the general plan study areaextends north to the San Bernardino Countyline and east into the Badlands.1.6 Public ParticipationThe Moreno Valley General Plan is the resultof an extensive public participation programto establish an understanding of communityconcerns. The public participation programPage 1-2 July 11, 2006