General Plan - Moreno Valley

CHAPTER 4–P ARKS , R EC . & OPEN SPACE MORENO VALLEY GENERAL PLANand the lack of agri-business support in thearea.Agricultural land within the study area isgenerally leased to farm operators. Few, ifany, of the farms are owner-operated. Themajor types of agricultural uses are grazingand farming of dry grains, truck crops andtree crops.A limited amount of temporary grazing anddry grain farming occurs within the studyarea. For example, sheep sometimes grazeon open grasslands and on cut grain afterharvest. Irrigated vegetable crops, includingpotatoes are grown in the northeasternportions of the study area. Melons aresometimes cultivated in small amounts. Afew citrus orchards, avocado groves andChristmas tree farms remain in the northernand eastern sectors of Moreno Valley.To provide an economic incentive topreserve agricultural lands, the State ofCalifornia passed the California LandConservation Act, commonly referred to asthe Williamson Act, in 1965. Under this act,agricultural lands are taxed at theiragricultural value rather than their value forhigher valued uses. In exchange, thelandowner enters into a contract to retain hisor her land in agricultural use for at least 10years. Once a "Notice of Nonrenewal" isfiled, it is ten years until the contract expires.At the time that the first General Plan wasadopted, hundreds of acres within the studyarea were under Williamson Act contracts.Notices of Nonrenewal have since been filedfor these areas. At this time, no lands withinthe study area are under Williamson Actcontract.At the time that the first General Plan wasadopted, the University of California FieldStation, located between Lasselle and NasonStreets and south of Brodiaea Avenue, wasused to raise experimental crops suited todry and semi-dry climates. The Universitylater decided to move its research operationsto a station in the Coachella Valley. Amixed-use specific plan was adopted for theproperty in 1999, and was subsequentlyamended in 2005 as a gated age-qualifyingcommunity.Mineral extraction, including the mining ofsand, gravel and rock is another type ofopen space use. The mineral potential withthe study area is very limited. There is onlyone active sand and gravel quarry on recordwithin the study area: the Jack RabbitCanyon Quarry. It is in a drainage courselocated at the northeast corner of JackRabbit Trail and Gilman Springs Road,adjacent to the Quail Ranch Golf Course.4.2.4 Open Space for OutdoorRecreationOpen space for outdoor recreation includespublic and private outdoor recreationfacilities. Public recreation facilities inMoreno Valley include state, county and cityparks as well as public golf courses. Privateoutdoor recreation facilities include privategolf courses, driving ranges and other privateoutdoor recreation facilities.Two private outdoor recreation facilities areowned and operated by homeowner’sassociations in Sunnymead Ranch andMoreno Valley Ranch. Two private golfcourses were in operation as well: theMoreno Valley Ranch Golf Club in MorenoValley Ranch and the Quail Ranch GolfCourse in the southeast corner of the studyarea.4.3 Parks and RecreationParks and recreation facilities and servicesare an important component of the quality oflife in Moreno Valley. The City of MorenoValley Parks and Recreation Departmentprovides parks and recreation facilities inMoreno Valley through partnerships withother public agencies and the private sector.Page 4-4 July 11, 2006