Mention Wal-Mart and developer and reimbursement in this town and
people have flashbacks. Before you go for some post-traumatic stress syndrome prozac, take
a deep breath. The Vail Ranch Historic District and the whole Wal-Mart/county deal is
nothing like the old Temecula/Wal-Mart deal. Hopefully, the city council can let go of the
baggage of the past, and see this for the win-win situation it is.
Here is the deal. Wolf’s Store, Temecula’s oldest standing
historical building, and the adjacent buildings that formed the headquarters for Vail
Ranch, sit at the corner of 79 South and Redhawk Parkway. Historic restrictions were
placed on the property back in 1988, and enforced by a lawsuit in 1998, when the wall of
the caretaker’s house was taken down by then developer, Jerry Swanger.
Since then, settlement of the lawsuit strengthened the historic
maintenance district and design review mechanism within the county, controlling the 100
acres of property surrounding the ranch headquarters. Conditions of approval now are court
ordered requirements and Swanger was forced to restore the exterior of the buildings.
What we have right now is fenced off historic buildings, susceptible
to vandalism, and although saved from the elements on the exterior, uninhabitable on the
interior because of earthquake requirements. What the county and Vail Ranch Restoration
Association (VaRRA) have been working on for four years, is a way to bring these buildings
back to life.
Enter Excel Legacy of San Diego, who now owns the historic site.
Through negotiations with the county, they have committed to restore completely the 4
acres of historic buildings, including rebuilding an implement barn that was torn down.
Excel would put up all the front money, adhere to the strict requirements of historic
restoration, lease out the properties to restaurants or stores, and then deed it all back
to the county, who would then lease it back to Excel for $1!
The county’s contribution, which the city is balking about
picking up, is $1.9 million in funds, compared to the $3.1 million the developer is
putting in. In the county’s plan, this $1.9 million was to come from Wal-Mart sales
tax funds, over four years.
Okay, now get this straight because I just said the Wal-Mart word.
This is not an incentive to Wal-Mart in any way. Wal-Mart still pays all its fees and all
its sales tax. This is simply a funding mechanism, consisting of newly generated funds in
the form of the new Wal-Mart, to restore historic properties valuable to every citizen of
Temecula.
What’s to quibble? Hallelujah the county found a developer who
sees the potential of the site and is willing to put up the cash to restore it. Remember,
the project costs $5 million whether it comes from the county, the city or the developer.
To get more than a 50% buy in, was good negotiating.
When county and city officials meet this afternoon to discuss the
project, I hope they will see that viable, self-supporting developed buildings, open to
the public, is much preferable to the fenced off, limited, future drain on the taxpayer,
buildings we have now.