TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: Bob Moehling, Public Works Director
PREPARED BY: James Ozouf, Senior Civil Engineer, CIP
SUBJECT:
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Installation of a Designated Pick-up/Drop-off Zone Adjacent to Vintage Reserve Park near Buchanan Elementary School
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ABSTRACT
This agenda report proposes a resolution regarding installation of signage and striping necessary to establish a pick-up/drop-off zone with restricted parking hours on school days on Kingwood Road adjacent to Vintage Reserve Park near Buchanan Elementary School.
RECOMMENDATION
recommendation
Adopt Resolution No. 26-4928 entitled: A Resolution of the City Council of Murrieta, California, Authorizing the Installation of Signage and Designation of a Pick-Up/Drop-Off Zone on Kingwood Road Adjacent to Vintage Reserve Park.
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PRIOR ACTION/VOTE
On October 7, 2025, City Council approved a License Agreement with the Murrieta Valley Unified School District for Sidewalk at Vintage Reserve Park (Vote 5-0).
STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT
The City Council’s goal of planning, programming and creating infrastructure development is associated with this administrative priority.
DISCUSSION
The City of Murrieta (City) received a request from Murrieta Valley Unified School District (MVUSD) to help address traffic and safety concerns at Buchanan Elementary School and accommodate an anticipated increase in student enrollment. Specifically, MVUSD requested the use of a pedestrian walkway from the school playground into Vintage Reserve Park as an additional access point to the school in an effort to reduce congestion during pick-up and drop-off times. See Attachment 2 to this report.
City staff support adding pedestrian access to Buchanan Elementary School through Vintage Reserve Park by establishing a designated drop-off and pick-up zone along Kingwood Road. Kingwood Road has sufficient width to accommodate two-way traffic, residential parking on the west side, and a marked pick-up/drop-off lane on the east side, where parking would be restricted during school hours. In addition, MVUSD will install a new gate and construct a connecting walkway between the school and the park, allowing students to enter and exit through the park. A license agreement between the City and the MVUSD was approved at the October 7, 2025, City Council meeting, authorizing MVUSD to construct and maintain the gate and sidewalk.
Kingwood Road adjacent to the park is currently 44 feet wide, with all-way stop controls at its intersection with Torrey Pines Road and Tennyson Road. The speed limit along this segment is posted at 25 mph. To accommodate a passenger loading zone, the proposed striping will consist of the following:
Northbound Direction:
• 12-foot travel lane
• Designated 10-foot parking lane with appropriate passenger loading signage.
Southbound Direction:
• 22-foot shared travel lane and parking lane
A centerline stripe is also proposed along this segment to clearly delineate northbound and southbound traffic. This measure is intended to enhance traffic flow and safety by reducing the likelihood of vehicles encroaching into opposing lanes and eliminating potential conflicts.
New signage will be installed adjacent to the pick-up/drop-off zone, prohibiting parking between 8:00 AM and 3:00 PM on school days and designating the area exclusively for passenger loading.
Staff mailed letters to approximately 125 homeowners in the vicinity of Vintage Park to notify them of the proposed changes and invited them to the November 19, 2025, Traffic Commission meeting to share any concerns that they may have. The City did not receive any feedback from residents prior to the meeting, and no residents attended the Traffic Commission meeting. The Traffic Commission approved the installation of a designated pick-up/drop-off zone on Kingwood Road adjacent to Vintage Reserve Park.
Per City of Murrieta Municipal Code 10.32.030, no stopping zones and no parking areas other than those associated with the establishment of left-turn lanes, right-turn lanes, vehicle maneuvering zones, and sight clearance zones must be established by Resolution of the City Council.
Staff recommends the installation of a designated pick-up/drop-off zone with restricted parking hours on school days on Kingwood Road adjacent to Vintage Reserve Park.
PUBLIC NOTICING
The agenda item has been noticed according to the Brown Act (72 hours in advance of
the meeting at which the City Council considers the item).
CEQA AND REGULATORY OVERVIEW
This action is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Sections 15060(c)(2) and 15060(c)(3) of the CEQA Guidelines because this action will not result in a physical change to the environment, directly or indirectly.
FISCAL IMPACT
The proposed striping and signage improvements for the designated pick-up/drop-off zone are expected to cost $6,700. Funding is available in the City’s Neighborhood Traffic Management Program (NTMP), CIP No. 13074 and will utilize Measure A and Gas Tax funds.
ATTACHMENTS
ATT 1 - Resolution No. 26-4928
ATT 2 - Pick-up/Drop-off Zone Exhibit