Murrieta Publishes Summary of Hillside Ordinance 638-26, Adopted Unanimously on Oct. 6
MURRIETA — Murrieta is a city in Riverside County, California. The City of Murrieta published a summary of Ordinance No. 638-26 on October 13. According to the summary posted on the city's News Flash page, the ordinance was introduced on September 15, 2026, and adopted at the October 6 regular City Council meeting by a 5-0 vote — Ayes: Warren, DeForest, Stone, Holliday and Levell — with the summary signed by City Clerk Cristal McDonald and dated October 8.
Ordinance 638-26 amends Titles 8 and 15 of the Murrieta Municipal Code and the Development Code (Title 16), updating the city's hillside regulations. The listed updates include how building height is measured on a slope, with new graphics; clarification of where hillside rules apply and how slope is determined; when a hillside development permit is required; review criteria for undeveloped and developed parcels; updated definitions; application materials and review procedures; slope grading techniques; the placement and height of retaining walls in hillside areas; site access; and aesthetic and landscape treatments, along with permit exceptions.
The ordinance also adds a new Hillside Overlay Map with a sunset clause exempting parcels no later than December 31, 2028. The city said the updated regulations are designed to guide the orderly development of hillside areas through standards addressing the unique challenges of such terrain.
The full text is available at the City Clerk's Department, 1 Town Square, Murrieta. The Murrieta City Council's next regular meeting is set for October 20, according to the Riverside Record's meeting roundup.
(Sources: City of Murrieta, Ordinance 638-26 summary published Oct. 13; Riverside Record meeting roundup)
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