Crescent Gardens Cemetery, Conditional Use Permit No. (CUP230002)

The Crescent Gardens Cemetery project, identified by Conditional Use Permit No. CUP230002, involves the development of an 85-acre site in the Meadowbrook community of unincorporated Riverside County, California. The project, submitted by the Muslim Mortuary Cemetery Committee, allocates 46.4 acres for development and 38.6 acres for conservation. The planned infrastructure includes a 20,000-plot cemetery with approximately 24.6 acres of burial plots, a 11,079-square-foot chapel, a 5,559-square-foot Ceremonial Cleansing Facility, a 2,090-square-foot caretaker residence, and a 1,358-square-foot equipment shed. Additional site improvements consist of interior private roads, an on-site septic system, four water quality and detention basins, landscaping, irrigation, and shielded lighting. Security will be managed via wrought iron fencing and gates, with site access provided through Garfield Road. The project is subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), requiring the Riverside County Planning Department to prepare a Focused Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) to evaluate impacts on geology, soils, hydrology, water quality, and land use. The development must adhere to County Zoning Ordinance 348, the Elsinore Area Plan, and specific General Plan designations for Very Low Density Residential and Rural Mountainous land use. Project coordination is led by Project Planner Krista Mason, with the environmental review process including a public scoping meeting and a deadline for input responses by September 10, 2026.