The Riverside County Board of Supervisors Tuesday approved final plans for the Temecula Valley Wine Country Archway, and opened the project to bidding by contractors.
In a 5-0 vote without comment, the board signed off on the monument, which has been in the works since summer 2022 and is slated for construction this summer at an estimated cost of $623,000.
“The Temecula Valley Wine Country and its many award-winning wineries is a major tourism draw for the county,” according to a Department of Transportation statement posted to the board’s agenda. “The installation of the archway monument across Rancho California Road will create an improved and inviting gateway to the Temecula Valley Wine Country.”
According to the final plans and specifications approved by the board, the all-metal archway will consist of steel pipe columns and reinforced concrete pile foundations, spanning 75 feet and displaying a welcome sign with the words “Temecula Valley Wine Country.”
The area, which received official designation in 2013, encompasses roughly 33,000 acres, though only about 9,000 acres are home to vintners, which number just over 50.
A special assessment district was established three years ago for support of the Wine Country tourism district. However, funds for construction of the monument will be drawn from the Unincorporated Communities Initiative Fund and another county sub-account, separate from the General Fund.
The board set aside $10 million in the 2023-24 fiscal year budget for the Unincorporated Communities Fund, which was established in 2020 with the goal of providing revenue streams for projects specifically benefiting “disadvantaged unincorporated communities.”
Money in the fund is designated for equal distribution between the five supervisorial districts. Wine Country is in the third supervisorial district.
The archway sign previously established at Rancho California and Butterfield Stage roads was torn down during an infrastructure improvement project. The new sign will be set up a block away at Rancho California and Avenida Biona.
Along with the monument, the project will entail installation of a new concrete dike and various curb and gutter improvements, officials said.
The board directed the Clerk of the Board to begin advertising to solicit prospective bids on the project, with the close of bidding scheduled for April 24.