Documents

The Urban Growth Boundary Initiative:

Initiative Measure to be Submitted Directly to the Voters The City Attorney of the City of Riverbank has prepared the following title and summary of the chief purpose and points of the proposed measure: VOTER APPROVAL REQUIRED TO ALLOW DEVELOPMENT OF URBAN USES ON AGRICULTURAL OR OPEN SPACE LANDS LOCATED WEST OF RIVERBANK CITY LIMITS.

This initiative measure would require a majority of City of Riverbank voters to approve any decision by the City Council that allows urban development on existing agricultural or open space lands located west of City Limits. “City Limits” refers to lands within the jurisdiction of the City of Riverbank. A depiction of existing City Limits is shown in the full text of the proposed measure. The City’s western boundary is generally located at the midpoint between Oakdale Road and Coffee Road. All lands west of City Limits are within the jurisdiction of Stanislaus County. The proposed initiative would require any decision by the City that authorizes or facilitates development of the urban uses west of City Limits to also be subject to voter approval at an election. Any decision by the City Council to allow development of urban uses west of City Limits, without voter approval, would not be valid until it has received voter approval at an election.

Under this initiative, the requirement for voter approval would not apply to the following scenarios: Where City Council finds, and the California Department of Housing and Community Development certifies in writing, that development of agricultural or open space lands west of City Limits is necessary to meet the City’s legal fair- share housing requirement. City approvals that allow ancillary uses on existing agricultural or open space lands west of City Limits (for example, farm worker housing). Where a development project has obtained a vested right to develop lands west of City Limits. City approvals that establish or expand wastewater treatment facilities west of City Limits.

The NOP (Notice of Preparation) which came out in June of 2021:

River Walk

PROJECT LOCATION: The proposed Project is located in the unincorporated area of Stanislaus County and adjacent to the City of Riverbank, north of Patterson Road/State Route (SR) 108, east of McHenry Avenue, and approximately two miles northwest of downtown Riverbank.

PROJECTION DESCRIPTION: The proposed Project is the expansion of the Riverbank Sphere of Influence by approximately 1,522 acres, adoption of a Specific Plan, annexation of approximately 933 acres into the Riverbank City limits, extension of infrastructure to the annexed area to serve development, and the subsequent development of the annexed area for: Low Density Residential, Medium Density Residential, High Density Residential, Mixed-Use, and Parks/ Recreation, including all infrastructure and utilities necessary to service the development.

The Specific Plan includes development of up to 2,250 residential dwelling units, a portion of which are active adult. The Specific Plan also includes development of approximately 71 acres of mixed use for the development in six specific areas offering neighborhood-scale retail uses, offices, personal and commercial services, with opportunities for higher-density residential development in a vertical or horizontal mixed-use setting. The Specific Plan also includes of Park, Buffer, Greenway, and Open Space uses.