The Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) Initiative is a local ballot measure designed to give Riverbank residents a direct say in whether large-scale urban development can move onto the agricultural and open space lands west of the current city limits.
At its core, the measure does not decide any specific project by itself. Instead, it sets a clear rule: Before the City of Riverbank can approve urban development on these west-side lands, a majority of city voters must agree.
What the Initiative Would Do
According to the title and summary prepared by the City Attorney, the initiative would:
- Require majority voter approval for any City Council decision that:
- Allows urban development, or
- Authorizes or facilitates urban uses
on existing agricultural or open space lands located west of the current Riverbank city limits.
- Make any such City Council decision invalid unless and until it is subsequently approved by voters at an election.
- Apply this voter-approval requirement to all future council actions affecting urban uses on those west-side lands, not just one project.
In other words, the Initiative does not say “never.” It says “ask the voters first.”
Where It Applies
The measure is specific about geography:
- “City Limits” refers to lands currently within the jurisdiction of the City of Riverbank.
- The existing western city boundary is generally located near the midpoint between Oakdale Road and Coffee Road.
- All lands west of these city limits are in Stanislaus County’s jurisdiction, not yet part of the City of Riverbank.
The Initiative focuses on these west-of-city-limit agricultural and open-space areas—the same general area proposed for the River Walk expansion.
Decisions That Would Require Voter Approval
If the Initiative is adopted, the City Council could not, on its own, make a decision that:
- Changes land use or zoning to allow urban development, or
- Approves plans, agreements, or projects that enable urban uses on agricultural or open space lands west of the existing city limits without a public vote.
Any such decision would need to be placed on the ballot and receive a majority “yes” vote from Riverbank voters to take effect.
Why an Urban Growth Boundary?
Supporters of the Initiative view a UGB as a planning tool that:
- Keeps prime farmland and open space from being converted to urban uses without a clear public mandate.
- Helps ensure that major changes to Riverbank’s western edge are decided with direct voter participation, not only through council actions.
- Encourages city leaders to prioritize infill and more efficient use of land inside existing boundaries before expanding outward into agricultural areas.
Similar urban growth boundary measures have been adopted in other communities in Stanislaus County, the Bay Area, and elsewhere in California as a way to balance growth with long-term protection of farmland and open space.
Important Exceptions
The measure includes several specific exceptions where the voter-approval requirement would not apply. These are intended to address legal obligations, existing rights, and essential public facilities. Under the Initiative, voter approval would not be required when:
- State-Mandated Housing
- The City Council finds, and the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) certifies in writing, that development of agricultural or open space land west of the city limits is necessary to meet Riverbank’s legal fair-share housing requirement.
- Ancillary Agricultural Uses
- The City approves ancillary uses on existing agricultural or open space lands, such as farmworker housing or similar uses that support agriculture rather than replace it.
- Projects with Vested Rights
- A development project has already obtained a vested right to build on west-side lands under existing law. In that case, the Initiative does not retroactively take those rights away.
- Wastewater Facilities
- The City is establishing or expanding wastewater treatment facilities west of city limits. Essential infrastructure of this type is exempt from the voter-approval rule.
These exceptions mean the Initiative is not an absolute ban on all activity west of the current boundary; it targets urban development while carving out room for legal requirements, agriculture-supporting uses, existing vested projects, and critical utilities.
How This Relates to the River Walk Proposal
The River Walk Project is one example of the kind of large-scale urban development proposed for the west side of Riverbank. If an Urban Growth Boundary is in place:
- Any future decision by the City Council that would enable River Walk—or any similar west-side urban project—would have to be submitted to the voters for approval before it could take effect.
The Initiative itself does not approve or deny River Walk. Instead, it changes the rules so that projects of this scale and location are ultimately decided by the community at the ballot box, rather than solely by council vote.first.”
Where to Read the Full Text
The complete legal language of the Urban Growth Boundary Initiative is available as a PDF:
- “The Urban Growth Boundary Initiative: Initiative Measure to be Submitted Directly to the Voters”
– including the City Attorney’s title and summary, detailed definitions, maps, and full ordinance text.
Residents who want to understand the measure in detail—including its maps, definitions of “urban uses,” and the precise legal language of the exceptions—are encouraged to review the full document before forming an opinion.