Riverside City Council
February 1, 2022

ATTACHMENT 2
Working Group Input
Opportunities
▪ Diverse area to work with
▪ Research projects
▪ Recycled water
▪ Create a river linking downtown to:
o Hallmark parks, golf course(s), Innovation District, etc. ▪ Linking hole lake to the SAR
▪ Celebrate and preserve natural area
o Development Diversification: certain sections for commercial, certain sections for entertainment, certain sections for preservation, etc. ▪ Recreational opportunities
o Have an integrated system to build off of in order to promote healthy lifestyles (wellness)
o River tours!
o Bird watching
▪ Regional connectivity and partnerships
o Work with surrounding cities that have SAR in their jurisdiction Challenges
▪ What have you been hearing why folks don’t visit the river? • Homeless Encampments
• People just don’t know; are not aware
o “What river?”
• Lack of restrooms/amenities
• Access points; don’t know where to access the river safely o Some don’t even know the river IS accessible; just drive by it • Lack of water in river
• Negative connotation to river bottom
• No relationship to the built environment
▪ Environmental regulatory challenges
▪ Minimal infrastructure in place to support development o No existing development that facilitates our ideas
▪ Insufficient funding for operating and maintaining
▪ NIMBYs
▪ No destinations/things on the river that invite recreation and engagement ▪ Nothing that shouts, “THE RIVER IS HERE” near major highways; not having a place or thing that directs people to the river
▪ Intergovernmental affairs/jurisdictional boundaries
▪ Elevation difference
▪ Missing regulatory driver
▪ Lack of vision for development by some
▪ Some want tangible visuals, not just data and numbers What would you like to see?
o The ability to access the river at different points, depending on what it is you want to do (eat, drink, recreational activities. Etc.)
o Large/visible amount of water to arouse the curiosity or interest of passerby’s o Groups of people enjoying recreational activities on the river – we want to see the energy
o A healthy ecosystem that is trash free
o Unique touch points along the river that help tell Riverside’s story o A gondola from downtown to the river
o Educational signage along with wayfinding
o Active and passive learning experiences
o A hospitality destination filled with economic drivers for the region (food, drinks, entertainment, etc.)
o Tourist attraction(s) (open-space, concerts, etc.)
o SAR Reach 3 branding associated with built environment and City branding o Environmental benefit (engineered storm water collection) o Research components to educate children about environment and indigenous history
Imagine no boundaries: What would a vibrant river/waterfront destination in Riverside look like?
o A clean environment with no homelessness in sight
o Open water feature to be connected to downtown
o There is an obvious flow that attracts visitors from downtown to the river and vice versa
o A high degree of programming so that there is always something to do for all ages and interests
o Some commercial development (hotel, conference center, retreat center, visitors center)
o Entertainment venue(s) with lights along the river that allow visitors to visit at night
o Agri tourism focused element for community to enjoy and connect to the natural environment (demonstrations, community garden, edible tourist trail, etc.) o Economically viable ecosystem that doesn’t cost a lot to maintain - sustainable tourism concepts
o Create an ecosystem for market-based decisions (destinations, experiences, easy access)
o Innovative – take waterfront notion to another level (local art installations, bike tours, other)
o Authenticity is key – experience needs to be authentic and native to the land o A visitor/cultural center like the National Parks Visitor Center o A safe environment for families to visit – safe location, well patrolled, well lit, etc.
o A focus on supporting homegrown, local businesses, that hire local which will bring opportunities to buy local/something true to Riverside o Element of cooling – Climate Resilient – Water Features o Better utilization of undeveloped area of Ryan Bonaminio Park