CITY OF RIVERSIDE
GOOD NEIGHBOR GUIDELINES (GNG- 2020)
SITING NEW AND/OR MODIFIED INDUSTRIAL FACILITIES
CITY OF RIVERSIDE
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
PLANNING DIVISION
3900 MAIN STREET
RIVERSIDE, CA 92522
ADOPTED NOVEMBER 10, 2020
RESOLUTION No. 23639
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1. BACKGROUND
In 1998, the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) conducted its second Multiple Air Toxics Emissions Study (MATES II) 1. Considered the nation’s most comprehensive study of toxic air pollution to date, the study found that:
• Diesel exhaust is responsible for about 70 percent of the total cancer risk from air pollution;
• Emissions from mobile sources - including cars and trucks as well as ships, trains and planes - account for about 90 percent of the cancer risk.
Emissions from businesses and industry are responsible for the remaining 10 percent; and
• The highest cancer risk occurs in south Los Angeles County - including the port area - and along major freeways2.
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has adopted two airborne toxic control measures that will reduce diesel particul ate materials (PM) emissions associated with warehouse/distribution centers.
• The first will limit nonessential (or unnecessary) idling of diesel -fueled commercial vehicles, including those entering from other states or countries3. This measure prohibits i dling of a vehicle for more than five minutes at any one location.
• The second measure requires that transport refrigeration units (TRUs) operating in California become cleaner over time 4. The measure establishes in -use performance standards for existing T RU engines that operate in California, including out-of-state TRUs.
CARB also operates a smoke inspection program for heavy-duty diesel trucks that focuses on reducing truck emissions in California communities. Areas with large numbers of distributions centers are a high priority. While CARB has these measures in place, local agencies need to acknowledge that the enforcement of these measures is through the California Highway Patrol and do not provide a swift resolve to local air quality issues.
In September 2005, the Western Riverside Council of Governments (WRCOG) and the Regional Air Quality Task Force (RAQTF) approved the Good Neighbor Guidelines for Siting New and/or Modified Warehouse/Distribution Facilities (WRCOG Guidelines). In October 2008, the City of Riverside adopted a modified version of the WRCOG Guidelines with strategies tailored to the unique characteristics of the City. In April 2016, the City Council identified changes to be incorporated into the Good Neighbor Guidelines (Guidelines) for the City of Riverside.
1 MATES II Study: http://www.aqmd.gov/matesiidf/matestoc.htm 2 MATES II Fact Sheet: http://www.aqmd.gov/news1/2005/matesiiifactsheet.html. 3 For more information visit http://www.arb.ca.gov/regact/idling/idling.htm. 4 For more information visit https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/our-work/programs/transport-refrigeration-unit/tru- compliance-information .
Good Neighbor Guidelines (GNG- 2020)
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The 2020 City Good Neighbor Guidelines identify ways to ensure air quality, noise and neighborhood character are considered as new industrial facilities are sited in the City The guidelines assist developers, property owners, elected officials, community organizations, and the public in understanding ways to balance new industrial development with protecting the City’s residentia l uses and neighborhoods. The Guidelines identify ways to minimize the impacts of diesel particulate matter (PM) from on-road trucks associated with industrial, warehouses and distribution centers; minimize the impacts of noise generated by these uses; and protect residential neighborhoods, s chools, parks, p laygrounds, day car e centers, nursing homes, h ospitals, an d other public places where residents are most likely to spend time (Sensitive Receptors).
For the purpose of these Guidelines, industrial uses are defined and regulated in Title 19- Zoning of the Riverside Municipal Code.
2. PURPOSE
The goals of the City of Riverside’s Good Neighbor Guidelines (Guidelines), in siting new industrial uses, include:
1. Ensure air quality and health risks are evaluated
2. Evaluate and minimize noise impacts
3. Protect the residential uses and neighborhood character of the City The Guidelines apply to any new industrial de velopment in the City of Riverside and are codified in Title 19 – Zoning of the Riverside Municipal Code. The Guidelines apply to all new industrial use applications received by the City and will be considered as part of the design and entitlement process. The Guidelines ensure proper consideration of and mitigation of potentially significant adverse environmental impacts that are identified under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
3. GOOD NEIGHBOR GUIDELINES
The following summarizes the Good N eighbor Guidelines for the City of Riverside as codified in Title 19 – Zoning of the Riverside Municipal Code:
A. Air Quality
1) Minimize exposure to diesel emissions for r esidential neighborhoods, schools, parks, playgrounds, day care centers, nursing homes, hospitals, and other public places (Sensitive Receptors) situated in close proximity to the industrial uses
2) In compliance with CEQA, conduct SCAQMD URBEMIS and EMFAC computer models to identify the significance of air quality impacts on Sensitive Receptors
a) Require an air quality analysis to ensure air quality protection, in accordance with the Air Quality Management District (AQMD) guidelines, for both project specific and cumulative impact analysis Good Neighbor Guidelines (GNG- 2020)
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b) Require “Health Risk Assessments” for industrial uses within 1,000 feet of Sensitive Receptors in accordance with AQMD guidelines 3) Minimize the air quality impacts of trucks on Sensitive Receptors a) Design facilities to allow for the queuing of trucks on-site and away from Sensitive Receptors
b) Prevent the queuing of trucks on streets or elsewhere outside of facility
4) Promote the installation of on -site electric hook-ups to eliminate idling of main and auxiliary engines during loading and unloading of cargo and when trucks are not in use – especially where transport refrigeration units (TRUs) are proposed to be used
B. Noise
1) For small industrial uses, when possible, locate driveways, loading docks and internal circulation routes away from Sensitive Receptors 2) For large industrial uses , require that driveways, loading docks and internal circulation routes are located away from Sensitive Receptors 3) Require Transportation Demand Management measures for industrial uses with over one hundred employees to reduce work-related vehicle trips
4) Minimize traffic through residential areas and r equire industrial uses establish specific truck routes
5) Minimize noise from construction activities
6) Ensure compliance with Title 7 – Noise of the Riverside Municipal Code as it relates to noise in residential neighborhoods
C. Neighborhood Character
1) Require tiered, or graduated , land use regulations related to heights, setbacks and building massing , for all new industrial uses to minimize impacts on surrounding Sensitive Receptors to minimize visual impacts 2) Ensure that Sensitive Receptors are screened from industrial uses using appropriate wall design and heights
3) Require landscaping to soften the potential impacts on Sensitive Receptors from industrial uses
4) Minimize impacts on Sensitive Receptors of entrance and exit points to the site
5) Require on-site signage for directional guidance to trucks entering and exiting the facility to minimize potential impacts on Sensitive Receptors 6) Encourage new and existing industrial uses to provide truck drivers with information on the closest restaurants, fueling stations, truck repair facilities, lodging and entertainment
Good Neighbor Guidelines (GNG- 2020)
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7) Enforce compliance with Riverside Municipal Code including, but not limited to:
a) Section 10.44.155 – “Parking of certain commercial vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers prohibited; exceptions”
b) Section 10.44.160 – “Parking of certain commercial vehicles prohibited in residential districts”
c) Section 10.44.040 Parking for certain purposes prohibited d) Section 1 9.880 – “Transportation Demand Management
Regulations”