Land Use, Sustainability, and Resilience Committee
TO: LAND USE, SUSTAINABILITY, AND DATE: MARCH 13, 2023
RESILIENCE COMMITTEE MEMBERS
FROM: COMMUNITY & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WARDS: ALL
DEPARTMENT
SUBJECT: UPDATE ON INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS AND WAREHOUSE AND DISTRIBUTION FACILITIES DEVELOPMENT ISSUE:
Update on the City’s industrial development regulations and development of warehousing and distribution facilities, including a matrix of potential policy actions and clarification of existing policy.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
That the Land Use, Sustainability, and Resilience Committee:
Receive and file an update on the City’s industrial development regulations related to warehousing and distribution facilities; and Provide staff with direction to pursue one or more of the potential revisions to City policies and regulations as previously requested by the Committee, as summarized in Attachment 1.
BACKGROUND:
During the January 25, 2022, City Council meeting, following the Public Hearing for the Sycamore Hills Distribution Center project, Councilwoman Plascencia requested a review of the zoning regulations for Warehousing and Distribution Facilities within Riverside and other jurisdictions be brought to a future meeting of the Land Use, Sustainability and Resilience Committee (Committee). The review was to include strategies to address quality of life issues, including, but not limited to, reducing Riverside’s carbon footprint and exploring community benefits.
On June 13, 2022, staff presented an update to the Committee on Riverside’s current industrial development regulations; a cross-jurisdictional regulatory analysis to determine best practices; ongoing regional and state regulatory efforts; and research on community benefits and sustainability standards. Staff also presented a vacant site analysis illustrating potential locations for warehouse development in the City and highlighted projects in process to evaluate the percentage of industrially zoned land already developed.
Following the June 13, 2022, presentation, the Committee requested that staff return to a future meeting after initiating outreach efforts with community stakeholders to obtain feedback on Riverside’s regulatory efforts related to industrial development and warehousing and distribution facilities. The Committee also requested that staff further explore protections for sensitive receptors by conducting a geospatial analysis to identify which areas of the city have a high concentration of sensitive receptors relative to industrially zoned land.
On December 12, 2022, staff reported on the community outreach efforts, sensitive receptor analysis, and proposed policy consideration items. An update was also presented on best practices related to industrial development regulatory efforts. Following the presentation, the Committee requested that staff return at a future date with additional information about potential policy updates, including the required level of effort, timeline, and next steps.
On February 13, 2023, staff presented a matrix of potential policy actions for Committee consideration and prioritization (Attachment 2). Following discussion, the Committee recommended that Staff return to the next regularly scheduled meeting with a final recommendation for initiating policy changes based on the direction of the Committee.
DISCUSSION:
Staff has revised the Matrix of Potential Policy Actions to consolidate and prioritize prospective revisions to the City’s policies and regulations related to industrial development, warehouses, and distribution facilities along the following parameters:
Committee priority;
Level of effort and staff capacity;
Timeframe to completion; and
Required resources.
The Revised Matrix is included as Attachment 1. Staff propose to pursue the requested policy and regulatory changes in two or three phases. A detailed roadmap and work plan will be developed and presented to the Committee at a later date.
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT:
This item contributes to Strategic Priority 3 – Economic Opportunity and Goal 3.1 – Facilitate partnerships and programs to develop, attract and retain innovative business sectors, and Strategic Priority 4 – Environmental Stewardship and Goal 4.4 - Implement measures and educate the community to responsibly manage goods, products, and services throughout their life cycle to achieve waste reduction outcomes.
This Project aligns with the following Cross-Cutting Threads:
Community Trust – The update on industrial development regulations is presented at an open public meeting and contains transparent information on City processes and regulations.
Equity – The update on industrial development regulations seeks to promote environmental justice so that the impacts of new facilities are minimized on residents.
Fiscal Responsibility – The update on industrial development regulations will not have any fiscal impact to the City.
Innovation – The update on industrial development regulations is seeking best practices that will innovate how the City addresses these facilities in the future.
Sustainability & Resiliency – The update on industrial development regulations seeks to minimize the environmental impacts of these facilities in the future.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no direct fiscal impact associated with this report.
Several of the policy options presented would require professional consulting services that may range in cost from $50,000 to $200,000 each. If the Committee directs staff to pursue these policy options, funding sources will need to be identified along with Council approval for the appropriation of funds.
Prepared by: Jennifer Lilley, Community & Economic Development Director Approved by: Rafael Guzman, Assistant City Manager
Certified as to
availability of funds: Edward Enriquez, Interim Assistant City Manager/Chief Financial Officer/City Treasurer
Approved as to form: Phaedra A. Norton, City Attorney
Attachments:
Revised Matrix of Potential Policy Actions
Land Use, Sustainability and Resilience Committee Staff Report – February 13, 2023 Presentation
Update on Industrial Development Regulations · Page 8