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RiversideCA.gov1
RiversideCA.gov
UPDATE TO INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONSPR-2023-001523 (AMD) – ZONING TEXT AMENDMENT City CouncilJanuary 27, 2026Community & Economic Development Department RiversideCA.gov2
20202022202320242025BACKGROUNDCity adopts 2020 Good Neighbor GuidelinesLUC directs comprehensive review of 2020 GNGCommunity outreach & updates to Land Use Committee and Planning Commission Proposed zoning changes released for review & AB 98 signed into lawPlanning Commission & City Council SB 415 signed into law1 2 2
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AUGUST 19, 2025 – City Council Meeting •AB 98 and options moving forwardCity Council Direction:1) Implement AB 98 (SB 415 thereto) in Zoning Code2) Define “logistics use” and apply amendments narrowly to warehousing and distribution facilities3) Identify areas in proposed amendments for increased flexibility –preserve economic development priorities BACKGROUND RiversideCA.gov4
Proposed amendments organized into two sections:1) The New Baseline – Implementation of AB 98–Ensures compliance with state law–Doesn’t factor Committee and Council direction –Chapter 19.435 and Chapter 19.910 2) City Council and Land Use Committee Policy Direction –Implements feedback from community, Planning Commission and City Council –Chapters 19.130; 19.150; 19.435; 19.670; and 19.910PROPOSED ORDINANCE 3 4
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Overview of Changes:•Warehousing and Distribution Facility definition revised to be consistent with AB 98 “logistics use”•Sensitive receptor defined consistent with AB 98 and Council direction•Separate warehousing and distribution facility development standards from Chapter 19.130 to implement AB 98Affected Chapters:•Chapter 19.910 – Definitions •Chapter 19.435 – Warehousing and Distribution Facilities NEW BASELINE RiversideCA.gov6
Establishment of Truck Routes: •Ongoing General Plan Update •Staff and consultant working to update Circulation Element of GP •Next steps •Community outreach - Spring 2026•Route identification – Summer 2026•Adoption - 2027 NEW BASELINE 5 6
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Warehousing & Distribution Facilities
• Prohibit warehouses > 400,000 sf in all industrial zones except General Industrial (I) Zones • Permit incidental warehousing on principally permitted uses • Limit the cumulative building area for warehousing facilities based on distance to SR and lot size• Increased project notification radius for warehousing projects – 1,000 feet (reduced from 2,640 ft)COUNCIL & COMMITTEE DIRECTIONAll Industrial Development • Increased landscape & wall requirement• New project notification requirements including on-site project notification and tenant notification Affected Chapters:•Chapter 19.130 – Industrial Zones •Chapter 19.150 – Permitted Land Uses •Chapter 19.435 – Warehousing and Distribution Facilities•Chapter 19.670 – Project Notification Requirements •Chapter 19.910 – Definitions RiversideCA.gov8
COUNCIL & COMMITTEE DIRECTION
• Maintain tiered standards to protect adjacent to residential zone or use (not all sensitive receptors)• Warehousing standards separated from general industrial standardsCh. 19.130 – Industrial Zones • Warehousing project notification radius reduced to 1,000 ft (from ½ mile)Ch. 19.670 – Project Notification Requirements • Updated FAR table applies to new/modified warehousing, not all industrial uses Ch. 19.435 –Warehousing & Distribution Facilities REVISED AMENDMENTS – INCREASED FLEXIBILITY 7 8 5
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That the City Council:1. Determinethat Planning Case PR-2023-001523 (Zoning TextAmendment) is exempt from further California EnvironmentalQuality Review pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) (General Rule), asit can be seen with certainty that approval of the project will nothave a significant effect on the environment;2. ApprovePlanning Case PR-2023-001523 (Zoning TextAmendment) based on the findings summarized in the PlanningCommission Staff Report; and3. Introduceand subsequently adopt the attached Ordinanceamending Title 19 (Zoning) of the Riverside Municipal Code.RECOMMENDATIONS RiversideCA.gov10
Reference Slides 9
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SENSITIVE RECEPTOR AREASExistingProposed
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Effect•Maximum building size reduced for projects located 800-1,500 feet from sensitive receptor •Current code may have allowed more depending on lot sizeProposed Changes•Tiered maximum building size protections apply based on proximity to any sensitive receptor•Two new maximum building categories:–800ft – 1,500 ft of SR= 400ksf –> 1,500 ft of SR = per FAR MAXIMUM BUILDING SIZE11 12 7
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Effect•New table reduces the allowable building space for certain vacant parcels •Overall development intensity of industrially zoned land will decrease Proposed Changes•New table will regulate allowable building density based on: –Distance of parcel to nearest sensitive receptor –Size of parcel –Underlying Zoning designationNUMBER OF ALLOWED BUILDINGS RiversideCA.gov14
Effect•Proposed warehousing & distribution facilities 400k sf or greater are limited to one Zoning districtProposed Changes•Prohibit warehouses 400k sf or greater in all industrial zones except General Industrial (I) zonePERMITTED LAND USES13 14 8
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Effect•Expands the extent and type of project notification compared to other land uses•Additional community awareness of projects early onProposed Changes•Increase project notification radius from 300 feet to 2,640 feet (½ mile) for new warehousing & distribution facility projects•Notify tenants of multi-tenant buildings •On-site signage required to notify community PROJECT NOTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS RiversideCA.gov16
PROPOSED FAR VALUESLot SizeDistance from Sensitive Receptor> 4 Acres2-4 Acres< 2 acresAIRIBMPAIRIBMPAIRIBMP.60.25.25.60.35.35.60.50.50< 200 feet.60.35.35.60.50.50.60.60.75< 800 feet.60.60.75.60.601.0.60.601.5< 1,500 feet.60.601.5.60.601.5.60.601.5> 1,500 feet15 16 9
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FAR CHANGES – EXAMPLE
Current
ProposedAllowed FAR: 1.5 - Actual FAR: .55Building Footprint: 87,968 sq. ft.Allowed FAR: 0.35 - Actual: 0.35Building Footprint: 55,490 sq. ft.Maximum individual building size: 10,000 sq. ft.2 – 4 Acre Lot Within 200 feet of Sensitive Receptor RiversideCA.gov18
FAR CHANGES – EXAMPLE B CurrentProposedAllowed FAR: 1.5 - Actual FAR: .64Building Footprint: 100,352 sq. ft.Allowed FAR: 0.5 - Actual: 0.5Building Footprint: 78,133 sq. ft.Maximum individual building size: 100,000 sq. ft.2 – 4 Acre Lot Within 800 feet of Sensitive Receptor 17 18
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FAR CHANGES – EXAMPLE C CurrentProposedAllowed FAR: 1.5 - Actual FAR: .55Building Footprint: 78,164 sq. ft.Allowed FAR: 1 - Actual: 0.55Building Footprint: 78,164 sq. ft.Maximum individual building size: 400,000 sq. ft.2 – 4 Acre Lot Within 1,500 feet of Sensitive Receptor RiversideCA.gov20
PROPOSED NOTIFICATION REQUIREMENTSStreet AStreet BSIGN1 sign per 300 ft of street frontageMaximum 3 ft distance between property line and street frontageProperty LineProperty LineSIGNSIGN19 20 11
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NOTICE OF FILING EXAMPLE
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Proposed StandardsREFERENCE SLIDE: LANDSCAPE BUFFER REQUIREMENTS Building
Residential Zone or UseSetback Area (60 ft)Landscaping Buffer (15 ft)Property LineCurrent Standards Building
SensitiveReceptorSetback Area (60 ft)Landscaping Buffer (20 ft)2 Rows of Staggered Trees: 30’ 21 22