City Council Memorandum
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL DATE: March 10, 2026 FROM: COMMUNITY & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WARDS: ALL
DEPARTMENT
SUBJECT: ANNUAL PROGRESS REPORT ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CITY’S GENERAL PLAN 2025 IN CALENDAR YEAR 2025 PURSUANT TO GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 65400(A)(2) ISSUE:
Receive and file an Annual Progress Report on the status of the City’s General Plan 2025 and submit it to the Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation, and the California Department of Housing and Community Development, pursuant to California Government Code Section 65400 (a)(2).
RECOMMENDATION:
That the City Council:
Receive and file the 2025 Annual Progress Report for the City of Riverside’s General Plan 2025; and Direct staff to submit the Annual Progress Report for the City of Riverside’s General Plan 2025 to the Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation and the California Department of Housing and Community Development, pursuant to California Government Code Section 65400 (a)(2).
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
In California, all jurisdictions must submit an Annual Progress Report (APR) on General Plan implementation, including project applications and approvals, processing times, and approval processes. Government Code Section 65400 requires the APR to be submitted to the Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation and Department of Housing and Community Development and to include the following:
The status of the General Plan and progress in its implementation.
The degree to which an approved General Plan complies with the State’s General Plan guidelines, and the date of the last revision to the General Plan.
The progress in meeting its share of regional housing needs assessment (RHNA), and local efforts to remove governmental constraints to the maintenance, improvement, and development of housing.
A list of sites rezoned to accommodate that portion of the City’s share of the RHNA.
The number of housing development applications received in the prior year.
The number of units included in all development applications in the prior year.
The number of units approved and disapproved in the prior year.
Within the Housing Element cycle, the number of net new units of housing, including rental and for-sale, issued a completed entitlement, building permit, or certificate of occupancy, and the income category, by area median income category, for each.
The number of affordable housing projects that requested processing under the State’s streamlining process (Government Code Section 65913.4(a)); and the number of units approved under the streamlining process, including those that conflicted with the State’s objective planning standards.
BACKGROUND:
The City’s General Plan 2025 was adopted in November of 2007 and includes the General Plan, Riverside Municipal Code (RMC) Title 19 - Zoning Code, RMC Title 18 – Subdivision Code, RMC Title 7 – Noise Control, and Citywide Design and Sign Guidelines. In October 2021, the Council adopted Phase 1 of the General Plan Update, which included updated Housing and Public Safety Elements and new Environmental Justice Policies to meet the State’s 6th Cycle Housing Element requirements. The objectives and policies in the General Plan 2025 and Phase 1 Update provide the City’s vision for growth based on input from residents.
General Plan 2025 includes 12 elements, including the State-required elements and optional elements such as Arts and Culture, Education, Air Quality, Public Facilities and Infrastructure, Parks and Recreation, and Historic Preservation. General Plan 2025 includes an Implementation Plan, which contains implementation tools prescribing specific actions, responsible entities, and timelines. The implementation tools show how the objectives and policies of the General Plan will be implemented. The Phase 1 Update also includes implementation tools through its Action Plan.
The General Plan Annual Progress Report (APR) (Attachment 1) reflects the City’s progress in fulfilling the General Plan 2025 objectives, policies, and actions during the 2025 calendar year. Government Code Section 65400, which provides submittal requirements for the report as mentioned above, also requires the City Council to review the report at a public meeting prior to its annual submission, providing the public with an opportunity to comment on the report.
DISCUSSION:
All City departments provided implementation progress for General Plan 2025 and the recently updated Housing and Public Safety Elements and Environmental Justice Policies of the Phase 1 Update. The APR discusses General Plan 2025 and Phase 1 Update implementation and necessary course adjustments, correlation of land use decisions, and progress in meeting the City’s share of regional housing needs based on the 6th Cycle Housing Element.
GENERAL PLAN PROGRESS
The following table summarizes each department’s progress in implementing General Plan 2025 and the recently updated Housing and Public Safety Elements and Environmental Justice Policies:
Table 1 – Implementation Summary
Department
Summary
Community & Economic Development
Continued work on the Phase 2 General Plan Update, including two community workshops and booths at multiple community events, to gain community input on land use and transportation policy. A key outcome of this year’s work was the development of three alternative scenarios for a revised land use map. The General Plan Update is expected to be adopted in 2027.
Continued work and community engagement on two SCAG Regional Early Action Plan (REAP)-funded projects intended to increase housing supply in the City: development of prototype missing middle (small-scale multifamily) housing plans, and development of an ordinance to facilitate the reuse of existing buildings into housing. Both projects are expected to be completed in 2026.
The Economic Development Division has continued to lead in attracting foreign direct investment and new employment headquarters to the City, particularly for green technology companies such as autonomous vehicle manufacturer Ohmio, technology and heavy duty electric vehicle manufacturer Voltu, and electric vehicle charging infrastructure company Chaevi, among others.
Office of Sustainability
Continued work on an updated Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP) concurrently with the Phase 2 General Plan Update. This year’s work included extensive community outreach as well as establishment of baseline emissions data, emissions projections, and a climate vulnerability assessment. The revised CAAP is expected to be adopted concurrently with the General Plan Update in 2027.
On March 4, 2025, the Office of Sustainability broke ground on construction of the eight-acre Northside Agricultural Innovation Center, designed to demonstrate sustainable agricultural strategies to local farmers and others such as students.
On May 22, 2025, the Office of Sustainability hosted a Climate Action Town Hall with the International Council of Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) to share and inspire ideas on how local governments like Riverside can take the lead in meeting climate goals.
Housing and Human Services
The Aspire, a 33-unit permanent supportive housing project for transitional age youth in Riverside, opened in January The project, which includes onsite education and job support services, was a partnership between the City, Innovative Housing Opportunities, California Family Life Center, Redstone Equity Partners, the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), Riverside Community College District (RCCD), and the County of Riverside Housing Authority.
In March 2025, Mayor Lock Dawson announced that the City of Riverside reached “functional zero” homelessness for youth aged 18-24, meaning that there are sufficiently available services and resources to meet the needs of all unhoused individuals in that age range.
Public Safety (Fire Department, Police Department, Emergency Management) The City’s Local Hazard Mitigation Plan was adopted on March 25, 2025. The Plan evaluates and assesses the identified hazards posed to the City, reviews and assesses past disaster occurrences, and community-engagement-set goals to mitigate potential risks to reduce or climate long-term risk to people, property and the environment.
In December 2025, the City of Riverside Fire Department completed the 2025 Riverside Fire Department Master Plan, Risk Assessment, and Standards of Cover, which analyzed current departmental infrastructure and needs and made recommendations.
Development of a Community Wildfire Protection Plan began this year, which will continue into 2026.
Public Works
The Third Street Grade Separation project received Caltrans approval, which clears the way for construction bidding and award. This project will construct a four-lane underpass, improve bike and pedestrian access, enhance emergency response times, and reduce congestion and emissions. Construction will begin in 2026.
In early 2025, the City and RCTC completed the $1.2 million Panorama Road Quiet Zone project, which included upgrades to the railroad crossing and removal of the automated horns.
Riverside Public Utilities
The Customer Engagement (CE) Team was awarded a fourth APPA Excellence in Communications award for its 2025 'Thirty Years in Education' campaign which highlighted the team's achievement of educating over 300,000 Riverside students since the education program was established.
The Riverside Habitat, Parks, and Water Project, which will increase and improve the City’s water supply, is in the design phase and undergoing CEQA. Design completion and final EIR are anticipated in 2026.
Library
On September 6, 2025, the City held a groundbreaking ceremony for the new SPC Jesus S. Duran Library in Eastside. The 15,000-square-foot library will replace the current storefront Eastside library on Chicago Avenue and include expanded services.
Arts and Culture
In 2025, the City of Riverside’s Arts and Culture District was designated one of ten new California Cultural Districts by the California Arts Council.
Museum
“Open Lobby” public engagement sessions continued through the Museum of Riverside design process. The final pre-construction public event was the groundbreaking ceremony on June 30, 2025. The project to rehabilitate and expand the Museum of Riverside began in July 2025.
Parks, Recreation and Community Services
The feasibility study for the River District has been completed, and the Riverside Gateway Parks Master Plan project is nearing completion. Over several City park sites located along the Santa Ana River, the plan proposes to develop recreation improvements on approximately 50 acres of the 282 acres included in the project.
Park facilities continued to improve and expand in 2025. Examples of improvements included the opening of Tim Strack Park and addition of the Arlington Pickleball Complex to Arlington Park.
More detailed descriptions of each department’s progress can be found in Appendix A of this report.
HOUSING ELEMENT PROGRESS
In October 2021, the City adopted a comprehensive update of the General Plan Housing Element for the 6th RHNA Cycle. The City’s 6th RHNA Cycle allocation saw a significant increase over the prior cycle with a final allocation of 18,458 units. RHNA progress is tracked and monitored annually by collecting data on the number of units issued permits during the reporting period. Since the start of the RHNA cycle in October 2021 to the end of 2025, the City issued permits for 3,613 units. Of these units, 564 were permitted during the 2025 calendar year, and of those units, 542 were market rate and 22 were affordable.
For Calendar Year 2025, the building permits issued include:
148 single-family units
208 multifamily units
208 accessory dwelling units
A detailed breakdown of RHNA progress, based on permits issued, is included in Appendix B of the report.
Beyond permits issued, affordable units are also moving elsewhere through the development pipeline. In 2025, the City began processing applications for 18 units, entitled 73 units, and finaled building permits for 32 units.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact associated with this report.
Prepared by: Clarissa Manges, Assistant Planner
Reviewed by: Miranda Evans, Acting Community & Economic Development Director Certified as to
availability of funds: Julie Nemes, Interim Finance Director Approved by: Mike Futrell, City Manager
Approved as to form: Rebecca McKee Reimbold, Interim City Attorney Attachments:
2025 General Plan Annual Progress Report
Appendix A – Implementation Table
Appendix B – 2025 Housing Element Progress
Appendix C – GPAs as of 2025
Appendix D – CIP Projects
Presentation
Annual General Plan Progress Report for Calendar Year 2025 Page 2