ORDINANCE NO.
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA, TO EXTEND URGENCY ORDINANCE NO. 7769, ESTABLISHING A MORATORIUM ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OR EXPANSION OF WOODEN PALLET STORAGE YARDS WITHIN CITY LIMITS.
WHEREAS, on May 19, 2026, the City Council for the City of Riverside adopted an urgency ordinance, Ordinance No. 7769, establishing a moratorium on the establishment or expansion of wooden pallet storage yards with the City of Riverside (“City”) pursuant to California Government Code section 65858; and WHEREAS, since the adoption of the moratorium, staff has continued to meet internally to study the adoption of zoning and regulatory standards to protect the public health, safety, and welfare; and WHEREAS, staff supports the decision to extend the moratorium to allow staff to prepare any necessary local regulations or code revisions for City Council consideration, and to allow any such local regulations or code revisions to be adopted and otherwise made effective; and WHEREAS, additional time is needed in order to thoroughly develop appropriate regulations as dictated by the City Council; and WHEREAS, this Ordinance shall extend the existing moratorium for a period of no more than 10 months and 15 days, with an expiration date of May 18, 2027; and WHEREAS, if necessary, this moratorium may be again extended as provided by law; and WHEREAS, this Ordinance extension of the moratorium is necessary based on the following findings:
Fire Risk: Wooden pallet storage yards present an obvious fire hazard due to the storage of large quantities of wood, a combustible material, at a single site. Within the past few years there have been multiple fires associated with pallet yards in nearby cities that have caused millions of dollars in losses.
Stacking Hazards: Wooden pallet storage yards often store wooden pallets in high stacks. Without adequate regulation of the location, height and volume of these stacks, or the separation between these stacks, the health, safety, and welfare of the public may be endangered. The improper or unsafe stacking of wooden pallets may be a falling risk, endangering employees, and visitors to these sites, or may become a fire hazard, endangering the public and neighboring properties; and WHEREAS, in order to address concerns regarding the establishment or expansion of wooden pallet storage yards, the City intends to study the issues associated with wooden pallet yards including new development standards that may be imposed on their operation to mitigate any potential impacts. This could include evaluating all land use districts in which wooden pallet yards are permitted for suitability and evaluating development standards and best practices from other jurisdictions to determine if they would be appropriate City wide; and WHEREAS, the City has a compelling interest in protecting the public health, safety, and welfare of its residents and businesses, and preserving the peace and integrity of neighborhoods within the City; and WHEREAS, it is necessary to protect the health, safety and welfare, specifically the City and the public’s interests in the City’s aesthetic, economic, health, safety and community character, until additional staff review has been completed and any necessary local regulations or code revisions have been revised, adopted and otherwise made effective; and WHEREAS, California Government Code section 65858 authorizes the City Council to, after notice and public hearing, extend the interim ordinance for 10 months and 15 days and subsequently extend the interim ordinance for one year by a four-fifths vote for adoption; and WHEREAS, the City Council held a duly noticed public hearing on June 16, 2026, and considered all oral and written evidence presented regarding the extension of the interim ordinance.
The City Council of the City of Riverside does ordain as follows:
Section 1. Incorporation of Recitals.
The above recitals are hereby declared to be true and correct and represent findings of the City Council, made in the exercise of its independent judgment, and are hereby incorporated by reference and made a part of this ordinance.
Section 2. Purpose.
The purpose of this ordinance is to continue a moratorium established by Ordinance No. 7769, adopted on May 19, 2026, on the establishment or expansion of wooden pallet storage yards with the City for the immediate preservation of the public health, safety and welfare.
Section 3. Authority.
In accordance with Government Code section 65858 et seq., to protect the public safety, health, and welfare, the City Council hereby adopts, as an urgency measure, this interim ordinance prohibiting the establishment or expansion of wooden pallet storage yards within the City, because they may be in conflict with a contemplated general plan, specific plan, or zoning proposal that the City through either the City Council, Planning Commission, or the planning department is considering or studying or intends to study within a reasonable time.
Section 4. Findings.
The City Council hereby finds wooden pallet storage yards pose a current and immediate threat to the public health, safety and welfare on the citizens of the City and are a use which may be in conflict with a contemplated general plan, specific plan, or zoning proposal that the City Council, Planning Commission or the Planning Division is considering or studying or intends to study within a reasonable time. The City Council further hereby finds that the approval of land use permits, building permits, business licenses, or any other applicable approval or decision for the establishment or expansion of wooden pallet storage yards would result in that threat to public health, safety, or welfare. These findings are based upon all of the facts recited in this ordinance, in the staff report accompanying this ordinance, all matters and information presented to this City Council at its meeting on May 19, 2026. The City Council hereby directs the Planning Division and the City’s Fire Department to work together to consider and study impacts and adoption of zoning and regulatory standards to protect the public health, safety, and welfare and to create new or revised regulations and/or ordinances that address such impacts.
Section 5. Moratorium Imposed.
The moratorium on the City’s establishment or expansion of wooden pallet storage yards within the City is hereby extended until May 18, 2027. All terms and findings from Ordinance No. 7769 are hereby incorporated into this Ordinance and made a part of this Ordinance.
Section 6. Effective Date and Duration.
This ordinance shall become effective immediately upon adoption if adopted by at least four-fifths vote of the City Council, and shall extend the interim ordinance for 10 months and 15 days until May 18, 2027,unless extended by the City Council in accordance with the provisions of Government Code section 65858.
Section 7. Severability.
If any provision of this ordinance or the application thereof to any person or circumstance is held to be unconstitutional or otherwise invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, such invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications of this ordinance which can be implemented without the invalid provision or application and to this end the provisions of this ordinance are declared to be severable.
Section 8. California Environmental Quality Act.
The City hereby finds that this ordinance is not subject to review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines sections 15060, subdivision (c)(2) (the activity will not result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment) and 15061, subdivision (b)(3) (there is no possibility the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment). In addition to the foregoing general exemptions, the City Council further finds that this ordinance is categorically exempt from review under CEQA under the Class 8 Categorical Exemption (regulatory activity to assure the protection of the environment), CEQA Guidelines section 15308.
Section 9: The City Clerk shall certify to the adoption of this ordinance and cause publication once in a newspaper of general circulation in accordance with Section 414 of the Charter of the City of Riverside. / /
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ADOPTED by the City Council this _________ day of _____________, 2026. ___________________________
PATRICIA LOCK DAWSON
Mayor of the City of Riverside
Attest:
_____________________________
DONESIA GAUSE
City Clerk of the City of Riverside
I, Donesia Gause, City Clerk of the City of Riverside, California, hereby certify that the foregoing ordinance was duly and regularly introduced and adopted at a meeting of the City Council on the _______ day of _______________, 2026, by the following vote, to wit:
Ayes:
Noes:
Absent:
Abstain:
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the official seal of the City of Riverside, California, this ________ day of ______________, 2026. _________________________________
DONESIA GAUSE
City Clerk of the City of Riverside
314344 TAT 06/01/26
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10 City Attorney’s Office3900 Main StreetRiverside, CA 92522(951) 826-5567City Attorney’s Office3900 Main StreetRiverside, CA 92522(951) 826-5567 City Attorney’s Office
3900 Main Street
Riverside, CA 92522
(951) 826-5567
City Attorney’s Office
3900 Main Street
Riverside, CA 92522
(951) 826-5567
City Attorney’s Office3900 Main StreetRiverside, CA 92522(951) 826-5567City Attorney’s Office3900 Main StreetRiverside, CA 92522(951) 826-5567 City Attorney’s Office
3900 Main Street
Riverside, CA 92522
(951) 826-5567
City Attorney’s Office
3900 Main Street
Riverside, CA 92522
(951) 826-5567
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