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City Council June 23, 2026ADAPTIVE REUSE ORDINANCE COMMUNITY & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENTPC-2026-00427 (Zoning Text Amendment) RiversideCA.gov2
•6thCycle Housing Element adopted in 2021 •Implementation underway:–(✓) Pre-approved ADU plans –(✓)Streamlined development processes (Zoning Code Updates)–(✓)Infill development standards –(✓)Small lot subdivision ordinance –(~)Pre-approved Missing Middle Housing Plans (In Progress)–(~)Adaptive Reuse Ordinance (before you today)BACKGROUND 1 2
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GRANT BACKGROUND
• Awarded SCAG $231.5 million to support local agencies with 6thcycle Housing Element implementation• Grant expenditure deadline of June 30, 2026Regional Early Action Planning Grants of 2021 (REAP 2.0) • SCAG awarded WRCOG $1.5 million to support member agencies • City staff coordinated request with SCAG and WRCOG • Project kick-off July 2025Western Riverside Council of Governments (WRCOG) –Technical Assistance Request RiversideCA.gov4
December 8, 2025 – City Council Land Use Committee •Overview of Adaptive Reuse project provided to Committee •Next steps provided BACKGROUND 3 4
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Repurposing existing non-residential structures (offices, retail, or commercial buildings) into new land uses–Incentivize housing production; –Revitalize neighborhood and commercial corridors; and–Preserve historic structures or architectural heritageADAPTIVE REUSE RiversideCA.gov6
STAKEHOLDER OUTREACHRoundtable Meetings• Local property owners, developers, and nonprofit organizations • Provide feedback on draft materials & inform on progress• Share local expertise to inform the ordinance Expert Interviews• Architecture and design firms; adaptive reuse developers • Identify key obstacles and potential solutions for adaptive reuse in the City Community at Large• Updates to Chambers of Commerce • Public open house to share draft ordinance City Department Working Sessions• Internal meetings with Building & Safety and Fire Department • Inform departments about adaptive reuse and collaborate on ordinance flexibility 5 6
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New Chapter Chapter 19.540 –Adaptive ReuseADAPTIVE REUSE ORDINANCE PROJECT GOAL: INCENTIVIZE THE CONVERSION OF NON-RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES INTO STANDALONE RESIDENTIAL AND MIXED-USE DEVELOPMENT RiversideCA.gov8
INCENTIVE ELIGIBILITYAdaptive reuse of eligible buildingspermitted by right in the following zonesEligible buildings: Non-residential buildings or structures constructed or received Certificate of Occupancy at least 15 years prior, on rolling basis 7 8
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DEFINITIONSIllustrationDefinition TermAdditional floor area constructed within or as an extension of height of the existing building envelope.Bonus Floor AreaThe total amount of 3D building space that exists at the time of the project application. No additions or alterations. Existing Building EnvelopeNew ground up construction that takes place separate from the existing building envelope. New Construction Existing Building EnvelopeNew ConstructionExisting Building EnvelopeBonus Floor AreaExisting Building Envelope RiversideCA.gov10
Development StandardType•Not additional parking required beyond existing parking for the reuse of existing building envelope or bonus floor area. •New construction = Abide by parking requirements of underlying zone or of zone which most closely matches density of project. •Excess parking spaces may be converted to other uses.Parking100 sq. ft. of any combination of private and common usable open space per dwelling unit or that of the underlying zone whichever is less. At least 25% of the usable open space is required to be shared or common space.Open SpaceDEVELOPMENT STANDARDS9 10 6
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New Construction•Permitted to support project feasibility + add'l. units•Must include:•Adaptive reuse of existing building•New construction on same project siteDEVELOPMENT STANDARDSZoned for Residential UseAbide by standards of underlying Zoning, Specific Plan or Overlay Zoned for Non-Residential UseAbide by closest matching residential/mixed-use zone (by density)Example: CG zone + 14.5 du/ac → apply R-3-3000 standards RiversideCA.gov12
EXISTING BUILDING ENVELOPE INCENTIVES
Existing Building EnvelopeExisting Building Envelope
HeightExisting building height considered legal nonconformingRooftop construction permitted subject to height req. Floor Area New floor area within or on top of existing building envelope permitted Floor area may be reallocated SetbacksMay remain as legal nonconforming New floor area ≠ degree or nonconformity12 3411 12 7
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EXISTING BUILDING ENVELOPE INCENTIVES
56 Open Space ≤ 5 units = no open space req.½ w/in public park = reduce open space by 25%ParkingNo additional parking req. beyond existing parking Bicycle parking may satisfy up to 5% of req. spacesDensityMay exceed allowable density if complying with height req.7 RiversideCA.gov14
•Grants the Building Official & Fire Marshall the authority to adopt alternative building standards•Adaptive Reuse Technical ManualTITLE 16 AMENDMENTS Example: City of Long Beach Adaptive Reuse Technical Manual 13 14
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That the CITY COUNCIL:1. DETERMINEthat Planning Case PC-2025-00427 (Zoning TextAmendment) is exempt from further California Environmental QualityAct Review pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) (General Rule), as it canbe seen with certainty that approval of the project will not have asignificant effect on the environment;2. APPROVEPlanning Case PC-2025-00427 (Zoning Text Amendment)based on the findings summarized in the Planning Commission StaffReport; and3. INTRODUCEand subsequently adopt the attached Ordinanceamending Title 16 (Buildings and Construction) and Title 19 (Zoning) ofthe Riverside Municipal Code.RECOMMENDATIONS RiversideCA.gov16
Reference Slides 15
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OVERVIEWAdaptive Reuse of Existing Building Only(Incentives Eligible)New Construction (Development Standards of Underlying Zone or Nearest Zone per Density)Existing Envelope Bonus Floor Area:Up to 30 of add’l. depending on existing building height. Design review req.u uuuuuu uuuuuBonus Floor AreaExisting Building EnvelopeuuuuuuuuuuKeyNew Construction:Reuse of existing building req. Must be on same project site. Design review req.uDwelling unit/Usable Space Standalone new construction not permittedSame Project Site RiversideCA.gov18
OBJECTIVES•Work through potential barriers to adaptive reuse in the City•Inform the ordinance based on the findings•Apply the draft ordinance to real scenarios in the CityCASE STUDIES Case Study OneCommercial Building within Suburban ContextCase Study TwoMixed-use Office Building within Urban Context 17 18
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CASE STUDY ONE – SUBURBAN CONTEXT
•Adaptive Reuse SF: 29,095 sf•New Construction SF: 48,660 sf•Units in Adaptive Reuse: 25•New Units: 22•Open Space: 5,905 sf•Parking Count: 81 stalls •Adaptive Reuse SF: 14,935 sf•New Construction SF: 44,820 sf•Units in Adaptive Reuse: 5•New Units: 57•Open Space: 4,865 sf•Parking Count: 109 stalls RiversideCA.gov20
CASE STUDY TWO – URBAN CONTEXT
•Adaptive Reuse SF: 29,870 sf•New Construction SF: 6,715 sf•Units in Adaptive Reuse: 24•New Units: 12•Open Space: N/A sf•Parking Count: 0 stalls•Adaptive Reuse SF: 29,870 sf•New Construction SF: 7,005 sf•Units in Adaptive Reuse: 22•New Units: 12•Open Space: 1,700 sf•Parking Count: 0 stalls 19 20
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Incentives apply only to the conversion of the existing building envelope.Floor Area •Existing floor area that exceeds allowed FAR limits may remain •New floor area within or on top of existing envelopedoes not count toward max FAR•May be reallocated to create lightwells or courtyardsSetbacks•Existing building setbacks may remain as legal nonconforming •Reallocated or bonus floor area may not increase degree of nonconformityEXISTING BUILDING ENVELOPE INCENTIVES RiversideCA.gov22
Height•Buildings which exceed allowable height may remain as legal nonconforming•New or added rooftop construction permitted:•49 feet or less, additions 15 feet or less •50 feet or greater, additions 30 feet or lessDensity•May exceed the allowed maximum residential if project complies with height provisions Minimum Unit Size•Not requiredEXISTING BUILDING ENVELOPE INCENTIVES21 22 12
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Stepbacks•Do not apply unless the building is a Cultural Resource Parking•New parking spaces not required•Up to 5% of parking spaces satisfied by an equal number of bicycle parking Open space•Projects 5 units or less, are exempt from the open space requirements•Projects within ½ mile of a park, may reduce open space up to 25%.Landscaping & Loading Zones•No additional landscaping or loading zones requiredEXISTING BUILDING ENVELOPE INCENTIVES23