6th Cycle Housing Element adoption
Summary
The fourth draft housing element went to the state March 4, with a public hearing set for March 31 and council action April 14. Some council members are uneasy about forced rezoning and one floated a sphere-of-influence fix.
At a glance
- Total mentions
- 6
- Last 30 days
- 0
Last discussed Jun 23, 2026.
Impact analysis
Delaying certification risks CDBG, HOME, PLHA and infill grants, potential state fines of $10,000-$100,000/month, and the builder's remedy that strips local control.
Future housing development could add affordable options across the city.
Owners of vacant parcels targeted for rezoning may face required changes to their property's use.
Mentions & discussions (6)
City Council / Local Redevelopment Authority - Jun 23, 2026
The council adopted the state-required housing element after reworking density calculations and removing a controversial site. The mayor noted the city already lost a $113,000 grant due to prior non-compliance.
Planning Commission - May 19, 2026
The state requires Riverbank to plan for its share of regional housing needs. The commission recommended adopting the housing element plus zoning changes and rezones; the state HCD has confirmed the revised plan meets statutory requirements, so certification is likely once the council acts.
City Council / Local Redevelopment Authority - May 12, 2026
The city is collecting traffic counts at 12 locations May 19-21 (temporary cameras only, no tickets), and the fifth draft of the housing element is out for public review through May 14 — with the controversial MID parcel rezone site removed per council direction.
City Council / Local Redevelopment Authority - Apr 28, 2026
The state requires Riverbank to plan for 3,591 units by 2031, and the draft includes rezoning eight sites, including the five-acre MID pasture at Roselle and Glow that neighbors fiercely oppose. The council voted to pull that site and go back to the state, delaying certification but keeping residents' hopes alive for the pasture.
Planning Commission - Mar 31, 2026
The state requires Riverbank to plan for 3,591 units from 2023-2031, and the city is technically past its adoption deadline. Certification unlocks grant funding and protects the city from litigation and state-approved builder's-remedy projects.
City Council / Local Redevelopment Authority - Mar 10, 2026
The fourth draft housing element went to the state March 4, with a public hearing set for March 31 and council action April 14. Some council members are uneasy about forced rezoning and one floated a sphere-of-influence fix.
Related development
Crossroads Community Specific Plan Amendment and Rezone of Seven Properties (SPA 01-2025, REZ 02-2025)
The state-required rezone sparked the heaviest public opposition of the night, focused on the Roselle pasture and infrastructure capacity.
6th Cycle Housing Element and associated rezonings
The pasture at Roselle and Glow stays as-is for now, but the city must still find land for its state housing quota and will likely face a longer road to certification.
2025 General Plan and Housing Element Annual Progress Report
A compliance housekeeping item, but it feeds the state's oversight of the city's housing progress.
General Plan Amendment 01-2025 — 6th Cycle Housing Element Adoption and Land Use Element Amendment
Sets the city's housing roadmap for 2023-2031 to meet a 3,591-unit state allocation with a surplus of sites.
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