Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council directs staff to develop neighborhood park on Jackson/Stanislaus site and seek alternate tiny‑home site
Summary
After extensive public comment, Riverbank councilors provided direction to prioritize creation of a neighborhood park on the 2.08‑acre city‑owned site at Jackson Avenue and Stanislaus Street while staff will pursue other locations and funding for a tiny‑home village to serve unhoused residents.
Riverbank’s City Council debated whether a 2.08‑acre parcel at Jackson Avenue and Stanislaus Street should be developed as a tiny‑home transitional housing village or converted entirely to neighborhood park space.
Staff recounted the property’s purchase in April 2022 and earlier requests for proposals to partner with a nonprofit and developer on a tiny‑home village that would include an open space amenity. The developer’s layout proposed about 39 transitional units (studios, one‑bedroom and two‑bedroom units) and a small internal open area; alternatives considered removing units to expand park acreage or identifying other nearby vacant parcels for park development.
During a lengthy public comment period, multiple residents emphasized that District 3 lacks neighborhood park space, described children playing in streets and cited demand for pickleball, playgrounds and gathering spaces. Other commenters, including representatives of the development team and nonprofit partners, stressed urgent unmet needs for transitional housing for foster youth, veterans and unhoused residents and urged that housing not be discounted as a city priority. One community speaker estimated the proposed 39 units could help over 120 local residents.
Council members acknowledged both needs. Several members — citing a lack of nearby parks, ARPA funding availability for park improvements and planning considerations — said they favored converting the Jackson/Stanislaus site to a park and asked staff to find an alternate site and funding path for the tiny‑home project. Council did not adopt a binding resolution; instead, direction was provided to staff to pursue park development on the purchased parcel and to identify and prioritize other sites and funding sources for tiny homes elsewhere in the city.
