Riverbank council removes contested Roselle & Glow parcel from housing rezones after resident outcry

Riverbank's City Council voted to remove a contested parcel at Roselle and Glow from its proposed rezones for the city's sixth-cycle housing element after more than an hour of public comment and debate.

The hearing centered on the draft housing element the city plans to submit to the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) for certification. Consultant David Niskinen of JB Anderson Land Use Planning told the council the housing element identifies sites and implementation actions to accommodate the city's Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) of 3,591 units and includes eight properties proposed for rezoning with a combined capacity of about 668 units. Niskinen said the city used the state's default density assumptions, public outreach and multiple rounds of review with HCD in preparing the document.

Residents from the Crossroads neighborhood pressed the council to remove Site Number 3, a roughly 5-acre parcel on the southwest corner of Roselle and Glow that is owned by the Modesto Irrigation District (MID). Multiple speakers raised largely consistent concerns: the Hetch Hetchy easement slices the site; MID representatives told some residents they do not plan to sell; neighborhood residents said children and families use the pasture to view horses and cattle; and speakers questioned whether the site is realistically available for development during the 2023'2031 planning cycle.

"This pasture is something families experience every day," said one resident. Another asked plainly whether MID ever intends to sell and whether including the parcel simply kicks the problem to a future council.

Council members pressed staff and the consultant on options. Niskinen reiterated that removing a selected site would require the city to revise the housing element and send the draft back to HCD for another 60-day review, which could affect the city's timing and grant eligibility. Staff highlighted risks of not achieving a certified housing element, including reduced eligibility for some federal and state grants and the possibility that developers could use the state's "builder's remedy" to pursue projects with preemptive authority.

After deliberation, a council member moved to remove Site Number 3 and ask staff to identify alternative sites and continue discussions with HCD; the motion passed by roll call (three in favor, one opposed, mayor abstained). The council instructed staff to notify HCD of the decision and to return with an amended plan or an agreed timeline for revisions.

The council also adopted the broader package items needed to implement the housing element in subsequent votes and accepted the 2025 housing element and general-plan annual progress report earlier in the meeting.

What's next: staff will return with alternatives and an updated timeline for HCD review or pursue a post-certification amendment process that would swap in an alternative site while preserving the city's ability to apply for grants that require a certified housing element.

The public hearing record, the consultant's slides and the staff report are part of the meeting packet.