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Residents urge delay of rezoning for Roselle pasture and other sites in Riverbank housing plan
Summary
Neighbors at the March 31 Planning Commission hearing objected to proposed site-specific rezones that would add eight candidate parcels to the citys housing inventory, citing ownership by MID, lack of mailed notice, wastewater capacity and loss of civic/open-space land; staff said rezoning does not force development and that sites met state site-selection criteria.
Riverbank residents urged the Planning Commission on March 31, 2026, to delay or reject site-specific rezones proposed under item 8.2 of the sixth-cycle housing element, saying several parcels (notably the Roselle pasture) are not demonstrably available for development and that rezoning would change community character without clear infrastructure planning.
Jordan Davidson, a neighbor of the Roselle parcel, told the commission that the parcel "is owned by MID and is expected to remain in agricultural use until they decide at some unknown point to sell or develop it," and argued the parcel should not be counted as an available housing site unless the city can document buildable acreage after rights-of-way and utility corridors are removed from developable area. Several other neighbors echoed concerns about traffic, privacy, water and sewer capacity and the loss of a civic-use designation for parts of the site.
Teresa McDonald and consultant staff responded that rezoning is a legislative planning tool that does not obligate owners to sell or develop and that project-specific review, public notice and environmental analysis would be required for any future development. Staff also said site-selection used state criteria and default densities to calculate capacity and that utilities were considered; they noted some utility stubs already exist on Glow Road.
Public commenters raised additional process concerns. Multiple residents said they did not receive mailed notices within the 300-foot radius (they discovered the hearing by social media and word-of-mouth) and asked for more community outreach before rezonings affecting neighborhood parcels. Tenant Jeremiah Johnson described the Roselle pasture as a longtime community gathering place where neighbors bring children to feed horses and cattle.
Staff told the commission that the rezone package identifies eight candidate sites with an estimated combined capacity of 668 units intended to address a shortfall of roughly 599 units toward the citys RHNA obligation for the sixth cycle. Staff also said adoption of the housing element and implementation program would be forwarded to City Council for final action and HCD certification; the council hearing is scheduled for April 28, 2026. The transcript does not record a final roll-call vote on item 8.2 during the March 31 meeting.
The planning commission record, staff report attachments and written emails from opponents are available in the meeting packet; council consideration will determine whether the rezones proceed.
