Jurupa Valley study session previews form‑based town‑center zoning for Rubidoux, Pedley and Glen Avon

City planners on Thursday laid out a draft of new town‑center zoning intended to implement the 2017 General Plan overlays and encourage walkable, mixed‑use development in Rubidoux, Pedley and Glen Avon. The draft code, funded in part through a SCAG grant, emphasizes objective ‘‘form‑based’’ standards for streets, building frontage and public realm design rather than relying solely on density and FAR caps.

The presentation, delivered as part of a study session, described three new zones — Town Center Core, Town Center General and Town Center Neighborhood — and two overlays: an active frontage overlay that requires retail‑ready ground floors in core areas, and a master‑plan overlay to require parcel reorganization and street network creation before rezoning large, irregular parcels. ‘‘The purpose of the zoning is really to define and code all of the elements that are needed to create those environments,’’ the presenter said, explaining the shift from use‑based to form‑based standards.

Why it matters: planners said the approach is designed to make approvals more predictable and to accelerate infill, increase affordable housing opportunities near amenities and reduce vehicle miles traveled — outcomes required by the SCAG grant. The code includes tools to promote ground‑floor active uses, set frontage build‑out requirements in cores, and manage parking behind buildings or in shared lots to reinforce a continuous street wall.

What was debated: Council members focused on how the code will affect density and whether the city can avoid unwanted outcomes while changes are phased in. One councilmember asked how a parcel now zoned A‑1 in Pedley would translate to the new Town Center Neighborhood and what that would mean for permitted units. Staff responded that density ceilings are calibratable and that the form‑based code will be used together with maximum DUAs set at the general‑plan level. Staff also proposed an incentive structure: developments that provide and maintain qualifying active ground‑floor commercial space could be allowed a higher density cap than projects that do not.

Some members raised implementation concerns. A councilmember asked whether the city could restrict development while the new zoning is adopted; staff said a moratorium will not be used but recommended clear, objective standards and a master‑plan overlay for areas that require parcel assembly to avoid piecemeal rezoning. ‘‘If there are areas that aren’t ready to change, cover those with a master plan overlay,’’ staff advised.

Next steps: staff submitted an administrative draft to internal review and will prepare corresponding general‑plan amendments. Because much of the work is grant‑funded, staff said it is aiming for adoption hearings by the end of the year, with additional study sessions and calibration in the interim. Councilmembers asked for follow‑up briefings with examples showing how specific properties would change under the draft standards.