Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

Good evening. Calling to order the regular planning commission meeting for today, Tuesday, November 18th, 2025. Uh, roll call, please. Chair Teddy Zora, here. Vice Chair Michael Sid Alterman here. Commissioner John Dyn here. and Commissioner Jones Stewart is um absent. So we have um Commissioner Alternate Armando Rodriguez here and Commissioner Natasha Baso here.

Any planning commission member or staff who has a direct conflict of interest on any scheduled agenda item to be considered is to declare their conflict at this time. Okay, seeing none, we'll move on to public comments. At this time, members of the public may comment on any item not appearing on the agenda and within the subject matter jurisdiction of the planning commission board. Individual comments will be limited to a maximum of three minutes and time cannot be yielded to another person. Under state law, matters presented during the public comment period cannot be discussed or acted upon. For record purposes, state your name and city of residents. Please make your comments directly to the planning commission members. So, we will open for public comments. There is nobody here in the audience. Anybody on Zoom? Okay, we will close public comments. We'll move on to the consent calendar. All items listed on the consent calendar to be acted upon by a single action of the planning commission board unless requested by an individual planning commission member or member of the public for special consideration. Otherwise, the recommendation of staff will be accepted and acted upon by motion of the planning commission board. We have item 2.1, which was the posting of the agenda. The agenda for the November 18th, 2025 planning commission meeting was posted to the city community center bulletin board, city hall north and south bulletin boards, post office, city website, and email to the library on November 14th, 2025. Item 2.2, approval of the November 18th, 2025 agenda. This provides an opportunity for the planning commission or staff to recommend that an item be placed on the agenda for discussion or to adjust the proposed agenda to allow an item to be taken out of order. Item 2.3, approval of the October 21st, 2025 planning commission meeting minutes having been read by the individual commissioners commissioners and stands approved as submitted. Those are the three items of consent calendar. I'd entertain a motion to accept the consent calendar.

I'll move to approve the consent calendar as stated. I'll second. We have a first and a second. No further comments. Um, roll call. Chair Zamora, yes. Vice Chair Alterman, yes. Commissioner Dinan, yes. Commissioner Rodriguez, yes. Commissioner Boso, yes. Approved. Okay, moving on to item 3.1. Uh, Commissioner Ben Rubin is not here. We wanted to recognize him for his service for the past five years as a member of the planning commission board. So, we'll have to do that another time.

Yeah, Chair Zamori, real quick, if I can. um he was unable to attend tonight, but we we have kind of a plaque to hand. Also, uh kind of this slide up here just to outline the years he was here. So, Ben served on the planning commission from January 2020 up until this year, December 25 would be the end of his term. So, um maybe there is some other format that we could we could honor him in person. Um maybe another time, but at this point, we do have a plaque to formally present him. um when the time is appropriate. Okay. Awesome. Very good. Moving on to item number four, the housing housing element progress update. So, you have an update for us?

Yeah. Thank you, Chair David Niskin and JB Anderson, ladies planning uh contract planner with the city of Riverbank preparing the update to the city's uh housing element for the six cycle planning period. And I'll start once the PowerPoint is is up. There we go. Perfect. So, as uh background and you've seen this a little bit uh in pre previous presentations, but the housing element is one of the required elements of the city's general plan. It covers an 8year year planning period from 2023 to 2031 and requires review and certification from the state department of housing and community development. Uh we've been working on the housing element for quite some time both in preparation and through the HCD review uh periods which I'll show you as far as uh the update overview as well as a schedule on kind of where we've been and where we're at right now and then and where we're going uh over the next uh six months or so and finally in the adoption of the housing element. So this is kind of providing an overview of the process. So uh the step one is the workshops as well as outreach to uh property owners and interested parties. That's ongoing. We've conducted a series of workshops through 2024 and 2025. Uh step two is the preparation of the housing needs assessment, sites inventory, the affirmatively furthering fair housing policies and programs. Basically all the nuts and bolts that make the housing element document what it is. Uh that process has been completed though it's being updated um pursuant to state housing element law and comments that we receive from the state department of housing and community development. So it's kind of a a update wait until HCD gives you comments and update again work with them uh multiple meetings with the state on

how the city can meet state housing element law. Um the next is to uh present the draft to planning commission and council. That was done in late 2024. Um in addition to sending out for a 30-day public review period which received numerous comments. Oh, little echo there. No problem. the the next step is the um [clears throat] 90-day review period, which is the first review from HCD, and then sub subsequent review drafts. And that's where we're at right now is reviewing and updating the housing element pursuant to HCB comments. The step five and six is where we're going to be in 2026 in which we bring the housing element document uh and everything associated with that including the reszones that we propose as well as the overlay district to um meet California government code as it relates to affordable housing requirements back to planning commission and city council. And then finally uh there's a n a 60-day certification review period by HCD. So, what does that all mean as far as timeline? Um, so in late 2024, we uh prepared the document and issued it for a 30-day public review period, which is required by state law. That went from October 15th to November 14th, 2024. We also presented the draft to the public and planning commission and city council at meetings at October 15 and in November 12th of 2024. Um there's government code that requires us to um take and consider all public comments that were received over a 10-day period. So that's why there's a delay in the November 14th end of that public review period and the submittal to HCB at December 2nd. So, we took those comments, reviewed them, updated

the housing element as necessary, and then submitted that to HDB for their first review. We received their comments on FE February 27th, 2025. Um, it's all within the the web page as well as within the housing element document for your review. Um it was they were quite extensive covering everything from programs to um the affirmative view furthering fair housing section with the majority of coming comments coming in um to discuss the sites inventory section. So there's a lot more detail that's needed uh to meet state law as it relates to reviewing uh underutilized sites, vacant sites, um reszone sites, and it's pretty intense as far as the the additional review compared to previous versions of the the housing element. So, we um also provided an update to council at their May 27th, 2025 meeting and then submitted the second HCD review draft in June of this year. And we received the comments on that review uh on August 22nd, 2025, which were much less uh detailed than the first review. So, we addressed a lot of the comments, but not all basically. And um more recently, we submitted the third HCD review draft to the state on November 12th. It's available on the city's website with a response matrix uh detailing the HD's comments, our responses, page numbers where those comments can be found in the hope to uh facilitate HCD's review. However, each subsequent review by HCD is they have 60 days to review the document and they literally take the entire 60 days to review the document and provide their findings. It in past housing element cycles there was a chance to um meet

with HCD and address some comments informally during that review period. So that when their formal findings were issued, you've addressed a lot of the comments already. So they, you know, it's just mainly reducing the amount of comments you get and are able to move forward. Um, but opportunity for that is really not available anymore. They really take the 60 days. Um, and then you know you have to review the comments and address the comments in the housing element and a lot of the comments are related to uh state provision, state law provisions in California government code. So, it's for example, and and you can see it in the letter, they'll reference a specific government code section on addressing um local area knowledge as relates to the affirmatively furthering fair housing section in concentrations of um AFH factors like lowincome populations, substandard housing, you know, things of that nature. um but don't really give you a whole lot of guidance on how to navigate those requirements. And that's where discussions with the reviewer are important. Um you know, addressing their comments and and getting their feedback informally is important. And then finally, um completing the review, having it available for a public review period at each draft and then sending it back to the to the state. Ultimately, the goal is to receive a nice letter from HCD saying that we've meet all the statutory requirements and that allows us to move forward to the next step of formal adoption. Um, which is our hope in the next next round of review which should be completed on January 12th, 2026, the full 60 days. Um some of the major updates to the housing element uh and you've seen a couple of

these slides before is um the new requirements of affirmatively good furthering fair housing. That's reviewing the city in a different lens when you're looking at both sites and the the demographics and looking at concentrations of uh areas that are integrated areas areas that are segregated uh by a number of factors including uh disab familial status, um, female headed households, things of that nature. And then, um, looking at disparities in access to opportunities, physical barriers, for example, you know, Riverbank has the, um, the the UPR railroad that goes right in the middle of the city. And taking a look at that and seeing how that uh, affects historical development in the city as well as new development and the different factors uh, in the AFH section and then also looking at uh for instance the MIB laterals as an example too um you know particularly as it relates to the development of crossroads and now crossroads west compared to older parts of the neighborhood neighborh of the city and then we also uh provided additional analysis and programs for emergency shelters transitional supportive housing low barrier navigation centers and residential care facilities these are all new California government code, state law requirements that that require the city to update the code to allow these types of uses in um specific zoning districts. So, a lot of the local um enforcement mechanisms like not allowing specific uses in these particular uses are kind of taken out of the city's hands and and the state has really decided what local jurisdictions can and can't allow in which areas. Um and then the bigger update in this

whole HD review process is the um is the site's inventory both in the way the analysis is done to calculate realistic capacity and density assumptions but also the suitability of non-bank sites looking at mixed use sites and then also taking a very close look at the proposed reszone sites. Um what we've done is done some done advanced um property owner notification to the sites that we propose to reszone to make sure that they are aware that we're that the city's proposing to reszone their sites from R1 or commercial or industrial to highdensity residential and mixed use and also having um the dialogue with those property owners to make sure that they're on board. you know, we don't want to go down this process and find out at the very end that um a property owner does not want to do it. they have rights as a property owner um and they can decide whether or not they want to go down this process and also working with them to make sure that they understand the implications of what we're proposing both in reszoning the site to um multif family and what allowable uses would be allowed primarily multif family residential but also the um the city's mixed use uh zone which allows both for commercial and residential and what that means um in your packet and and what's been provided to you today. We've had I had a phone conversation with one of the property owners and he provided me an email summarizing his concerns um that you can read in your packet tonight. Uh and his request eventually to do a lot line adjustment for a property that owns next to it and which has implications on what we do as part of the rezone because the rezone u covers the entire property by property line. We don't do split zoning or anything like that because it just causes confusion in the future. So, um,

a lot of outreach has been done to each property owner, multiple certified letters and phone conversations and emails. Um, and you'll see if you when you review the the latest version of the housing element that some of the reszone sites have been removed because of those conversations and other ones have been adjusted from R3 to mixed use because that's what the property owner wants to do. Um, and that's all reflected in uh, Redline Striketh through and highlights uh, with the latest version. Um, so you can see where the changes are. And this is the the latest version of the sites inventory compared to the um, the regional housing needs allocation. Um, up top is the the arena allocation. The total of 3,591 units um, spread among the different income categories. Um, we also have the um different areas that we're pulling from as far as the number of units in vacant land, underutilized land, uh, anticipated number of accessory dwelling units that we would be built over the planning period. Um, pipeline projects, which means projects that are either approved or pending, like submitted and still processing by Josh and his team. Um, and then but not yet built. So we can we're able to capture those units and then units within the downtown specific plan including the Canary District as well as units that are left in the Crossroads West including the existing subdivision and and uh subdivisions that are being built out there. Took a look at how many vacant um finish lots are left. And then finally the reszone sites uh which make up the majority of the shortfall that we identified in the very low and low income categories.

Um and then the um total number of units and then in the buffer that we have over the the regional housing needs allocation. It's important to note that this uh sites inventory does not include the proposed Riverwalk specific plan. Uh though it's referenced in the document uh as a project that has been submitted to the city um uh but but it's not included in this in the site simulator. And then we also updated um the programs pretty substantially. You'll see in in the re in the document of the latest um programs related to um by the byite approval process that state law now requires SP35 which is a permit streamlining act that was approved number of years ago that we need to address in the housing element. Um and then providing also updates to the website as relates to planning and financing transparency impact fees and uh application fees. And there's also ongoing um uh upgrades to the wastewater treatment plant um that have been multiple presentations to city council and and contracts awarded to um consultants to work on those feasibility documents. Uh that's been reflected in the new program in the housing element to track those and and make sure there's some um alternative alternatives and analyzed as part of the housing element cycle. Um and then we also consolidated the programs related to the updates to the river riverbank municipal code in a in a whole number of areas. So as relates to the timeline we have now um as as I stated we submitted the third AC review draft to uh the state uh this month after a 7-day public review period. We did receive additional comments from some folks about five comments. We have an appendix in the

housing element that details all of the comments received um summarizing the different comment categories and then our responses is where and where and where those um responses can be found or that information can be found in the housing element. So, we've received quite a bit of com public comments on the housing element through each version of the document and we felt that it would for transparency reasons to include um a detailed response to each of the comments. Um we can't capture every single comment in that review in that appendix, but we've categorized each of the comments in different different areas uh that we can address. Finally, um we are looking at coming back to planning commission and city council in the spring after uh we receive the HCD's comments on the latest version of the housing element and then finally submit the document for certification in the spring after city council after city council approval. Um and the action that city council and planning commission will take in spring will not only include the general plan amendment for adoption of the housing element, but it will also include the res. So that's why there's been a lot of outreach to property owners to make sure they're aware of this process uh as well as our intent to include basically everything we need to make sure and included so when we submit the housing element document for HC certification that it gets certified. So and comments. We're we're always looking for additional comments on the housing element. Uh anyone can submit um comments via the email riverbank housing riverbank.org and then updates to the housing element are found on the city's website. So that was updated with the latest version as well as the matrix of responses to HCD's comments. Uh and then

um the timeline for the 7-day public review period, but we can always accept comments even during this process. So, and uh I'm available to answer any questions, Josh, as well. Um, thank you. The only comment I have then is u at the time that the pling commission and the city council review the final form, all the reszones that are going to that are indicated in the housing element will take place. That's correct.

Yeah. and they'll be noticing. We we'll not only notice for the um housing element in the in the paper, but we'll also send notices to each of the property owners in the reszone as well as the 300 foot that's required uh around the the the zoning resoning site. So, there's quite a bit of public notice that it's required when we come back to planning commission for that action. Okay. Awesome. Any other comments from any other commissioners? Okay. Thank you very much. We look forward to the process moving forward. Yeah, me too. Thank you. Next item five, uh, 5.1, Joshua Man has an update for us.

Sure do. Thank you. Um, good evening again. I'm just wait for my PowerPoint to come up. So, I kind of made mention of this at the last planning commission meeting. Just to I wanted to give kind of an overview or an update as to what's going on in the shopping center. So, just kind of have some slides to to point at and walk you through it. Um, feel free to jump in at any any questions come up as I go through this. I don't mind. Um, so, as I mentioned, and I just kind of term this as an update. Um, and mainly because a lot of the approvals that have happened out in the shopping center can be considered administrative. So, they're not necessarily an item that comes before this commission. Um, well, let me back up. So, just kind of going back to the birth of the shopping center. So, as you all probably are aware, Costco was the first kind of user or tenant of the shopping center. So, I've kind of outlined them in in green and then just kind of below the main Costco warehouse is the fueling facility which came along with it. Um, so the the Costco itself, its grand opening was in June, believe it or not. It's it's been over a year. Um, it's kind of crazy how fast it goes. And then just kind of a interesting picture I found as I was going through these the last few days was the actual underground storage tank. So the the fueling facility. So um the next kind of tenant or user that we saw was Chase Bank. So Chase Bank um as you get near the Oakdale Clarabel intersection, they're out there along Clarabel. Um their grand opening was in April um of this year, April 24th. Um kind of the next user which was going on about the same time Chase was under construction was Wendy's. So Wendy's is along Machado Parkway which is kind of the western boundary of the city just a little bit further west from there. Um

Wendy's grand opening was in June of 2025. Again just some pictures showing the construction. Um following that was Raising Canes. So, Raising Canes is kind of at the main entrance on Clarabel of the shopping center. Um, again, they with some construction photos. Again, they they were open on August 12th of this year. So, they've been open just a few months now. Um, and then that kind of led into the the next opening user. So, as we get into kind of these larger buildings, we term these these are the anchor tenants. So, um, they look at some of these, they call them majors two and three. So, majors two and three is HomeGoods CJ Maxx. Um, their grand opening was in June of 2025, June of this year. Um, so then kind of the next major would be Major Ford. And so this will be Hobby Lobby. Um, Hobby Lobby is currently under construction. I have just a conceptual elevation to the below the picture to kind of give you an idea of uh what it will look like. And I should have also mentioned that all the architecture will be the same out there. It's all consistent. And so you'll you'll kind of see as um these are going up, they all kind of have a similar theme or consistency throughout the shopping center. Um so I should also mention Hobby Lobby. I believe they broke ground this week. um they've been doing a lot of site preparation out there the last month or or two and so we should start to see that building going up fairly soon. And what's a little bit different on this building, this will be a tilt up construction, meaning the walls will be formed on the ground and tilted up. Um so that that will give you something to look at fairly quickly here in terms of the building. Um and then kind of subsequent to the

major four is majors five and six. So that kind of finish out the major um buildings that are within the shopping center. So majors five and six are going to be just kind of to the east of Hobby Lobby and um it'll be one building with um two tenants for the most part. It's unknown at this time what the tenants will be. um as soon as we're able to make that public or we know we would be happy to share that with with everybody. Um and then kind of getting into the other pads in the area. So so the we have the major tenants and then subsequently the smaller tenants were terming those as pads. So you see this term used um quite a lot in in our department. So pads one and two are kind of the pads that would be along Freddy Lane and Oakdale Road. We kind of look at these as the food users. Uh meaning that they would be kind of the same as what you see across the street in terms of like Chipotle Five Guys where that area is all kind of the food users. Um so pads one and two will mainly be food tenants. Um so here's the approved architecture. it it's a little bit hard to see, but there will be some outdoor patio dining areas um that are incorporated in both pads one and two. Um here's the elevations of pad two. Again, you can kind of see it better on this elevation, but you'll look on the left and right and you'll see kind of the overhang outdoor patios that will be utilized by both those um restaurants. And then So, my understanding, I mean, keep in mind Browman Development, they have leasing agents that are actively out there right now trying to fill all these um you know, suites or or spots. So,

it's my understanding most of pad one is um leased out. I'm not sure offhand who those users are yet, but um and then in pad two I think the majority of those are well um as well or leased out. Now we have gotten some Yeah, we have gotten some tenant improvement applications and so the way these are mainly being constructed is you know the developer of Roman development will build the shell building and then as each tenant comes in they'll kind of construct their own restaurant or own um spot out themselves. So, we have gotten some plans I think for pad two kind of on your far right for a company called Paris Baguette. Looks like a bread sandwich type restaurant. So, we do we are starting to to see those applications dropped off in our office.

Oh, yeah. Jersey Mike was another one that has already submitted. But but it can literally change dayto day as we get more and um I believe once the Shell building actually gets built, we'll probably um see a lot more activity and may even see some signs out there of future tenants. Um so getting into kind of the center of the shopping center. So right in kind of the front of HomeGoods TJ Maxx, there'll be what we term pad 14. I believe this will be Mancini's Sleepworld. This is like a mattress company. Um, and so here's their approved architecture. Again, it's sort of similar and we'll get into it as a Sutter Gold building where they have the large windows. Um, actually that's the next one. So, the next one is what we call pad 11. It's kind of morphed into just being known as Sutter Ursion Care or Sutter Gould. Um, so that will be going directly across Machado Parkway from Wendy's. This building Although I'm just showing you the um approved elevations. This building for the most part, the exterior is basically finished. So if you go out there, they're going and putting on I think the awnings right now and some other add-ons, but um the exterior is mainly done. So I believe their focus now is working on the medical tenant improvement and interior and doing all the specialized work that needs to be done for the urgent care. Um so my last slide here I just kind of wanted to hit on some basically what we have not seen yet. So the the pads in red which we haven't seen um anything any when I say h haven't seen we haven't seen any planning application for approval or we have not seen any building permits submittals. Um now on

pads 7, 10 and 13, I did highlight those because we have had some interest some um tenants reach out to do some preliminary due diligence. So there is probably some activity that's going to happen on those three pads right away or you know fairly soon after the new year I would I would imagine. Um but I just kind of wanted to show you as as we get in here. So, what you have is I think that's pad nine that's left next to raising canes that still has not been um kind of spoken for. And again, the the developer and their leasing agents, they may be working on deals that we're just not aware of yet. You know, we kind of get involved once they submit a a building permit application or a planning application. At that point is when we kind of become aware of it ourselves. Um, lastly, I just wanted to hit on the residential component because the underlying land use designation of the shopping center is mixed use. And so up in the top corner in yellow, just wanted to highlight on those. So that is the residential component to the shopping center. Um, Broomman Development, the master developer of the shopping center does have the um ability to construct up to to I think it's between 250 and 300 residential units. Um, the I believe their proposal, at least the preliminary proposal that I've seen that's kind of sketched on the site plan um allows um I I want to say it was 252 residential units. These were envisioned as being market rate. They're not affordable units by any means. Um, but we just do not at this point have a a planning or a building permit application submitted. I would I would imagine as we get into the new year and the spring summer, we might see some activity on the the housing part of the shopping center.

I believe that's my last slide, but uh like I said, I'd be happy to answer if you have any questions or just want to talk about any particular issues or items you've seen at the shopping center. We go to the original crossroads. Staples has left. Do we have a new tenant on the horizon?

No, I'm glad you brought that up, Commissioner Dan. So, um we do Yeah, unfortunately, I'm not sure why Staples left. Um but we do have a new tenant. Um it is Boot Barn. They I believe they have a store on Cisco Road um in Modesto and a store in Turlock. So we've we have already issued them their tenant improvement um permit and they're in they're actively you know prepping the store. I believe unfortunately it won't be open until the new year. I don't think they're going to be open before Christmas time, but um I believe it's sometime in January or February when they're when they will be open. Other comments? Okay. Thank you, Josh. We'll move on to item six, the uh county referrals. There's item 6.1. Staff provide an update on a referral received from Santaas County for an ordinance amendment for truck parking. Yeah, good evening again. So, the referral that we received from the county, um it does have some I shouldn't say some, it does have an impact on the city in some way because um we may see applications for truck parking facilities that are within our sphere of influence. So, it could be within our general plan area, within our sphere of influence. Um, and then at that point, the county would typically would look to us to to ask, you know, would this be acceptable under your your general plan designation. Um, or whatever may, you know, question may come up during that project. So, I just wanted to share this. We received this, I think, last week. So, I think the county is going through, they've been having a lot of tough issues with truck parking. I want to say there was an article in the Modesto B recently that kind of discussed or outlined some of the issues, but this is kind of in

response. They're they're going through and doing an ordinance amendment um to try to help regulate it and try to help some solve some issues that they've been having with truck parking. Now, my understanding in Riverbank, there is one particular truck parking facility that's in a code enforcement case and that's um on Patterson Road as you head west out of the city. They have reached out and um me and Teresa, we we met with their representative to kind of talk about specifics of their project. So, we may see an application from them in the future. And again, this would be a county application. and they would just be looking to us as the city to see if it's consistent with our general plan and if it's being developed, if it's being developed to our standards or or some manner like that. Um, so again, I know it's quite a bit of information, but on the surface, it's just an ordinance amendment to deal with truck parking, the agricultural areas.

Okay, very good. That is the end of our items unless any commissioner wants to make any comments or have any questions for anything. All right. 6:36 meeting is adjourned.