Ward 1 - June Update

City of Riverside, California sent this bulletin at 06/06/2022 12:53 PM PDT

Dear Neighbors

Happy Pride Month! June marks the end of our budget season with the final budget hearing on June 21st. We're creating a budget to be proud of: a draft of the 2022-2024 budget includes highlights such as sewer improvements on Palm Avenue, tree trimming, street paving, sidewalk repairs, and Public Safety and Engagement Teams for our wildlands.

We should also take pride in our City's response to Housing and Homelessness. The 2022 Point in Time numbers are in, and Riverside's unsheltered population has decreased from the previous count (in 2020.) Additionally, Riverside is making progress on an Inclusionary Housing policy (see more below,) and our draft 5-Year Plan to Reduce Homelessness goes before City Council at the end of June. Keep reading to see upcoming milestones in the river bottom and get an update on the Fairmount Golf Course.

There's a lot to be proud of and a lot of work ahead. I look forward to a productive summer.

Office Hours in the Wood Streets - June 30th 6 PM

P.S. - I always look forward to hearing from you. Share your input on important issues by providing e-comment, public comment (in person or via phone/zoom) and/or write me with any questions you may have.

You can also attend my office hours. Join me on June 30th at 6 PM in the Wood Streets for a chance to share your thoughts and ideas. Text Jan @ 951-897-0959 for the address.

Riverside's Inclusionary Housing Policy has been a year in the making. This policy addresses our affordable housing crisis by ensuring that new developments include units that are affordable. The Council's Housing and Homelessness Committee, chaired by Councilmember Edwards, made critical recommendations to this policy in May:

10% is the magic number. If this policy passes, the Committee recommends that 10% of units in future multi-family and town home developments be affordable. Projects with fewer than 3 units would be exempt.
Affordable...but for how long? On city-owned land, the Committee recommends that the affordability covenant be for 99 years. For other rental projects, the affordability covenant would be for 55 years. For-sale units would have an equity sharing agreement, which helps low-income home-owners build wealth. (Homes sell at market rate, allowing people to benefit from the equity. The City directly re-invests their portion of the proceeds into more affordable housing.)
Developers have a choice. If opting out of the program, the Committee recommends that developers could pay an in-lieu fee, which would help Riverside pay for other affordable housing developments. Affordable units could be up to 10% smaller than other units, but would still be required to have the same look, and feel. Developers can meet their requirement by building affordable units off-site, but doing so would require a higher percentage of the off-site units to be affordable.
What do we mean when we say "affordable"? "Affordable" means spending no more than 30% of a person's income on rent and utilities. Increasing our affordable housing stock allows our teachers, nurses, and grocery workers to be able to live, work and play in our city.

What's next?

The policy heads to the Planning Commission in August before going to City Council for a final vote in September.

Read the update on the larger vision to "Put the River Back in Riverside," presented to City Council on May 10;
The Council's Public Safety Committee will receive an updated Anti-Camping Ordinance for discussion. This ordinance builds on several months of work to map the flood and fire zones of the Santa Ana River Bottom. Tune in to the meeting on June 15th to provide your input.
Work is ongoing to ensure that people living in the river bottom have access to critical documents, services, and housing. The Housing and Homelessness Committee gave direction to explore additional emergency shelter options on 2 acres of city-owned land in Ward 1;
The proposed budget for 2022-2024 includes Wildlands Public Safety & Engagement teams, a group of fire, police, and homeless outreach professionals who will be in the river bottom 20 hours a day/7 days a week. Share your thoughts at the final budget hearing on June 21st;
Save the date for a World Rivers Day Celebration on September 24th.

Update on Fairmount Golf Course: The Facts

Fairmount Golf Course: Get the facts here

What was recommended by Council Committee:

On April 21st, the Committee recommended hiring a consultant with specific experience in golf course planning to host community conversations about Fairmount golf course. Over the course of a year, the consultant would ask residents: is a golf course still the best use of this land? If so, how do we make it better? If not, is there a different use that would benefit the community?

What is NOT part of the recommendation?

There are no specific plans to build housing, retail, or warehouses on Fairmount Golf Course. The only plan at this time is to host thoughtful community conversations.

Why were these conversations proposed?

Before Councilmember Edwards took office, Fairmount Golf Course was on a list of city properties for potential sale. Then, in 2020, the Budget Engagement Commission recommended that the Golf Course be removed from the list of surplus properties, and that the City design a process to engage community members to hear their ideas. Councilmember Edwards and the City Council agreed with this recommendation.

What is next?

New information, staff transitions, and community response indicate that this may not be the right time to host community conversations on this topic. At the May 19th Committee meeting, Councilmember Edwards asked for the consultant’s contract to return to Committee before being heard by the full Council.

How can you be involved?

Tune in to the Economic Development Committee Meeting on July 21st to hear the update Councilmember Edwards requested and to provide your input. If you would like any clarification in the meantime, don’t hesitate to reach out to Councilmember Edwards directly. Finally, if you received this email from a neighbor, please sign up to receive Councilmember Edwards' monthly newsletters directly. You’ll have the facts delivered right to your inbox!

Plan your trip to The Cheech and get tickets here.

Riverside PRIDE Glow Run on June 18th - click to register

Click the image to register for Riverside PRIDE's Glow Walk For Love. We can't wait to celebrate Pride Month with you!

Just Opened: Beign-YAY!

CM Edwards and community celebrating opening of the Beignet Spot

The Alce Family loves Riverside so much, that they officially have not one, but two gems in the Downtown. The Beignet Spot builds off the success of Dhat Creole (in the Food Lab) and brings us a shop dedicated to beignets--both sweet and savory and perfect for Riversiders big and small.

We had a great time at the grand opening on May 27th.

Everytable in Downtown?

Everytable's mission is, "Healthy and delicious meals for everyone, every table." Their lease in the Mission Square Office Building could be approved this week (June 7) on the City Council consent calendar. Learn more here.