Earlier this month the City of Riverbank released a notice of preparation of an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and Scoping Meeting for the River Walk Specific Plan. This development project has not been considered by the Planning Commission or City Council; however, plans and proposals have begun.
City Manager Sean Scully noted that the Council has had the development of a plan in the proposed area on their strategic objectives for a number of years. The EIR and specific plan will most likely be completed before it is presented to the Council for consideration.
“There’s still a bit of process before any full documents will be available for comprehensive review but the initial steps are well underway,” said Scully. “In addition there are a number of steps the developer and City must step through with regard to LAFCo (Local Agency Formation Commission). Most of those (steps) are still many months out.”
The City of Riverbank’s Planning and Building Manager Donna Kenney provided a summary of the Project Location, Project Setting, Goals and Objectives, and Project Characteristics and Description. The proposed Project includes a proposed Specific Plan, as well as a Sphere of Influence (SOI) Amendment.
As noted in the report, the proposed Project is located in the unincorporated area of Stanislaus County and adjacent to the City of Riverbank, north of Patterson Road/State Route (SR) 108, east of McHenry Avenue, and approximately two miles northwest of downtown Riverbank. The entire Project Area includes approximately 1,522 acres within the unincorporated county adjacent to the City of Riverbank. The River Walk Plan Area includes a 993-acre area to be annexed and subsequently developed. The remaining land within the Project Area is part of the SOI Amendment, and would be held as Reserve land for possible long-range planning at some future time.
The report lists that the current uses in the Project Area are predominantly agricultural operations, 25 home sites and one horse ranch along with storage buildings, shop buildings, and barn structures. There is also a commercial nursery business, truck storage area, and an additional 150-acre solar farm and Modesto Rifle Club exist in the southwest portion of the Project Area.
The principal objective of the proposed Project stated in the report is the expansion of the City of Riverbank Sphere of Influence, and approval and subsequent implementation of the Specific Plan. The quantifiable objectives include expansion of the Riverbank Sphere of Influence by approximately 1,522 acres, annexation of approximately 993 acres into the Riverbank City limits, extension of infrastructure to the annexed area to serve development, and the subsequent development of the annexed area for: Low Density Residential, Medium Density Residential, High Density Residential, Mixed-Use, and Parks/Recreation, including all infrastructure and utilities necessary to service the development.
The Draft EIR will examine: aesthetics, agricultural and forest resources, air quality, biological resources, cultural resources, energy, geology/soils, environmental justice, greenhouse gases/climate change, hazards and hazardous materials, hydrology/water quality, land use/planning, mineral resources, noise, population/housing, public services, recreation, transportation/circulation, tribal cultural resources, utilities, wildlife, and cumulative impacts, and growth inducing impacts.
There will be a second Scoping Meeting held by the developer and consultant, scheduled for Thursday, July 15. Those interested can send comments and questions to dkenney@riverbank.org.
The public can review the detailed report of the project online at: www.riverbank.org/DocumentCenter/View/2653/NOP-Project-Description_River-Walk-SP_6-3-21 or www.riverbank.org/DocumentCenter/View/2653/NOP-Project-Description_River-Walk-SP_6-3-21.
