Ordinance No. 457.108
Summary
SCH Number
2026061106
Public Agency
Riverside County
Document Title
Ordinance No. 457.108
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
6/24/2026
Document Description
Ordinance No. 457.108 amends Ordinance No. 457, the Ordinance of the County of Riverside Relating to Building Requirements, in its entirety and replaces it with new language, as follows: adopts the current building requirements of the 2025 Building Standards Code, including the California Existing Building Code; adopts more restrictive building standards based on Riverside County’s local climatic, geological and topographical conditions in the following circumstances: construction without a permit, work exempt from permit, exemption to submittal documents prepared by registered design professionals, fees, refunds, ponds, agricultural registration certificates, and grading; adopts in its entirety the following appendices of the 2025 California Building Code: Appendix C – Group U – Agricultural Buildings, Appendix I – Patio Covers, Appendix J - Grading, Appendix P – Emergency Housing; and adopts in its entirety the following appendices of the 2025 California Residential Code: Appendix AH – Patio Covers, Appendix AJ – Existing Buildings and Structures, Appendix AQ – Tiny Houses, Appendix AZ – Emergency Housing.
Contact Information
Name
Sam Shahrouri
Agency Name
County of Riverside TMLA
Job Title
Building & Safety Official
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Email
Location
Cities
unincorporated area of Riverside County
Counties
Riverside
Regions
Southern California
Other Location Info
Unincorporated area of Riverside County
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Other
Type, Section or Code
15061(b)(3)
Reasons for Exemption
Reasons why project is exempt: The California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) does not apply to Ordinance No. 457.108 or Ordinance No. 457.108 is exempt from CEQA for multiple reasons. First, ordinances that merely incorporate existing law do not constitute a project under CEQA. (Union of Medical Marijuana Patients, Inc. v. City of Upland (2016) 245 Cal.App.4th 1265, 1273.) In addition, organizational or administrative activities of government entities, such as the reorganization, formatting, addition of introductory explanation to the ordinance, and changes to administrative processing and application requirements do not constitute a project under CEQA pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines section 15378. Finally, Ordinance No. 457.108 is exempt pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines section 15061(b)(3) because it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the amendment to Ordinance No. 457 may have a significant effect on the environment. The vast majority of the changes to Ordinance No. 457 are merely incorporating existing state law pursuant to the various changes in the 2025 California Building Standards Code, just as the County did with the previous adoption of Ordinance 457.106 adopting the 2022 California Building Standards Code. The other changes to Ordinance No. 457 are related to imposing more restrictive building standards for permit applicants based on express findings of local climatic, geological or topographical conditions. Ordinance No. 457.108 does not lead to any direct improvements, developments, or any other projects and no building or grading permits are being issued with its adoption. Furthermore, the issuance of any future grading permits are discretionary and are each subject to CEQA pursuant to Ordinance No. 457. Additionally, the remaining changes in Ordinance No. 457.108 are merely administrative and organizational which streamline administration and processing requirements. As a result, adoption of Ordinance No. 457.108 is exempt from CEQA and there is no possibility that this amendment will cause a significant impact on the environment.
Exempt Status
Other
Type, Section or Code
15378
Reasons for Exemption
Reasons why project is exempt: The California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) does not apply to Ordinance No. 457.108 or Ordinance No. 457.108 is exempt from CEQA for multiple reasons. First, ordinances that merely incorporate existing law do not constitute a project under CEQA. (Union of Medical Marijuana Patients, Inc. v. City of Upland (2016) 245 Cal.App.4th 1265, 1273.) In addition, organizational or administrative activities of government entities, such as the reorganization, formatting, addition of introductory explanation to the ordinance, and changes to administrative processing and application requirements do not constitute a project under CEQA pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines section 15378. Finally, Ordinance No. 457.108 is exempt pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines section 15061(b)(3) because it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the amendment to Ordinance No. 457 may have a significant effect on the environment. The vast majority of the changes to Ordinance No. 457 are merely incorporating existing state law pursuant to the various changes in the 2025 California Building Standards Code, just as the County did with the previous adoption of Ordinance 457.106 adopting the 2022 California Building Standards Code. The other changes to Ordinance No. 457 are related to imposing more restrictive building standards for permit applicants based on express findings of local climatic, geological or topographical conditions. Ordinance No. 457.108 does not lead to any direct improvements, developments, or any other projects and no building or grading permits are being issued with its adoption. Furthermore, the issuance of any future grading permits are discretionary and are each subject to CEQA pursuant to Ordinance No. 457. Additionally, the remaining changes in Ordinance No. 457.108 are merely administrative and organizational which streamline administration and processing requirements. As a result, adoption of Ordinance No. 457.108 is exempt from CEQA and there is no possibility that this amendment will cause a significant impact on the environment.
County Clerk
Riverside
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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