City of Riverside Adaptive Re-Use Ordinance
Summary
SCH Number
2026080708
Public Agency
City of Riverside
Document Title
City of Riverside Adaptive Re-Use Ordinance
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
8/20/2026
Document Description
The project consists of adoption of an Adaptive Reuse Ordinance establishing regulations and incentives to facilitate the conversion of existing nonresidential buildings to residential uses within designated areas of the City. The Ordinance implements housing goals and policies in the General Plan and applies to existing buildings and establishes objective standards under which qualifying adaptive reuse projects may be permitted, subject to applicable limitations.
The Ordinance facilitates the reuse and reconfiguration of existing building envelopes and includes limited provisions for modest and incidental building additions consistent with existing zoning regulations. The Ordinance does not approve or authorize any specific development project.
Contact Information
Name
Maranda Evens
Agency Name
City of Riverside
Job Title
Community & Economic Development Director
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency / Project Applicant
Phone
Email
Location
Coordinates
Cities
Riverside
Counties
Riverside
Regions
Citywide, Southern California
Zip
92522
Parcel #
Citywide
State Highways
SR-91, and I-215
Railways
BNSF, Metrolink, Union Pacific
Airports
Riverside, and Flabob Airport
Schools
Riverside USD, Jurupa USD, Corona-Norco USD
Waterways
Santa Ana River, Sycamore Creek, Arlington Channel, Temescal Creek
Township
3S,2S
Range
5W,4W,
Section
04, 25
Base
San Bern
Other Location Info
Citywide
Citywide within the incorporated boundaries of the City of Riverside,
limited exclusively to parcels located within Commercial, Office,
Residential, Mixed-Use, Industrial (BMP), and applicable Specific Plan
land use designations, as defined in the Ordinance.
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Other
Type, Section or Code
General Rule [Section 15061(b)(3)]; Common Sense Exemption
Reasons for Exemption
The proposed Adaptive Reuse Ordinance is a legislative action that establishes a regulatory framework and objective standards to facilitate the conversion of existing nonresidential buildings to residential uses. The Ordinance does not approve or authorize any specific development project or physical change to the environment and does not commit the City to any development outcome.
Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines §15061(b)(3), it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that adoption of the Ordinance will have a significant effect on the environment for the following reasons:
• No Direct Physical Change: Adoption of the Ordinance does not, in and of itself, result in any construction or physical alteration of the environment. While the Ordinance establishes a regulatory framework that may facilitate future development, it does not approve or authorize any specific project or commit the City to any physical change to the environment.
• No Commitment to Development: The Ordinance does not require that any development occur, does not identify specific sites, and does not commit the City to any particular development outcome. Future projects are speculative and dependent on independent actions by property owners.
• Limited to Existing Urban Development: The Ordinance applies only to existing buildings within previously developed, urbanized areas served by existing infrastructure and facilitates reuse of existing developed sites.
• Limited Scope of Physical Changes: The primary activity enabled is the interior conversion of existing structures. Any new construction is minor, incidental, and subordinate to the existing structure.
• Existing Regulatory Constraints: Future projects remain subject to applicable building, public works, and historic resource regulations, which govern site-specific conditions.
• No Reasonably Foreseeable Impacts at the Ordinance Level: Any potential environmental effects would be site-specific and cannot be attributed to the Ordinance itself.
Based on the foregoing, the City finds that adoption of the Ordinance does not have the potential to result in a significant effect on the environment because it establishes a regulatory framework for reuse of existing structures within urbanized areas and does not directly result in physical environmental changes or site specific development impacts. Accordingly, the project is exempt from CEQA pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines §15061 (b)(3).
County Clerk
Riverside
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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