Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2008

Riverbank plan up for review

Commission set to act on blueprint for downtown

RIVERBANK -- In the downtown of the future, local artists could set up easels while groups of seniors practice tai chi in the shade.

That's one of the idyllic scenes described in Riverbank's Downtown Specific Plan, the document that will steer the area's development.

The Planning Commission takes the first step toward making the plan a reality at tonight's meeting. The commission is scheduled to vote on whether to start environmental reviews. The City Council also must sign off on that step.

After environmental review, the Planning Commission and City Council must vote on whether to adopt the Downtown Specific Plan, probably sometime next summer, said Tim Ogden, the city's director of economic development and housing.

If it's approved, the plan will become the blueprint that guides the revitalization of downtown. The plan calls for bringing new land uses to the area, replacing industrial sites with mixed-use neighborhoods.

Downtown resident Evelyn Halbert said she worries the plan will push out residential uses in favor of commercial development. She said the city should have done a better job of informing downtown residents about how the plan will affect their neighborhood.

Ogden said the plan was written with extensive input from community members. He said the plan aims to bring a balance of uses to downtown, with the idea of creating a walkable city where residents live, work and shop all in one area.

Highlights of the plan include: