Housing & Development · Riverbank, CA
River Walk Housing Fight Heads to Voters Nov. 3 Amid Lawsuit, Referendum Drive
A proposed 2,400-home River Walk annexation on 1,522 acres west of Riverbank has divided the city for years. The Riverbank City Council approved the project 3-2 on Sept. 22, despite a 4-1 Planning Commission recommendation against it in August. Measure M, appearing on the Nov. 3 ballot, would give Riverbank voters veto power over most housing projects west of current city limits; City Attorney Tom Hallinan's impartial analysis calls it "likely unconstitutional." The project still requires approval from the Stanislaus Local Agency Formation Commission, which could consider it no sooner than Jan. 27. Opponents have filed a lawsuit in Stanislaus Superior Court and gathered roughly 1,760 signatures for a separate referendum to rescind the council's approval.