Category Archives: City Of Our Dreams

Asset based community development. Connect, contribute and collaborate on creating the neighborhood of our dreams.

UNA Mar 2023 Meeting Agenda

Map and Directions To Crest Community Church
3431 Mt Vernon Ave, Riverside, CA 92507

1. Welcome – Introductions                                              5 min.

2. Small Sparks Grants Available                                 15 min.

3. City Traffic Engineer                                                      30 min.

3. Council Updates                                                               30  min.

4. UCR Updates                                                                      10  min

5. Announcements                                                                10 min

6. Speaker Suggestions 2023

Neighborhood Issues & Resources

Follow Our Courts

US Covid Atlas

Riverside Neighborhood Partnership

Neighbors Better Together

Planning Commission To Re Zone Park For STEM High School

The proposed STEM school site on Blaine and Canyon Crest, contains two parcels of property.
One belonging to UCR, the other to the city of Riverside.
This Thursday, Feb 16 at 9am at city hall, RUSD will be presenting to the city’s planning commission a proposal to change the zoning on the city owned property in order to build the school. After hearing the presentation, the commission will make its recommendation to the city council for a final vote.
Make an E Comment, Call in or Zoom it.
We need everyone to come to the meeting or contact the planning commission to let them know our concerns about these possible changes and the impact they will have on our community.
Because this is a zoning meeting, it has been highly recommended that we focus our opposition to the zone change on issues that we feel will impact our community.  Key factors to consider are:
  • This is not a neighborhood school where traditionally students walk to.  This is a commuter school bringing school buses and hundreds of cars into our area.
  • District’s proposal indicates 1,200 students and 60 staff members. The proposal does not address the need for a parking lot to accommodate this many people. There are no places for parents to line up when dropping off and picking up students on Blaine, Canyon Crest, Rustin and Linden.
  • The proposal is to have the flow of school traffic go from Blaine to Canyon Crest then right onto the narrow parking lot by the ball fields, then exiting onto Rustin.  Rustin is a very narrow two lane street already jammed with apt. cars parking on both sides of the street.  Traffic from the STEAM school on the corner of Rustin and Linden already is impacting Linden and Rustin.
  • There is no legal parking/waiting on either side of Blaine.
  • UCR will begin the 2nd phase of building a 1,600 student dorm from Blaine towards Linden across from the proposed STEM site. The parking lot for the dorm will be similar to the one near Watkins with egress and ingress onto Blaine. This will severely impact traffic flow around Blaine and Canyon Crest
  • With the 1,260 STEM population, along with 1,600 UCR dorm students, rezoning will result in nearly 3,000 people crammed into a very small block area.
  • Canyon Crest is a two lane road already jammed with RTA buses, commuter cars, cyclists and pedestrians.
  • Rezoning will eliminate the only developed Park and Rec facility in our community. We may lose our baseball/softball and soccer fields .  This field is used often by UCR intramural sports, community sport clubs and other community organizations needing a large field.
  •  Less than a 1/2 mile from the proposed school, plans are to tear down the old Kmart on 3rd and Iowa and construct a 1-3 bedroom complex adding hundreds of cars onto Blaine/3rd and Iowa.
  • Less than 1/2 mile from the proposed school site is the new warehouse on the corner of Watkins and Spruce, which will now bring commercial trucks into our neighborhood.
  • With the STEM traffic, UCR dorm(s) traffic, the new apt. complex at Kmart traffic, the warehouse on Spruce and Watkins trucks, the cross town commuters by passing the freeway, traffic jams already around the North High School, University Heights Middle and Highland Elementary school, rezoning this property is detrimental in increasing harmful carbon emissions from cars, buses and trucks into the air affecting especially those with health issues, our children and the elderly living in our neighborhoods.
  • We must first ask for a denial for this zone change or a least ask for a postponement on rezoning until an in-depth traffic and environmental study independent of the district is conducted.
  • We must demand that the district present a detailed plan to the commission and to the community addressing our concerns with traffic, parking and environmental issues before a decision is made to rezone, something the district has denied us for years.
We need you to contact the planning commission expressing your opposition to rezoning the city property. 
Email the commissioners at fandrade@riversideca.gov.  There is no individual email for each commissioner. Your email will be disseminated to each commissioner.
You are limited to 3 minutes if participating orally on Thursday, Feb 16 at 9am.
  1. Speak in person on Thursday, Feb16 at city hall.
  2. Calling in at (669) 900-6833 and enter Meeting ID: 926 9699 1265. Press star 9 (*9) to request to speak.  Individuals in the queue will be prompted to press star 6 (*6) to unmute and speak.
  3. By zoom at: https://zoom.us/j/92696991265  . Select the “raise hand” function to request to speak.  An on-screen message will prompt you to “unmute” and speak.
Follow along with the meeting via www.RiversideCA.gov/Meeting or Riverside TV
cable channels,
Please pass this along to family and neighbors.  Any additional comments to add to the list are welcomed.

 

 

UNA Feb 2023 Meeting Agenda

Map and Directions To Crest Community Church
3431 Mt Vernon Ave, Riverside, CA 92507

1. Welcome – Introductions                                              5 min.

2. Nathan Mustafa – City Traffic Engineer              30 min.

3. Phaedra Norton – City Attorney                              30  min.

4. Nora Moti Council on Aging  Update                    10  min

5. Friends of Islander Park  Ad Hoc                             10 min

6. Speaker Suggestions 202

Neighborhood Issues & Resources

Follow Our Courts

US Covid Atlas

Riverside Neighborhood Partnership

Neighbors Better Together

How To Make An Ecomment

Large crowd demonstration with one demonstrator holding a sign saying
Here’s a step-by-step guide to make an e Comment. The example is from last week’s City Council discussion to reconsider undergrounding the RTRP (Riverside Transmission Reliability Project).
Unfortunately, E comment closes at 11 a.m. But for next time, this should work to find the right place to make an e comment.
Click https://riversideca.gov/council  Click on Meeting Agendas & Videos from left menu
This will bring up a calendar search page for the meeting and agenda being sought at this link: (Bookmark for the future).
Click the ‘List View’ tab. In the search boxes. Select, ‘This Month’ for the time and, select ‘City Council’ for the meeting sought.
When you see the meeting you’re looking for, you will also see the
At the far right is a link for making an e Comment
When you click this, you will see the entire City Council agenda with digital links. Go to page 3
This procedure will work for any City meeting, Council, Boards & Commissions included.
In the words of Thom Hartman, Democracy is a team sport. Tag, you’re it.

Entergy Louisiana Proposes $5B Grid Resilience Plan with 10 Potential Microgrids

Louisiana Power Lines Downed by Storm Damage

A scale version of this would be very doable within RPU’s service territory. Louisiana officials are smart in that they recognize the benefits of deploying hybrid sources of generation, which buys you resiliency, flexibility and adaptability.

And again, the big win is…. we would OWN the sources of generation!

Read the story here.

RTRP Vote To Find Funding For Undergrounding

Hi Power Transmission TowerWe Need Your Voice!

We were told unequivocally that undergrounding the high-powered transmission lines near Hidden Valley (Ward 7) was not possible. For fifteen years they said it was a “DONE DEAL” to place the lines overhead.

TRUTH:  It was NOT a “done deal”. Truth is, they never told us the truth about any of it. This in spite of at least one public comment demanding an underground option from the start.

What a difference fifteen years of neighbors being organized , collaborative and effective in pursuing common desires. Add your voice at tomorrow’s City Council meeting.

MOTION to FIND the MONEY to underground this project will be made Tuesday, January 17th by Councilman Chuck Conder. It is important for you to SHOW UP and show support for this motion.

We NEED action! You can speak during “Open Comment” or come to support your neighbors who are speaking and support the council members who want to see this project UNDERGROUND!

COME! Let our City know that you DO NOT want these lines overhead.

Where:          City Council Chambers next to City Hall

When:           Tuesday January 17, 2023

Time:             6:15 pm

Parking:        FREE in the evenings, handicapped available

BACKGROUND

RRR  is the neighborhood group most impacted by this. They have been fighting to have this project undergrounded since 2017 via:

  • EDUCATION
  • INFORMATION
  • FORUMS
  • SOCIAL MEDIA
  • COMMUNITY MEETINGS

We were not giving up! Councilman Steve Hemenway (Ward 7) took the lead when he was elected in 2019. Due to his diligence, perseverance and educating himself on this project, there is now hope to underground these lines.

He brought Councilwoman Cervantes and Councilman Fierro onboard; but these 3 council members were outvoted to change the project.

Councilman Conder now realizes that undergrounding is the “superior project”, and he will bring a motion before our Council on Tuesday to FIND THE MONEY to do so!

Please come and show support for these 4 councilpersons who have listened and responded to residents. They deserve our public support. This is a defining moment in the history of Riverside.

  • Steve Hemenway Ward 7
  • Clarissa Cervantes Ward 2
  • Ronaldo Fierro Ward 3
  • Chuck Conder Ward 4

UNA Meeting Agenda January 2023

Map and Directions To Crest Community Church
3431 Mt Vernon Ave, Riverside, CA 92507

1. Welcome – Introductions                                              5 min.

2. Nora Moti Council on Aging  Update                    10 min.

3. Friends of Islander Park  Ad Hoc                             20  min.

4. Speaker Suggestions 2023                                          20  min

5. RTRP  Reconsideration at Council                         10 min

Agenda Item 17, Jan 17, 2023 Meeting

6. Other Updates TBD

7. New City Manager Mike Futrell

Neighborhood Issues & Resources

Follow Our Courts

US Covid Atlas

Riverside Neighborhood Partnership

Neighbors Better Together

RTRP Transmission Lines Along River Vote

Attention Please Sign

 

 

 

 

 

URGENT City Council to vote on this TUESDAY Nov 15

We have a chance to get these underground!

New consultant finds it is AFFORDABLE!

Do you care about transmission lines being placed overhead at Hidden Valley and behind the homes of many Ward 7 residents?

Independent consultants have found that under grounding can be AFFORDABLE!  SCE said lines would cost ~ $57 million per mile;

Los Angeles and San Diego placed lines in a similar project for $11 million a mile.

Every rate payer in Riverside has been paying for these for 12/18 years on RPU bill (Reliability Project)…we have the money.  Also, consultants say grants are available to minimize the cost.

Speak Now! It is time to be heard!

Our City Council will be voting on this project on TUESDAY November 15th! What you can do:

  1. Write to EVERY council member and express your thoughts. You can address one email to all members and include the city clerk.
  2. You can call every council member NOW! You can THANK Councilman Hemenway for giving us this opportunity.
  3. You can attend the meeting and speak if you would like or support those who do speak. (I will get the time to you this week)
  4. You can call into the meeting, if you can’t attend, and speak

If you want these lines underground, NOW IS THE TIME to write, call and be heard! Here’s a link to make an e Comment for agenda Item #20

This is a critical juncture; you must speak up NOW!  We have a chance of under grounding based on the findings of the Independent Consultants brought in by Councilman Steven Hemenway.

Chuck Conder – cconder@riversideca.gov

Phone: (951) 826-5991

Mobile: (951) 990-9718

Clarissa Cervantes  ccervantes@riversideca.gov

Phone: (951) 826-5991

Erin Edwards  eedwards@riversideca.gov

Phone: (951) 826-5242

Gaby Plascencia  GPlascencia13@gmail.com

(951) 782-0330

Perry, Jim J.  JPerry@riversideca.gov

(951) 826-5991

Ronaldo Fierro  RonaldoForRiverside@gmail.com

(951) 826-5905

Steve Hemenway (shemenway@riversideca.gov)

(951) 826-5024

Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson  2mayor@riversideca.gov

(951 826 5551)

City Clerk  city_clerk@riversideca.gov

Donesia Gause, MMC

Transmission Tower

 

 

 

Neighborhood Issues & Resources

Neighbors Better Together

Follow Our Courts

US Covid Atlas

Riverside Neighborhood Partnership

 

Upcoming Events Save the Dates

Drive Electric LogoNational Drive Electric Week at UCR

 

Saturday, October 1, 20222

National NIght Out LogoNational Night Out Potluck & Free Swim

Islander Park Pool, Tuesday October 4, 2022, 6:00-8:30 p.m.

Bring a dish and your trunks.

UNA October Meeting

Thursday, October 13, 2022, 6:30 p.m.

Map and Directions To Crest Community Church
3431 Mt Vernon Ave, Riverside, CA 92507

League Of Women Voters Zoom Guide To California Ballot

Saturday October 8, 10:00-11:30 a.m.

Voters Edge is our online vote education site.  Voters can access their ballot – a good idea this year, with new state assembly districts nobody knows where they are or who’s running.  Also, find information about the candidates, detailed information about the state’s ballot measures, and current campaign donation figures – always good to know.

The Easy Voter Guide has quick facts on the election and the state ballot measures

Follow  Our Courts

Follow Our Courts Logo

 

 

 

Riverside County Department of Animal Services Logo

Riverside County Animal Control FREE Spay & Neuter All Ferrals

Must be a single cat in a Trap. Drop off is 8-8:30 a.m. M-F with same day pick up when texted.

6851 Van Buren Blvd, Riverside 92509, 951-358-7387

Enter down the stairs on the left, near double main doors.

 

UNA Sept 2022 Meeting Agenda

Map and Directions To Crest Community Church
3431 Mt Vernon Ave, Riverside, CA 92507

1. Welcome – Introductions                                              5 min.

2.Nora Moti Council on Aging  Update                    10 min.

3. RPD Update     – tentative                                             10  min.

4. Council Update   – tentative                                         20  min

5. Parking West Side Watkins Bike Lane                   5 min.

6.National Night Out October 4

Islander Pool                                                                              5 min.

Neighborhood Issues & Resources

Stop Building Warehouses Near Our Homes Petition

Follow Our Courts

US Covid Atlas

Riverside Neighborhood Partnership

Neighbors Better Together