Category Archives: Resoration Economy

Environment, Safety, Social Capital, Transportation, UCR

Public Meeting Notice On June 17, 2026 UCR North District Phase 3 Blaine Street Parking Structure Project.

June 11, 2026 admin Leave a comment

Greetings,

The University of California, Riverside (UCR) will be holding the second community project review meeting to discuss the proposed North District Phase 3 and Blaine Street Parking Structure Project.

The community meeting will be held in person at the North District Building D, Room D112 from 6:00p.m. – 7:00p.m. on Wednesday, June 17, 2026.

Two hours of free parking (5:30p.m. – 7:30p.m.) will be available to all attendees within Parking Lot 18, located at the southeast corner of Canyon Crest Drive and Blaine Street (see graphic below as well as attached PDF with parking and meeting location).

ND3 Blaine St PS_Community Mtg 2 Flyer ND3 BSPS Community Meeting 2 Presentation

ND3 Blaine St PS_Community Mtg 2 Flyer

lot-18-to-nd-room-d112

This will be an opportunity to learn more about the project, provide feedback/comments, and meet project team members.

The proposed North District Phase 3 would entail development of approximately 1,300 -1,350 student housing beds, student housing support services, Central Utility Plant and thermal energy storage tank, and associated landscape and hardscape improvements. North

District Phase 3 is proposed along W. Linden Street between the existing North District Phase 1 and North District Phase 2 sites.

Blaine Street Parking Structure would entail development of approximately 2,000 parking spaces on the existing Parking Lot 27 along Blaine Street.

A copy of the meeting flyer which includes additional information and a project location map is attached to this email. Additionally, a copy of the meeting flyer and draft slide deck is provided on the following website under Community Meetings – https://pdc.ucr.edu/environmental-planning-ceqa.

For more information, or to submit questions or comments before or after the meeting, please contact:
Melissa Garrety, Senior Planner
UCR Planning, Design & Construction
(951) 827-7376

planning@ucr.edu

Stephanie Tang

Director of Campus Planning

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE

PLANNING, DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION

951.827.1484 | https://pdc.ucr.edu/

Transportation, UCR

UCR North District Phase 3 / Blaine Street Parking Structure Community Mtg 1

April 2, 2026 admin Leave a comment

The University of California, Riverside (UCR) will be holding the first of two community project review meetings to discuss the proposed North District Phase 3 and Blaine Street Parking Structure Project.

The community meeting will be held in person at the North District Building D, Room D112 from 6:00p.m. – 7:00p.m. on Wednesday, April 8, 2026.

This will be an opportunity to learn more about the project, provide feedback/comments, and meet project team members.

Blaine Street Parking Structure would entail development of approximately 2,000 parking spaces on the existing Parking Lot 27 along Blaine Street.

Meeting Flyer

Slide Deck

For more information, or to submit questions or comments before or after the meeting, please contact:
Melissa Garrety, Senior Planner
UCR Planning, Design & Construction
(951) 827-7376

planning@ucr.edu

City Of Our Dreams, Pets, Safety, Transportation

Donkeyland Town Hall

March 17, 2026 admin Leave a comment

Community Town Hall

Help Protect the Donkeys

Donkeyland Town Hall

Monday March 23rd, 6:30 p.m.

Sandals Church, Hunter Park

150 Palmyrita Ave, Riverside CA 92507

Health, Public Policy, Resoration Economy, Safety

Quality Inn Conversion Gets $100 Million If Council Agrees To Accept It

January 8, 2026 admin 1 Comment

Quality Inn Conversion The Quality Inn Motel Conversion Project, also known as University Terrace Homes has been awarded a $100 Million Grant. Next week the City Council votes to accept the award or refuse it.

Please show your support in one of the ways below.

We don’t need a reminder of the millions of dollars the City has spent building the housing and homeless team, studying the problem but building far too few stable housing units. This project does exactly that. It’s time we see some of the innovation we claim for ourselves.

As a reminder, Riverside Housing Development Corporation has been awarded the grant, and we are now preparing for the upcoming City Council vote to approve acceptance of the funds. Letters of support from community partners like you play an important role in demonstrating broad support for the project.

If you’re able, we would be grateful for your submission of a letter of support ahead of the City Council meeting on January 13^th, 2026. I’ve reattached the template for convenience, and please feel free to personalize it as you see fit.

Letters should be submitted to the City Clerk’s Office at City_Clerk@RiversideCA.Gov on or before the meeting scheduled for January 13th, 2026. Please feel free to copy our team (Councilmember: CCervantes@RiversideCA.Gov, Bill: WKester@RiversideCA.Gov, Mel: MBruns@RiversideCA.Gov) on that email.

If you would like to submit an e-comment for the item, please use the following link:

Fiscal Year 2024-2025 United States Department of Housing and Urban Development Annual Action Plan Amendment to allocate $965,617.75 in Community Development Block Grant – Standard Agreement with California Department of Housing and Community Development and Riverside Housing Development Corporation for award of up to $21,074,820 of Homekey+ grant funds – Implementation and Cooperation Agreement with Riverside Housing Development Corporation for Homekey+ grant funds – Loan agreements with Riverside Housing Development Corporation to allocate Community Development Block Grant of $965,617.75, HOME Investment Partnerships Program of $1,000,000, and Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention Round 3 and 4 of $7,569,272.25 for University Terrace Homes project – 1590 University Avenue (Housing and Human Services) (Ward 2) (15-minute presentation) – The City of Riverside, CA

Thank you again for your continued support and advocacy. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or need additional information. Spread the word.

For additional information contact:

Melanie (Bruns) Lahay
she/her/hers
Legislative Field Representative
Council Member Clarissa Cervantes, Ward 2
Direct: 951-850-4962
Office: 951-826-5419
3900 Main Street, Riverside, CA 92522
MBruns@RiversideCA.Gov

Book time with Bruns, Melanie

City Of Our Dreams, Economic Development, Public Policy, Safety, Social Capital

City Manager Joins UNA Feb 2025 Meeting

February 12, 2025 admin Leave a comment

Join City Manager Mike Futrell and Deputy Public Works Director Nathan Mustafa for a discussion about creating the neighborhood of our dreams. Add your input to the topic list:

University Neighborhood Feb 2025 Meeting Discussion Topics

Public Safety

Fire Protection
Wildfire maps
Homeowners Insurance is problematic in our neighborhood.
Status of the fire departments grant to expand awareness of fireproofing residences.
Mt. Vernon properties illegally clearing vegetation
Consider a city-wide ban on discing. Each time it generates more fuel after spring rains.
RTRP – Reconsideration to underground
Freshen the reflective paint stripes along Watkins Dr from the Freeway to Mt. Vernon.

UCR Lawsuits

Status of the City’s
UNA lost their suit over some of the same issues as the City.

Environmental

Donkeys as a public safety issue.
- Who in the City is accountable for this? Not a normal job posting.
- What is the status of regional collaboration to address the issue
- Where do the 311 calls get routed?
- How many donkey calls for service in the past five years?
Traffic Watkins Dr – 215 to Spruce
- Compare traffic data from UCR’s study showing the need for a lighted intersection at Watkins Dr and Big Springs Rd., to current trends based on camera data from Watkins Big Springs intersection since the lights were hooked up to traffic system.
- What is the quantity of cars per hour/day/week since camera data available. Some graphs would be helpful.
- How many days has the camera feed been live?
- How many big rigs are on camera since camera feed went live?

Watkins Dr parking hazard West side Watkins, Blaine to Valencia Hills Dr
- How often is Watkins Dr from Blane to Valencia hills drive maintained?
- How many times since parking was removed from the East Side of Watkins, has this stretch been maintained.
Street maintenance: how often is Watkins Dr South of Piccacho Drive to the 215-freeway scheduled for maintenance?
- When was the last time a work order was issued for anything along that section of Watkins Dr.
- How many over the past 5 years?
How many public works service calls for water or sewer line issues in our neighborhood?
- How many on Watkins Dr?

Placemaking Opportunities

Trails
- Possibility of paving terminus of Two Trees Rd for enhanced parking Two Trees Trailhead
- Parking along Marlborough for trail access behind Nordstrom warehouse
- Access to Sugar Loaf trail along Gage Canal South of Citrus
- Remove parking on Watkins Dr from Blane to Valencia Hills Dr and the neighborhood specific plan can take shape. This provides for dedicated bike lanes in both directions, plus trail connectivity options to the Gage Canal trail, Islander Park and campus. These could be class A lanes with barriers given the traffic volumes we have.
- Trail signage needed.
- Bridge, tunnel to reopen access to the Box Springs Reserve and trails.
  - This is an opportunity to attract State or County funding. The entire Metrolink line has a trail easement for the asking. This is alternative transportation funding and can be applied for. Especially since our trail plan includes Moreno Valley. The line goes to Perris and in plans beyond.
Blaine & Watkins train crossing medians add planters with succulents, natives
Islander Pool is underutilized. What is the annual operational budget for Islander Park?
- What has been the trend for the past five years?
Watkins Dr is the Gateway to the UNA. It leads to campus and points north. It deserves to be treated as such which means a budget to keep it looking attractive, and managed for fire along Coyote Hill, and beautified from Blaine to Spruce along a half mile of chain link fence. Surely we can do better as city of arts and innovation.

City Of Our Dreams, Environment, Open Government, Public Policy, Resoration Economy, Safety, Social Capital

Don’t Let Riverside Burn

February 2, 2025 admin 2 Comments

BURY RTRP
Time To ACT. Show up at City Hall
Feb 4 2025 6:15 Public Comment

Let your voice be heard at City Council this coming Tuesday February 4^th in the City Council Chamber next to City Hall. It is NOT on the agenda, but — come and speak out during public comment at 6:15 pm. Fill out a speaker card when you arrive. Just showing up will flex our civic muscle.

You DO NOT NEED TO SPEAK to support those who will speak! Wear a white or teal shirt and let the City know that residents want to be protected!

Email all councilmembers NOW and include the mayor and clerk, asking the Clerk to make your comment Public Record; emails are below.

This project began over 18 years ago and our Council has refused to consider today’s current conditions. We need a new connection into our city, but if it is with transmission lines, they need to be buried underground. These transmission lines will be placed in a high-fire/high-wind corridor where SCE frequently shuts our power off.

Australia, Paradise, Maui, now the Eaton and Palisades fires. It’s not if, but when. This is an area where we have had many fires this past season…overhead lines are a DISASTER waiting to happen to Riverside!

Insure our future resiliency and maybe get affordable insurance for our homes. Bury the RTRP. Tell everyone. Spread the word. We deserve better from our public servants. Let them know. See you Tuesday.

Councilmembers emails:

Ward 1 pfalcone@riversideca.gov

Ward 2 ccervantes@riversideca.gov Supports Underground

Ward 3 srobillard@riversideca.gov

Ward 4 cconder@riversideca.gov Supports Underground

Ward 5 smill@riversideca.gov

Ward 6 jperry@riversideca.gov

Ward 7 shemenway@riversideca.gov Supports Underground

Mayor 2Mayor@Riversideca.gov Has not stated a position

Clerk City_clerk@riversideca.gov

Economic Development, Open Government, Public Policy, Social Capital

UNA September 2024 Meeting Agenda

September 8, 2024 admin Leave a comment

Every 2nd Thursday 6:30 – 8:30

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

1. Welcome – Introductions 5 min.

2. City Clerk Donesia Gause, MMC Q&A 40 min.

3. City Innovation & Technology

Chief Q&A 40 min.

4. Council Updates

5.Announcements Updates: 5 min

General Plan Advisory Committee Interest Form

Neighbors Better Together Ballot Rebuttal

Sign the Change.org Petition to

RTRP Underground or Above Ground Survey .

Neighborhood Resources

Neighbors Better Together

Do It Yourself Wildfire Protection

Follow Our Courts

US Covid Atlas

City Of Our Dreams, Economic Development, Environment, Ethics, Green Energy, Health, Public Policy, Safety, Social Capital

Add Your Name To Riverside Neighbors Demanding Underground RTRP Transmission Lines

June 13, 2024 admin 3 Comments

At June’s UNA meeting, we will take a vote to submit the following letter on behalf of our neighborhood group, and joining groups from across the city who are demanding a safer, transmission line project.

Thousands of Riverside residents will be affected by higher insurance rates, lower property values, viewshed destruction, enhanced wildfire risk, other public safety risks, plus the theft of generational equity from some of our most disadvantaged neighborhoods.

Dear City Council Members, I am writing to you on behalf of the University Neighborhood Association with a request to reconsider the vote to stop the working group from obtaining the information needed to proceed with a request to underground the power lines in our city.

As a concerned citizen, who has witnessed both past and present Councils echoing the Community’s voice, saying that we do not have enough information or cost data regarding this project, I remain dismayed at the refusal to get that information.

Yet we persist in a course of action we all know is fraught with peril and foreseeable public health and safety risks. The very risks you swore an oath to put foremost in your elected stewardship duties. This is a risk to current and future residents as well as a dire risk to our regional neighbors who expect more from a city always eager to take leadership for innovation.

It is especially dismaying that we are proceeding in spite of State requirements that all new transmission line projects shall be underground. Did we not get the memo?

This is information we do have. We also know the easement needed to proceed is not forthcoming unless this project is underground. We know the longer we delay the greater the fire danger and the costs.

I am wondering if any of you have considered the possibility of having a shovel-ready project in three years and built in five?

What is needed is the political will to request a new EIR or Supplemental EIR to include current conditions. I know that if there was political will, time frames can be shortened.

We also have a mayor who is an expert in this arena and I am urging you Mayor Dawson, to bring the best of your considerable talents, experience, and demonstrated love for Riverside to show up on this. Your legacy is at risk. Have you considered the optics of having an environmental expert as mayor and proceeding with this monstrosity of a project? Even Edison is telling us to underground everywhere except for the City of Riverside apparently.

Political will gives us all the information we need and the project ready to submit in less than a year – if we require it. And if this project is as critical to our future as Staff, Edison, SEIU, the Chamber and a host of paid performers, shilling during Council deliberations, have said it is, then it is equally critical to listen to your community.

One of you needs to step up and request a reconsideration to get this rolling. If we are serious about need and the speed, then the shortest time frame starts with a new EIR process. One or all of you newly elected has an opportunity to step up and demonstrate the kind of leadership we have seen from Councilmen Conder, Hemenway and Councilwoman Cervantes.

We expect you to do your jobs and due diligence on this or risk the likely result of being a one term councilman.

Gurumantra Khalsa
Co Chair, University Neighborhood Assn.
951-640-3868

Economic Development, Environment, Green Energy, Parks, Resoration Economy, Safety

RTRP Reconsideration Request To City Council

June 10, 2024 admin 1 Comment

Our council needs to hear from you on this issue. Thousands of Riverside residents will be affected by insurance rates, viewshed destruction, enhanced wildfire risk, and a host of forseeable public health and safety issues.

Here’s a sample request from another neighborhood group:

Hi Neighbor,

I’m asking you to request the City Council reconsider the motion to stop the undergrounding working group.

Click here to send email

Please watch the video and then click on the link above. This will send an email to all of the City Council Members. All you have to do is click on the link and sign your name.

You can also sign the Petition LINK to have them research putting the power lines underground.

Here is what the email says: (if you could add a few words of your own at the beginning, that would be great)

Dear City Council Members, I hope this email finds you well. I am writing to you with a friendly request to reconsider the recent vote on stopping the working group for undergrounding the power lines in our city. As a concerned citizen, I believe that allowing the working group to continue its efforts could greatly benefit our community. By exploring the possibility of undergrounding the power lines, we have the opportunity to enhance the safety, aesthetics, and overall quality of life for our residents. One of the primary advantages of undergrounding power lines is the reduced risk of outages caused by severe weather conditions, falling trees, or other external factors. This increased reliability can be particularly beneficial for businesses and essential services, ensuring uninterrupted operations and minimizing economic losses. Additionally, undergrounding power lines can significantly improve the visual appeal of our neighborhoods and public spaces. Removing the unsightly overhead lines and poles can contribute to a more attractive and inviting environment, potentially increasing property values and fostering a sense of community pride. While I understand that there may be concerns regarding the costs associated with undergrounding power lines, it is important to note that Edison’s quoted figures of $40-50 million per mile seem to be significantly higher than the estimates provided by PG&E and the Federal Government, which range from $2-6 million per mile. It would be prudent for the City Council to demand a detailed explanation from Edison regarding this discrepancy. Furthermore, I would like to bring to your attention the new PG&E pilot program called the Ground-Level Distribution System. This innovative approach not only offers cost savings but also promises a quicker installation process compared to traditional undergrounding methods. By allowing the working group to continue its efforts, we can thoroughly explore these alternative options and potentially find a solution that balances the benefits of undergrounding with cost-effectiveness. It is important to note that Edison does not yet possess the necessary easements to proceed with the installation of new towers. This presents an opportune moment for our city to carefully evaluate all available options before committing to a course of action. I kindly request that the City Council reconsider the decision to stop the working group and instead encourage their continued exploration of undergrounding possibilities. By doing so, we can ensure that our city remains at the forefront of progress, prioritizing the well-being and satisfaction of our residents. Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to a productive dialogue and a collaborative effort toward finding the best solution for our community.

Residents for Responsible Representation

RRR.LaSierra@gmail.com

951.217.7966

In collaboration with:

Mission Grove Neighborhood Alliance

missiongrovena@gmail.com

https://www.missiongrovena.org/

951-394-2526

Community Town Hall

Help Protect the Donkeys

A Neighborhood Of Our Dreams