• July 23, 2008 Planning Commission Agenda
• July 22, 2008 Director's Hearing Agenda (Special Meeting)
• July 28, 2008 Director's Hearing Agenda
• Riverside County General Plan - RCIP
• Zoning Ordinance List of Zones
• How to Find Your Zoning
• Design Guidelines
• Application Forms
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Contacting The Planning Department
• Environmental Impact Report Consultants List
• Airport Land Use Commission

SMP 213 Project Information Page

Draft WIMP Phase 4 Report Information Page

Vista Santa Rosa

Lakeview Nuevo

Temescal Valley

Bermuda Dunes

• 1-(951)-955-3200 (Western Riverside County)
• 1-(760)-863-8277 (Eastern Riverside County)

Riverside County, like a quilt, is a composite of differing lifestyles connected together through common strands. The County's General Plan is designed to ensure that the quilt retains its core identity by guiding future growth that respects the diversity of the region, shapes and configures development in relation to the land it occupies and ensures that its various parts relate to its whole.

It is the goal of the Planning Department to provide timely, responsive and helpful service to all members of the public and promote innovative development that effectively accommodates a balance of housing, employment, and service opportunities.

Ron Goldman, Planning Director

On June 17, 2008, the Riverside County Board of Supervisors approved the proposed Vista Santa Rosa Land Use Concept Plan for inclusion in the County's 2008-09 General Plan update proposal, and to provide guidance for development proposals in Vista Santa Rosa, prior to the adoption of the GP update, expected to occur in December 2009. The VSR plan will be included in the General Plan update Environmental Impact Report and public hearings before the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors, all expected to occur during 2009, thereby providing opportunities for public review and input, prior to its adoption with the GP update. To view the proposed VSR Land Use Concept Plan, see links below.

VSR Land Use Concept Plan Text (pdf)
VSR Land Use Concept Plan Map (pdf)
Table 2A - ALUC Basic Compatibility Criteria (pdf)

Effective July 1st, 2008

All General Plan Amendment (GPA) applications are required to be submitted as single applications, and will NOT be accepted concurrently with any other planning application(s) prior to the adoption of initiation proceedings by the Board of Supervisors.

If, upon completion of the GPA Initiation Process, an order to initiate proceedings is adopted by the Board of Supervisors, the applicant may submit concurrent planning application(s) related to the GPA.

General Plan Amendment Initiation requirements are explained in Ordinance No. 348, Article II (Riverside County General Plan and Specific Plans) Sections 2.1 – 2.7. These sections explain the requirements of the Board of Supervisors to either adopt, decline to adopt, or adopt as amended, an order initiating proceedings for all proposed GPAs prior to the GPA going through the official review process.

The General Plan Amendment Initiation Process is a “Planning Only Review” and does not involve other departments, as the official GPA review does. The adoption of initiation proceedings, for any GPA, does not imply that the GPA will later be approved.

Mecca: Mi Comunidad, Mi Visión, Mi Orgullo - 6/11/08 Presentation (15 MB pdf)

Riverside County Planning Department is the 2008 Winner of the IES-APA Best Practices Award for Ordinance 859 and the Riverside County Guide to California Friendly Landscaping.

The project planner's name can now be retrieved via the Planning Case Information query.

Please see TLMA's Online Services page.

The Board of Supervisors has adopted revisions to Ordinance 348 in order to establish minimum development requirements for the erection of detached accessory buildings and guest homes in the unincorporated areas of Riverside County.

These requirements are intended to provide for the appropriate construction of detached accessory buildings, enhance the aesthetic appearance of the community, preserve property values and protect the public health, safety and welfare. The new process will begin March 26, 2008 and will require a public hearing to establish a new accessory structure over 401 square feet or guest home of any size.

Frequently Asked Questions (pdf)
Amended Ordinance Text (200KB - pdf)

The Bermuda Dunes Community Council in collaboration with the County of Riverside has proposed the creation of an overlay program.

The Bermuda Dunes Overlay program will provide community-wide standards that address unique neighborhood concerns regarding the quality of life in Bermuda Dunes.

The property owners will be required to comply with the Neighborhood Preservation Standards of the overlay zone, which are to maintain a safe, orderly, sanitary and aesthetically pleasing environment on public and private properties. See links below for more information regarding the March 13, 2008 workshop

3/13/08 Workshop Presentation (pdf)
3/13/08 Workshop Agenda (pdf)
Public Survey Questionnaire (pdf)
Public Survey Results (pdf)

The Riverside County Planning Department is currently in the process of developing community specific visions and design guidelines for several unique Riverside County communities.

Current communities in focus are:

• Anza
• Desert Edge
• Mecca
• Thermal

To view the current draft community guidelines for these areas, please visit:

Community Guidelines in Progress page

In 2003, Riverside County comprehensively revised and restructured its General Plan. In 2008, the County will be initiating a five-year review of the revised and restructured General Plan.

If you believe the Foundation Component currently applied to your property is not appropriate, you will have a limited opportunity to request a Foundation Component Amendment.

To learn more, click the link below and read the document entitled, 'Notice to Landowners.' You will find other useful information about the 2008 General Plan Update there too.

Click here for more information.

Any development in the Eastern Coachella Valley is confronted with unique challenges related to infrastructure limitations such as transportation, flood control, community facilities and others. To address these issues in a comprehensive manner and enable creation of sustainable and livable communities, the County of Riverside Board of Supervisors has directed staff to initiate three General Plan Amendments (GPAs) for this area. These County initiated GPAs are separate from the property owner initiated Foundation Component requests for the General Plan Amendment 2008.

Eastern Coachella Valley GPA Land Use Map

1) Item 3.59, 6/26/2007 BOS (So. Valley)
2) Item 3.60, 6/26/ 2007 BOS (Oasis)
3) Item 3.50, 10/30/2007 BOS (Mecca)

Please click on the following link to find out how the development applications within the Eastern Coachella Valley and General Plan Amendment 2008 will be processed.