🗞️ Riverside News- April 23, 2026

Thursday Gazette: April 23, 2026

Hello Riverside, and Happy Thursday! Tonight is the night. The Raincross Gazette's first-ever candidate forum kicks off this evening with the Ward 2 race, and we could not be more excited. The room is expected to be standing room only, and moderating the series is someone whose name means something in this city: Dan Bernstein, who spent 32 years at the Press-Enterprise writing a must-read column grounded in real reporting discipline. If you've been on the fence, consider this your invitation. Be sure to RSVP so we know to expect you — it's free.

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HOUSING

Council Approves Pilot Program to Redistribute Unused Housing Capacity Along University Avenue

The University Avenue Density Transfer Pilot Program lets developers move unused residential capacity between parcels — without increasing the corridor's overall housing limit.

Riverside can now shuffle unused housing development rights between properties along University Avenue, a tool city officials hope will unlock stalled housing projects in the corridor.

Why it matters: University Avenue has capacity for nearly 6,800 homes — but fewer than 10% have been built. This program gives developers a new mechanism to make projects pencil out.

Driving the news: The City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to launch the University Avenue Density Transfer Pilot Program, covering parcels from Park Avenue to the 215 Freeway.

How it works: Developers can move unused residential capacity two ways:

• Through a city-run bank where eligible properties deposit or withdraw units
• Through direct transfers negotiated between a donor and receiver property owner

Yes, but: Most parcels can donate units, but fully built residential lots, properties without residential capacity, and most Housing Element opportunity sites are excluded. Affordable housing projects will also need a separate housing agreement.

What's next: City staff will return in roughly a year with a report on whether to expand or make the program permanent.

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GOVERNMENT

Riverside Fines for Code Violations to Jump as High as $1,000 Under New Ordinance

The City Council updated an administrative fine structure that had been unchanged since 1999, raising the maximum penalty from $500 to $1,000.

Riverside's maximum fine for repeat municipal code violations triples to $1,000 under a new ordinance the City Council approved Tuesday.

Why it matters: Property owners and businesses who ignore code violations — think overgrown lots, unpermitted work, or nuisance properties — face significantly steeper penalties starting now.

By the numbers: The updated fine structure:

• 1st offense: $100 (unchanged)
• 2nd offense: $500 (up from $200)
• 3rd or subsequent offense: $1,000 (up from $500)

The backstory: The previous fine amounts date to 1999. City staff argued they'd grown too low to motivate compliance, shifting enforcement costs onto taxpayers.

What's next: The Land Use Committee unanimously passed the change Jan. 12. City staff will report back in one year on whether the higher penalties are improving compliance.

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COMMUNITY

Riverside Pet Shelter at Capacity, Needs Fosters and Adopters

The nonprofit is juggling capacity pressures shared by county animal services while offering residents multiple ways to step up for animals in need.

The Mary S. Roberts Pet Adoption Center is at capacity for adult dogs, with economic pressures pushing more pets into the shelter system than staff can handle.

Why it matters: If you've considered adopting or fostering a pet, right now is when it counts — every placement directly relieves a shelter system stretched well beyond capacity.

Driving the news: As of early April, the center had 31 dogs in foster care. Its partner agency, Riverside County Department of Animal Services, was operating at more than 200% capacity.

• The center regularly pulls animals from county facilities to free up space there — a pipeline that only works if the center itself has room.

The backstory: Staff point to housing instability, rising costs, and limited access to low-cost spay and neuter services as root causes — meaning more animals are entering the system than homes can absorb.

What they're saying: "The 'problem' isn't necessarily less adoptions happening, but instead it's more pets available than there is space to house them," the organization said.

What's next: The PAC Walk is Saturday, May 9 — a monthly morning walk where participants walk alongside adoptable pets at the center. The center also runs low-cost vaccination and spay/neuter clinics open to the public.

Go deeper: Find adoptable pets, foster applications, volunteer sign-ups and the full event calendar at petsadoption.org. The center is at 6165 Industrial Ave.; call (951) 688-4340. (3 min. read)

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What's Happening in Riverside

Today

• Raincross Gazette: Ward 2 Community Forum at UCR Alumni & Visitors Center
• Riverside's Butterflies: A Natural History at Riverside Main Library
• Very Hungry Caterpillar Painting Session at Marcy Library
• History on the Rocks! Presented by The Mission Inn Foundation at Mission Inn Foundation ($71.21)
• Frozen: The Broadway Musical at Woodcrest Christian School Royals Pavilion ($15- $20)

Tomorrow

• Riverside Sunrise Rotary Club Meeting at Zacatecas Café
• R'Hours at the R'Garden at R'Garden
• Bioblitz at the LandUse Learning Center at LandUse Learning Center
• Courthouse, Murals and Heroes Walking Tour at Mission Inn Foundation ($23.18)
• Into the Breeches! by George Brant at Riverside Community Players at Riverside Community Players ($20- $22.24)
• Jose Maria Napoleon - Hasta Siempre. Tour de Despedida at Fox Performing Arts Center
• Murder Mystery Co. Dinner Theater Show at The Old Spaghetti Factory at The Old Spaghetti Factory ($69)

Save the Date

• April 25: Frozen: The Broadway Musical at Woodcrest Christian School Royals Pavilion ($15- $20)
• April 25: 78th Annual Riverside Flower Show and Garden Tour at Riverside Elks Lodge (free - $10)
• April 27: Sip with a Scientist at Bar Ni Modo
• April 29: Raincross Gazette: Ward 4 Community Forum at Riverside Citrus State Park - Sunkist Center
• April 30: Raincross Gazette: Ward 6 Community Forum at Altura Credit Union (10725 Magnolia Ave.)
• May 1: Riverside Sunrise Rotary Club Meeting at Zacatecas Café
• May 3: "The Sound of Riverside" - The 2026 Riverside Arts Academy Gala at UCR University Theatre ($150- $325)
• May 6: Senior Conference at Janet Goeske Center
• May 13: Level Up Your Network: The Pick Group 2026 Membership Summit at Killer Queens Social House
• May 17: Old-Fashioned Ice Cream Social at Riverside's Heritage House
• June 1: REEF's 27th Annual Golf Tournament at Canyon Crest Country Club ($140- $175)

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