Palms stand tall against the evening sky at California Citrus State Historic Park, a reminder of Riverside's citrus heritage. (Julie Knighton) Have a photo that captures the spirit of Riverside? Share it with us and help celebrate the beauty of our community!
Tuesday Gazette: December 9, 2025
Hello Riverside, and Happy Tuesday!
It's Day 3 of our campaign, and 35 of you have become new supporters so far. We're 14% toward our goal of 253 new supporters – thank you (and thanks for bearing with me as I share campaign updates and invitations every day this week)!
Let me ask you something: what would you miss if the Gazette stopped showing up in your inbox every morning?
Our curated calendar of what's happening around town?
City Council updates you won't find anywhere else?
Knowing about that new small business, community event, or planning decision affecting your neighborhood?
That's what 35 new supporters are helping us deliver to our city. Here's how you can join them:
Committee Directs Ban on Standalone Smoke Shops After Meth Pipe Findings
Committee directs staff to draft ordinance eliminating standalone tobacco retailers after finding employees openly selling methamphetamine pipes.
A smoke shop on Magnolia Avenue in Ward 5 advertises kratom in its storefront window.
City staff found employees openly selling meth pipes at shops near schools, prompting Land Use Committee to advance ban on standalone tobacco retailers.
Why it matters: Thirteen smoke shops operate without permits in Riverside, and inspections revealed workers identifying pipes as "to smoke methamphetamine" — with many locations near RUSD campuses.
Driving the news: The Land Use Committee directed staff Dec. 8 to draft an ordinance banning standalone smoke shops while allowing tobacco sales at gas stations and grocery stores.
By the numbers:
226 tobacco retailers citywide
20 operate without valid permits (13 are smoke shops)
Two-thirds of RUSD's 50 schools affected by nearby retailers
What police seized from 13 smoke shops in eight months: Nearly 5,000 cannabis products, 80,000 illegal tobacco units, 535 nitrous oxide tanks, 182 psilocybin mushroom units.
Yes, but: Councilmember Clarissa Cervantes raised concerns about family-owned Ward 2 operators, suggesting the city help legitimate businesses transition.
What's next: Draft regulations go to Planning Commission, then back to committee before full Council vote. Current moratorium on new tobacco permits runs through August 2026.
City Developing First Adaptive Reuse Ordinance to Convert Empty Buildings into Housing
"Repurpose Riverside" project targets spring 2026 completion with $1.5 million grant.
The Mark preserved the 1926 Stalder Building facade at street level while adding a modern seven-story structure with 165 apartments above. The adaptive reuse project completed in 2023.
City's first adaptive reuse ordinance aims to transform empty commercial buildings into homes, with new regulations set for spring 2026 adoption.
Why it matters: Downtown property owners can't currently convert vacant offices to housing without lengthy rezoning — these new rules will streamline the process and could unlock thousands of potential housing units.
What's new: The "Repurpose Riverside" project uses a $1.5 million WRCOG grant to develop regulations modeled on successful programs in LA and San Francisco.
The big picture: LA's adaptive reuse ordinance created 12,000 housing units downtown since 1999. Riverside aims to replicate that success for struggling commercial corridors.
What helps: Recent state law eliminates parking minimums for projects within a half-mile of high-quality transit, removing a major obstacle to conversions.
What they're saying: "This is environmentally sound policy," Committee Chair Sean Mill said. "Instead of tearing down buildings and building new, we're using what's already there."
Councilmember Philip Falcone noted Riverside's best developments are already conversions: "The Farmhouse, the Cheech, the Imperial Hardware, the Mark."
What's next: Public meeting in early 2026, then Planning Commission review before Council adoption in spring 2026.
UC Riverside scientists developed a breakthrough air filter using stainless steel mesh coated with titanium dioxide nanoparticles that destroys toxic gases while removing 99.6% of particulates—offering a reusable, chemical-free alternative to traditional filters.
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