Riverbank residents tell planning commission Riverwalk would consume prime farmland, increase flood risk

Several Riverbank residents used the public-comment period at the March 19 Planning Commission meeting to urge commissioners to oppose the Riverwalk proposal and to preserve prime agricultural land.

Karen Conrado of Hoag Road said she opposes the Riverwalk project and asked commissioners to weigh long-term consequences. "Once it's paved over, it'll be gone forever," she said, arguing the site is on a floodplain that would worsen downstream flooding, reduce habitat and wildlife corridors, and raise infrastructure and long-term maintenance costs for residents.

Fred Walton of Modesto told commissioners the river bottom is better suited to parkland or low-density lots than compact, high-density housing. He urged commissioners to visit the river bottom and bluffs before making a recommendation and said preserving greenbelt near the river would better serve the community.

Milt Treweiler, a lifetime Stanislaus County resident, framed prime farmland as an "irreplaceable" legacy resource for future generations and called for building up through infill and midrise development rather than expanding into farmland. "Save our farmland for our descendants," he said.

Staff did not present a Riverwalk agenda item for action during this meeting; in staff comments later in the meeting, staff confirmed the Riverwalk environmental impact report's comment period had been extended and that materials were being converted to Spanish for public access. Commissioners did not vote on Riverwalk at this meeting.

The public remarks raised three recurring concerns: loss of productive farmland, increased flood risk and infrastructure costs, and a preference for infill development rather than expansion onto agricultural land. Speakers also criticized gated communities and clustering that they said could reduce social interaction.

Next steps: commissioners did not take formal action on Riverwalk at this session; staff noted the EIR process is ongoing and public comments will be accepted during the extended comment period.