Riverbank voters will wait until November 2026 to consider whether the city should expand to the west.
The City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to accept a ballot petition from opponents of the 2,400-home River Walk project. It would stretch Riverbank to McHenry Avenue, north of Modesto.
Supporters say River Walk would provide badly needed houses and apartments for a range of ages. Critics argue that the site is prime farmland and that Riverbank has plenty of approved home sites within its current boundaries.
The deadline for the November 2024 ballot was a month ago, so the measure will be part of the next regular election two years hence. Council members balked at holding a special election sooner because of the $50,000-plus cost.
The measure would not affect River Walk directly. Rather, voters will decide whether to give themselves veto power over future council approvals of westward growth plans.
The leaders in the signature drive include Garry Pearson, who lives in Riverbank and also farms in the area. “This is an extremely important matter to the city and to our future,” he told the council Tuesday.