Housing project draws opposition for location on what farmers call "prime" Stanislaus County farmland
RIVERBANK — A housing project in the Stanislaus County community of Riverbank is drawing fire for its location on what farmers say is ideal agricultural land.
Those opposed to the River Walk Project say it's not about the housing but the location, and while that argument is typically employed when low-income housing arrives in higher-income neighborhoods, it's different there. To the opposition, it's about prioritizing what they say is some of the state's best farmland.
River Walk would add more than 2,400 homes but on 1,500 acres of what some residents say is vital growing soil.
"I'm a fourth-generation farmer so I know soils," Riverbank resident Garry Pearson said. "And all of that is prime number one soil."
The city did not respond to a request for comment nor did their environmental consultant, De Novo Planning.
Riverbank resident Barney Aggers worries that low-density housing doesn't solve a housing crisis.
"It's going to be expensive homes and I fear it will be a bedroom community for the Bay Area," Aggers said.
He said he would applaud the project if it was closer to the city limits while preserving ag land.
"We think there is somewhere near 400 acres of vacant land right in the vicinity of Riverbank instead of coming two miles out of town and annexing this," Aggers said.
Pearson agrees, saying the stance isn't inherently anti-housing.
"Do you want to put a more concentrated housing on existing land within the sphere of influence in the city of riverbank? Which I would advocate for," Pearson said.
He added that a major driver is preserving a farming culture that is slowly being squeezed across the state.
"I want to make sure that our future generations of farmers have a place to farm," Pearson said.
The public briefing on the environmental impact report is being held Tuesday evening. There is also a push to get this issue back on a public ballot via a signatures campaign.
