Council Pushes Back on Riverfront Concepts Including Highway 44 Transformation, Housing at Northern Riverfront
Redding’s five-member council was mostly united in concerns about some of the concepts presented by staff, including a proposal that could eventually transform part of Highway 44 into a city boulevard, and the suggestion that mixed use buildings that include housing could be allowed at the northern riverfront.
Tenessa Audette was the only Council member to join City Manager Barry Tippin in support of a riverfront concept that would allow part of Highway 44 to be transformed into a city boulevard. In contrast, Council member Dr. Paul Dhanuka called the idea a “pipe dream,” reiterating his complete opposition.
Council members discussed the Highway 44 concept along with other emerging concepts for Redding riverfront land during a presentation by staff Tuesday night, May 20.
In the end, the Council didn’t vote on the ideas at all, instead sending staff back to further adjust the concepts that will guide how hundreds of acres of public and private land along Redding’s riverfront should be structured. The ideas will eventually guide an update to the Riverfront Specific Plan, which will return to the council for approval, but probably not for at least a year.
Council members’ objections to the emerging concepts thus far related to the possibility of changing Highway 44 and adding any kind of housing in the area around the “northern riverfront.”
The city is using the term northern riverfront to describe an area of mostly public land close to the Sundial Bridge, including the Civic Auditorium, Turtle Bay Exploration Park, the Sheraton and land leased by the Redding Rodeo.
Ideas suggested for the area by staff included an 8,000 seat indoor/outdoor venue. That’s four times as much seating as is provided at the Civic Auditorium currently. Council members did not specifically address the idea of such a venue, but several brought up related concerns.
A lack of parking, traffic congestion, concerns about the protection of the river, and the community’s desire for minimal development all took center stage in remarks by Council members Dhanuka, Mike Littua, Erin Resner and Mayor Jack Munns.
Audette reminded the council that the Riverfront Specific Plan simply defines boundaries and approval of emerging concepts doesn’t ensure that any particular project will occur. The ideas being presented might never happen, Audette said, specifically citing the Highway 44 transformation proposal. So, in her estimation, there’s little harm in including them even if they’re unlikely to be feasible.
Council member Erin Resner pushed back on that notion, pointing out that the Riverfront Specific Plan is an intentional set of rules for a particular area of land and should therefore be specific about what will and will not be allowed as part of riverfront development.
“The entire point of a specific plan is so that this is enforceable and it gives guidelines of what specifically is supposed to happen in this area,” Resner said.
Resner joined other council members in emphasizing that there has been almost universal opposition to the idea of housing at the northern riverfront, noting a survey response included in the council’s packet showed more than 700 community members voicing their opposition to housing in that area.
Redding Director of Development Jeremy Pagan said he is aware of that feedback, but suggested citizens may have primarily been concerned about placing low-income housing on land that’s currently public. That’s different, he said, than what staff are proposing — allowing mixed use development on private property next to public land. Pagan suggested polling the community further to learn more.
City staff will now begin drafting an update to the Riverfront Specific Plan, incorporating all the feedback received thus far, including what was shared by the council this week. While a final draft of the Riverfront Specific Plan is not expected to be completed for about a year, City Manager Barry Tippin told the council that staff will likely return for more feedback multiple times between now and then.
Do you have a correction to share? Email us: editor@shastascout.org.
Author
Comments (3)
Comments are closed.
Related Articles
Recent flooding closed Cal’s Books. This group of young people is working to bring it back
In December, after Cal’s Books was flooded with two feet of water — and thousands of books were damaged — its owner decided to close the store permanently. Now a team of 20-year-olds has a plan to save the beloved store.
Board majority faces off against Supervisor Plummer on liaison positions, supervisor raises
During the board’s first meeting of 2026, Supervisor Matt Plummer was removed from a number of pivotal liaison positions.
The Doug LaMalfa I covered: Authentic, cranky and deeply caring
After the sudden death of U.S. Rep Doug LaMalfa, a CalMatters reporter who covered him for 20 years reflects on his life and legacy.
100 Year Flood, upper end housing for sale on the market on an ongoing basis and keeping the Sacramento River approachable by residents and tourists…are all reasons to keep the “Northern Front’ out of bounds of development. Not to mention all along Park Marina Blvd. I’ve lost count of the river flooding this area over the last 40+ years. Why do another poll for housing when it should have been specific and clear what people were voting on in the first place.
Keep the Sacramento River area free from major development.
With the current state of California, a more conservative direction should be adopted… further more, why would a more developed infrastructure be conducive to the best interests of the Sacramento River’s pristine eco system? There should be no binding legislation for this area…. So far, city planning has fallen short on a picturesque beautified Redding Ca!
Having been a long time resident of Redding myself, and observing the population growth, and the lack of affordable housing stock for seniors and disabled people, working class people, it’s time to do strategic planning for creating affordable housing – even if it’s not near waterways like the riverfront. There is a huge problem with homeless people, many of whom don’t have the income available to pay current,market rate rents. That’s the problem with the gig/ service economy,it doesn’t pay the rent anymore. This Neoliberalism has brought poverty and killed the middle class lifestyle so many of us grew up with,and assumed we’d have that ourselves one day. Don’t give in to NIMBYISM. Do the competent work needed to create affordable housing that fits in with neighborhoods. And it creates construction jobs when you do !!